रविवार, 23 जून 2013

The Road Less Travelled




Roads have always fascinated me. They seem to lead to endless possibilities, unknown destinations and promise loads of adventure on the way. So when you suggest a road trip .. hmmm ! Thats a brilliant idea to explore the country side and a great chance to know the people, their traditions, their hopes and aspirations ! Okay then .. lets plan !



First of all I need to pack up all my things ! Things I cannot do without..basics taken care of ! I would like to invite a few friends who would be fun to travel with. A sturdy vehicle to accommodate the necessities and enough leg space ! A caravan ? Will do. A lot of music to keep  company when everyone is too tired to talk and rather keen on enjoying the view. 

And Ambi Pur to enhance the ambience with a soothing fragrance. 



We will take turns at the steering wheel..no problem. We will travel mainly during day time and put up at the wayside hotels in the night. Did I forget the road map ! Come on how can I ! The road map to trace our way through the country and lead us to our destination. 


What about food ? Well a road trip is a great opportunity to taste food at the way side dhabas and get acquainted with the local flavour. The freshly cooked delicious piping hot khana ! wow ! 


Sometimes it will be nice to park the vehicle and walk through the fields. May be discover a river flowing by or a hidden waterfall. Visiting the villages on the way will further enrich our experience.Somehow I feel that the cities are all the same. They do have their own identity though. But living in cities, we are more familiar with the city life. Not so with the village life. They say the real India lives in the villages. Must be true. For villages are more tuned to the surrounding nature and have a character of their own.



Then there will be the woods ..

            "Stopping by woods on a snowy evening.."

I am reminded of this poem by Robert Frost. 

             " The woods are lovely dark and deep,
                 But I have promises to keep.
                 And miles to go before I sleep.
                 And miles to go before I sleep. "

That kind of sums up the mood of our journey.



And yes. There is a special task on my mind too. I will collect the local handicraft as I travel through the country. I have always dreamt of doing this. These things will always remind me of the different stages of my road trip.



 Just like the photographs clicked on the way will record the precious and priceless moments for a lifetime. 

There is one more thing, I plan to do. Every night before hitting the sack, I will write about the experiences of the day.



 The essence, that is. Nothing like capturing the actual feel of the moment in words.It adds a whole new dimension to the experience.. gives it a new perspective. 

             

Between the souvenirs and the notebook, I will treasure all my   
memories and savour them till the next road trip !

The next journey on the road will be another chapter in the journey of life and a different experience altogether..

" I took the road less travelled by,
   And that has made all the difference. "
                                                                   Robert Frost

Yes, indeed. Every page of the travel book will narrate a different  story to spice up life !





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4 टिप्‍पणियां:

  1. the blog is more poetic than being a piece of prose. not only in a way it is written, but also with the aspect of the road plan prepared in it. yea, sure, you should go to villages to see the real India, to see how big crook we are. i don’t know which part of India you reside in. but most of the village roads don’t fit into your planned trip and your travel book would narrate a tale of horror. if Mr. Frost comes to today’s India by any chance, he’d prefer to sleep after covering a couple of miles only. may God bless your trip. passage is very well written anyhow, and very poetic. congratulations for that.

    जवाब देंहटाएं
  2. thank you shams sahab. what you say is not untrue. i just hope there are exceptions and that someday i can do something about the sad state of affairs in the forgotten villages.

    जवाब देंहटाएं
  3. yes. there are exceptions. that’s why i asked in which part of India you reside. in north, if you go deep in Panjab, you’ll actually live your blog. also high in UttraKhand. people in rural Rajasthan are too very good by nature, and friendly. and also in several other parts of India too. try to find a place where television hasn’t reached yet, and you’ll see paradise on earth. if they’re watching regular tv programs, be prepared for hell.

    जवाब देंहटाएं
  4. Wow, this was a very sorted trip, with every single detail taken care of! :)Loved the photos too! Best of luck for the contest! :)

    जवाब देंहटाएं

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