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Diwali Weekend Places You Can Visit During This Festive Season
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How a Solo Day Out in Mumbai Went Well
I don’t mind being at home throughout the weekend, but there was last weekend when I wanted to get out of the house, badly. I called a few friends, but could not make a plan. Finally, I decided to go out on my own. It did not take too long to plan a day out since I did not have to match my suitability with anyone else. Maybe it was the beginning of what I call a solo traveler.
The breakfast
It sounds quite weird but I left home around 9 am, so the first thing I had to find was breakfast. I found a stall selling poha that looked promising. I went there to buy a plate, and gobbled it down since I was too hungry. It was delicious indeed. I moved ahead to sit at a place where I could spend some time with myself. Initially, I thought of going for a movie, but the idea sounded too boring.
The day out
The great idea struck my mind that I should spend some time at the Gateway of India. Now, I had to rent a car in Mumbai without driver so that I could drive on my own in the pleasant weather. Since the Car Rental would take time to reach, I thought it was better that I take a cab. Anyway, I reached the Gateway of India and sat there watching people. I had a book with me to read, which I read occasionally because I had found a more interesting job to do. I was watching people, observing their actions, and found delight in it. That was the time when I thought that solo trips were not as bad as I used to think.
I opened my phone, browsed through the places where I could go on my own, and shortlisted a few places. I wondered what all I could do traveling through different cities and villages. Blogs from various authors gave an insight on how it felt to be on our own. They all said almost same things that it was lovely to go for a solo trip for some time, but it got boring after a while.
I also thought that I should explore solo trips at least a few times, give it a chance, and then decide whether it was meant for me or not. Sitting at that beautiful place in that amazing weather gave me time to think over many things. I thought about career, personal life, love relationships, friends, colleagues, and many other things. Never in my life, had I felt so awesome about my life. I felt grateful that no one came with me that day.
Sometimes, the secluded times give great insights, which I had got that day. In just a few hours of sitting there, I had watched hundreds of people, talked to a few, and talked to myself. I committed to myself for more such moments whenever life felt so vacant.
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How My Mother Sent the Best Gift This Summer
Moms can be crazy sometimes, and my mom can be the leader of the squad of Uber-cool moms. I hail from a small village near Patna, but presently live in Mumbai. So here was the day when I was sleeping like there was no tomorrow. Mom had called me twice already and I was not picking up her call. I knew that she would want to talk to me for at least half an hour, and it was too early for me on a Saturday morning to spend so much time on call. So I decided to ignore her call for a while and call her back once my soul was gratified with sleeping like a dead body for half a day.
I received a few more calls from Mom, but I selfishly ignored them. Humans are ungrateful beings, I know. I was adamant, but maybe she was not. She did not call again. After a few minutes, I got a call from Dad, and that number on my screen was enough to make me jump out of my bed!
Although my dad is not a scary being, there is no other daunting figure like an Indian father, even if he does not utter a word. I picked up the call, but it was not dad on the other side of the phone. It was mom!
I sensed some emergency in her voice as she said, “Raghu, get up fast and go to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.”
It shook me off completely, and I could not ask any more questions to her before getting out of the house. In the meanwhile, she had already texted me, “reach there in 20 minutes. ASAP!”
All this was enough to send the waves of shock down my spine, and I was thinking of all positive and negative possibilities. I already felt that there was something worse going on that mom was not telling me. If I had to pick someone from the train, she must have told me. In that case, I would have prepared answers for the random question all relatives ask about job and marriage, thankfully not about kids until now.
Anyway, I reached the railway station in my Car Rental Mumbai and called mom. She asked me to note down the number of a person and talk to him. She said he had to meet me. All this was going way too suspicious and I could hear my heart beating faster than normal. I called that man, and he responded that he would get off the train at platform number 2 in twenty minutes. I rushed to the platform and met him with a nervous look on my face. He handed over a tiffin bag to me and said that my mother hand sent it for me.
He, seeing me all puzzled, said that he met my mom at the Patna railway station and she asked me to give this bag to me.
I opened it and found what? Karele ki sabzi and homemade chapatis!
She had done all this craziness only to have his son eat homemade food!
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How We Celebrated the Success of My Exams with a Road Trip
Exams are indeed stressful times, for me and for everyone, almost! I have seen people chilling out before, during, and after exams, and then, come out with flying colors. It has never been so easy for me. I am always trembling with nervousness about the outcome of my hard-work on the day of result. And there was an occurrence that we had enough of it on the day of my class tenth boards result.
There is a friend of my mother, someone who is actually envious of our family, who always asks about my wellbeing, what I do after school, how I study, and how many marks I score. In reality, she always compares me with her daughter who is in the same class as mine. The Boards’ exam result was supposed to be declared around 3 pm, but she had started calling us since 10 am!
Every time she would call us, she would say, “When will the result be out, beta?”
”How much do you expect to score beta?”
By 2 pm, she had already called five times, and we were pissed off by her. Having told her already that she should wait until 3 pm, she would not budge. On her call at 2:45 pm, my mom finally said to her, “Teena, please take the roll number of my daughter. You can tell the result to us as well when you check it.”
I don’t know why we did not receive any call from her until 3:30 pm even when the results were out.
I had scored 92%.
Her daughter had got 79%. The reason was obvious that she felt embarrassed as she had already seen my marks.
When Mom called Teena aunty, she justified her daughter’s marks by saying that she was not in good health for a month that year. I was too young to counter her in the most logical matter, but my mom was not. She, very politely, told her, “Teena, please take care of your daughter for the next two years. She must eat healthy to score good marks in class 12th!”
That was enough for Teena aunty to hear. She did not even ask any further questions about me or anyone else at home, and disconnected the call abruptly.
Nevertheless, all of us at home were in pure bliss, so we decided to celebrate. The major reason was my good marks, and the second secret reason was the poor marks of Teena autny’s daughter. Dad booked a Self-Drive Car Rental Chandigarh and we started packing for a road trip to Kasauli, which falls earlier on the road than Shimla. It took us two hours to pack the bags, and another two hours for the car to arrive.
As we set off to the hills, we could not stop laughing over the reactions of Teena
aunty
. I hope she lets her poor daughter live in peace after the results that day.
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How I Planned to Travel to Goa in Summer?
I always strive to travel more than the previous years, but sometimes I fail to do it because of unfavorable weather. However, I thought of skipping the weather excuse this year and headed off to Goa in May. I had always heard that I must go to Goa during October and January, but I could not every do it because everything becomes so expensive there during peak season. However, I was tired of planning and speculating things since long, and I had to do it this time. Therefore, I booked a Car Rental and hit the road.
I have been to several beaches before, so it was not the quaint beaches that I was looking for in Goa this time. I wanted to experience the free-spirited slow life there, which I had heard a lot about. I remember a conversation with a friend when I asked her, “Can you suggest me a village in Goa?”
She replied, “Goa in totality is a village. You will love it.”
That was when I so wanted to be in Goa for a while. And after spending a few moments in the state, I loved the unruffled, laid-back life there.
The days in summers
When I was there in Goa during May, the days were definitely too hot, so there was no point getting out of the hotel. However, I did not waste my mornings and evenings to enjoy my time. On the other hand, since it was off-season, the beaches were quiet and the balmy breeze was my only company. Sometimes, it would shower in the evening, which was a welcome occurrence of course. During afternoons, I would either sleep, sit by the pool with a book, go for a massage, or just watch people in the hotel restaurant.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I got a fancy property to stay at reduced prices. I love to have an experience of various properties wherever I go, so I made sure that I booked nice hotels well in advance to save money.
Enjoying the sunset
After traveling to so many places I know that the famous sunset points at every tourist destination are madly hogged during peak seasons. I love sunsets, but if I have a good place to admire it. I got to be there at Thalassa, which was obviously more toned down in summers. These party places seem entirely different during off season. I also had a gret time watching sunsets in Morjim where I could go for careless walks by the beach and watch my favorite scenes of sunset.
North Goa
My friends had strictly warned me against North Goa, which is usually super-touristy. They knew that I would never like an over-crowded place anywhere in the world. However, I decided to give it a try. No matter how much crowd North Goa invites in December, I found it inviting in May. I got to witness a few parties, but I reveled in the noise since not many tourists were there. Other people at the place were also willing to indulge in slow conversations with me.
I had the entire state of Goa to myself since the regular tourists were busy planning their trip to the place during December or January. I could go to any hotel, restaurant, beach, mountain, or market without thinking much. I never had to rush. I never had to wait for my turn for a table. I never had to book anything. I never had to think much about anything at all. All in all, I loved my week-long stint in Goa.
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I Leave My Mobile at Home to Enjoy More on My Vacations
When I am out of the city for a vacation, I hate that my phone keeps ringing. The marketing calls are the most annoying things in the world, no matter how pleasant the voice. It seems too hard to leave your phone at home while going for a holiday, but it is indeed possible. I have done it more than once, and I will keep doing it for sure. However, I make sure that I am safe and I let my family or friends know about it. Nevertheless, even if I take my cellphone with me, I keep it switched off for most of the time.
Enjoying the scenery while I drive
I like to take delight in the real natural sights around me rather than seeing people enjoying their time on the hills. While driving, I know that using a cellphone is already risky. Then, why should I risk my life while using the cellphone as I drive on the hills. I have seen people losing their lives just because they lost their concentration for a second as their phone rang. Just a moment of distraction can result in serious consequences, which is a good reason to stay away from this gadget while driving. I let my hair down, talk to my fellow passengers, and enjoy the scenery while driving.
Real life activities
Whenever I feel that I have free time in hand, I try to use it for actual activities rather than watching TV at home or using Facebook. I like to attend various meet-ups that happen in the city, visit a new place, or volunteer for social causes. I have a hobby of writing and learning a new language, so I engage myself in those things. I have seen that people with hobbies are wiser than those who do not have any; I don’t want to join the latter crowd.
New hobbies
Since the old hobbies had started making me feel dull, I started searching for the new ones. I tried calligraphy, cooking, and playing piano. Calligraphy appeals me so much that I carry my equipment everywhere I go. The combination of new and old leisure pursuits keeps me hooked all the time, so much so that I forget about my cellphone at times.
Appreciation for real possessions
Off lately, I have started valuing my family and friends more than anything in the world. I do not want to lose anyone from my kinfolks. Whenever I see a rose-seller on the roadside, I buy one rose for my husband without waiting for any occasion. I love to shower my love on my friends by treating them without celebrating any event. I hired a car rental Pune last month just to enjoy the great weather that day. We went around the city, had a blasting session of gossips, and then returned home to resume life. We all decided not to use our phones once we sat in the car. Life without a cellphone is possible; we just need to be determined enough.
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Why I Like Traveling With Honest Friends
People may find it too easy to get compatible travel buddies, but I don’t think so. I have rarely met anyone who wants to go for a vacation and contribute fairly towards it. The contribution may be in terms of money or efforts, which I think, are important for a successful road trip. I have faced several misadventures when it comes to being with unfriendly people on vacations. A travel companion may create unforgettable memories with you. On the other hand, a fussy person can ruin the entire journey and land you in huge trouble.
The cheat travel buddies
This is the best category of people that I like in general, and I love going for road trips with them. People often tend to be diplomatic when they cannot answer upfront. However, I like to face blunt yet unpleasant answers instead of polite but fake words. For instance, I was traveling to Kerala with my group of college friends last year. Since all of us had graduated from college, none of us expected each other to crib for money. We all thought that we will contribute for every expense because we all received decent paychecks at the end of every month.
Two guys in the group decided to cheat others by telling us that they will pay their share of money at the end of the trip. We happily agreed based on our time spent in youth as they had never backed out of any plan and shared the bill every time. However, at the end of the trip, they departed saying that all of us should share our account details so that they could transfer their respective share as soon as possible. We took their words in good faith and departed to our respective homes in Mumbai. Once that they was gone, these guys stopped picking up our calls and never returned our money! Imagine the plight of all of us when we, at last, fathomed that they had turned regular cheats after leaving college. A few of other friends from college also narrated their stories of tricks to us when we met on the Alumni meet this year. However, as all of us narrated our tales, we could not help but laugh out loud thinking of our stupidity to trust someone so easily for such huge amounts.
Straightforward travel friends
Another instance was when we planned to go to Pune from Mumbai. Although we owned cars at home, we decided to look for cars on rent so that we could drive an SUV, which none of us had. It turned out that one of our buddies could not manage to contribute for the fare of the car since he felt that the Car Rental was quite expensive for him. Without thinking for a moment, we proposed that he did not need to back out from the plan as we all will contribute for his share of rent. This is the way one should deal with shortage of money rather than cheating others.
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My Craziness Doubles While Traveling With My Father
Indian parents are generally conservative and do not talk much. However, all the generations are changing, especially in urban cities, and the parents are evolving to become as cool as their kids. My father is a crazy person, no offense to him, but yes he is crazy. Sometimes, he can be even more funny and sarcastic than my teenage friends. I love traveling with him for his friendly conduct with my friends and me. We have traveled to Manali, Mussoorie, and Shimla; just the two of us because my mom has a traveling job. She already travels a lot, so she prefers staying at home during holidays when it is time for me and dad to set off to the mountains.
Talking about career
Last week, when I told him that I did not want to become a doctor or an engineer, he was cool about it. Over and above, he shocked me when he said that I should become a baba in India! I mean, I could not even digest his statement. I clarified if he meant that I should become a saint. He nodded and said that I could be a good businessman because baba-giri requires tremendous business skills. I could hear my mom laughing out loud in the kitchen when she listened to our conversation. Of course, I also had to give in talking to him, but I was relieved that I would not have to study all my life if I became a doctor.
Irritating my friends
Sometimes, he deliberately annoys my friends to the extent that they ask me if my dad is at home before coming to my place. Actually, he doesn't intend to frustrate them, but the teenagers apparently cannot tolerate everything. Since my friends do not know him well, they tend to judge him too early. And the ones who have been to places with dad love him entirely. Last month, my friend Prerna came to my home to share some notes from that day's class. My dad kept interrupting her as she talked to me; I could see it on his face that he did not like her and wanted her to leave the house as soon as possible. Finally, after tolerating him for half an hour, she handed over her notebook to me and left home.
As she left, I looked at dad with the expressions that he understood, and said, "What?" I didn't need to say much to let him explain the situation. He just said that Prerna was not a nice girl. Still, if I wanted to proceed my friendship with her, I could do that. He did not give many reasons to justify his judgment, but I thanked him later for saving me from her. I got to know from my college friends that they had planned to take cars on rent for an outstation trip. Prerna was supposed to pay 5000 INR to someone, but she blatantly declared after the journey that she would not pay. Facepalm!
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How I Ditched Traveling By Air and Returned to Road Trips
I have had many reasons to stop flying in an airplane and go anywhere by road, if possible. By any chance, if the distance is too much, it is only then that I take up an airplane. Else, sitting on any flight is my least preferred mode of transportation. Among many reasons for not fancying to fly, let me mention a few that I got to know from various sources and experience with time.
Luggage
Whenever I used to fly, I would ask the attendant while giving away my luggage to stick the ‘fragile’ label on my bags, even if there was no delicate item in them. However, the airlines do not handle any luggage carefully despite any labels. When I got to know about this the first time, it came to me as a shock, but now I prefer to carry the fragile things in my check-in luggage so that I can bring my bag with care.
Online check-in
When I was traveling to London last year, I had got stuck in traffic, and thus, could not reach the airport in time. I had to miss my flight only because I had not checked in online for the flight. Since then, I make sure that I check in on the web beforehand to be on the safer side. The traffic scene happened once more last month when I had to go to Amritsar, but the airlines knew that I would be arriving. Therefore, they called me to confirm and hence, waited for me to board the airplane. I could only board the flight just two minutes before the take-off. In short, I hate this hassle.
Expensive food
There is no need to tell anyone who has ever flown in an airplane that airports are incredibly overpriced. Whether it is food, clothes, perfumes, or cosmetics, you have to pay several times the legit price of everything. I especially hate buying overpriced water and food at the airports. Compare it to the street food or even the cuisines available in restaurants; they are reasonably priced almost every time. Moreover, I cannot carry wet food inside the airplane; they always make you throw it in the bin! What a waste! I can never do that to my favorite pizza or a can of juice. I would rather eat and drink everything before the flight.
Rather than flying in an airplane, I would rent a car or hire a cab in any state in India to cover long distances, given I have a reasonable amount of time in hand. Unlike the previous decade, flying has become so painful considering the amount of money we pay for it. The airlines used to take care of their passengers until a few years ago, but now for some reason, they are making flying highly painful. I cannot spend my hard-earned money for something I despise. For the above reasons and many more, road trips are my all-time favorite.
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Finding a Compatible Travel Companion is Not Easy
When you are a fulltime traveler, you cannot depend on people to accompany you every time. Somewhere, you have to learn traveling alone so that there are no obligations for each other. After being on a few vacations with different people, I found none of them worth going again in future. I would instead prefer going solo rather than having a partner who cribs throughout the journey. I have also traveled with my family on several occasions, but I happened to travel with only my mother once. My father and brother had to stay at home for some work, but Mom desperately wanted to go to Rishikesh. I was also excited to go on the trip because I wanted to do bungee jump and rafting, and she wanted to visit temples. The tour not only fulfilled the travel motives of both of us but also made me realize that Mom is the best travel companion I could ever have. She is a strong-willed, optimistic, and open-minded woman who also loves traveling. Doubtlessly, I have got my travel genes from her, for which, I will be grateful to her forever.
She is energetic
Despite her age, she is always enthusiastic to explore new places, and her energy levels sometimes make me feel jealous of her. I can ask her to hike, trek, or jog; she will never refuse to do anything that I want to do even if she cannot match my pace. I love the way she is excited about doing new things, different from her routine. When she gets tired, she asks me to let her take some rest and go ahead with my activities. While she was ready sharp at 5 a.m. for the morning trek in McLeodganj, I have seen my friends delving as deep into the bed as they can!
She is a good photographer
For someone to be a good travel companion with me, he or she has to be very patient while I do photography for my blog. Not only she bears with me as I click photos, sometimes more than ten times at one place to catch the perfect picture, but she also clicks excellent photographs of mine. She doesn’t understand a Smartphone much, but she carefully listens to my directions and absorbs what kind of photo I want in different situations. My friends often get mad over my love for taking pictures, but she enjoys the same passion with me. What else do I want in life? Chocolate brownie, maybe! Wink!
She is flexible
Considering her age, I used to think that she would not be able to walk around too much, but she shows incredible strength and determination when it comes to traveling in local buses, trains, and auto-rickshaws. However, we hired car rentals in Chennai because we had to go to various temples in the city last year. She felt pampered, and I just loved the smile on her face as I maneuvered the car in the blissful pleasant weather. I cannot thank god enough for gifting me such a mother.
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How My Love for Food Drives Me to Travel
I can postpone anything in the world, but food. I am a die-hard foodie, so much so that I feel like eating something even while sleeping. In addition to eating, I like to cook as well. God knows why I am not a chef but a manager in an IT company, but I love cooking for myself as well as others. This love for food has taken me to several corners of the country as well as the world. Like every other foodie, I cook a three-course meal for guests, watch cookery shows, and dream of life when I would be able to pursue my passion for a living.
However, it was not very long ago that I took my passion for cooking and eating on the road. I combined my love to travel with that of food, and I must say, my husband and I have witnessed a lot of amazing things just by following our craving for new foods. In India, I have seen the street hawkers making some of the most amazing cuisines. One peddler in Delhi, for example, combined the ingredients of pasta with those of an omelet. Lots of butter, cheese, and vegetables went into his lovely dish; it was loaded with loads of fat but one of the most heavenly cuisines I had ever tasted in my life.
Food is an essential part of travel
Even when food is not the sole agenda of travel, it still becomes a significant part of it. How can I visit Bali and miss out on the fantastic seafood? What is China without tasting dim sum? How can I be there in Pune and not taste missal-pao? Being in Amritsar and not eating Amritsari kulcha is next to sin. Whenever I go to a place, I get to know about the local specialties without making any effort. I do not have to ask anyone about the best local food if I am on the streets. The local signboards reveal all the information on their own.
I was in Old Delhi last month, and the signboards around the place compelled me to eat fresh gol-gappas, Tikki, thepla, kulfi, mutton shaurma, paranthe, and butter chicken. Thankfully, I had a bunch or three friends with me, and we could manage to eat everything in just one day. Else, I would have to come again to Purani Dilli, as they call it, to taste all the fantastic food.
The Hyderabadi Biryani
I visited Hyderabad last week to find the best biryani in town. Needless to say that almost every other eatery in the city serves mouth-watering biryani. During my stay of three days in the city, I left no reputable shop to taste the amazing rice cuisine. Then I hired Self Drive Cars in Hyderabad for Outstation to see other places around the town.
No matter how old I grow, I would never cease to travel around the country and the world for food. With just my love for food, I have met dozens of amazing people, learned a lot about various cultures, and made a lot of new friends. Many chefs, bawarchis, and cooks in India owe their talent to their ancestors. It feels incredible to talk to them about their families while they cook food for me. A gol-gappa seller once told me in Hyderabad that his family has been serving these water balls in the city for thirty years. It was astonishing for me to know that Indians have been eating gol-gappas for so many years. Thanks to my love for food that I love my life even more because of it.
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Chilling On the Road with Friends in Delhi
How does it feel to be at home, do nothing, and just sleep? Of course amazing, but only sometimes. When you have to sit idle every weekend, it feels just so annoying. You feel like killing yourself rather than killing time, especially for a person like me who cannot be sluggish even for a moment. I have a habit of being busy all the time without being a workaholic. I always have one or the other activity planned for me and my friends during weekdays as well as weekends. However, a fracture in my leg made me sit at home for six weeks, and I felt like jumping out of the window at times.
Killing time
In the initial phase of sickness, I tried to kill time by calling people and reading books. All of those calling relatives and reading innumerable novels became monotonous after a while. People started avoiding my calls and it was unbearable for me. I tried to watch TV shows, movies, and daily soaps, but sitting glued to the TV is just not me. I feel the pain in my bums just after a few minutes, and I feel like getting up from the seat quickly and move my body for anything I can.
I finally made a WhatsApp group on my phone with three friends as members, and told them my plight. I literally requested them to take me out for a long drive with a few drinks, or I will die one day out of boredom. All of them laughed at me like anything, but even that mockery gave relief to me. They readily agreed to go for a long drive, but the issue was how? None of us had the car and the only person, Kshitij, who had sent his car for repairs.
Anyway, we decided to rent a car without hesitation, and the car arrived at our door at 5 pm the next day. Of course, everyone had reached before that and they prepared food and drinks for everyone. Since all of us would be drinking, the job of driving was left to the only non-drinker in our group, Rohit. He happily agreed to drive for hours for us, which was obviously shocking for all of us. He could not have been sweeter to me as he knew how desperately I wanted to be out of the house. He has been with me in my company for two years, and knows me quite a bit inside out.
Anyway, we left our house and set off to the Gurgaon-Jaipur highway around 7 pm. It indeed feels risky to drink like that in car, Car-o-Bar, as we call it, but we were ready to take the chance that day. All of us had met after a long time, and apart from me, everyone seemed excited for the trip. Rohit drove for merely two hours when all of us started feeling hungry. We had food with us, but we preferred to eat fresh paranthas at a roadside dhaba.
After feeling stuffed, we could not even walk for a few minutes. Nevertheless, we managed to get up from the place and find our belongings. Drinking a little more was out of question for a while as we had a lot of food. Spending time chit-chatting with friends gives immense gratification, especially when you meet after a long time. We got to know a lot of things about each other, which also included our past and present love affairs, education, marriage life, kids, and a lot more. I cannot thank my friends enough for such a lovely evening.
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Adventure Road Trip from Vadodara to Goa
So this was the day when I and my friends decided to pack up our bags and head out for a road trip. The spontaneity of the plan made our parents fume with rage, but since our papers had ended, we just had to do something excited. Being dead against the plan, our parents refused to give us the car for the road trip. And so we had to think of some other way in which we could leave in an hour’s time.
We had heard of the Self Drive cars in Vadodara that had recently started, and so we thought of giving it a chance. The booking took less than a few minutes, and we all just threw some clothes in our bag till then and ran down toppling all over each other, laughing. Thanks to Self Drive car rentals, we dint have to cancel our plan, and we could easily start off with our road trip.
The journey was mesmerizingly beautiful, and we played the most amazing songs throughout the way. Even though it was a crazy long journey, but the ride went perfectly smoothly. We stopped to eat a lot of times, and savoured delicious snacks on the way. For lunch we stopped at Ram Singh ka Dhaba which is one of the most famous highway dhabas, and here we had a fulfilling lunch, which we all thoroughly enjoyed.
The thing with road trips is that they are so pleasant and so relaxing, that one actually loves the journey more than the destination. We all took turns driving, and surprisingly enough the drive was amazing that everyone wanted to drive most of the time. Whenever thought Self Drive cars would be so useful to us one day.
“Travel leaves you speechless, and then turns you into a storyteller”
This is absolutely true and the ride that we had was even more amazing that the destination. Of course, the amount of fun that we had in Goa was great too, and this break was like a blessing to all of us. So if your troop is also planning a vacation, then we would recommend you to go for a road trip for sure. Rent a self drive car at the earliest and have the time of your life.
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Why Road Trips Make Me Happier Than Ever?
Some things in life make you the happiest person on earth. For me, it is road trips that give me immense bliss and peace. I have to make some efforts to take a leave from office and make plans to go for a long vacation. Nonetheless, it is all worth it once I am done with all planning. I have made countless memories just by being there at a secluded place in the hills of South India. Coorg is one such place where I went for a solo trip, and I can still recount every moment spent in solitude, which was pure bliss and nothing else.
Excitement
Just before the road trip begins, I cannot control the excitement I feel. One night before I have to leave, my sleep vanishes to some extreme corner of the world, and all I can think is exhilaration for the trip that is to begin. So much so I love the roads that I can be there for months at a stretch without complaining, provided someone is ready to bear my expenses. I feel the thrill to see the new places or just feel the calm on the highway.
Anticipation
When the excitement becomes too much, I start anticipating new things. I begin planning for things I have to do, places I have to see, and the foods I have to try. All this daydreaming does not let me be at peace for days before the trip. Sometimes, I also feel irritated because of these anticipations because I cannot focus on my work.
Amazement
The Wow factor never vanishes from my heart whenever I see something new. It is a different thing that I start getting bored of it if I see it again. I have been to Haridwar and Banaras many times, but these two places still amaze me with their sheer simplicity. The saints and babas live their life in complete seclusion away from the worldly pleasures, and they do not have anything to do with the materialistic things of life. Just give them a few necessities and they are happy to have a non-materialistic existence.
Joy
Just give me a car, some food, a few friends, and a lot of money; I can spend my entire lifetime being on the road because of the pure joy I get. Being there in different cities is a unique experience every time. I have been to many places in India and abroad, and every location has a different feeling attached to it. Hyderabad, for example, charms because of the sheer simplicity of people and their way of talking. Their Hindi mixed with Urdu come out of their mouth with a unique accent that attracts many artists to imitate them.
Belonging
The sense of belonging takes me back to many places in the world. The mountains of Bir, for example, call me every year. However, I cannot manage to go there so often. The challenging trek of Triund was so much fun that I want to take that trek every few months. I have been to Triund thrice and have not yet got bored of it. This emotion of feeling connected to a place gives me immense bliss when I am there in the IT hub of India. I take Self Drive Cars in Bangalore and go to various nearby areas such as Coorg, which is like my weekend getaway now.
It is difficult for me to put it in words the feelings I feel whenever I drive on the curvy roads of the mountains, but in a nutshell, I would just say road trips in every few months are all I need.
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When Traveling Solo Feels Bad
While traveling around India, which is my home country, I have often met other solo travelers who share almost the same thoughts as mine. I don't mind opening up to complete strangers about my feelings, keeping aside the materialistic things, because they are harmless people. They do not know me, and I do not know them, which gives us the comfort zone of sharing intimate things and still be fearless about the other person revealing it to a friend. Nonetheless, when loneliness creeps in, I become really vulnerable. I need to talk to someone no matter what, and feeling lonely is the only thing that repels me from solo travel.
I, being a solo traveler since last three years, write about my journeys, successes, and failures. Whenever I talk to a fellow travel blogger, they also share the same thoughts that our readers should know about the best and worst things in our lives. There are times when being alone really sucks, and you are alone in a strange land without the company of a single known person. Solo vacation may not be a success for everyone, and it is okay to leave it as it is if you do not like it.
The lessons
No matter the number of times you have gone for a solo trip, loneliness does tiptoe in sometimes. Many things go wrong without giving a warning, and you have to deal with them no matter what. The only thing that matters, in the end, is that whether you let the challenges make or break you. I was in California last year, and I was looking around for an affordable restaurant to have dinner. When I reached a hotel, I realized that I had entered the wrong place. There was an Italian party going on with a lot of people from Italy and America. They were speaking the languages that I could not understand, but I had to finish my dinner at the earliest. As I went back to the elevator, I found that every person had someone to accompany. The sight of couples and groups alone made me feel more vulnerable than I should have.
When the elevator arrived, I felt stunned for a second when an Italian couple pushed another person and me back to grab the lift for their group of five people. The elevator was large enough to accommodate ten people, but the elderly Italian couple did not want to share the space with me! They spoke something in their language and shooed me away. It could not have got more humiliating for me, but the American couple took charge and entered the lift, ignoring the comments of others. The American man gestured me to hop in, but I said that I would wait for another lift. He did not let the rude couple bully him or his wife.
It was utterly humiliating to have been treated like that. I thought to myself that I could have shown some courage and share the elevator with the Italian couple just like that American. I loathed myself all day about not being courageous enough and letting a few strangers mistreat me. Nevertheless, I resolved that I would not let anyone stop me from traveling solo. I have taken Car Rental in Bangalore without Driver to go to Coorg, been there to the Himalayas, sat alone in a thick forest, and eaten alone at a countless number of restaurants. Nothing in my travel diaries dares to make me sit at home forever without feeling guilty of myself, so I have to take lessons from things and people to move on.
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Microlight Flying in Bangalore and Other Things to Do
Bangalore as a city never ceases to amaze me, keeping aside its traffic problem. The lack of public transport is something about which every citizen of Bangalore is fed up. Nevertheless, there is no use cribbing about it unless we get a well-knit public transport system like Delhi. This time when I went to the IT hub, I decided to try Microlight flying. I had my Captain Vanitha with me who was going to give me my first flying lesson.
I could see the entire Bengaluru city, as they call the place these days, and I must say the view was breathtaking. I did not forget to take a few selfies with Vanitha. My mouth had started aching because I was constantly grinning flying up in the air and making faces for my selfies. I have done paragliding earlier, which was also a breathtaking experience. Sitting in a Microlight Airplane for half an hour was also a great experience nonetheless. It was almost sunset as we landed on the ground, and I could feel my head spinning!
Bannerghatta Biological Park
The next morning, my next destination was Bannerghatta Biological Park where I expected to see the wild animals. Sitting in the Gypsy behind the driver, I saw a bunch of deer with many horns. I cannot recall what they call those deer. It was surprising for me to see a baby elephant sipping water from a pond as he was bent on his knees, unlike his mother who drank water from his trunk. The driver told me that the elephant does not learn to drink water through their nose until the age of nine months. That is really long time, phew! A white tiger was soaking sun when we noticed him, and he carelessly ignored the humans around him. As soon as I picked up my camera to click him, he turned his back to me and never looked back. Poor me, of course.
Quad Biking
It was my third and last day in Bangalore when I had to go for another adventure. Dot Mania is the place where I got to ride the quad bike or an ATV, as many people in India know it. I wore the helmet and hopped into the driving seat. The huge vehicle is not easy to manage, to say the least. It felt great to leave the brake for the first time, and I sped off! I drove through the jungle where the company had carved out a path for driving the ATV. I feared to topple my quad bike, but I had the safety of a few guide bikers behind me. There was not much to see or do in the woods, but it still felt great to handle a different vehicle.
I had hired a Self Drive Car Bangalore to reach Dot Mania. Although I still felt like driving a quad bike to arrive home, I had no choice but to drive my car. Nonetheless, it was also an adventure to ride the grand Innova that I had hired. It was in Bangalore only that I had discovered my passion for big cars when I first drove a Safari. It was scary for a few minutes to deal with the grandness of the vehicle, but I felt good riding it once I got the hang of it. Gradually, Bangalore is coming close to my heart visit by visit. I have never got bored of traveling to the city even after a dozen vacations. The next time I visit there, I plan to discover Coorg and to write about it of course.
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How I Took My First Snow Trek Adventure in India
Nothing in the world can beat the adventure of being there on the snow-clad mountains with your bunch of friends. However, I was not the most adventurous person on earth when my friends told me about the Chadar Trek. I had to gather a lot of guts to even think about it because I am a person who hates winter, even in Delhi where it hardly becomes too cold. I hate wearing too many clothes, forget wearing layers and layers of clothes on the hills, and then trekking with all the weight. Carrying too much bulk is the last thing on earth I would do; just a heavy mobile phone in my hand irks me like anything. And carrying kilos of bags on my back was never on my bucket list, especially on the snow.
How the plan began
I was sitting at home with my friends in my apartment in Delhi. Nothing beats the feeling of being with your best buddies, having drinks at home, watching a movie, gossiping about people, and then dozing off whenever you feel like. Nevertheless, not anything was new in our get together, but the film, which was Ye Jawani Hai Deewani featuring Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor. Just like any other movie, we were making fun of things and watching the actors play brilliant roles. A few things in the film clicked our mind apart from the grand wedding that takes place to make friends re-unite after years.
While the group of friends comprising Deepika and Ranbir goes for a winter trek in the Himalayas, it sent a different kind of chill down my spine. I looked at my buddies sitting next to me with a can of beer in hand, and they had the same look of longing in their eyes. Without saying a word, we understood what we wanted, but I was scared of the extremely chilly weather of the mountains in the months of December and January. I feel like I would freeze even in Delhi, and being there on the Himalayas in just the wrong weather did not appeal to me much.
The buddies of mine became my enemies in just a few seconds when they paused the movie and started making plans to go for the Chadar Trek. They did not even ask me for my consent and counted me in for the party. I tried to put forward my opinion, but my views were dismissed. They just said that they would take care of me in the mountains. I just need to pool in for Self Drive Car Hire from Delhi, camps, clothes, and drinks!
Wow! I mean just wow! I was not asked even once, and I was going with my friends at a place that I had never thought about. Nevertheless, when I look back at the memories we made in Ladakh, I thank my buddies for convincing (or not convincing) me for the trip. I have now beaten my fear of cold, and I cannot be more grateful to my besties for that.
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