Travel: Rebellion in its purest form

Travel...a word that leaves you speechless and then make you a story teller. A word that brings exciting flashbacks and a promise to create everlasting memories. It doesnt matter where or with who, the thing is when you travel...you evolve. A tour to the Savannah in Kenya, a bicycling tour of New Zealand, wine tour in Nashik, a trek in the himalayas, a jazz trip in New Orleans, a whisky trail in Scotland, or just to sing 'the hills are alive...' in Austria, the thing is where ever you go, go with all your heart.

I travel alone, i travel with friends and family a few times every year. It doesnt bother me what people thought or how I was going to plan the logistics, I get anxious just by the thought of travel. I am a random traveller and my experiences are personal. So here it is, my top travel list for the wannabe traveller.

1. Turkey: Having seen a fair bit of the world, my top favourite when it comes to suggesting places to friends is Turkiye. Meet the best of Asia and Europe at the Bosphorus river, go to the Grand bazaar where you will get lost in innumerable trinkets for your home, go to the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia or just wander around Beyoglu, Istanbul has a great deal to offer to everyone. With an incredible night life, this is one of those places which stole my heart. People are fashionable, the culture is epic and the food is divine. Drive a little over 8 hours and you will reach the most fabulous 'cave land', Cappadocia. It is a tourist haven through the year, although it gets quite chilly in the winter. Take a hot air balloon ride and you can marvel the beauty of this magnificient land.

2. Sri Lanka: How marvellous it is to think that Colombo is less than an hour away from Chennai. Bandaranayake airport is located on the outskirts of Colombo. The minute you get out of the airport, you get a whiff of Srilankan curry, the beaches and incense. Its cheaper than travel in India, and its the quickest international destination for us Indians. A trip to Negombo to soak yourself in sun and sand, a retreat in Kandy to see the tooth relic at the buddist monastery, or to hit the slot machines in Colombo, Srilanka is easy on the eyes, clean and absolutely safe. Shop at the popular Odel for some amazing deals on clothes and shoes or just walk around the city, you will be sure to get back to this place again and again.

3. Havelock islands in the Andamans: When was the last time you took a rejuvenating break from work? If you havent in a while, then this quiet little island is the perfect destination for you and your friends. Leave your high heels and lipstick behind and hop on to a flight to Port Blair and then take a 2 hour fast ferry to this magical place. Stay in one of the resorts that offers beach views, a hammock, and a dive school. Thats right, a scuba dive. Go on a half day discover scuba dive program and meet the sea creatures and the corals. Trust me, you will get back a much calmer person and would crave for more. Evenings are normally quiet, with couple of resorts in the island throwing random beach parties. Go hippie style, mix with the tourists, drink, dance and watch the night fade away.

4. Nashik: The wine capital of India, Nashik offers a wine experience for the fabulous Indian. Its a refreshing weekend alternative. Enjoy the quiet, quaint and cool evening here by walking along the numerous rows of vines. See how the most unadulterated and the world's oldest beverage is made. Sip and taste the various wines made in this region. You don't really need to know your wines to enjoy the experience. Take in the sights, the smells and breathe in a bit of fresh air.

5. Nepal: A place close to my heart, this is one place I love to visit every summer. Trek to the famous Everest Base Camp (EBC) and claim major bragging rights. The EBC is at an altitude of over 5300metres above sea level. The trek offers fabulous views, and 13 days of absolute peace and quiet. Its a perfect chance to be on your own and do a little introspection. Also go visit the highest Irish pub on the trail, at Namche bazaar, situated at an altitude of 3550 metres. Visit with friends and go to the various monasteries along the way. On the other side of Nepal, visit Pokhara or the famed Annapurna mountain range.

These are my top five to-go destinations any time of the year. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, leave the pets with a care taker, put your phone on a 'do not disturb' mode, and check in from the nearest airport. And the most important thing is...Never feel guilty of travelling alone or with friends.

New hopes, new dreams...

So kidlet gets into the next academic year. The last year of primary school. Its a busy chaotic monday morning, as the alarm sets off at an odd hour. Time to school! After a hurried breakfast making session, I get into the kidlet's room to wake her up. To my surprise, she is already awake, staring into space. What is she dreaming about? Her new class? The new teacher? The new bag and the accompanying stationery? Or just a few random ideas? I get into the room and give her a good morning kiss. I ask her about her thoughts! With so much glee, phat came the answer! "The new uniform amma. I cannot wait to wear skirts!" Yes for those who do not know...the school has a 'skirt' policy starting class 5. Which simply meants...kidlet has graduated from shorts to skirts. Big girl and all.
As she gets going with her morning chores, I sit with my lemon tea and think about the time that has whizzed past. It felt like it was just yesterday that we seeked admission into the school. Where has the time gone? Why is she in a hurry to grow up? What does the future hold for her?
Flashback to when I was her age. I couldn't wait to be a teenager. Once a teen, I wanted to move out of home and live on my own terms. That happened, college happened, and soon I was aspiring to get into career mode and earn my own money. Along with money, came responsibilities, family ties, investments and a whole gamut of experiences that I now long to get back to being an innocent child.
Today, as I watch my baby almost getting into the double digit phase of her life, I wish a lot of things for her. I wish her a fabulous life, a heartful of dreams, a mind full of ideas, a soul full of energy and positivity. I wish her this and that. Along with all these...I also wish she could bottle a little bit of her innocence and that she never loses it.

Indian summer

Yes I admit, I love summers. I always plan vacations around this time of the year, I am my happy self this time around the year, I find everything exciting this time of the year.

So here I am, sitting in my living room with full on blast of the aircon trying to imagine all summer kisses.
- That last day of school, exams over and running back home to announce the beginning of the holiday.
- That 'kuchi ice' that gave so much pleasure. For less than five bucks the 'ice cream' that was available in varied flavours like orange, mango, lemon, pepsi cola to name a few
- That first sight of banganapallis. Fresh cut fruits, aam panna, manga oorugai, mango salad, mango soufflè, mango this and mango that. Summer is all things mango!
- That amazing shower after a long sweaty day, and then slipping on the flimsiest of 'nighties' and dusting Pond's dreamflower talc all over the body
- That huge jug of Rasna in different flavours that would give an instant energy boost even to those weaklings.
- That vacation planned to visit an ageing grandmother and annoyingly fun cousins. Playing outside till late and not worrying about school or deadlines the next day
- That cool thair saadam, adorned with little jewels of pomegranate that is made in huge buckets to feed the entire family. And the oldest matron scooping out a handful for everyone.
- That family time to the beach, where every tiny family member made sand castles, while the elders relaxed and ate bajjis sitting by the water.
- That time of the year when family from 'foreign' visited bringing along Camay soaps, Yardley scents and Snickers chocolates for everyone
- That time of the year when new uniform cloth materials are purchased and stitched. Along with it came new pencil box, new school bag, new socks and canvas shoes, new tiffin box and water bottle
- That time of the year when new books were issued and the entire family sat around to cover the books with brown paper and stick fancy labels. There was also stiff competition to determine who had the 'coolest' labels.
- That short holiday planned to head to the hills. The main planning was the food that had to be carried on that long train or car journey.
- That beautiful mornings spent in the terrace area of the house, with other women of the house, making vadaams. Arisi, javvarisi, chilli, the creativity shown in these vadaams were endless.

As I live the summer of 2014, I am pushed beyond repair to think of these past events and hoping this summer excites me to bits.

Summer kisses, sunshine and soufflès, a few of my favourite things