Leave home, baby.

Why must we travel and see the earth well beyond our needs? what good comes from pain endured, hard-earned money spent on fleeting moments we cannot take back? Who else other than the traveller remembers or cares about moments on expeditions and pointless walks through a forest? When will the wanderer be at peace? Where is that spot of calm that we set out for, with that organised backpack? what satisfaction exactly is derived from a visual captured on a device to take back as memories? For all the W questions we ask in retrospect, the answer is another set of Ws- We would Wishfully Wander where whereabouts whisk to world's wonders.

So set forth my neighbour, you, of this beautiful planet of a fragile, perishable ecosystem, and explore pointlessly with no agenda. You will find the answers to a lot of things that bother sometimes. How important were they, really? I take inspiration from a Satyajit Ray piece called Pather Panchali. One translated dialogue meant 'Staying in one place too long makes you mean.'

So leave behind those irrelevant little nothings that mean so little, especially when you see a picture of this planet from outer space. Why do we hang on to things in this life of .16 seconds? Thank you- Carl Sagan, for putting things in perspective.

Dwell not further on pointless posts such as this- concocted in a state of restlessness, itching feet for the next trip to a landscape unseen. Explore, and inspire me.

Leave home, baby.

Why must we travel and see the earth well beyond our needs? what good comes from pain endured, hard-earned money spent on fleeting moments we cannot take back? Who else other than the traveller remembers or cares about moments on expeditions and pointless walks through a forest? When will the wanderer be at peace? Where is that spot of calm that we set out for, with that organised backpack? what satisfaction exactly is derived from a visual captured on a device to take back as memories? For all the W questions we ask in retrospect, the answer is another set of Ws- We would Wishfully Wander where whereabouts whisk to world's wonders.

So set forth my neighbour, you, of this beautiful planet of a fragile, perishable ecosystem, and explore pointlessly with no agenda. You will find the answers to a lot of things that bother sometimes. How important were they, really? I take inspiration from a Satyajit Ray piece called Pather Panchali. One translated dialogue meant 'Staying in one place too long makes you mean.'

So leave behind those irrelevant little nothings that mean so little, especially when you see a picture of this planet from outer space. Why do we hang on to things in this life of .16 seconds? Thank you- Carl Sagan, for putting things in perspective.

Dwell not further on pointless posts such as this- concocted in a state of restlessness, itching feet for the next trip to a landscape unseen. Explore, and inspire me.

Kerala 2010

For all the crib of a lack of Industry in Kerala, if there were, would it be God's own then? A naturally rich state is on the brink of losing its treasure- the flora and fauna we take for granted. From Thekkady to my back yard- this is the heaven that has become a memory in other, so called 'developed' areas. A glimpse at the Pandora that still is.

Kerala 2010

Kerala 2010

For all the crib of a lack of Industry in Kerala, if there were, would it be God's own then? A naturally rich state is on the brink of losing its treasure- the flora and fauna we take for granted. From Thekkady to my back yard- this is the heaven that has become a memory in other, so called 'developed' areas. A glimpse at the Pandora that still is.

Kerala 2010

Bharatpur

Although this wasn't really the best time of the year for Bharatpur, it had to be done. This one one of the plans you make with friends but fizzles for sundry reasons. ''Wha... Were we serious?'' Make and break one plan and the rest also go this way. So we had to drive out.

No thanks to weekend work that needed wrapping up, we left Delhi at 5pm in two cars. Reached Bharatpur at 11pm. Now the quality of roads were way better than what I had imagined, so hats off to Rajasthan administration. We stayed at sunbird hotel, 100 metres before the sanctuary entrance. Woke up early in the morning at 6 am and loaded up our cameras with the required lenses. We didn't really get to see the flock of migrating birds we thought we would, like painted storks. So the 'micro life' took focus. Came back in the afternoon. Here's another unplanned trip in pictures.

Bharatpur

Bharatpur

Although this wasn't really the best time of the year for Bharatpur, it had to be done. This one one of the plans you make with friends but fizzles for sundry reasons. ''Wha... Were we serious?'' Make and break one plan and the rest also go this way. So we had to drive out.

No thanks to weekend work that needed wrapping up, we left Delhi at 5pm in two cars. Reached Bharatpur at 11pm. Now the quality of roads were way better than what I had imagined, so hats off to Rajasthan administration. We stayed at sunbird hotel, 100 metres before the sanctuary entrance. Woke up early in the morning at 6 am and loaded up our cameras with the required lenses. We didn't really get to see the flock of migrating birds we thought we would, like painted storks. So the 'micro life' took focus. Came back in the afternoon. Here's another unplanned trip in pictures.

Bharatpur

Kolkata 2010

Never having been to Kolkata was an ever-nagging, poking blurb I lived with since art school days. Native classmates or colleagues would dissappear around puja (Dushehra) and would return unwillingly, with a thing or two to say about the city that egged me on to plan a trip. Fifteen years of postponing went by. So when a work related opportunity knocked on my procrastinating skull, I reached for it, with an eye on a weekend spent galavanting on the streets of a heritage city, polishing off quintessential street food I had heard so much about. There was so much more. I was amidst sprawling bookstores reflecting an intellectual people's priorities, passion for football in a crowded maidaan opposite Victoria Memorial, an agitated narrator in Birla Planetarium reprimanding cell users during the show, zealous taxi drivers wanting to guide me through the city across both the iconic bridges, mobile time capsules like the trams, foot-driven rickshaws and the undying, ever-available yellow taxis. I could have well spent a week here and still not scratched the surface of what heritage city can offer a first-timer. High strung colleagues invited me with outstretched arms and swore by the city. Lunch time at Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose road has a plethora of dishes made right there on the pavements, ranging from Dosas to Fish and eggs with rice. After a gluttonous session at K.C. Das, a waltzed down the flea market from Esplanade, along Jawahar Lal Nehru road. Victoria Memorial reminded me of sections of the British Museum and the national gallery on trafalgar square. The exhibits here, 18th century paintings of Indian landscapes by European historians, surely deserved better lighting though. Despite the people thronging, the compound was clean, unlike the unmanagable Taj. I tweeted my walks starting from my hotel on Elgin road to Park street, to Esplanade back to my hotel. After work hours on Monday, a colleague took me home for dinner to South City, on Prince Anwar shah road. We checked out South City mall, shaped like a boat. Our first course started with some unmissable street food called churmura on Camac street. We binged on at a local sweet shop. The evening whizzed past and I found myself waking up at 4 am to catch the morning flight. A trip cut short with so much more to see, I returned with a spearing thought of doing this again. College street, Kalighat... I'll be back. There's surely a reason for the happiness index to be on the higher side here.

One serious plea to the administrators of Kolkata- Please bring CNG to the city. Kolkata is a treasure on its own and it deserves clean air. Once this rolls in, other incremental improvements will follow. Nevertheless, still looking forward to getting in here again. Enough said, time for the pics. This is an open folder for more, on another trip some day.

Kolkata

Kolkata 2010

Never having been to Kolkata was an ever-nagging, poking blurb I lived with since art school days. Native classmates or colleagues would dissappear around puja (Dushehra) and would return unwillingly, with a thing or two to say about the city that egged me on to plan a trip. Fifteen years of postponing went by. So when a work related opportunity knocked on my procrastinating skull, I reached for it, with an eye on a weekend spent galavanting on the streets of a heritage city, polishing off quintessential street food I had heard so much about. There was so much more. I was amidst sprawling bookstores reflecting an intellectual people's priorities, passion for football in a crowded maidaan opposite Victoria Memorial, an agitated narrator in Birla Planetarium reprimanding cell users during the show, zealous taxi drivers wanting to guide me through the city across both the iconic bridges, mobile time capsules like the trams, foot-driven rickshaws and the undying, ever-available yellow taxis. I could have well spent a week here and still not scratched the surface of what heritage city can offer a first-timer. High strung colleagues invited me with outstretched arms and swore by the city. Lunch time at Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose road has a plethora of dishes made right there on the pavements, ranging from Dosas to Fish and eggs with rice. After a gluttonous session at K.C. Das, a waltzed down the flea market from Esplanade, along Jawahar Lal Nehru road. Victoria Memorial reminded me of sections of the British Museum and the national gallery on trafalgar square. The exhibits here, 18th century paintings of Indian landscapes by European historians, surely deserved better lighting though. Despite the people thronging, the compound was clean, unlike the unmanagable Taj. I tweeted my walks starting from my hotel on Elgin road to Park street, to Esplanade back to my hotel. After work hours on Monday, a colleague took me home for dinner to South City, on Prince Anwar shah road. We checked out South City mall, shaped like a boat. Our first course started with some unmissable street food called churmura on Camac street. We binged on at a local sweet shop. The evening whizzed past and I found myself waking up at 4 am to catch the morning flight. A trip cut short with so much more to see, I returned with a spearing thought of doing this again. College street, Kalighat... I'll be back. There's surely a reason for the happiness index to be on the higher side here.

One serious plea to the administrators of Kolkata- Please bring CNG to the city. Kolkata is a treasure on its own and it deserves clean air. Once this rolls in, other incremental improvements will follow. Nevertheless, still looking forward to getting in here again. Enough said, time for the pics. This is an open folder for more, on another trip some day.

Kolkata

Ladakh

We were in Nubra valley and happened to stop by Sumur monastery early Sunday morning. We were very fortunate to be part of the prayer session and were invited in by the monks. Other places we visited were Diskit, Hundar (both Nubra valley), Leh, Shey, Likhir, Nimo, and Pather Sahib.

If you are planning a road trip through Ladakh, a word of caution before you consume this rosy sounding travelog. Keep checking on your Leh-Manali route, even after you've packed and set to go, and not online. Websites and blogs rarely tell you about actual weather conditions in this region. Do call the J&K tourism centres. Lahaul-Spiti weather is extremely unpredictable and it changes drastically by the day. If it's a clear sunny day today, then it could snow enough overnight to block a pass for days. This was my particular experience. Baralacha La is one such pass. Khardung La is another. Also do consider and check thoroughly the Jammu - Srinagar - Dras - Kargil route. For Khardung La, even a resident of Leh cannot tell what the weather will be like up in Khardung, even if its a nice sunny day in Leh. So pad up. Your vehicle must be a SUV. Carry full size rubber boots. Driving on snow needs experience. Cell connectivity is a security issue in the J&K area so your phones are useless. Avoid driving at night. It snowed on our way down from Lachulung La and we reached Leh at night. The rocks are loose all the way so landslides are common. Well... fly if can!

Last year the passes were open in May. So leaving for Ladakh in the first week of June seemed ok to us. Not so. The weather has taken a turn this year. Our car and others were stuck in Baralacha La. You must leave Keylong by 5 a.m. and clear this pass before 8 am; else the snow formed on the sides starts melting in the morning and makes a slush with the mud on the road. God help if that section of the road is deep enough to submerge half your tyre. Four vehicles were stuck there for an hour. One tip here- do not speed on snow. There is a way to let the vehicle roll at a low speed and maneuver with the steering. But this is not enough to know. The size and weight of your vehicle matters. You'd better have the nerves for this. I was just about getting the hang of driving on snow till my car was stuck for the third time next to Suraj tal. Can a small car reach Khardung La? Yes it can; but a good time of the year and a seasoned driver can make it happen. We didn't have either! My car had to be towed out of this area later. After we cleared this area, Baralach La was closed the next day - June 8 onwards, for 10 days. On my return I learnt that there had been some serious casualties in that area. Anyhow, we reached our elusive destination, all thanks to the gentlemen who gave us a lift from Sarchu till Leh.

The true essence of Ladakh is in its monasteries, long walks alongside local people, the spiritual topography and general quiet. So it hurts to see Leh selling off to the tourist flea market (like Goa has), and c'mon, it doesn't need to. It has to keep intact its sanctity and it should. For one, cars must be banned in a half km radius around monasteries, so only those who have some regard for the 400-year-old heritage will enter and walk the area. The streets in Leh city look no different from Pahaad Ganj in Delhi- and its non-CNG, polluting, unpoliced traffic. The main Leh market and palace could use a half km car-free radius.

Do spend enough time in temples in Likhir, Shey palace, Diskit and Sumur monastery in Nubra valley. Leh palace is like a time capsule- bolting you into an era of kings, hyperactive ministers and family scampering through the low doors and dark corridors. There is a temple in one of its chambers.

All inclusive, Ladakh is beautiful. Flying down may be a safer bet, but you miss the amazing earth here! My best and most unforgettable road trip ever. Pictures here-

Ladakh

Ladakh

We were in Nubra valley and happened to stop by Sumur monastery early Sunday morning. We were very fortunate to be part of the prayer session and were invited in by the monks. Other places we visited were Diskit, Hundar (both Nubra valley), Leh, Shey, Likhir, Nimo, and Pather Sahib.

If you are planning a road trip through Ladakh, a word of caution before you consume this rosy sounding travelog. Keep checking on your Leh-Manali route, even after you've packed and set to go, and not online. Websites and blogs rarely tell you about actual weather conditions in this region. Do call the J&K tourism centres. Lahaul-Spiti weather is extremely unpredictable and it changes drastically by the day. If it's a clear sunny day today, then it could snow enough overnight to block a pass for days. This was my particular experience. Baralacha La is one such pass. Khardung La is another. Also do consider and check thoroughly the Jammu - Srinagar - Dras - Kargil route. For Khardung La, even a resident of Leh cannot tell what the weather will be like up in Khardung, even if its a nice sunny day in Leh. So pad up. Your vehicle must be a SUV. Carry full size rubber boots. Driving on snow needs experience. Cell connectivity is a security issue in the J&K area so your phones are useless. Avoid driving at night. It snowed on our way down from Lachulung La and we reached Leh at night. The rocks are loose all the way so landslides are common. Well... fly if can!

Last year the passes were open in May. So leaving for Ladakh in the first week of June seemed ok to us. Not so. The weather has taken a turn this year. Our car and others were stuck in Baralacha La. You must leave Keylong by 5 a.m. and clear this pass before 8 am; else the snow formed on the sides starts melting in the morning and makes a slush with the mud on the road. God help if that section of the road is deep enough to submerge half your tyre. Four vehicles were stuck there for an hour. One tip here- do not speed on snow. There is a way to let the vehicle roll at a low speed and maneuver with the steering. But this is not enough to know. The size and weight of your vehicle matters. You'd better have the nerves for this. I was just about getting the hang of driving on snow till my car was stuck for the third time next to Suraj tal. Can a small car reach Khardung La? Yes it can; but a good time of the year and a seasoned driver can make it happen. We didn't have either! My car had to be towed out of this area later. After we cleared this area, Baralach La was closed the next day - June 8 onwards, for 10 days. On my return I learnt that there had been some serious casualties in that area. Anyhow, we reached our elusive destination, all thanks to the gentlemen who gave us a lift from Sarchu till Leh.

The true essence of Ladakh is in its monasteries, long walks alongside local people, the spiritual topography and general quiet. So it hurts to see Leh selling off to the tourist flea market (like Goa has), and c'mon, it doesn't need to. It has to keep intact its sanctity and it should. For one, cars must be banned in a half km radius around monasteries, so only those who have some regard for the 400-year-old heritage will enter and walk the area. The streets in Leh city look no different from Pahaad Ganj in Delhi- and its non-CNG, polluting, unpoliced traffic. The main Leh market and palace could use a half km car-free radius.

Do spend enough time in temples in Likhir, Shey palace, Diskit and Sumur monastery in Nubra valley. Leh palace is like a time capsule- bolting you into an era of kings, hyperactive ministers and family scampering through the low doors and dark corridors. There is a temple in one of its chambers.

All inclusive, Ladakh is beautiful. Flying down may be a safer bet, but you miss the amazing earth here! My best and most unforgettable road trip ever. Pictures here-

Ladakh

Save the Taj.. from people!

As we entered the parking next to the Taj, we were hollered at by rickshaw drivers operating battery run rickshaws. That made me happy. It gave me a sense of rejuvenation about the heritage and Utopian ideas of upliftment at grassroot levels popped and bubbled in my shaven, sweating head. I was looking forward to the rest of the trip. As we bought our tickets outside, guides pestered us endlessly, peddling their knowledge of the tomb, and their trump card is they would help us bypass the long queue for the security check, and so a quicker entry. "Arre dhoop mein kaale ho jaoge!" Yeah sure, like I'm heading for a spa in there. We chose to stand in queue.

We entered the main gateway abuzz with exhilarated couples and enthusiastic posers for optical illusions suggested by the 'resident' photographers. Plastic water bottles were strewn all over the place. Security camera wires lined the marble work. The loo was built into the original peripheral construction surrounding the Taj. Unused rusting iron pipes piled up at corners, leaning against the walls.
Camouflaged garbage cans pretended to be part of the architecture. More garbage lay closer to the Taj in the pools. Inside the dome, the wooden planks protecting the marble work had lovers' scrawls on it- like they would just about save the main tomb from being defaced. Disposable shoe covers, plastic bottles, wrappers were left inside the surrounding chambers by visitors. Despite a sign outside prohibiting photography, people took pictures inside. Outside, every minaret had a hideous green tall garbage can but the waste was outside it- and it showed against all that white! A digital marque was fitted into one of the surrounding constructions, scrolling a message about low pollution levels. Honestly, we have no sense of ownership for our heritage. We need strict rules to make people carry back their own waste- which is what we did through the entire trip and way back. Shah Jahaan would turn in his grave had he known the Taj would turn into this. The sight of the plastic bottles scarred my trip. The Taj is the world's property and if we don't treasure it then we don't deserve to call it our own.
Come to think of it, where the mythical black Taj was to be erected, we could probably make another Taj with these plastic bottles- and it could be a dark, symbolic tomb- for our heritage and environment.

Save the Taj.. from people!

As we entered the parking next to the Taj, we were hollered at by rickshaw drivers operating battery run rickshaws. That made me happy. It gave me a sense of rejuvenation about the heritage and Utopian ideas of upliftment at grassroot levels popped and bubbled in my shaven, sweating head. I was looking forward to the rest of the trip. As we bought our tickets outside, guides pestered us endlessly, peddling their knowledge of the tomb, and their trump card is they would help us bypass the long queue for the security check, and so a quicker entry. "Arre dhoop mein kaale ho jaoge!" Yeah sure, like I'm heading for a spa in there. We chose to stand in queue.

We entered the main gateway abuzz with exhilarated couples and enthusiastic posers for optical illusions suggested by the 'resident' photographers. Plastic water bottles were strewn all over the place. Security camera wires lined the marble work. The loo was built into the original peripheral construction surrounding the Taj. Unused rusting iron pipes piled up at corners, leaning against the walls.
Camouflaged garbage cans pretended to be part of the architecture. More garbage lay closer to the Taj in the pools. Inside the dome, the wooden planks protecting the marble work had lovers' scrawls on it- like they would just about save the main tomb from being defaced. Disposable shoe covers, plastic bottles, wrappers were left inside the surrounding chambers by visitors. Despite a sign outside prohibiting photography, people took pictures inside. Outside, every minaret had a hideous green tall garbage can but the waste was outside it- and it showed against all that white! A digital marque was fitted into one of the surrounding constructions, scrolling a message about low pollution levels. Honestly, we have no sense of ownership for our heritage. We need strict rules to make people carry back their own waste- which is what we did through the entire trip and way back. Shah Jahaan would turn in his grave had he known the Taj would turn into this. The sight of the plastic bottles scarred my trip. The Taj is the world's property and if we don't treasure it then we don't deserve to call it our own.
Come to think of it, where the mythical black Taj was to be erected, we could probably make another Taj with these plastic bottles- and it could be a dark, symbolic tomb- for our heritage and environment.

Jaipur 2010

Sometimes the best things about a city are... its unpedicured streets! Elements that grow on their own, random lives settled purposefully in corners, hacking away and doing their own thing. Jaipur is today what Delhi is losing out on- a face of its own. Jauhari bazaaar is an organized version of Chandi Chowk, alive and busy, like a marketplace should be. Eating off the streets is always on the agenda, and very smart children can put you in your place. This is such a good time to be here!

Jaipur 2010

Sometimes the best things about a city are... its unpedicured streets! Elements that grow on their own, random lives settled purposefully in corners, hacking away and doing their own thing. Jaipur is today what Delhi is losing out on- a face of its own. Jauhari bazaaar is an organized version of Chandi Chowk, alive and busy, like a marketplace should be. Eating off the streets is always on the agenda, and very smart children can put you in your place. This is such a good time to be here!