SHARING IS CARING # 1

Really sharing is caring.

I mean it more as I would be sharing someone's else column, writing, words, posts etc in my blog.  More meaning to it as it would be about traveling. It is because for a very simple reason as this is a travel blog.

No its not because I am out stories, that I do not have more experiences, or because am not traveling for last 8 months. It is because of my mood these days. My mood to read more and more on traveling. I come across these great articles that talk about 1000 things to do before you die, festivals of december, 20 incredible destinations from India etc

It is really nice to read about the ideas of traveling from other travellers. It is motivating to travel more, to travel like them, to do things which is missed, to check on things already done and sometimes to re do things done before.

This one in particular is about 30 things to do before you turn 30. This is from Tripoto.com.

Here are the highlights from the post :

1. Before you turn 30, take a long solo-trip to somewhere you’ve never been. How about Nepal?
2.  Before you turn 30, go to the The Burning Man in Nevada, USA
3. Why not jump-off an Aeroplane in New Zealand before you turn 30

4. Before you turn 30, volunteer your time and spirit to help animals and create a better world for them.

5. Before you turn 30, spend at least one day of reflection and honesty on the mesmerising ghats of Varanasi, watching life along the holy Ganga.

6. Before you turn 30, take a week to live a life of abundant sunshine and scarce internet in a simple hut on a faraway beach.
7. Before you turn 30, experience waking up to the sounds of the gibbons and the horn-bills of the splendid Bornean rainforest
8. Before you turn 30, spend a freezing night chasing the best of the Northern Lights in Iceland
9. Before you turn 30, crash at a stranger’s home during your travels. Chose a homestay or couchsurfing over hotels to add another dimension to your journey.
10. Before you turn 30, make sure you visit a place that has emerged from recent violence and tragedy. Visit Rwanda, Cambodia or Bosnia & Herzegovina to let yourself face the limits of inhumanity and appreciate the spirit of defiance and optimism.
11. Before you turn 30, try going silent and ascetic for 10 days at a Vipassana Meditation Center.
12. Before you turn 30, take a night to camp-out under a moonless sky in the wilderness
13. Before you turn 30, visit the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala
14. Before you turn 30, rent a convertible and take a road trip in the USA
15. Before you turn 30, walk on the otherworldly landscape of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
16. And witness the magnificence of the Argentinian Patagonia
17. Before you turn 30, travel alone, make friends and be moved to a teary goodbye for someone you’ve known only for a few days.
18. Before you turn 30,  go skinny-dipping somewhere pristine and untamed, like Madagascar.

19. Before you turn 30, make sure a witness a truly spectacular sunset and take a truly spectacular picture of it.

20. Before you turn 30, experience infinity in the deserts of Namibia
 21. And at the gargantuan Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
22.  Before you turn 30, hike up an active volcano in Indonesia
23. And trek up the Inca trail to Machu Pichu in Peru along with friendly llamas.
24. Before you turn 30, take part in London’s annual World Naked Bike Ride for a chance to let the sun freely shine down on your paling pudenda.
25. Before you turn 30, do something you will probably be a tad too wise for in a few years, like the full-moon party in Koh Phagnan, Thailand
26. Before you turn 30, visit our friends down under on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
27. Before you turn 30, enjoy a homecooked meal in a foreign land with friendly locals who don’t speak much English. Remember to take gifts.
28. Before you turn 30, travel to a place that challenges your beliefs and popular misconceptions. Visit Myanmar,Iran or Eritrea for a dose of reality vs. fiction.
29. Before you turn 30, spend at least a week with those who have less than you to understand and experience true gratitude.
30. Before everything, above all, discover what you truly care about. Before you turn 30, spend your years and your youth to seek adventure and inspiration. That’s what your 20s are for.

It is interesting that I did 14 out the 30 do's before turning my 30. For example I have done a day trip to Volcano of Mt Bromo, been to one of the seven wonders called Machu Pichu, think about traveling all the time, had meals with non english speaking foreigners in my friend Xay's house in Laos, been to Myanmar, Cambodia, done a 3 day tour in Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and trekked in the Patagonia in both Argentina and Chile, I have seen some beautiful sunsets in Jordan, Chile, Sri lanka, Portugal etc.  As 14 out of 30 is nearly 50%, I think about other points. I want to do them all. Being 30 does not stop us, we can still move ahead by making inspirations from this post in Tripoto. 

Let's travel. . . .

VISAS PHuffffff

In my previous post while I was sharing my India return from South America, I realised; how I slipped into a mud pool. A pool where I was trapped and can not think anything but the difficulties and my helplessness.

It was end of my trip in South America. Almost the end of the planned three months and I was in Bogota, Colombia. I remember it was 30th of May 2013 and I was flying to Mumbai via Madrid. I had bought a ticket with Conviasa airlines via Edreams.

Even before flying from India, I had a confirmation from the Spanish Embassy that I do not need a airport transit visa to change planes. However when we went to check with the airlines office in Bogota, they denied. They said they would need a visa to let me board the plane. That is when all the problems started.

The hell just broke over and my friend Jorge stood by to help. Several visits to the office of Conviasa and it is confirmed in written that I would have a situation in the airport while boarding the flight to Madrid. They even said I would not have any problem in Caracas while changing plane. The problem would be in Madrid. It sounded logical. So we started to look for alternatives as below:

1. Spanish Visa : I had already asked for one in India and was denied. They said that the duration of stay is too long and I do not have enough means to travel. Only god can explain what that means and what they thought of my application. Sorry but I just wanted to travel.

But then I wanted to use the expensive ticket I have bought and was not sure how little the refund would be if I cancel. So we made rounds to the Spanish Embassy after talking to them over call. Bogota is a city designed like a Mathmatics notebook. The streets in the entire city would criss cross and would make grids/square blocks. Our hotel was at street 87 and the Spanish embassy was at street 92. Reaching there they informed that they can probably grant visa only after reviewing my documents, which they will only receive before 11 am the next day. It was disheartening to walk all that distance to hear a no. So we ate some arrequipas and went for our daily hangout in the city.

2. Cancellation of the ticket with Edreams : I decided to cancel the existing ticket and buy another expensive ticket from emirates and fly through 6 nations and 7 airports in 5 days. The cheapest flight I found was with Qatar airways connecting Buenos Aires and Mumbai via Sao Paulo and Doha. Another two flight; the first one taking me to Buenos Aires from Bogota via Lima, Peru and second one taking me home i.e Bhubaneswar from Mumbai. But the Challenge was Visas. My visa with was valid for another year. I would leave my plane in Sao Paulo, so I would not need a visa for Brazil. For   Qatar if there is a halt, the airline facilitates the visa. The only problem was with Argentina. My Visa had expired. It took me two rounds of the Argentinian Embassy in Bogota and I got Visa for free.

That is how I finally managed to reach India from the other end of the world. Really Visas are big issues for Indian travellers. 

7 AIRPORTS : 6 COUNTRIES : 5 DAYS

Guess what I am talking about?

It's about how I reached India from South America.

The Spanish Embassy denied for Visa. So I cannot have a easy way to stop in Europe to India. So I had no option but a challenge to be home.

That is to fly from Bogota, Colombia -> Lima, Peru -> Beunos Aires, Argentina -> Sao Paulo, Brazil -> Doha, Qatar -> Mumbai, India -> Bhubaneswar,India.


That makes it 7 airports in 6 countries in 5 days. 

SOUTH AMERICA : 1 YEAR

One year of South America tour.

Many destinations, many smiles accomplished. On this day me and my most steady travel friend Jorge finished our 3 months tour in South America.

 Everytime the little spanish I spoke to explain that I am from India. The immediate reaction would be "Dios!! Otro Mundo". It means, "God!! The other world".
The idea was to travel in all the countries falling under the equator line. We went all the 8 out of 9 countries. Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Equador and Columbia. The only one we could not go is Paraguay and that is because we were short of time and also my visas issues.

This day last year, I was excited to board a 4 day flight to my country, India. Yes not some hours or a day, it was a journey of 4 days. 

I left behind the other part of the world which I miss so much.

Today in India, I miss something a lot i.e the Otro Mundo(The other world).