10 Travel Tips for Ubud- Bali

Spas Spas Spas

Ubud is by far the most intense and yet chilled out place I have ever been to! It's... It's not a tourist spot even though thousands of tourists are here cause in a couple of days they just blend in with it's people and methods because it simply IS the place to Eat.. Pray.. Love! 

Here are my top tips while in Ubud:

1. Don't pack too many clothes: Trust me your wardrobe just isn't equipped to handle the weather here. Just pack your pure cottons.

Cottons ONLY

Have fun with your clothes

2. Forget the makeup and creams: It's a tropic island! Hot and Humid as hell! Just don't even bother with all your fancy SPFs. You could use the sprays if you can resist not wiping your sweat.

No Make Up

3. Don't shower everyday: Haha! Kidding! The Spas here are dirt cheap and just such a pleasure. Why take a simple bath when you can have someone relieve all your stress, massage you, scrub you and then ask you to dip yourself in a flowered bath all for like Rs. 1000 or $15 right?

Blisssssss

4. Fruits: Oh my god! Eat the Fruits! Eat the Fruits! Eat the Fruits! They are absolutely organic and heavenly!

Passion Fruit and Snake Skin Fruit

Local Food

5. Local Food: Try the duck here and must try the tofu and tempe with rice and crisps

6. Kombucha: Champagne of the Gods! This is Organic wine. Yup! You read it right! It's fermented tea and tastes great actually. I believe the best place for this is at the Clear Cafe. Try it!

7. Ecstatic Dance Party: I'll give you details in my write up but just put it on your list for now. You have gotta attend one of these.

At the Ecstatic Dance Party

8. Yoga Session: Try to take one of the Yoga classes. The way they handle yoga here is most unique and its a lifestyle here.

9. Sound Therapy: I don't know if you have heard of this before; I hadn't! It’s actual healing by sound and is absolutely scientific. Try to attend one of these sessions or atleast talk to the experts who practice it. Its enlightening!

10. Apps: Uber doesn't work all areas here so get yourself the GrabCar app for taxis and more importantly GO-JEK for the scooter taxis. Oh GO-JEK is my absolute fav app considering they will even get you your coffee or food orders whatever and deliver it. They were my saviour after my accident there!

Go-Jekkinnnn Haha!

Most Importantly:

Don't be You: Take this one seriously! Just for the few days you are in Ubud; forget everything you know and believe in and listen to everything this cosmically charged place says to you and shows you... Unlearn.. Relearn and Love Yourself!

Unlearn.... Relearn... Love Yourself!

My 5 “I”s of Solo Travel

Inner Peace

I will never get bored of elaborating and explaining and re-iterating that travel teaches. All the quotes are true and yet so limiting. For no matter how much we read the stories and facts or see the high definition pictures, for me; travel makes me. I can clearly recall how certain traits of me have changed with marked experiences through my solo travels.

                                          

You can and will read the stories in my blogs but here are the top 5 reasons why I travel solo and recommend it so whole heartedly.

Be Wild.. haha!

1. Instinct: Just plain Instinct. Not what your heart says, not what your mind thinks. Just Instinct. I have been stuck in some rather scary situations and also in some extremely tempting ones. I’ve made bad decisions and faced the consequences and more importantly; learnt my lessons. And this is the biggest one!

You know the first reaction of your body…? To any situation? The very first one, the withdrawing of the hand when we touch something hot, or how animals defend their young, or how simply our eyes shut to self protect. That is instinct. I’ve learnt to hear it, value it and be in tune with it for self preservation. Our anatomy is built to protect itself and our minds are yet to understand how it happens… well I am to..
When you travel solo and are responsible for yourself, you will face a million moments where you will need to take decisions. I have learnt, to simply trust my instinct. The slightest hesitation in my body language and I stop myself, the moment I feel I can trust and my mind is not crowded with what it has been conditioned to think, I've let go and discovered amazing places and wonderful people.

Shark Diving

2. Impulse: When I'm travelling on my own, I need to keep reminding myself of my safety and budget. Yes, I'm mostly on a tight budget and as many of us, I have my vices. Travelling Solo teaches you to control your impulses and plan better. I have a weakness for shoes and well anything unique I see in my travels. For various reasons, from luggage allowance to money to better plans, I've learnt how to control my wants for my needs. 
For example, I found out that I could go White Shark diving in South Africa but had a limited budget, so I gave up on some much needed coffees and sandwiches and luxurious dining options for this once in a lifetime experience. 
It’s now so easy for me not to splurge on shoes cause I'm looking at them and thinking that this pair may give me some .. some feel good moments but saving this money and spending it on my travel will give me memories I’ll share with my grandchildren .. hahah!

So my solo travel teaches me self control, planning and being wise with money.

Be funny! Be YOU!

     3. Independence: I can only talk about the society I've been brought up in, where most decisions taken by us are… ummm… well communal. Many of us are Financially Independent, but rarely do we really understand the concept of Independence. Here is my concept of Independence. I have a mind of my own and I've learnt to express myself and my ideologies with my own logic. Not by what I was told, but by what I experience. Yes, I can take care of myself and choose not to seek permissions to live my own life.

Sounds easy right? Well, it is! It however does not mean that I don't need anyone. I need my family, my husband, my friends. To love me, support me and suggest me, but Travel taught me to be ok .. rather happy on my own too. When I started travelling solo, we didn't have whatsapp on our mobile phones where I could go into a cafe ask for the wifi code and tell my parents I was ok or see videos on youtube or FB. With days and weeks at hand in a foreign country and no internet, you have no choice but to connect with yourself. And in that connection I found my Inner Peace, my Self-Recognition, my Self-Acceptance and my being comfortable in my own skin for real. And that is my definition of Independence.

Stone Henge

4. Interests: When any of my friends come to me with their guy troubles, I have often used a standard line… “It’s ok.. you are learning what you don't want.” I feel everything that has happened in my life so far has happened for a reason, good or bad. And that we are supposed to learn from it. Had it not been the series of unfortunate events that had happened in my life, I wouldn't be here. Here, with the man I 

      love, in the home I live in, with the friends I've earned and travelling and being able to express my thoughts and feelings by writing. Each incident teaches us a little more about ourselves. What we like, what we don’t, what triggers us, what calms us down.

For example; I went to LA and hated it cause I felt it had no character or history, well.. turned out that even though I hated history as a subject in school I am actually a history buff. The names I crammed only to pass my tests are now my subjects of absolute interest. I used to think I didn't like experimenting with food, I was wrong (thank god!). Unpatriotic people piss me off the most and music can heal me in ways you can't fathom.

Post my accidents I had become … umm… cautious. Yes, Cautious with my body and would never even try the normal stuff. 45 days across 11 countries in Europe and I've figured I can walk for almost 15 Kms in a day and I'm perfectly capable of carrying my suitcase and I can change the tyres of a car without breaking a sweat.

Making Friends in Berlin

5. Intelligence: No I don't mean the regular intelligent. I think travel makes you worldly intelligent. It has made me street smart and oh trained me on how to quickly identify and not put up with bullshitters. I must confess, I was very naive till some years back, but once you are out there on your own, trying to make the best of your time and opportunities, one just does become more intelligent and fast at decision making.

And the other Intelligence, the most under-rated one… Emotional Intelligence. Boy have I learnt to respond instead of reacting and later regretting. Well, I’m still learning to be honest but am definitely on the right path. I now choose to discuss instead of debate, I vent out even the smallest irritants by communicating instead of becoming a pressure cooker. All the exposure to so many cultures and languages and people, changes you. Makes you a better listener, more helpful and broad minded to the literal meaning of it. Tolerant and respectful of everyone's way and reason of being. Something I don't think I would have learnt had I not travelled and come back to a room alone, left to mull over the events of the day and smile about them.

So go on out there… Explore! Experiment! and Excite your life! And get some more of "I"! :)

Explore Yourself!

My Road to Perdition- Prague to Krakow (Auschwitz) 2

The day had already been a series of unfortunate events. There was a missed train, a cancelled train, no food, no sleep, sores on my hands and a stop over at a haunted hostel on a full moon night. I swear at that moment, standing at the train station of Ostrava again, in my head the scene from the Bollywood movie Jab We Met was playing. Where the lead actress was praying to God to not make this night any more eventful. All I needed was to get to Krakow on a decent seat.

On the train.. and the only place I found to sit!

As the train whirred in, it felt like a never ending chain of bogies. All of us waiting at the station cheered looking at each other saying, "Finally!". A little clueless we all just got in anywhere and since we did not have reservations on this train, we all just got in and groups of friends took up any empty sleepers they found. I kept looking for first class cause my God knows I needed the pampering. I walked across many coaches but couldn’t find the first class nor any official. I reached a connection between two coaches that couldn't open so decided to sit there and wait for the Ticket Checker. We soon stopped at the next station and I popped my head out the door, too scared to step out without knowing how far I would need to walk and may miss the train. I looked around for the men in uniforms, but none of them responded to my asking about the first class. So I just hung on till I would find someone who would understand me and give me some information. I looked around, stared at the board giving details about the next train and the stops for the train I was in, just staring blankly. Tried to pronounce the names of the stations to amuse myself, when it suddenly struck me. Like a bolt of lightning. It did not state Krakow. I totally panicked! I saw a man in orange overalls and just looked at him and pointed to inside the train and yelled, "Krakow?" he looked around, looked at the board and just nodded, "No Krakow". What?? What?? I was in the wrong train??? When was this hell of a day going to be over? So I signalled again to him, "Where Krakow?" And he looked around cluelessly, and pointed to the train across the platform and said, "Krakow!" My eyes searched for confirmation and felt silly cause Krakow was written all across the coaches. I jumped right out and made my way to the train, and as I stood there catching my breath, I panicked again. All those people I had met at Ostrava, all were going to Krakow, and now were sleeping all over the longest train I had seen. I couldn't possibly leave them! But I had a suitcase I couldn’t lug anymore! And didn’t even know when the train would leave! I stood smack in the middle of the platform with all these questions, and finally said to myself, "Chuck it, can't live with the guilt!" I left my suitcase there unattended for anyone to steal and ran all the way back knocking windows waking up everyone looking for the faces I had seen at Ostrava. And making violent gestures begging them to come out with their luggage cause they were on the wrong train. They got up and hurried right out in their PJs and socks and luggage and shoes in their hands.

Once I told them what had happened I got hugged and loved by all and we went into our supposed last and final train to Krakow. Now nothing could go wrong! Wrong!

We finally got food and tears came easy

Remember we didn’t have reservations? Now this was a small train and the uniforms of this train somehow just refused to even acknowledge our presence, forget talk to us or listen to us. So we all just huddled into this 1 coach which had one section of 6 sleepers unoccupied, and waited for the Ticket checker to give us his time and assign us some seats somewhere. We all just sat on the floor of this coach. Tired, hungry, clueless, hopeful. Hopeful that once they heard what we had been through they would help us. I got the place outside the toilet which was locked thankfully. When the train started the Ticket Checker got in and walked right all over us, opened the locked cabin as we looked on like puppies, got in and locked the door and drew the curtain. That’s it! We all just stood there. Completely unable to understand what was happening to us. A bunch of girls who were in their cabin, also saw the whole situation and were as dumbstruck as us. Finally one of them asked me what had happened and why were we on the floor even though there was place in the train and I rambled on and on about the entire day. She didn’t interrupt me! She just kept looking at me and nodding in sympathy. When she finally spoke, she said something that broke me.

The Spanish Angels who fed us

Something I just wasn’t prepared for. She said, "Are you hungry? Do you want some food? We have lots of it!" We had been through such cruelty all day, that when she said the most obvious human thing to say I didn’t know what to say. A little awkward, a little ashamed, and very hesitantly I said, "Umm no! I'm ok" She put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Really, we have lots of it. It's no problem!".

We still found some smiles and sleep

I nodded hard and said, "Yes, yes please I'm very hungry!" No words can explain how I was feeling as these girls spoke to each other in Spanish and started giving me all their food. Packets of chips, water, muffins. One boy even gave his half eaten sandwich apologising and asking if it was ok. Ofcourse it was ok! Tears rolled out of my eyes unstoppably. And as I walked around coach waking all the others on the floor with food in my hands, we all broke down.

We were crying because of kindness. We were smiling at our state and crying at the same time. A system that was meant to help us sat in an over-privileged surrounding while we grovelled for the basics. Much like our societies!

The whole moment was melancholic with a strum of tears and vague smiles. Dawn was breaking. We were crossing Auschwitz (one of the worst concentration camps of the Nazis). We were sprawled over the floors and I was still able to sleep next to the toilet, leaning on its door. A layer of haunted fog over the horizon which had seen some horrid cruelties.

No matter how long the day had lasted, it was over. I had connected with people without knowing where they were from. No matter what background I was coming from, there, in that moment, on that train, we were all just travellers. We were borderless. We all cared for each other. I had found love in a hopeless place. The Swedish couple next to me, shared their stories with me to help pass the time. An onlooker from the other side of the locked coaches, Chris also made conversations to help us feel better. I was bruised and battered. But my soul was enriched. Enriched with random acts of kindness all through the day. I was stronger than what I had thought. People were still nice. I had learnt lessons which no school could teach. I knew something in me had changed. Made me better.

The dawn breaking at Auschwitz

My Road to Perdition- Prague to Krakow (Auschwitz) 1

Perdition means hell, doom or destruction.

Well my journey wasn't as dramatic but while those 24 hours are something I am proud of today, that day.. That particular day, there were a series of unfortunate events that made the day longer than the usual. It both shook up my belief in humanity and restored it in ways one can only experience and not fathom.

It was a usual day, I left from my Airbnb apartment in Prague and my lovely hostess had offered to drop me to the station. We just about made it in time and as I dashed through the crowds with a certain confidence but I was up for a surprise. I knew the track number my train was to come on but, there were no clear indications of platform numbers. No they were not sequential. So, I asked the uniforms but apparently either they didn't understand what I was asking or they didn't know too. When I finally met an old man who offered to help me, he looked at the time and simply started running towards the platform with my big blue suitcase and I simply ran after him. There were no lifts or escalators on this station so without asking or offering he looked at me and just picked up my suitcase and started running up the steps. I kept saying thank you, thank you, god bless you while he came to a slow stop as he reached the top of the steps and we both saw the train get away from us in slow motion. We both just kept looking at the tracks and each other with shock, awe and smiles. We walked down together as he showed me where the information counter was and before I could even pull out my phone to take is name he was gone. Just gone! As if God had sent him in my life only for this task and once it was done he was to disappear.

At the Station at Prague

Travelling makes you a very positive person. I have learnt how to not dwell on the problem but start thinking of the next best plans. I mean what's done is done and our crying can't make it better can it? But thinking of ways to get out or get over it, feel like the right way to me. So I played a happy song and walked to the information counter, cause I knew it was now going to be an adventure. The next train was at 1:40 pm, with 2 changes at Ostrava and Katowice. So happy and positive me found a good spot on the floor at the station, got myself a burger, put on my tunes, found a free internet connection and chilled on the station. I helped some people who asked for directions and shared smiles while I was lost in my music. I knew everything will be alright!

Cervenka Station

Time came, I made my way to my assigned bogie and soon I was served champagne in the first class and life was good! Lost in my music, I was disturbed by a certain commotion on the train and the ticket checker asking everyone where they had to get off. When I said Ostrava, he said keep sitting. Apparently some train had caught fire on the tracks ahead of us so we had stopped for a bit. I saw the time; I had 15 minutes at Ostrava to swap trains and head to Katowice. We were already 10 minutes behind time, so again the positive me was thinking "There are too many of us, they are bound to make alternate arrangements for all of us.. so why Panic?" In about half hour, we were told to get off at the station we had paused at. The uniforms were going to organise buses for all of us to go to the closest station and then board trains to Ostrava. We were told that we could only get information from there now. So we waited; a hundred of us soon became hundreds of us at this small little station in the middle of nowhere called Cervenka. We waited for almost 2 hours and then buses started coming and though there was method to the madness, I could not board the first 2. Finally succeeded in my 3rd attempt and got on the bus.

It was a long drive but the girl sitting next to me made time fly. A simpleton, mother of two girls who was going to be without her daughters for the first time. She was so nervous and anxious, but as I comforted her with thoughts of books she could read and all the ME time she would get as she pointed out to her house beyond the church in the fields, her tensed body became more calm and relaxed.

We reached the next station and all got on the train headed to Ostrava. I was sure there were gonna be arrangements there.

Ostrava - The church next to my hotel

OSTRAVA, Ostrava did not have any escalators. Let me remind you we all had been without food since about 2 pm and it was 7:30 pm now. Tired and exhausted I dragged myself with my suitcase up some 50 steps and down 50 steps to get to the reception and ask for next steps to get to Krakow. The lady hit the keys on the keyboard and after a few sighs and nods to herself, she gave me slips of paper and asked me to rush for the next train back on the platform. It was past 8 and the train was at 8:30 pm. So I picked up my suitcase and went up 50 steps and down 50 steps and waited for the train. I HAD to catch this train to Katowice, to take my last connecting train to Krakow at 9. And as I stood alone at that platform staring at the tracks and time, I heard the announcement through the cacophony of freight trains that the train was cancelled. In utter disbelief, I once again, went up 50 steps and down 50 steps with my luggage, back to the lady at the reception and waited for my turn in the queue.

I looked at her and something inside me gave up. No, I wasn't scared. I think I was just fatigued and hungry and had sores on my hands. My back and leg was aching beyond belief. I looked at her and just said, "Do you realise we all are having a hard day? Could you not have just checked if the train was cancelled in a station where there are no escalators?" And I didn't realise but tears started streaming down my face and suddenly I had the empathy of all fellow travellers, who started screaming at her in different languages while I kept repeating I was just tired. Thomas and his friend, another 2 guys on a Eurotrip like me, comforted me and said, "Come let's pick up a beer and figure out what to do.Let's eats something first". As we walked slowly towards the only shop selling sandwiches and drinks, the guy there; BAM shut the door in our faces, showing us the time on his cheap watch. It was past 9 and the shop shut at 9. We 3 stood there shell shocked! There was all this food infront of us and we had the money but…. no humanity. We just wanted food.

At this weak moment I called my brothers and asked them to just get me out of here, anyhow. I wouldn't dare let them know I was crying but I think they figured. Within moments, they had booked me in a hostel 400 mts from the station. Moravia Ostrava; for Rs.800. single room with breakfast. My Blessings, My Brothers! So with all the energy left in my tired body I dragged myself through the dead silent streets of Ostrava to my hostel.

I met George here. An old, frail man with long hair. His wrinkles were somehow filled with stories. I knew he was interesting the moment I met him. I sat at the dim lit reception doing my check in formalities and telling him my ordeals of the day and he made notes cause he wanted to write to the authorities about it. My room was on the third floor. It was too late to get any food, so I requested George to get me some coke so I could knock myself out with a drink for a few hours before deciding on what to do next. I had the option of taking the all night train from Ostrava station at about 2 am or sleep all night and figure what to do in the morning. As we walked up the stairs, to this almost shady hostel, George took it upon himself to educate me about the place. Bad decision! It was almost 100 years old with a haunted history. Yup! You read it! The hostel was haunted! With 2 ghosts of women. Who walked around the corridors. So again, silly me thought, I'll just get in my room, take a shower, have a drink and sleep. Not step out in the corridor AT ALL. Right? Wrong! It was a room for Rs. 800/- Room. Just Room! The bath and toilets were communal. Which now meant I would HAVE to step out of my room. I remember sing out loud while taking the shower cause I was just so scared that I didn't want to hear any sounds outside my door. But the decision to take the night train became obvious.

My Hotel and room at Ostrava

Ofcourse I didn't get any sleep! Waited till 1 am and praying hard I stepped out into the corridor and walked down the steps to get to the station. Now you must know that motion sensory lights are only cool sometimes. In a place known to be haunted, they are creepy like hell. As I was approaching the ground floor and the lights came on, I saw a man's body waiting for me. I screamed out loud! George had decided to help me with my luggage till the station. So kind of him but scared the BBBBJESUS out of me to say the least.

As we walked the cold, lonely road to the station he kept talking about how he felt a connection with me, cause it was a full moon night and he had felt a lot of movement in the spirit world that night. I can't begin to tell you how I had the strongest urge to run away screaming my lungs out and didn't. But he was still warm inspite of his cold conversation. It was wonderfully kind of him to help me.

When we reached the platform, I was relieved for more reasons than one. I saw Thomas and his friend Zeger again, and some more familiar people, and we all were finally going to be heading to Krakow.

The worst was yet to come!

Wait for part 2 :)

Travelling Boots

Unapologetic Request!

Travelling Boots in Vienna

Here is one of the biggest reasons I love to travel. I get to live a life; a life where I'm not perpetually watched and judged. Where I don't feel mentally groped and violated for just being me.

I feel pretty, flattered and above all Free!

I don't quiet know how to start this one so I'm gonna go to the basics. We girls in India are constantly told how to dress, how to behave and how to be good girls in the eyes of the society. Why? Here are the lousy excuses I've heard

- This is India baby!

- You know how men here are!

- Why are you inviting trouble?

And when I've tried to reason it, I've been told Indian men are frustrated! Frustrated? Was I just told that Indian men are Frustrated? Really? Seriously? Wait a minute! Aren't we one of the world's largest population? I just heard on the radio that we will beat China by 2020! And we are the exploding population country inspite of the female infanticide. And correct me if I'm wrong, child birth in India is still happening through sex right? So most of my population is screwing my country out of proportion and yet they remain sex starved? Highest rate of prostitution and yet desperate? Most with stashes of pornography and yet depraved? This doesn't add up does it?

I can't put my finger on it so here is my open letter to understand my men better.

Somewhere near the Black Forests in Germany 

While I'm in any other part of the world, I feel absolutely normal if I'm eating alone in a restaurant or having a drink alone in a bar. I can go watch a movie alone. I can take all kinds of public transport at any time of day or night. I can wear what I feel like. For some days, just a few, I am me! Unadulterated me! Unapologetic me! And no! I know what your conditioned minds are telling you to think. I am not doing anything, not a single thing to get any attention of any kind. I'm just living my life, eating my food, having a drink, taking a walk, travelling and enjoying my moment in the clothes and attitude I'd like. Period.

My dear Indian men; I was so embarrassed when I met people from across the world asking me if India was safe for women, and I had to hang my head low and answer with a sheepishly low volume "No".

No, it's not like men don't approach me or try to flirt with me seeing me alone in certain places, they do! But you know what the difference is? They don't make me feel bad for looking nice. They don't make me feel threatened if I say no. They don't make me feel like just because I'm looking nice and sitting alone that I'm inviting them. And some truly want a good conversation, that's all! And just because we have had a great conversation for a while, I don't feel obligated in any way.

It is so liberating! Just my simple freedom! Does so much for my self esteem, my confidence.

Travelling Boots in Bratislava

Hey you Indian man; when you find a girl interesting or attractive, why do you make us feel bad for looking good? Why be all creepy? How is our feeling harassed a method of you giving us a complement? Why won't you say something nice in a decent manner and make us smile instead? And if we smile and say thank you, not be pathetic and clichéd and think you "got" us?

It's a vicious circle you see? You all keep making us feel uncomfortable for looking nice, so because of parental or societal pressure we keep wearing more clothes. You molest us and violate us anyhow still, so protective people around us tell us not to go anywhere. And then since you don't see any of us you are stamped as desperate! And girls like us hate you with every breath and are praying to god something horrible happens to you. And the strangest phenomena is that now there are groups of you who do this and think it's cool or funny.

Men are men and women are women all over the world. We all want the same basic things, a good home, someone to love, respect in society and above all to be accepted just the way we are.

Why can't we just remember one basic fact? Before being a man or a woman, we are humans. I mean some of you men like being fashionable and some don't right? Some of you wear shorts cause its hot right? Some of you are friendly and some of you are not. Either ways you are being you right? Or is every breath you take a desperate attempt to get the ladies? Don't you have passions and ambitions of your own? Don't you like to pursue them ? Are you expected to quit being you because of your marital status? What if you were pinched, rubbed against, shoved and violated in ridiculous ways just because you looked attractive to somebody? By somebody you'd hate to be touched by? Against your wish? Or made to start wearing something because it was your fault you got molested?

Can you imagine our world? You expect us to look pretty and not all at the same time? You want us to be weak minded and then cheat on us because we are boring. You make cheap jokes about the sexual harassment policies in the office and yet can't understand that you just need to mend your ways. You won't let your wife dress sexy but will check out every attractive girl hoping she was yours.

Oh I love travelling! To get away from most of you. To just read my book in a bar, eat my food in a restaurant without being stared at, to just lie down in a park and stare at the sky, walk around aimlessly, talk to strangers pointlessly, discover wonderful people and do all of the above Solo! Yes I travel solo across the world, unafraid. And it kills me to confess that everytime I step out of my home, I'm insecure, afraid and avoiding any contact with any of you. My family only worries about my comfort when I travel but when I'm here, at home, they worry all the time about my security.

My hope worthy Indian men; I beg you, no I implore you, please just grow up and be mature in your ways because I'd love to see my country and so does the rest of the world without fears in our heads. Just be the wonderful men you are totally capable of being and live your life and let us live ours. 

A peaceful moment - Travelling Boots

Universal Travel Checklist

I have often made a checklist before I travel and hoped that somehow there was a checklist somewhere which I could easily refer to and then just add a few personalized items.

So, instead of looking for it; here I've created it :)
Please feel free to add items personal to you, this is a Universal Checklist for all sexes and ages (well grown ups :))

ü  Passport and Visa
ü  Tickets and Insurance
ü  Currency and Travel Card
ü  Camera, charger
ü  Phone and charger
ü  Universal Adapter
ü  1 pair comfy walking shoes
ü  1 pair slippers/floaters
ü  Socks
ü  1 pair fancy shoes for the fun nights
ü  1 cargo pants
ü  1 pair of jeans
ü  12-15 Tees (no matter how long your travel, do not exceed this)
ü  Jacket (if needed)
ü  Shorts
ü  2 party wear
ü  Under garments
ü  Night clothes
ü  Medicines
ü  Toiletries (Toothbrush, Paste (small), Shampoo, Creams, Razors, Nail Cutter, Wet ones, Make up)
ü  Deodorant/ Perfume
ü  Travel Pillow
ü  Music
ü  Reading Material (Books or Kindle)
ü  2 fun belts (Optional)
ü  Sun Glasses
ü  A little bit of your favorite snack (I carry matthi and dry achaar) for those nights when you crave home food or you’ve missed the food timings or had bad food. It can be almost soul food sometimes J (Optional)
ü  Towel: Carry a thin one which can dry easily

Finally.. have a great trip and TRAVEL LIGHT! :)

Sri Lanka- No Strangers Here! Part 1

Sri Lanka.. The most unplanned of all my travels. I decided to travel to Sri Lanka over a traveller's meet at the Hauz Khas Village by Airbnb. A couple had mentioned it, described it and within days, without any research what so ever I had booked it. Did not even bother checking areas or distances or currency.. I was told I will love a place called Galle and I looked up for a place to stay near Galle on Airbnb and booked it. Simple!

There is something about travel.. which makes all of us a little more positive and expressive and so willing to share and help. Like an old college friend reached out to me after 14 years to give me the number of a reliable cab driver in Sri Lanka so my solo travel would be safe; along with a list of to-dos and to-avoids. I wish I had trusted him blindly!

Airbnb Colombo home

I reached Colombo pretty late in the night and my wonderfully helpful landlord for my only night in Colombo; Dijen had already organised a cab to pick me up and bring me to him house. The drive was nice and lead me to a beautiful, very colonial style house. A very big house with large door like windows all over. The beds were comfy and I think I slept right away from the fatigue and excitement.

The next morning, the moment I opened my door, I knew Christmas was around the corner with my senses being overwhelmed with the sweet smells of fresh bakes and cakes. Dijen's wife was a brilliant baker with a home based business and was stocking up for the Christmas orders. The breakfast was the best I've ever had in my Airbnb stays. At the breakfast table was an adorable couple from Russia and another German couple. Alexander and Tatiana from Russia were going to be taking a car on hire and driving all over, and the only thing we were hoping for was that it would stop raining.

Gangaramaya Temple

Dijen organised a tuktuk for me to take a quick tour of the city along with getting me a local sim card and currency too. But like I said, I wish I had blindly trusted my college friend Deepak and skipped Colombo totally. The Gangaramaya Temple was my first stop and lacked any and all instructions and you are also forced to pay donation for keeping your shoes without any prior intimation. There is nothing written in English anywhere so there is no way you can know any history or why what is placed where. I was even yelled at by a local man for taking a picture while there were no signs of 'pictures not allowed'. The Buddhas everywhere were a beautiful sight inspite of the rains but I had no clue what I was looking at. And then there was a room filled with glass cupboards and many things inside them kept shabbily... even a shelf full of watches.. and sunglasses. Again.. dirty, dusty and unexplained. The temple by the lake was a bit more serene but full of people sleeping all over the floors. And the last stop at the Beira Lake was even more dreadful, with lovers making the best of the rain and umbrellas all over the benches and canopy. Oblivious to the monitors who lurched all over the lazy, wet grass. I walked with my eyes digging the walking path around the little island as lovers made sudden movements of adjustments.. haha!

The love zone of Beira Lake!

I had thought I'd leave by 7 in the evening to reach my next stop at Galle but was on my way already by 3:30! Belinda, my host in Hikkaduwa, Galle had kept constantly in touch with me and before I even met her or saw her home I had the warmest feeling of being welcomed and like she was waiting for me. And she waited and waited and kept calling to check on me as my one and a half hour journey became over four hours long due to the rains. She had some friends who had also been waiting for my arrival from Spain. Finally she suggested I get off at the bus-stop and her tuktuk guy Kumara would be waiting for me and would bring me to the bar they were heading for and then would safely drop my baggage at her place. Now under normal circumstances I would have been sceptical, but Belinda's voice was so warm and worried that without a thought I had agreed to the entire plan; not caring about me or my baggage's safety after the disappointing day at Colombo and the laboriously long journey in the bus. What a good decision!

My new Spanish friends and family!

Belinda is a gorgeous, confident red head with a smile that could light up the skies. She waiting for me outside the restaurant in the slight drizzle and came across the road to welcome me and without any hesitation we were already holding hands as she protectively made me cross the road. It was like we were never strangers! At the bar I met all her Spanish friends and within 15 minutes flat we all felt we were meant to be sitting at that table together.. like it was the plan all along. The bar had a karaoke night and the beach was right next to it. The sea was calm, the weather was damp, the music was full of energy and our group of 7 was connected! Within moments Belinda and I had taken to the stage and were hollering the songs we sang with all our emotions poured in...

Post our night of fun and my new friends Jose, Sergio and Inma saving me from drunk Sri Lankans and an extreeemely friendly Russian woman, we all got on scooters and made our way home. I held on to Belinda for dear life cause I was on a two wheeler after many many years. We crossed a railway line and then entered a forest feel place.. and shortly reached the Dragon Fly house. My room was the first room with red walls and a simple four poster bed with a white net on it and my bath area was in the open. Yes!! My shower and facilities were under the open skies and on pebbles. Five of us; Jose, Inma, Sergio, Belinda and I sat up for a while around the dining. Jose, Inma and Sergio are best friends and were travelling together through all of Sri Lanka. While in Hikkaduwa; Jose and Inma were helping a friend, Eva with the construction of her house and Sergio was taking a diving course. Too tired to think or talk I crashed in moments after being guided by Belinda to cover Hikkaduwa and Galle the next day and she promptly organised for Kumara, the tuktuk guy to take me around.

Tsunami Monument Site, Hikkaduwa

It was the 24th of December; Kumara and I were on our way by 10, it was not raining thankfully. We started with the sand Buddha, a Tsunami Memorial site. It was located facing the sea in the middle of a lotus pond. I soaked in the calm while Kumara started telling me about the devastation the Tsunami had brought to Sri Lanka and Hikkaduwa in specific. I recall just sitting at the back of the tuktuk with my hand on my mouth in complete disbelief. We paused at another Monument site where they had made a brass painting of sorts on what the Tsunami had done and how people had hung on to trees; dead or alive; thousands died inside a train... oh the tragedy of it had my heart sinking already. But the last stop broke me; it was the Tsunami Photo Museum.

Tsunami Photo Museum, Hikkaduwa

A shabby shack with hand-written charts wrapped in plastic giving details, prayers, numbers... stats... stories... events... blow by blow description. Hundreds of photos from all over the world donated by so many people. Ohhhh the story each picture told... thousands of lives destroyed by death and devastation... by nature's fury. None of us had even known a term or word like Tsunami before that day.. 10 years ago... Children being the worst hit cause they could not outrun the waves. They never stood a chance! I stood still in front of all those walls with pictures... and photos and news articles... I stood still and stared... for hours.. and even though I didn't know any of them... my eyes had welled up. I sat down on the floor for a moment with my head in my hands with the room full of photos spinning in my mind and the pain I was surrounded in. Yes there was hope that so many had come to this country as volunteers and tried to rehabilitate this beautiful and peace-loving place. Belinda was one of them. She had been invited by Joy; a social worker in 2006 and now both of them were living here ever since.

Tsunami Surfer's Remembrance, Hikkaduwa 

My heart was too heavy as I hugged the woman who ran the place and also had lost someone to the Tsunami. I just could not ask her who it was and what her story was. I requested Kumara to just stop somewhere by the beach so I could collect myself. I just stood there watching hundreds of tourist and people by the beach and then I stared at the sea... the sea they had come to enjoy... It must have been a day like this 10 years ago I thought. As I kept sulking, Kumara came to join me and said... I know just the place for you... I quietly walked behind him and sat in the tuktuk.

And he was right.. he took me to the best place.. the Turtle Hatchery... Perfect way to forget about Nature's fury is to start seeing Nature's beauty. As the owner started showing me the whole process of how they rescue the soft shelled eggs of turtles and then take care of them. They allow you to touch them and send as much time with them as you'd like. They have turtle of all ages; from a few weeks old to the few years old. The special part is that they have a rescue zone for the handicapped turtles too. The cutest reptiles ever... as I interacted with them and tickled them over their shells and let them rest on my out-stretched arms...  I kept smiling for hours. This is definitely a must do in Sri Lanka!

Turtle Hatcheries, Hikkaduwa

We decided to head to Galle from there to check out the Galle Lighthouse and Fort. Umm... Honestly.. the structure was just nice.. nothing out of the ordinary but the view was amazing and for me personally; it was the quaint food and shopping areas all around it that made this place unique. I walked around idly and ate and shopped for souvenirs.

It was Christmas Eve and Belinda being the fabulous woman she is; had been kind enough to invite and include me in her friends and family group for a proper sit down Christmas Dinner with crackers and everything. We all got home by 7 in the evening as Sergio made Mojitos for us at home and we girls got into pretty clothes to celebrate. We headed to the Crab Restaurant and were joined by Dave, a Welsh man married to a gorgeous Spanish lady and they live in Dubai, Aaron was from Australia with Anna from Switzerland, and then there was Eva, absolutely hot looking woman who is  also a ranger in Africa for a few months every year. It was a very International table of friends who were away from family and yet sitting cosy on a rainy night at a dinner table to celebrate Christmas. As we cheered we all made our prayers in our own languages and as the wine kept pouring we heard everything from Spanish chorals to songs on flamingo dancing and then came the naughty songs which were all translated for me and Aaron.

My Christmas Family in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

The next day I had planned for my Christmas to be spent at Yala National Park with leopards and elephants, and for that I had to leave Hikkaduwa at 5 am. Hence I decided not to drink and stay up all night. And my god we the women DID! Post the dinner Belinda, Eva, Inma and I went crazy party hopping and danced the night away... Saw an old man who trips on trance in his lungi, saw a couple of men dressed with Christmas tree decorations all around their heads.

Girl Fun at Christmas in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka

One caution to be taken for all women travellers here is.. Umm the Sri Lankan men can be trouble and can get touchy, its best you stay safe and a bit distant.

More in part 2.....