Oh Darling, Let's Be Adventurers!

I'd have admitted that my blog posts have become as recurring as service tax returns but 2017 meant subsumption of all indirect taxes into one umbrella tax of GST so my CA-brand joke is a complete malarkey. (Service tax returns were half-yearly unlike GST returns, got the PJ now?)

Anyway, philosophers and successful people might say that only losers give excuses but I think that I deserve to justify my absence before being tagged as a loser!

So, my brother decided to get married to his beloved this year. We also undertook a totally mind-consuming (not to mention financially-depleting!) job of renovating our home this year. I had my personal goals to meet - CA and campus placement. With all the hullabaloo going on, my blog got relegated to the sidelines. Anyway, now I am here to rant again!

My aversion to everything that spells intimacy is universally known, be it love or wedding. Before all of you judge me heartless and evil as the villainess fairy Maleficent, I want to clarify that I am THE HAPPIEST person alive that my brother got married.

Personally, I believe, a wedding is a cockamamie concept. It drains you mentally, emotionally and FINANCIALLY! One's head resembles a Prestige Cooker (ironically, the tag line says 'jo biwi se kare pyar, wo prestige se kaise kare inkaar') steaming off at 250 degree F out of stress; relatives who taunt you and get upset for anything and everything at the speed of light; and your 10 years or 20 years of savings go into a sewer for throwing a themed wedding or a destination wedding respectively. Agreed, you are happy to finally be with the love of your life but why invite a clan of 500- 1000 people that you barely know and spend a million bucks entertaining them instead of just those few you can count on fingers who truly, genuinely care about your happiness? And it's just not about the money, the whole wedding saga is a torture in itself - I considered the saat pheras to be sacred before I saw all the people sleeping and snoring during the ceremony. Anyway, I can never run out of arguments against getting married so let me focus on what this post was originally meant to be about - 

How I could use all that money to give solace to my restless soul... by travelling far and wide...
Now that I have a steady source of income, I have started thinking about fulfilling my travel dreams. What appeared like a soap bubble to me earlier, now seems realistic. I have gradually begun to understand why exactly I run away from the idea of relationships and marriage - it is the thought of being settled, of getting into shackles of societal obligations and above all, of being chained to one place or routine, that haunts my nomadic soul. I keep pouring over articles and blogs that talk about places to travel in a budget, how to save for travel and what not. This blog post is my first step, symbolic of my promise to myself that from now on, I live to turn my dreams into reality... This is going to be the reminder in my frustrating moments that there is light at the end of the tunnel, so keep moving...

While the above mentioned rosy thoughts might motivate me to hit the road right away, my sane mind rings the bells - Surbhi, you need the funds! So here is how I plan to save for my travel goals -

1. Create a  travel corpus.
Call it your 'Adventure Account' to own a  'Dream Debit Card'. Remember, good things take time. It is a marathon, not a 100m sprint. Go steady but stay committed to saving for your cause. The best way is to set your salary account on auto-debit mode for some TDs (read travel deposits instead of term deposits!) because the only real life equation I understand is Income- Saving = Expenditure. Set aside some savings first and then expend the balance in a wise manner.

2. Cut down on wasteful expenditure
Once you have saved a portion of your income, focus on allocating the balance in such a manner that you are able to increase your savings by 10% p.a. Instead of draining your money on a Starbucks Coffee with a bunch of spendthrift friends, you could convince them for a Delhi-Darshan while sipping away a local cup of chai while soaking in the local culture. Or you could curb on your weekend outings to malls and cafes. The idea is to do away with everything that comes in way of your dreams; your peer group might start mocking you but be ruthless about your priorities!

3. The Great Indian Sale by Amazon
All of us are aware that Amazon is the biggest e-commerce company in the market and its revenue roots from people like us who shop away our salaries at the click of button. What I mean to say is that you need to keep your shopping tendencies off the table, if you want to savour the cuisines in the various parts of the world; that one GAP dress can cost you your trip to Grand Canyon. Either own that Louis Vuitton or go visit St Peter's in the Vatican City. Your fashion-crazy friends will definitely make fun of you, might call you 'aunty' because of your good old attire of jeans and t-shirt but we shall see who has the last laugh while watching the  Northern Lights in Norway.

4. Supplement your income
Find ways to boost your income. Just to illustrate, I keep participating in writing contests and have won 7500 bucks apiece.I know people who earn through online selling on amazon or through digital marketing. Every person has been given some skill or the other. Discover your talent and monetise it!

5. Be practical in your approach
Start with simple things like doing away with double expenses - people carry multiple sim cards and keep paying multiple expenses. If you don't watch TV, you could cut away your cable and save on a lot of money annually. You could car-pool or use public transport to save as well as contribute to environment.

6. Keep your eyes on the goal
You would often be tempted to stray away from your goals - friends and family would call you miser, stupid, crazy... but don't deter. I keep reading and looking at travelling blogs and pictures to keep myself motivated and focused. 
Here, have a look -

• The-50-most-beautiful-places-in-the-world
• Beautiful-places-in-india-you-must-visit
• 20-Places-In-Indian-You-Can-Visit-With-Just-10000-Rupees

And just to pique your interest, here is a compilation of some of the most picturesque places around the world - 

1.Christmas Island, Australia

2. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

3. Glen Coe, Scotland

4. Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand

All the beautiful places in India and the World, here I come !

इबारत रेत पर - My Odyssey with the Sand Dunes.

The truth is, most of us discover where we are heading when we arrive.

This pretty much sums up my journey to ' The Golden City' - Jaisalmer. 

As I type this, the melodious folk music of the city echoes in my ears, the aroma of the delectable dishes of Rajasthani food tickles my olfactory senses and taste buds simultaneously, my eyes are still getting accustomed to absence of sand dunes, my bare feet crave for the touch of cool sand again; Jaisalmer is truly a miniature India in itself.

After planning for weeks and weeks, I found myself amidst the vast stretch of Thar Desert. It was a mind - boggling sight ; from east to west and north to south, each mm of the surface of earth was blanketed with golden yellow sand. Away from the hustle bustle of the metropolitan cities, Jaisalmer is a place to unwind your chaotic mind, open up your restrained heart, rediscover your lost soul. Believe me, it will silence you to the core.

Here is the glimpse of my trip captured in pictures and videos (Apologising beforehand for the low quality - blogspot permits only a 100MB video so I had to compress 250MB to 100MB which ruined the quality of the video!) :-

Sand, Surbhi & Solace

If I sound philosophical it is because the natural beauty that the place has been bestowed with, has broadened my horizon - I was left in awe with the sheer vastness of the desert, the grit of people who manage the tough life in a place that hardly has any vegetation and water, the brilliance of flora and fauna adjusting to the extreme temperatures of the place.

And you just CANNOT miss the sunset and sunrise here... when the sun rays kiss the horizon of earth enveloping everything in a golden-orange glow, your contented soul calls out to the heavens upon witnessing the picturesque sight - Oh My God, why were I missing this beauty for so long?

I feel the need... the need for speed.

If I am giving an impression of a forlorn traveller looking for spiritual stuff and peace, then I would like to clarify that Jaisalmer has a complete recipe for adrenaline rush. The desert safari. Round and round the Thar desert, the jeep ride is a must-to-do if you visit Jaisalmer. Trust me, the fierce rush of wind on your face during the bumpy, sandy ride will leave you invigorated. It will give you a high that no ecstasy can ever manage. It was an ineffable feeling, it can only be felt and can never be described in words! You got to do it to know what it is! 

  notice how the speed blurred the picture? 

The Rajasthani Thali

My father had specifically asked me not to miss the Rajasthani Thali at any cost. And he was right! With 32 items (31 items listed in the menu plus chhaachh) on a single plate, it is a dish you ought to try.

Camel Safari

Camel Ride is another attraction that you simply can't miss when in Jaisalmer. Moving at a slow pace that suits you or a camel race, you can choose your own way to experience and enjoy the tranquillity of desert.
It was my first time on a camel and I am not ashamed to admit that I was scared all the time that I was going to fall flat on my face especially when the camel was rising and sitting down! I was reminded of my niece's words "camel bahot jhoola jaisa hota hai!" as I held on tightly to the harness. Nevertheless, it was one helluva amazing experience and I am going to cherish it till I die!

Tannot Maata Mandir & the Laungewala Border

Again, my dear father had added this in the checklist of 'things to do and places to visit in Jaisalmer'.
Historically, this place is famous because the Pakistanis tried to bomb the temple during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 but none of the bombs exploded in the vicinity. The place was also shown in my all time favourite movie - Border. The un-exploded bombs are still kept in the museum. The temple is now managed by the BSF.
The place gave me a queer mixture of feelings - faith plus patriotism plus pride.

Laungewala Border is yet another place one just cannot miss. They show you a short movie of 20mins that enlightens you about how our valiant soldiers saved our country from the invasion of the enemies.
The destroyed Pakistani tanks are still at display. Here, have a look - 

The Impromptu Visit to Ajmer Sharif

Ajmer Sharif is a place that needs no introduction. It is an epitome of faith. Forgive my naivety, I have little knowledge of Islam but I was left stupefied with wonder upon seeing thousands of people bowing down for the namaaz in unison. You understand why every movie star visits the dargah  before release of his/her movie once you visit the place - the power of faith is palpable, the air itself smells of sanctity and devotion.
Talking about taking a leap of faith; more than the place, it was the way I visited Ajmer that needs to be mentioned here. We were on our way back to Delhi after spending 4 wonderful days in Jaisalmer. 30mins to the station of Ajmer and suddenly everybody decided to get down at Ajmer. We packed our stuff and jumped off at the station just like that! Yes, it was rash but we, undoubtedly, found unexpected joy with this unplanned addition to our trip.


Some special observations -

1.  Rajasthan is a place full of talent. The people are so adept at dancing and the musical instruments that your eyes turn saucers and you can't help but dance to the melody of Rajasthani folk music. 
If there is any place the Government should invest in to promote cultural talent, it is Rajasthan. The Fire dance, The Kalbeliya Gypsy Dance, The Bhavayi Dance and the list is endless! 

2. You will meet the sarangi-players at every nook and cranny of the city. The magical sound leaves you mesmerised. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel sorry at the sordid state of the talented people playing so joyfully their melodious music for us. These people deserve a better life and a platform to showcase the talent that they have been bestowed with.


3. The food in the city is delectable. The various dishes leave you satiated and tript (I could find no better substitute for the feeling than this word!) Also, don't forget to taste the mirch-pakodas at the station shop in Pokhran.

4. The night sky is indescribably clear and beautiful. I sat for hours looking at the clear starry sky, with my bare feet in the cool sand. It was like heavens had opened the gates for me from above; a sheer bliss for a person like me who has an incurable homesickness for the stars. Every worry was wiped off my mind and I found the sangfroid and solace that I was pining for since the past so many months.



P.S.

I would like to thank my Sir for this wonderful trip. And would also like to apologise in case we caused too much trouble.

Special thanks to the people accompanying me who not only made this trip a cherishing experience but also taught me new things - teen patti :D
Shubhangi Kapoor needs special mention here for being the awesome person that she is and for bearing my nuisance so patiently.