When you have just come back after enjoying the best 65 days of your life yet….and have had some life changing experiences the problem is more about where to start than about what to write.
There is so much to write that I wonder if I should start with the most amazing things that happened or write about the holiday chronologically like our mind is trained to do from the time we started going to school.
Either way the truth must be told…so I suppose its best to jot down thoughts as they come to mind. In a way I am glad I did not maintain a diary during my holidays as that would have invariably forced me to do a chronological blog. I seem to dislike anything chronological or even logical :) My memories will be kindled by the scores of pictures I took everyday
My first reaction upon arriving back at Mumbai International Airport was “Need to find a way to get out of this city”. In a weird sense even before boarding my flight back from my holiday I got the feeling of being an alien in my own city….my own concrete jungle. My arrival only reinforced this feeling. Having relocated back to Mumbai after living abroad for over two decades I thought the last few years I had spent here had me firmly back to where I was supposed to belong. Was I wrong? Is this just a feeling that will last a few weeks at most? Was this holiday experience a ‘sign’? A ‘sign’ indicating the way my life would be shaped in future? I just don’t seem to have the patience to wait for the answers (patience, in any case, has never been my virtue.). The cliché - " Only time will tell… comes to mind!
An ex-boss recently offered to bid for a 1930 Mahatma Gandhi book for me and since it came at a time when I was in the process of indulging in all kinds of activities for the first time in my life I accepted the offer. He just wrote to me this morning asking for my address in order to mail the book for me. He also asked me to list the highlights of my trip and that’s where I propose to start this blog, listing the highlights of my trip.
The Top 3 being:
1) I have learnt that travelers (as opposed to tourists) rise beyond race, religion, color and nationality. They all belong to the nation I would call Travelopia and its citizens-Travelopians. They are always there to help each other out with tips and tricks and are always glad to see each other. They share happy times and experiences with amazing ease and zest despite knowing that they may never see each other again.
2) I have experienced enough to claim that if you take the best things from each continent and put them all into one continent it would be called Latin America. I was a LatAm fan before this trip and now I am its pilgrim:)
3) I never imagined I would get so close to nature and appreciate all its glory and power. The rain forests, the ocean and the wind were just elements of nature, now I want these to be reflected in my nature (don’t ask me what this means…I guess I’m just blabbering!!).
There were many more memorable moments and since I am an emotional/sentimental guy I would categorize some of them under emotions they evoked.
Happy moments
1) The joy of ending a holiday with the happiest moment cannot be described in words. Luciana, Silvia’s 4 year old daughter is very demanding and not easy to make friends with. I was already aware that it’s easier to open a Halliburton case without keys than break ice with Luciana. Having prided myself at being good with kids this seemed like an extreme sport…a real challenge. I met her for about a week and I thought I did pretty well although in my heart I knew I had not connected with her fully.
The last day when we were saying good bye’s Luciana sprang a surprise as she jumped out of her child seat at the back of the car and was all over me wanting to kiss and hug me. This without doubt was the happiest moment of my holiday. When a child accepts you into its world and connects with you…. its pure bliss!
2) Meeting friends who I had known only through the net was exciting and each one of them I met made the moment so very special. In my coming blogs I will write more about the magical moments I shared with all my new friends.
3) A complete stranger, an old man, on the streets of Lima calling out to me and saying “Indiano”! That’s a happy moment…
Above all, every time you see me smile in my pix you can safely assume that to be a happy moment!
Amusing moments
1) The most amusing moment has to be the one when I saw myself without a moustache. Yes, ladies and gentlemen after all these years I’ve finally bid goodbye to it!!
2) Most verbal communications with Suzana in Brazil who only speaks Portuguese and whose English is as bad as my Spanish.
Sad moments
1) The hurt and pain in the eyes of my Inca descendant guide in Cusco, Peru when she spoke of the death and destruction suffered by the Incas at the hands of Spanish plunderers. It may have happened 100s of years ago but I could still sense the pain of betrayal.
2) When I learnt that a dear friend back home had broken up with her boyfriend.
3) When I heard about the excessive rains and consequent damage to life and property caused by flooding in Cusco and Machu Picchu. Two beautiful cities with such warm and hospitable people did not deserve this.
4) The saddest moment though will surely be the one when I realized that religion is more powerful than love.
“First-time” moment
Seeing for the first-time a lesbian couple sitting in front of me in Ibirapuera park, Sao Paulo engaging in full blown groping and passionate kissing on a Sunday morning!
Embarrassing moments
1) Walking eagerly towards a big board in Sao Paulo, which said VEGETARIAN and on closer scrutiny realizing that it said VETERNARIAN. I must have been really hungry that day!
2) ***************
[This blog is also open to under 18s so I shall skip this one!]
Frustrating moment
When my credit card and debit card both refused to work and I had no cash to check into the hotel in Lima. Thankfully after half an hour and many unsuccessful attempts by the counter girl Vania the credit card finally worked!
Well, that’s it for this post….I am sure there many more special moments will come to mind as I continue this holiday blog.
In my future posts I will be uploading some random pics which might tell you why I call this the best 65 days of my life yet.
Either way the truth must be told…so I suppose its best to jot down thoughts as they come to mind. In a way I am glad I did not maintain a diary during my holidays as that would have invariably forced me to do a chronological blog. I seem to dislike anything chronological or even logical :) My memories will be kindled by the scores of pictures I took everyday
My first reaction upon arriving back at Mumbai International Airport was “Need to find a way to get out of this city”. In a weird sense even before boarding my flight back from my holiday I got the feeling of being an alien in my own city….my own concrete jungle. My arrival only reinforced this feeling. Having relocated back to Mumbai after living abroad for over two decades I thought the last few years I had spent here had me firmly back to where I was supposed to belong. Was I wrong? Is this just a feeling that will last a few weeks at most? Was this holiday experience a ‘sign’? A ‘sign’ indicating the way my life would be shaped in future? I just don’t seem to have the patience to wait for the answers (patience, in any case, has never been my virtue.). The cliché - " Only time will tell… comes to mind!
An ex-boss recently offered to bid for a 1930 Mahatma Gandhi book for me and since it came at a time when I was in the process of indulging in all kinds of activities for the first time in my life I accepted the offer. He just wrote to me this morning asking for my address in order to mail the book for me. He also asked me to list the highlights of my trip and that’s where I propose to start this blog, listing the highlights of my trip.
The Top 3 being:
1) I have learnt that travelers (as opposed to tourists) rise beyond race, religion, color and nationality. They all belong to the nation I would call Travelopia and its citizens-Travelopians. They are always there to help each other out with tips and tricks and are always glad to see each other. They share happy times and experiences with amazing ease and zest despite knowing that they may never see each other again.
2) I have experienced enough to claim that if you take the best things from each continent and put them all into one continent it would be called Latin America. I was a LatAm fan before this trip and now I am its pilgrim:)
3) I never imagined I would get so close to nature and appreciate all its glory and power. The rain forests, the ocean and the wind were just elements of nature, now I want these to be reflected in my nature (don’t ask me what this means…I guess I’m just blabbering!!).
There were many more memorable moments and since I am an emotional/sentimental guy I would categorize some of them under emotions they evoked.
Happy moments
1) The joy of ending a holiday with the happiest moment cannot be described in words. Luciana, Silvia’s 4 year old daughter is very demanding and not easy to make friends with. I was already aware that it’s easier to open a Halliburton case without keys than break ice with Luciana. Having prided myself at being good with kids this seemed like an extreme sport…a real challenge. I met her for about a week and I thought I did pretty well although in my heart I knew I had not connected with her fully.
The last day when we were saying good bye’s Luciana sprang a surprise as she jumped out of her child seat at the back of the car and was all over me wanting to kiss and hug me. This without doubt was the happiest moment of my holiday. When a child accepts you into its world and connects with you…. its pure bliss!
2) Meeting friends who I had known only through the net was exciting and each one of them I met made the moment so very special. In my coming blogs I will write more about the magical moments I shared with all my new friends.
3) A complete stranger, an old man, on the streets of Lima calling out to me and saying “Indiano”! That’s a happy moment…
Above all, every time you see me smile in my pix you can safely assume that to be a happy moment!
Amusing moments
1) The most amusing moment has to be the one when I saw myself without a moustache. Yes, ladies and gentlemen after all these years I’ve finally bid goodbye to it!!
2) Most verbal communications with Suzana in Brazil who only speaks Portuguese and whose English is as bad as my Spanish.
Sad moments
1) The hurt and pain in the eyes of my Inca descendant guide in Cusco, Peru when she spoke of the death and destruction suffered by the Incas at the hands of Spanish plunderers. It may have happened 100s of years ago but I could still sense the pain of betrayal.
2) When I learnt that a dear friend back home had broken up with her boyfriend.
3) When I heard about the excessive rains and consequent damage to life and property caused by flooding in Cusco and Machu Picchu. Two beautiful cities with such warm and hospitable people did not deserve this.
4) The saddest moment though will surely be the one when I realized that religion is more powerful than love.
“First-time” moment
Seeing for the first-time a lesbian couple sitting in front of me in Ibirapuera park, Sao Paulo engaging in full blown groping and passionate kissing on a Sunday morning!
Embarrassing moments
1) Walking eagerly towards a big board in Sao Paulo, which said VEGETARIAN and on closer scrutiny realizing that it said VETERNARIAN. I must have been really hungry that day!
2) ***************
[This blog is also open to under 18s so I shall skip this one!]
Frustrating moment
When my credit card and debit card both refused to work and I had no cash to check into the hotel in Lima. Thankfully after half an hour and many unsuccessful attempts by the counter girl Vania the credit card finally worked!
Well, that’s it for this post….I am sure there many more special moments will come to mind as I continue this holiday blog.
In my future posts I will be uploading some random pics which might tell you why I call this the best 65 days of my life yet.
3 comments:
As a Travelopian I must say I had some of those feelings that you described while visiting a different culture and either coming back to our country. The noteworthy learning above all others is when you realize that does not matter your name, race, religious system, etc, because we all are humans, and we all have to live the life making it the best we can. We grow inside... a lot!
I echo your words when you say "...to find a way to get out of this city” hehehe...the feeling of being an alien still remains but also gives me the strength that I need to start this endeavor :p
P.s: I got curious about the Embarassing moments # 2 :D
Hey!!! About Embarassing moments( veterinária--> vegetarian) ...It was in Brasília...you were with me..:P
YES....I must have been with you..thats why I felt so hungry rsrsrs. Thanks for the correction :)
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