SHARING IS CARING # 3

 It is a brand new day and my exploration through my computer is on.
After a busy morning, I found some time in the afternoon to hop a little in youtube and the travel websites. I am reading a lot.

I see most of them on my Facebook wall, then one leads to another, I always have a bunch of posts to read and after screening them I share the ones which is really striking. Also I try to share the posts which are most appealing  for its honesty.

The pick of the day is from Lee Abbamonte. A traveller who is the youngest to travel all the countries in the world. I do not know how that is calculated but it is true as I google. His website is www.leeabbamonte.com.

His post is about 30 best man made sites around the world. The list is below and it goes from 30 - 1 as per the importance of the place. http://www.leeabbamonte.com/30-best/30-best-man-made-sites-in-the-world.html

30 Borobudur in Java, Indonesia
29 Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
28 Old City Sanaa in Sanaa, Yemen
27 Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England
26 Registan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
25 Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar
24 Polonnaruwa in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
23 Red Square in Moscow, Russia
22 Acropolis in Athens, Greece
21 Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico
20 Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Singapore
19 Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia
18 Prague Main Square in Prague, Czech Republic
17 Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA
16 Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
15 Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland
14 Colosseum in Rome, Italy
13 Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes, Peru
12 Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
11 Tikal in Petin Basin, Guatemala
10 Djenne Mud Mosque in Djenne, Mali
9 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE
8 Great Wall of China in Eastern China
7 The Vatican in Vatican City
6 Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
5 Taj Mahal in Agra, India
4 Pyramids at Giza in Cairo, Egypt
3 Petra in Petra, Jordan
2 Moai on Easter Island, Chile
1 Tigers Nest Monastery in Paro Valley, Bhutan

I really like the classification because it very true. A big vote of appreciation to this great traveller as I like that he has considered both the new and old structures, the way he explains that he considers Tibet and China two different countries and his logic to include only one site per country. All this acclaims his honesty as a traveller.


Besides all the above I have an itching to mention that even before I read about this post today, I knew about him from Instagram. It happened one day when he had liked one of my pictures. I have been to 10 of the sites out of 30 which is 30% percent and 13 countries in the list.

Today I feel proud and it is very motivating. 

1 SUPERSTITION!!

It is true, traveling is in my mind always and that is how it strike my head to post this moment.

Today while watering my plants, my right foot was itching. So much that I started rubbing it on the cemented slab. In the same moment the masion who is renovating the house mentioned that Bunty babu if it is your right foot is itching then you are going to travel.

Really, I am very surprised and asked him how did he know?
He added that right foot itching makes you walk more and there is a faith that it means one would travel.

Even for a superstition, I was very thrilled with the idea of traveling again this year. I had thought I would not be traveling any place this year. But may be it is happening.

Hurray!!!!

SHARING IS CARING # 2

Let's make it a habit. That is I share here the favourite posts I read everyday. The best ones that makes us happy, brings us smile, push us more to travel etc. The ones that literally inspire us to write more.

So every day this whole week, I would try to make two posts each on what others think of traveling. One would be traveling around the globe because there is a lot to do in this one short life.

On the contrary, the other one would be about the columns writing about traveling in India. My country which I always ignore, thinking that its here, I have a whole length of life to travel my own mother land.

So this one is to be proud about the breathtaking destinations in   India. It is from www.holidayiq.com

The only place I have been to in the below list of 7 is the magnificent Taj Mahal. My visit to this wonder was one of a challenge. But that calls for another post. Also I would like to mention that these 7 are the ones out of the many marvels of India. For example, I would reckon Hampi, Auroville etc.
With So much to travel, let's just pack our bags and hit the road.




Every Indian Will be proud of these 7 Marvels that exist in the country.

1. World’s Highest Monolith Statue - Gometeshwara at Shravanabelagola 

Source: hindudevotionalblog.com

HolidayIQ Traveller Priyam says, “Shravanabelgola is 160 km from Bangalore. It is an important Jain pilgrimage centre. It has a statue of a prominent Jain, Tirthankar. The statue is considered to be one of India's largest monolith statues. The temple and statue is located atop a hill. The trek from the base to the top is around 2000 steps and takes around 1 hour to complete. The view from atop is completely worth the tough trek.”

2. 2000 Bridges and 91 Tunnels - Konkan Railways, An Engineering Marvel 

Source: flickr/ Himanshu Sarpotdar

HolidayIQ Traveller Kalpesh Modi says, “It was a nice journey through lush green Konkan route with lots of tunnels. We enjoyed the scenic beauty of Konkan Railway’s. The food quality is good and one should travel through Konkan Railway’s to understand India's engineering expertise.”

3. Visit One Of The Earliest Civilisations In The World At Dholavira

Source: ipernity.com

HolidayIQ Traveller Madhu Menon says, “Dholavira, a village known for its archaeological excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization and Harappan Culture can be considered as one of the remotest regions in modern India. The place is closer to many of the smaller towns in Pakistan than the nearest town in India. But there is almost a 60 km impenetrable divide between the two countries by a unique desert that gets filled in with water during the monsoons and becomes as hard as any of the best roads in Gujarat during the other seasons.”

4. Asia’s Cleanest Village - Mawlynnong

Source: kopili.wordpress.com

HolidayIQ Traveller Mahadeb Pal says, “First of all, the weather of Shillong is very nice. Beside the town, you may also go to Mawlynnong, which is the cleanest village of Asia. You also can travel to Cherra or Shora which are the wettest placed in our Earth. All types of food is available there.”

5. One Of The 7 Wonders Of The World - Taj Mahal

Source: holidayiq.com

HolidayIQ Traveller Karan Brahmbhatt says, “A great monument that manages to surprise visitors even after 400 years! The sheer size and perfection of the artwork & design are something that can only be witnessed in person.” 

6. World’s Highest Astronomy Observatory - Hanle in Ladakh

Source: static.panoramio.com

The latest hotspot for international astronomers is nestled in the western Himalayas. The Indian Astronomical Observatory, sitting at height of 14,800 feet in the village of Hanle in Ladakh, is the world's highest astronomy observatory. The cloudless skies of the dry cold desert make ‘the eye in the sky’ an excellent site for star gazing. 

7. Asia’s Largest Solar Park Hub - Charanka Solar Park In Gujarat

Source: gpcindia.com 

Located just 150 km from Mehsana, and the largest site within the Solar Park, the fully operational Charanka Solar Park is one-of-a-kind. The solar park also saves around 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

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. 

20 UNHEARD INDIAN DESTINATIONS

Here is a link from another traveller. It lists 20 rarely traveled places in India.

I was very surprised as I never heard any of those places before. Atleast 80% of it.

Of course, I know Simlipal and Udayagiri in my region Orissa. I also know Rumtek in Sikkim and Mandvi Beach in Gujarat. Yet, am surprised that people do not travel here as these are in tourist maps of the respective states.


Lets pack our bags and travel more.
www.holidayiq.com

A MIGRATORY BIRD ... He eh ;)

I want to fly!! And you?

But how much can we fly? Of course we cannot fly like a bird. But what if we have wings like birds, will we fly across oceans.

Well am sure we would. It is stressful yet full of experiences. Similar was my case when I flew to Rio de Janeiro from New Delhi, India or flew from Colombia to India after three months in South America. People in Latin America used to assume that am one of the locals but when they realize that I flew all the way from Asia like a Migratory bird, their common expression would be Dios!! Outro Mundo( My God, The other World). 

How many of Latin Americans would come to India. How many Indians would cross the Indian and the Atlantic ocean to  reach South America. Am sure a few succeed this distance of wish, faith, desire etc to experience another place, another culture, another world.

The situations we encounter, people we interact, the friends we make. The smiles we win, the service of the airlines, cribbing over the food, the movies we watch, the jet lag we face. Between everything, what counts the most is our experience. 

The experience is one of a migratory bird and I am proud to be one 😀

A NEW TRAVELER'S APP :)

TRIPIGATOR.COM


Here is a new travel app for all those who wants to travel in India.

The Indian government already has the Incredible India app for tourism in India and yet it launched another app called Tripigator.

The app looks very efficient and loaded with tips for what to do for a specified helpful.

Well I have already downloaded Tripigator, what are you waiting for ;)

WOW!! 4004 VISITS FOR MY BLOG.

I love numbers. Especially this one for two reasons:

i. It is special as it is a Palindrome. Since I am a number fan traveller, I must mention here that a Palindrome is a number, letter, date,name,word etc which reads the same backward or forward. This is rare.

Oooops!! 1001 is another Palindrome.

ii. Last but not the least, its very motivating.  I am always inspired to write here more when I see more and more people read my blog.

21022012 is the date I learnt about Palindrome and hence 21022012 thanks to all my readers ;)