Gypsy in Jeans

Curiosity-driven travels of a solo wanderer

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Remembering my journey to the base camp at Kasol

I was sitting in an airport shuttle, hoping the driver would start the bus soon. But he dint until half an hour later. I reached Bangalore airport exactly 45 mins before my flight take-off time. Predictably, the Indigo attendants played strict and did not allow me to board.

Those days, I diligently saved up money for the two weeks trip that I would go on every 6 months. So I had not budgeted…

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One of the largest monolith statues in the World, visited yet?

“He was second of the 98 sons to Rishabha, traditional founder of Jainism. A man of great pride and ego, Bahubali gave up his empire exasperated after series of fights with his elder brother Bharata and intended to lead an ascetic life. To do so, he had to take vows and bow down before all others who had renounced their normal lives regardless of their age.

But Bahubali was adamant not to bow…

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My dream ride that was made to happen

I reached Coonor Mountain railway station at 12.50 noon. The ticket counter will open only 45 minutes before the train departure time at 3 o clock.

With so much time to kill what do I do? A single girl with a shoulder bag, camera bag and a hand luggage, as it is, I was attracting a lot of attention. I quietly sat in a corner chair, in front of the closed ticket counter till 2.

Just then, a police…

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An hour to remember at the Dulles Airport

It was time we decided where to go. I and my photographer friend had been discussing what could be a good, non-typical place to rest our feet, have a cup of coffee and pass time on a Saturday evening. Of all places, we decided to go on a long drive to the newly constructed Bengaluru International Airport.

After relaxing with a cup of tropical iceberg from Café coffee Day, at quarter to three in…

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An insider’s story of Chettinad’s men and its mansions

At 07:00 in the morning, I reached Kanadukathan, a village in Chettinad region known for its grand mansions. Mr. Chandramouli, a native of Kanadukathan, on my request agreed to narrate the story of Chettinad himself.

BIRTH OF CHETTINAD: “During the period of Cholas, the community of Chettiars, lived in a sea-side village called Kaveripoompattinam (Present day Poompukar in Tamil Nadu). They were…

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On a quest to know Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, also featured in “Slumdog Millionaire”

On a quest to know Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, also featured “Slumdog Millionaire”

In the few hours free time I had in Mumbai between classes, I surprised myself by choosing to do a tour of Dharavi as opposed to taking part in “Bombay Heritage Walks”, which happens to be in my list of ‘must-dos’. Seriously, at no point can I imagine myself carrying a backpack, walking into a slum by myself to see the place without inhibitions. So, when I came across the guided tour of Dharavi…

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Romancing the hills of Nilgiris

Ooty, a hill town with the right mix of heritage, culture and scenic view points, never once failed to amaze me. On a whim, I chose Ooty and took off from Bangalore on a chilly Friday night. My earliest memory of this trip is waking up in the bus at 05:30 am to see a bunch of foreigners clicking pictures and recording videos frantically, as if the stunning landscapes seen outside the window would…

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Let us make time for the small wonders of the World

Birds: small wonders of the World, but often unnoticed by many. On a trip to Kumbhalgarh last month…

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How important is a budget plan for backpacking?

Why do we go backpacking? Most of us would say – to explore a place using the way of locals, at slow pace, by spending as little as possible.

For a student or someone who has just begun working, options on a backpacking trip are fairly straightforward. Travel in local buses, eat at affordable eateries, walk at length and crash at economical homestays or hostels which in turn create plenty of chances for things to go right and wrong. Surprises spring up at every turn and there would be interesting stories to tell on getting back home.

On the other hand, as someone who has worked for years now, if you have a considerable amount of money at disposal on a backpacking trip and no spending limits, what becomes of your options? Where there had been only one way to commute now there are three – embark on a 7 hour journey by bus or hire a taxi which will be convenient but costly or take a flight which will be more convenient but even more costly. Amidst all the tiredness and temptation of comfort, I would’nt blame you if you take a taxi or flight.

But, choice such as this to make your trip convenient will not end here. Hotels over home stays, pony rides over hikes, fine dining over street food, and slowly… the trip will take a different route. Everything will become too easy. Little interaction with natives. No more inconveniences. Having set out for a backpacking trip, before you know it, comfort would have taken over experience.

In my opinion defining spending limits and sticking to it might very well keep you on track and true to the spirit of backpacking. After all, as G.K. Chesterton quoted ‘an adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered!’