A Journey Across Time

It has been over a month that I have posted on my blog. Prior to that it was one post a month. That makes for a poor three posts in four months of 2010.

I can attribute this to a writer's block. A phase where one experiences a mental black-out and becomes philosophical about life et al. A writer's block can be devastating and the after effects tend to linger on for a longish period. I have been through this hibernation and have snapped out of this reverie suitably refreshed. Hope to come back with a fresh perspective on every matter that interests me.

The last three weeks have been spent on a road trip that took my family and I across varying terrain of Karnataka. I drove 2800 kms across various places and came back with a rich experience. This trip certainly merits a post.

As I drove on those endless roads, I got a chance to appreciate pristine beauty of the land at leisure. There were no schedules and no compulsion to hurry. Ironically, much of this beauty has been preserved as there has been very little development as we understand it in the modern sense. Have we missed a point here? 

 

I also got to observe people go about their lives with enthusiasm despite being deprived of basic creature comforts. Their lives are so simple and they are happy with so little. Neither the summer heat nor the seemingly hard life saps their energy or diminish their smiles.

Contrast this with us city folk. We have so many things going for us and, yet, our cribs are endless. We have so much and, yet, we have a sense of lack and our country cousins live in a sense of abundance inspite of having so little.

Not only was I travelling back in time, but I was also travelling from India to that vast, beautiful, under-rated and perhaps, a happy भारत.

Once in a Lifetime Journey

I returned home last night after what can be rightly termed as a "once in a life time" journey.

This was a journey that I had planned to undertake many years back but had not taken any step towards undertaking it.

Some time last year I spoke to a friend that I wish to complete this journey next year and for the first time I made my intention clear. My friend is an adventure freak and pat came his reply..."Sure...let us make it happen".


From then on it has been one long story of inexplicable twists, turns and co-incidences or miracles if you will. Unknown people came into the picture and all formalities got taken care of and we were busy packing to get on this "pilgrimage" long awaited.

The journey brought in its wake many challenges, many associated with high altitude acclimatising, poor quality of staying accomodation and poor toilet facilities, poor roads (Yes...Western Tibet still does not have proper metalled all weather roads, though this is changing fast), frequent stops by the Chinese Army to check (though there was no harassment).

At the end of it all there was a complete acceptance of all this and more. It did not seem a challenge anymore and there was a realisation that one could live with so much lesser than what we are used to, that life is so much simpler than what we make of it, that a "feverish"mind had no choice but to be calm, serene and content in this environment

Today, the whole adventure seems a dream, a vivid dream no less. As I re-orient myself to sea level from those rare heights, I hope to give shape to my next post on Kailash and Mansarovar. This is to sign off with good wishes to all from a divine spot.

A Dream....A Journey....A Break

Today, I embark on a journey that I have always dreamt of undertaking. This intention is turning into reality as I pack my bags and join a group of friends on our way to Kailash - Mansarovar.

Yes, friends.... I will be away for the next fifteen days exploring that "mysterious land" of Tibet enroute to Mt Kailash and the Mansarovar lake considered one of the holiest places by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.

Great Indian Exodus - II

All modes of transport are booked to their seams but the excitement of a vacation lightens any discomfort of an over crowded train or bus or even a cramped cattle class flight.

The Indian Railways provide the wheels to this great temporary sub-continental migration. Over the years the railways have perfected the art of clearing this summer rush.

Preparations for the vacations begin sixty to ninety days prior to the date of journey. It is a mad scramble for tickets. In my childhood, we would have to wait in long queues (separate queues for each destination) filling out reservation forms and wait for our turn to reach the booking window at Mumbai VT or at Churchgate. This demi-god behind the grilled window would determine when and how we could begin the journey. A simple “Not Available” would dash many a hope… With the advent of computers, air conditioners made an entry and one could take the benefit of standing in any queue. Internet has further simplified this process and one has the added advantage of home delivery of tickets.

Ah those days – they have been lost in some obscure pages of history. I wonder if any one misses those days. We seem to have quickly adopted new technologies as fish to water.

Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Garib Raths are the obvious choices and tickets are snapped up in a few minutes, but any train is ok if tickets are not available.

Every summer hundreds of “Summer Specials” are announced to manage this great surge of humanity. Trains, packed to capacity, begin their long journeys disgorging man-bag-baggage at various stations on the way. The heat and poor comfort seem hardly a bother. I wonder what is that that make people endure this discomfort and still retain child like excitement about the whole journey.

Buses do their bit too and we have the State Road Transport Corporations, popularly known as ST buses with their Regular, Deluxe, Fast Deluxe, Semi-Luxury, Luxury and now A/c-Volvo too. Matching ST buses we have innumerable private offerings where ticket rates can be negotiated before boarding the bus. I think Volvo buses seem to be top favourites and who can forget the sleeper buses.

The return journeys see distinctly lower levels of energy and excitement. After all end of vacations are in sight and it is back to the grind. The very thought of school or office is enough to get a frown on many faces. But such is life and the great mass of people make their way back home to their regular routine having taken, perhaps, a well deserved rest.

Apart from family bonding and a refreshing change, the Indian tourist is also oiling the wheels of commerce within the country. Domestic tourism is a big contributor to employment and is a great economic benefit. With better facilities being made available and greater inclination to hit off beat trails, we take great pleasure in re-discovering Incredible India!

Great Indian Exodus - I

The “Great Indian Exodus” takes place every summer. This sub-continental crisscross commences some time around mid-April and by early June we see the reverse flow. I might even say this unending flow is similar to the mass migration that we see at the Masai Mara or the Serengeti, the only difference being humans take part in this exodus.

In this exodus, you get to see, feel, know and experience many uniquely Indian concepts / ideas (depicted in italics). A nation on the move brings in its wake chaos, confusion, delight, tears, commerce, learning, relaxation, happiness and perhaps a moment of peace to the harried and overworked.

The Indian summer is oppressive and extreme. The coastal areas witness temperature in the range of 32 – 38 deg C. The conditions are sultry but the sea breeze makes things a bit more pleasant. Interiors are harsher where 40 + deg C is more the rule and made worse by long power cuts – another permanent feature of modern day Indian life. No problem, the ever ready inverter / generator is always at hand. Well, you can at least get a room cooler to cool the habitat for a couple of hours.

School annual exams are over and children are jumping around relishing every moment of their new found freedom. It is time for summer vacations. Sixty days of bliss. What better than spending a few days at “your native place” or your “hometown”, a very Indian phenomenon? Is it not incredible that wherever we may be, in this day and age still retain, with a sense of pride, a link with our roots?

How about traveling to some other place? An escape to colder climes would give you some respite from the soaring mercury. A string of hill stations are waiting to welcome you for a few days with their varied offering of the Mall Road, horse rides, observation points, lakes, boating, botanical gardens and of course the friendly neighbourhood tout who arranges a nice room with hot water availability.

A new animal on the horizon is that Indian who plans and goes on a holiday to foreign lands. A foreign vacation is still largely aspirational and a sure shot way to climb a few notches on the social ladder. You have the Kesari Tours or Raj Travels or several hundred similar travels groups that promise cook-on-board, vegetarian/ jain meals, or Eiffel Tower 3rd level included (you can’t beat that). Never mind the itinerary is crammed and at the end of it you need another vacation to recover from the earlier one.

There is another great institution which has contributed to this great exodus. I am sure the person who thought of this and drafted this provision was bitten by the travel bug. This is the grant of LTC / LTA (Leave Travel Concession or Leave Travel Allowance to the uninitiated). LTC / LTA has, perhaps, done far more to boost the travel lust of Indians than any Incredible India campaign. (This is a tax free allowance that we Indians get, to be spent on travel when we avail our annual privilege leave.)

The second part will carry forward this fascinating journey.