Saturday, October 8, 2011

A Traveller’s logbook

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Traveling has been one of my passions I have kept alive. I made sure never to miss a chance to see new places whenever an opportunity arises. I have not been a globe trekker (as those opportunities are hard to come by :-) but have seen quite a few places in India. India is a world in itself, a country so big with cultural contrast so sharp that I sometimes wonder it is magical that this country is still so beautifully bonded together. It reminds me of those words I have studied in school – “Unity in Diversity”, so true for this country.

I was born in Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of my country India. It is one of the seven sisters (as they are sometimes called) of the north-east. North-east is a place which most people do not visit, or do not get a chance. Being born there, I had the advantage to grow in a culture so unique and different. I traveled to Arunachal Pradesh (Nirjuli, Itanagar) for my education and studied in a college situated in a valley between mountains and with a beautiful river at my backdrop. The college had students from all the seven sisters and also from all over India. This unique mixed cultural experience was enriching!

Moving to Uttar Pradesh (Kanpur) for my higher studies was a cultural shift. The Hindi heartland in the northern part of India is surrounded by 9 states (in today’s count). Being the guy with scholarships now, exploring places was much more affordable :-). I finally moved to southern state of India, Karnataka, for my job. Bangalore has been my “Den” since then. It has given me a chance to explore most of south India.

Here is a chart of the places I have visited.

It will be easier to list down the states I have not formally stepped in (as I have passed them during travel to some other states).

In the north-east – Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland
In other regions – Haryana, Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa

Working in a global conglomerate comes with its own advantages, some amount of global travel. My globetrotting have been limited to only few countries including United States and 6 European Countries (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and France). Austria was on official trip when I explored its neighbors.

I actually wanted to list down my top 10 picks among the places I have visited. Every place I have visited is special and I have returned back with some special memories. I would like to exclude places I have lived in, as they will weigh down the others with emotions. I cherish the travel which has some of the strongest sweet memories, more than just the beauty of the place. My list might be a reflection of the same.

Here is the list in no particular order:

1. Coorg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coorg): This place is special for two reasons. I had a memorable bike trip there with my college friends (Sujeet, Jyodi Deka and Pankaj). This was also the first place I visited with my wife after marriage…

2. Goa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa): I have been there four times, once from college days, twice with office friends and once with my wife during my anniversary. Every time I wanted to go back for more. Goa has something that attracts…

3. Taj Mahal, Agra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal): I visited it with my parents. No wonder it is one of the wonders of the world. Can’t explain its beauty, you have to see it for yourself…

4. Kaziranga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaziranga_National_Park): Famous for its one horned rhino, I have visited it once during school days on a picnic. Lots of adventurous memories. For your information, I haven’t yet seen the rhino in Kaziranga, gosh; I have been planning to visit there again for ages…

5. Rajasthan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthan): I have clubbed whole of Rajasthan trip into one. Rajasthan is unique and a weeklong trip with Anil during Diwali was memorable. His house in Udaipur and the desert city of Jaisalmer was the pinnacle of this trip…

6. Manali (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manali,_Himachal_Pradesh): A visit planned with my wife before our marriage. We haven’t seen snow before and this was it. Missed the snowfall though…

7. New York (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_york): My first visit to anywhere outside India, and what a place to be. With a gang of young office colleagues, it was fun…

8. Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innsbruck): This was the awesomest place visited by me. Pick of the trip was Achensee, Switzerland and Paris. I have written about it in my previous blogs…

9. Kumara Parvata Trek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumara_Parvata): This was one of the most physically exhaustive things I did. But after it was done, it felt awesome…

10. Shillong (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillong): This was during my college days. The whole travel experience from Nirjuli to Guwahati and then to Shillong still comes in my dreams…

I know I have missed many, but unfortunately ten was what I wanted the limit to be. Hopefully many more great travel experiences are coming my way.

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