Set the feet on fire,sail around!

In the movie Revolutionary Road, Kate Winslet says "I haven't really been anywhere.." and saying this she smiles. I see a mild sense of discomfort & disappointment when she says that. Its the same with me. I havent really travelled too. Yes, thanks to Vijay that I did get to see a few lovely places like Las Vegas, New York and other major cities in Texas, but thats that.

Travelling for me starts with creating the opportunity to visit the places you read about, the cities you are fascinated by,the unheard-of corners of the world you want to explore. Thanks to the busy lifestyle of 21st century and a mundane & lackluster routine,I feel I never lived up to my own definition.

There are a few places in India that Im almost dying to visit :)

MUMBAI

The largest city in India, the hub of Indian commerce & trade,the hometown to Bollywood,home to lakhs and lakhs of migrants and most of all-a potpourri of different cultures within India! Who wouldnt want to be in Mumbai...
From Santa Cruz to Andheri,Bandra to Colaba,Dharavi to Chowpati- every inch of Mumbai is a reflection of the spirit of a million busy people hustling away to earn a living. The charm of Mumbai cannot be expressed in words, it has to be experienced,enjoyed and savoured.
Having visited it in 1993, I have a faint memory of Mumbai. All I remember is spending a whole day at Essel World with dad. The next time I happen to be in Mumbai, i'll make sure I have tons of pani puri at the best roadside shop. Dine at the one of the Taj hotels (if they are ready by then..).Ofcourse, travel by the local trains, I was told the trains are jam-packed with people even at 1 AM. True, life here is chaotic,mad and yet full of fun. Mumbai meri jaan, tujhko salaam :)

DELHI, PUNJAB & AGRA

Delhi..the proud capital of India. It would personally be a shame for any Indian who could visit the capitol of USA, admire its architectural beauty and all, but not Delhi. If you are thinking I made it to Washington, no I haven't. Just saying. There isnt much I know about Delhi.But its definitely a place I want to go see.

Punjab. The picture I associate with Punjab is of a big corn field on a lovely bright day, with a small stream flowing nearby and some tractors here and there. Just like how they showed Punjab in "Mile sur mera tumhara","Ghar aa ja pardesi.." and "Jab We Met". It was infact after watching Jab We Met that I realised its too good a place to miss. And why not? I have a dear friend in Jalandhar who is more than happy to entertain me :) Lets have a huge glass of Lassi,makai ki roti (roti made from corn) and hot buttery paranthas, all in a huge Ganne da khet..thats a sugarcane field by the way

It would be dorkish to not add the great Taj Mahal in Vidya's All India Tour Plan. Honestly, I know nothing more about Agra which is the direct result of hopeless GK & pathetic geography scores in school.

JAIPUR

I fell in love with the image of Jaipur that I developed in my mind while reading the book "A Princess, remembers". Its an autobiography of the Jaipur Rajmaata Late Smt.Gayatri Devi. Buying this book was probably one of the very few wise literary decisions I ever made. In the book, she talks about her childhood in Cooch Behar (which is a part of W.Bengal now),growing up as a carefree child touring different countries,her relationships,her courtship with Jaipur Maharaja,her marriage into the royal family of Jaipur and life after that. The book is also an informal history of Jaipur during british reign,India's transformation into a self governing country and how chaotic things turned after that. Ok, I shall stop digressing.

Jaipur is truly a city to be marvelled at. Its rich culture,heritage and architectural finesse cannot be missed. Visiting the Mooti Dongri, the hilltop fort that Jaipur Maharaja remodelled specially for Rajmata would be on top of my to-do list. The royal Rambagh Palace, Jantar Mantar observatory,the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort..the list seems endless..wow!
Pink city,I have never seen you,but I think I already love you.

DARJEELING and SHIMLA

Mercury will probably hit a 50 deg celcius in those places above. Could use some cool air now.
With a mere two week stint in Calcutta(I refuse to use Kolkata simply because I hate it),a Darjeeling trip seemed out of the realm of possibility. I could only manage to go the hot-shot pani puri stall with my PG mate and visit the Ramkrishna Mutt across Hoogly river.That was fun, I tell you. A hot cuppa tea in Darjeeling, ooooh.That makes it two grande slices of heaven!

Himachal Pradesh(Shimla).Again visually enjoyed via Jab We Met.I am told its one of the most beautiful places in India. My parents did get luckier in this case-they honeymooned in Kashmir! One couldn't ask for more.








I shall continue my fairy tale wishlist in the next post. In the mean time, sponsors for the trip...anyone?