Traveling to Offbeat Places

The tourism industry is doing well these days. We see many ads about packages covering the most beautiful places on television, the internet, social media and the newspapers.  So many offers are also available that it can get a little confusing deciding on the place and our travel plans. Some destinations have been famous right from the very start, and these days we see new places becoming famous.

Most people plan their vacations to well-known places.  They either take a package from a travel planning site, or plan something on their own.  For some, they consider going during festival time.  This is the time when they get to see important celebrations of the place.

I have been a little different while choosing a destination.  I prefer going to less famous places; destinations which are special, but which never made it to the ‘Top 10’; destinations which make a great holiday but are not given much attention by the tourism companies or ad agencies. The reason? Well, just that these are places which haven’t got too much hype from the media.  They continue to be what they naturally were, and authenticity is what we get to see. There is also less commercialization, whereby we don’t end up paying more than what we should be paying.

The best thing about going to a place that doesn’t come in the list of ‘Top Tourist Destinations’ is that the crowd will be less in such places.  And hence there will be less competition to visit the places within the city or destination.  We will be able to plan our trip with more flexibility, choosing to spend our time where we wish to, without being affected by the hype or the noise. We will also be able to find a nice and beautiful accommodation in such places.

I'm a very creative person. I never knew it myself, but now I know.  Rushing and hurrying, competing for the best food, etc. dampen my creative ideas. I need to take things at my pace.  This might be another reason I like uncharted places. I also feel that these places bring me closer to knowing more about the place.  I have always been a nature lover, and a person who enjoyed finding out about the history of the place I see. Uncharted places give me the wonderful chance to do just this. I get a chance to see and capture all the beauty of the place I’m visiting.

Not everyone is like me. And that is OK. I am considering the list of uncharted places worth a visit! 

Everyone is Unique

We live in a world where we are expected to follow the crowd and be like the vast majority. But what if we look at the world differently? What if we have a different set of ideas? What if we have the talent that is good enough to break mountains, but it is not part of what society expects?



Embrace Your Uniqueness!

Our world consists of seven continents and there are so many people in this world. Most of us live our lives following the pattern set for us by society.  A few years after we are born, we are put into a school. We grow up along with the other kids.  We learn so many subjects: Maths, Geography, History, Civics, Languages, Science, etc.  We have a huge syllabus given to us and are expected to clear our exam with flying colors.  After school is done, college starts. And then we get into a job. Once we get a job, we are considered to be professionally successful. And then the other parameters to success come in; like getting married, buying a house, going abroad, getting a car, etc. Come to think about it, everyone lives a similar life; one that has been outlined for us by a non-tangible, invisible entity called society.

In spite of the basic pattern of life that society has set for each person born, if we carefully observe we can see that no two people are the same. Everyone is unique. Each one of us has a special set of talents that we bring into this world as our own. But what society has done to us is that it has made us forget our authenticity. It tries to make us believe that the qualities we bring in are not enough; and that we should be like the ‘others’. 

If we look at the advertising industry today, we can see how many companies make us believe we are not pretty enough, or smart enough or talkative enough or don’t have the best painted wall. And we buy their products to make ourselves fit into the category they have set for us. Some of the false ideas fed to us are:

You should look young forever else your relationships are affected.

External beauty is all there is to life.

To be successful, you should be an extrovert.

You should own the perfect car and house else you are unsuccessful.

We have to be aware of what is being fed into our minds when we come across such ideas. Beauty isn’t external. People who are shy and reserved are also beautiful and have a lot to offer to the world. The perfect house and car are nice, but they don’t define everything there is to life.

I recently read an article which had a beautiful example.  A squirrel, a fish and a dog were asked to compete in a game. The game was that they had to climb a tall tree and reach the top of the tree. Whoever reached the top first won the prize and would be awarded a trophy. In reality, this game didn’t make any sense considering who was competing. A squirrel can climb a tree, but what about the dog and the fish? They have other talents. The dog can be judged for how fast he runs and gets the ball, and the fish for how well it moves in water. This is what happens to many people in the world today.

When we face such a situation, we need to remind ourselves that we are unique. Each of us has our gifts.  Some of us are great photographers and we can contribute by capturing wonderful moments of life. Some of us are great with kids, and we might be good as teachers or counselors. Some of us cook really well and it might be great if we start a food stall somewhere or write a Food Blog and teach others about our recipes and their benefits. There are so many things we can offer to the world if we just remember to remove the veil that society has put on us about how we should be. We can offer so many of our unique gifts to the world daily. We can make this a better place in our own little way. It needn’t be anything big or enormous. In fact, the tiniest and simplest things we do make the biggest difference.

The world would benefit greatly if we just accept ourselves completely and love ourselves unconditionally; if we don’t try to fit into other people’s ideas of “successful”; if we understand that we have our strengths and weaknesses and that is OK. That is all part of being authentically us and that is beautiful! 

Starting today, let’s be better to ourselves. Let us enjoy being the real us. And let us slowly change what this society has done to the world.

Be Real! Be You! J

The Coorg Trip

Coorg: A tiny hill station filled with lots of greenery and coffee plantations.  This tiny hill station is a must see for Nature Lovers and Travelers.  It is situated in the state of Karnataka. It is around three hours from Mysore and there are regular buses from there.

Fresh Coorg Coffee !!

We were at Coorg for two days, and had a very refreshing experience here. This place hasn't been destroyed by pollution and crowds.  It is a small, slow and green hill station which has managed to retain it's charm in all these years.  We covered Kushal Nagar on the first day. There is a famous Tibetan monastery about 6 km from Kushal Nagar. It is located in Bylkuppe.  It is called Namdroling Monastery. The Tibetan temple near the monastery has three large and beautiful statues of The Buddha, Padmasambhava and Amitayus.  The Tibetan settlement at Coorg is very large and there are many monks who come here for spiritual practices.  Many tourists come here to experience the rich culture and serenity of the place.

Another place we visited while at Kushalnagar was NisarghDhama.  This is a island built by river Cauvery and is open to tourists. There is a deer park here, but unfortunately we were able to find only one lonely deer. All the others seemed to have gone. There is a bridge made of bamboos that is very picturesque and has to be crossed by walk. 

We stayed at a small hotel at Kushal Nagar. Nothing fancy but comfortable, safe and clean.  We went to the local market at Kushal Nagar and bought coffee.  We also happened to find a small coffee shop near a street. This was a tiny shop, with a very cosy ambience. The lights were dim and there were some creatively decorated walls. The owner himself was having coffee when we went in. We had a chocolate brownie and coffee. It is one of my most memorable experience of Coorg!

The Cosy Coffee Shop!!

The next morning we took a bus from Kushal Nagar to Madikeri.  We took a normal city bus, and were able to enjoy the view of the road.  During this drive, we saw the urbanization reducing and greenery increasing. There were many tall trees and coffee plantations. The temperature dropped quite a bit and the air was fresher. 

We stayed at a homestay at Madikeri.  This place is built in the middle of a coffee plantation and is around 150 years old. Food is provided at the homestay for those who wish to have it. We had freshly prepared Dosas, Kappa (Tapioca) curry, and freshly brewed coffee for breakfast! There are light winds that blow in the morning and we can see the leaves swaying in all directions.

Madikeri has many places for tourists to visit. Some of the ones we visited are:

1. Aabi Falls: This waterfall is located in the middle of green trees and coffee plantations. One has to trek a little to reach the waterfall. Many streams of water come together and the Abbi falls is formed. The water then goes into the Cauvery river. This place is a famous tourist destination for people visiting Madikeri. It is quite crowded during peak time. On the way to the falls, we saw mushrooms,  bright blue caterpillars and many plants and trees.

2. Raja's Seat: This is a garden having a seat facing a beautiful view in front of it. According to legend, the Kind of Coorg came here during the evenings and enjoyed his time in Nature, watching the beautiful view.

3. Madikeri Fort: This is a very old fort, which is said to have been built in the 17th century. The view outside of the fort was also nice.  We went for a small walk here.

4. Raja's Tombs and Gaddige Tombs:  There are a few tombs which have been built at Madikeri.  These are of the king and his officials. There is a distinct quietness in this place.

5. Omkareshwar Temple: This is a very old temple of Lord Shiva. The architecture of this place is mixed. It is a nice place to visit for those who like olden temples.

6. Talakaveri (Near Madikeri):  This is believed to be the place where the river Cauvery originated. There is a small temple here. When we visited this place, there was a lot of fog and it was very cold.

There are other places also that one can visit but we had a time crunch and so could cover only these. We found a very tiny and old restaurant which served yummy food and snacks. And this place didn't burn a hole in our pockets too...in short.. it was a pocket friendly place! 

If you get a chance, do visit Coorg! And do stay in a homestay! And do visit the monastery! And do have the coffee! This place is a heaven for people who love to travel and wish to be in Nature frequently.

 

Travel And Me

"Travel because life is too precious to be spent in one place" , one of the many quotes I like. I love traveling and a trip is something I always look forward to, no matter where I am and how long or short the trip is going to be. 
I don't know how I grew this fond of traveling. May be its because I studied in different cities (Shillong, Cochin, Coimbatore, Mysore), and so I had to travel home from these places to visit my family. During these trips home, I started observing the places that came in between my city and home. By the time I was done with college, being in a single place throughout the year was really boring.

My father has been an explorer himself. He loved visiting new places, he also enjoyed photography. He encouraged me to travel and learn about new cultures. He still likes traveling.

While I was in school, we traveled from Shillong to Cochin every year. As Shillong is in the North east and Cochin is down south, this trip almost covering the entire stretch of the country and we had to halt at places in between. The first place of halt was Guwahati. I don't remember much about this place, but I have visited it many times.  The next halt was Kolkata. The Howra Bridge and watching the sunset from there, the street food (Chapatis, hot and freshly made curry, misti dahi, sweets), the tram, olden buildings are some of the things I remember about this place. Some of the near by places I went to while at Shillong were Dibrugarh (tea plantations here were awesome!) and  Nagaland. 

Most of my trips are not planned in advance.The planned ones don't work out.  I along with whichever of my friends are free, backpack away. It's more of a sudden decision..an impulse..a dream..a desire to visit a place.  We spend a few days enquiring about the accommodation, bookings, and the tickets. And that is how the trip happens. The best unplanned trip was our Coorg and Mysore trip. We (me and my friend Priya) decided on a Tuesday, and left on the same Friday. We had our accommodation for the first day booked. But we had no clue of anything after that. We reached Mysore, roamed around the cute little city, and in the night booked our next day's stay at Coorg :) . Coorg welcomed us with an open heart. We covered it in two days. We stopped in between at a lovely little coffee shop to taste the authentic Coorg coffee. Every sip was worth it! 

Another trip was my visit to Hyderabad. I decided on Thursday night, and left on Saturday morning :) Thankfully Shatabdi Express happened to be there and I reached Hyderabad by afternoon. I stayed at my friend's place and so didn't really have to worry about the stay or food.  Yummy Hyderabadi biryani, pickle, Karachi biscuits, chutneys were some of the nice memories. I went back to Hyderabad yet again after a few months. I covered Char Minar, Birla Mandir, Laad Bazar, and some other nice places there. This time I stayed at another friend's place. Hyderabad seems to be calling me again, and I might land there the third time soon :)

Many years ago, my friend who was an explorer just like me wanted to visit Pondicherry. She asked me if I was interested. I wasn't really sure at that time. My heart yearned to visit that place, as it has a beautiful beach, and some lovely French inspired colonies. The next day I had confirmed my trip with her.  Two more of our friends joined in.  We left from Chennai by bus to Pondicherry and in a few hours were at Pondicherry.  A lovely walk by the beach, taking photographs of the streets, walking in to lovely cafes, trying out French food, Auroville are my memories. 

There have been many other trips.  Each and every one is special to me.

I like going to places offbeat places. Places which are not as famous as they deserve to be. Places that are beautiful but the tourism industry hasn't made a big noise about.

Some of the places on my bucket list are Tawang monastery, Chikmagalur, Araku valley. Some more places are Kashmir, Hampi, Andamans, Rajasthan, Punjab, Singapore. Well, the list mite never end.  And I have another item in my bucket list.. to travel on a truck having hay on it. This has been a wish since long :)

I don't know which other places will be included in my list; like I said I don't plan the trips in advance!

Fast Paced Lives..

I grew up in Shillong, a small hill station filled with trees, greenery, flowers, clear blue skies, fresh green grass.  I have been used to being in Nature ever since. We had a garden which had all kinds of flowers and we had a few fruit trees also.

When I looked up at the night sky, I saw the stars and their constellations clearly. I would converse with them at times. I also felt they replied. Such was my connection to Nature.

Life was slower at that time. Technology hadn’t progressed so much. Computers and mobile phones were really rare. Video games were there but I wasn’t really interested in them. I liked being outside, with the plants, with the birds, with life…real life…

Now, I see buildings everywhere.  The beautiful trees, fresh air and big gardens are replaced by walls, pollution, crowds and vehicles.

I feel the connection that we had to real life and Nature has reduced a lot today. Irrespective of the city we live in or the background we come from, we seem to be losing connection with the natural flow of life. Everyone is in a hurry today. Rushing towards their goals. Job goals, relationship goals, gym goals. People are connected to each other via the internet and social media at all times but the basic human connection seems to have gone missing. We have a large friend’s list on facebook, but not all these people are our real friends. We earn more money than our parents did, but life has become a never ending race for most of us.

What went wrong? What happened to this world?

Even students are loaded with so much to study and are forced to excel in extra-curricular activities.  They don’t enjoy their hobbies anymore.  It’s all a competition to do better than the others in their class. It is quite the same with the job world. Promotions, salary hike, etc. keep people on their toes. No one remembers to enjoy the food they eat. No one remembers to hum a song while they are traveling to work. Everyone is in the process of weaving a plan for their success.

May be we should just be.  We should slow down for a while. We should take in the aroma of the tea we are having. We should go out and say hi to the night sky…

We need to get back in touch with Nature, with our hearts, with our lives…

Technology is nice upto an extent. May be we should make it a point to call and speak to our old friends and those who matter to us.

May be we should wake up in the morning and just watch the sunrise without any plans or goals in mind.  And we should go on a small holiday to some new place if just for a while…

Real Life vs Virtual Life

We live at a time when pictures are everything. The moment something happens in our lives we ‘share’ it with the world. Technology has made it very easy for us to be in touch with ‘friends’.  There are so many social media sites that are designed just to bring us closer to one another, and keep us updated with each other’s lives. Everyone is a celebrity in their world these days.  And everyone has a large fan following on their social media profile. There are the ‘Likes’; ’Reactions’; Comments’ and so many more ways to express our reaction to the latest news feed posts.

Facebook has recently come up with a set of reactions for us to express our sentiments. But many of us seem too busy or confused with how to use them and so we randomly react wrongly to a particular post. Quoting an example. My friend once updated his display picture on his page. A few people reacted with a ‘crying’ and ‘shocked’ smiley. I was a mere observer and was wondering as to why the confusion! It was a clear example that in spite of all this progress technology has made, we don’t have time to actually go through what’s written.  May be our reactions have all become very mechanical.

For many people their social media success depends on how many likes/reactions did they get; how many ‘aww’s, and ‘omg..awesome’, ‘stunning pic’, ‘lovely couple’ kind of comments their posts get.  There is also an element of competition that unknowingly gets instilled in many people’s minds because of social media posts. ‘He has a better office than me’, ‘She looks prettier’, ‘They are richer’, ‘They are a cute couple’, etc.

We see relationship statuses going from ‘Single’ to ‘Committed’ and back to ‘Single’ in a short span of time. I have seen couples who upload pictures of themselves almost daily. They tag each other and add a long description. They celebrate their first anniversary, birthdays, dates, outings, and other occasions in the virtual world. It’s like a live stream of their personal moments, which they want the world (the virtual world) to see and appreciate. We, the poor audience don’t have an option but to be a part of the love life of these people.  We are forced to be part of their online posts of weekend plans, birthdays, dates, emotional messages, and anniversaries. Some of us think it is rude to not comment and hence an ‘Aww <3’, ‘You guys! <3’, ‘Made for each other…mad for each other’ gets typed and the ‘Enter’ key gets hit!  Do we really need to be so dramatic about our lives? Do we need to showcase everything we do? Every doughnut we eat together? Every gift we exchange? Every emotion we feel, whether it is ‘I miss you’, or ‘I am happy to have you’?

It’s not just couples who get hyper addicted to social media. But people from all walks of life. The baby who is just born is now the most famous face on the newsfeed.  Or the pictures showing the transformation of the person who just started gymming. Or the person who just learnt a new language.  And the list can go on;

So now let me get to the point that I wanted to make through this post

I sometimes wonder how much of what we see on the social media is actually true.  I mean we see a part of people’s lives that they want us to see. A part of their lives that they edit, enhance, modify, add effects, add descriptions, hashtags, tags, and then show us. Is it as perfect as it appears to be? I don’t think so…

We see what we are made to see. Believing it or not should be our discretion. Allowing it to affect us should also be under our control. Ours has become a world where much of what we see is fake. Not all of it. But a lot of it. Some of the people who appear to be very successful and happy online are actually lonely.  Some people do it out of insecurity of being left behind. The one-million-dollar question to ask ourselves is ‘out of the 500 friends I have on my friend list…how many are actually my friends?’, ‘How many actually know me and care?’, ‘How many will stand by me when I need them?’, ‘How many are not just the virtual contact on my list?’  For many of us, these are deep questions.

We are living in a society where people have forgotten to enjoy what they do without taking photographs of it.  They have lost touch with the joy that comes from enjoying an experience and not putting it up on their profiles. The olden days were slower and quieter but they were more rich in terms of bonds, emotions, enjoyment and peace.  There was no competition about who was enjoying life more. Who was doing what. Who was single, who was committed, who just went abroad.   And so people were more content and more peaceful.

We need to enjoy life without struggling to enjoy it.  WE need to understand that much of the virtual projection of reality is actually superficial.  We need to log off from the social media every once in a while. We need to do things without any motive of how famous or awesome it’s going to make our profile look…

We need to love without making a big noise and a long list of hashtags…

We need to eat and enjoy the taste and flavor of the food without worrying of whether the picture is good enough.

We need to get married for love and not to flaunt it to the world. And also not to compare whose wedding photographer clicks more candid pictures.

“Unplug and Live !!”