I don’t know how many months/tours have passed since I last
wrote here. In March, I had the privilege of travelling to South America; it is
a privilege when it happens after 18 months! I thought I would write an entire
series from there. But .. not even a word was written. Then came Spain and
Portugal in April. There I wrote a few words, but I was so much in love with
Portugal that words couldn’t really make up for what I felt. Then, like every
year in May came Poland and surroundings, I was hopeful that some evening
as I looked out into the mountains, words would automatically flow. Nothing.. or
as they say in Spanish .. nada.. not even one word.
Over the past 3 months I have travelled and really
travelled. So much so that I would wake up in the middle of the night and take
a few minutes to realize where I was. It was a strange feeling, one that I had
not experienced before. Travel is changing for me; the desire to show people
that there exists a world beyond the city limits has governed the last 3 – 4
months.
St Bernard in the Andes
I used to fondly say that East Europe is the only tour that
helps me to gain weight. In other words, the food there is my all time
favorite. Be it Poland, Czech or Croatia. This time however I couldn’t find the
time to eat, or maybe just lost the desire to go the extra length to find a
good restaurant. I remember every time I wanted to say “I hate this job“ I
ended up saying “you have to do it for Slovenia”, or whichever country I was
in.
Tua Railway Station - Portugal
Call me crazy, but the only saving grace when my spirit is
down on tour is the love for the country I am in. I may eat or sleep hungry,
make friends or be lonely, have fun with my tourists or absolutely hate them.
But the love for the country never goes away.
Sometimes people ask me. “How come you don’t get bored
coming to the same place again and again?”. I simply smile. It maybe the
unbearable headache at 15000 ft in Peru or the frustration of not finding a
single vegetarian option on the Menu for the tourist’s dinner in Portugal, the
face may project something else, but inside I am always happy.
Plitvice Lakes - Croatia
I am one of the few lucky ones who do what they love, for a
living. Travel is what I do right?!. But wait, it doesn’t end there! Travelling
to the places that I love is the key. Because, only in these places can I really
be myself and try and show my people what the real country feels like. So on one hand I would love to visit
every small village in Turkey, but not even look at the map of U.S.A. I don’t
like it, I don’t want to know it, is what I believe in. So travel in the micro sense for me is
linked with the countries that I love. The best part about this love is that it
has no reason. I don’t know why a meal in Portugal makes me cry in pleasure? Or
Egypt makes me so happy that I don’t wish to come back to India. Similarly I
don’t know why I absolutely have no feelings for Australia and don’t even wish
to talk about U.S.A.
I believe if you have reasons to love or hate, with time
that relationship might change with the reasons.
The writing had to happen now! In air is where I often start
writing after a long break. Especially if the flight is going to Scandinavia it
means a little more.
