Speech is silver, silence is gold

Until you cross the bridge of your insecurities, you can't begin to explore your possibilities - T. M. Fargo At the heart of all my adventures was a quest to get home - and at some ungodly hour most of the run ups to the modes of transport were not short of an adventure, keeping those who knew about my journeys up all night. I was however yearning for real adventures, when I set out on those adventures they made me realize I was not fit for the terrain, especially those with an incline or a steep fall. What I did next seemed foolproof - I began climbing hills and trekking snow-capped mountains in my head. My imaginary treks and adventures came to an end after marrying Mr. M (the seasoned traveler, trekker) and moving to Gurgaon, where I knew the rendezvous with the hills was just round the corner. Shot from Dalai Lama temple - Our best shot at snow-capped mountains The D-Day: In the last week of May, to beat the melting pot that was Gurgaon, we hit the road for...

Perks of marrying a wanderlust are, you get to be part of those travel stories, not just listen to them. Also, thanks to the same husband, who believes in being in the moment; my camera was shy of a lot of beauty which I missed to capture owing to 2 reasons. First of which I already mentioned and second of which was I was really being in the moment, this kind of thing rubs off easily. I have been on road trips before, soaking in the sun and all the terrain sitting comfortably in the backseat and taking a couple of photos either on my digicam or mobile phone, whichever was at my disposal. Those images were often blurry, taken off of a speeding vehicle. Then came this guy, and the comfort of the backseat was no longer the norm. Hail passenger seat! Apart from the passenger seat another thing remained constant in my first 7 road trips (yes, 7 in the last 7 months): Starting point was Namma Bengaluru. The first road trip was to Valparai fondly called the 7th heaven, a hil...

Coffee and I did the whole distance thing, and for a very long time. My neighbors peaked my intrigue every morning through their sinful morning brew and the aroma...dear lord...it was hard to ignore. As a kid I was not allowed to try coffee but each time I visited South Indian restaurants I was allowed to share a cup with my mother. These once or at the most thrice in a year affairs started getting on to me. (Coffee addiction stage 1.) I always maintained my stash of coffee bite toffees (the taste started getting worse with each batch) but let's face it... that wasn't real hot piping cup of filter and the more I passed across the streets selling coffee powder (almost every big street has a coffee vendor) with mean blends, the more difficult it became to brave the separation.  I can go on and on, but thought why not give an event by event account of a Coffee addict from the moment it started: I. Aromas of Coffee - The guilty neighbors: As I mentioned before, it started wi...

Hyderabad Diaries: Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and others (Date: 17-Jan-2015) Charminar : This weekend I visited Charminar, yet again, with my friend Sud.. and the place continued to thrall me with its ethereal beauty despite the fact that betel juice traced its path from the streets and along the winding stairs (that path could do with some lighting) bang into the balcony. The glimpse of the (not-yet-crowded) bazaar through the balcony was made memorable when the clocks chimed at 11:00am (Charminar is one of the many clock towers adorning the twin cities ::4 clocks, to be more precise::) while the lazy pigeons sat perched in their moolah oblivious to the furor and the shutterbugs clicking away to glory. (PS: Single female visitors will not be allowed to enter Charminar owing to security reasons, there were few eve-teasing instances in the past, it is better to tag along with a friend.) In and around Charminar Famous Govind Bandi: The next stop was the famous Govind bandi...

The best part about weddings (apart from crashing them) is getting to meet your long lost friends (connected by Wi-Fi) who can no longer quote excuses for not visiting the erstwhile land of the Nizams. These trips, besides pulling me out of my slumber, turn me into the local guide and the fun gets real when your explorer friend helps you discover the charming city in a new light.   My adieu to the year 2014 has been in the pipeline for the longest time possible and since one of my resolutions for the new year has been to 'DO THINGS, NOW!!', here goes my account of Golconda fort and things I discovered on that eventful Sunday of January 11, 2015 (OK! I am a week late, but I call these humble beginnings) and before it's too late, a happy new year to whoever is reading this space! Hyderabad Diaries: Golconda fort and others (11-Jan-2015) A. Playing the good host: Playing a good host (though my guest claimed I figure amongst the best guides ever..!! :wink::wink:) mea...

The frame of mind is something that is the most inevitable.You like something or you hate something... The mind frames them neatly and puts them on the most accessible corners of our brain so that the moment we see it or hear of it, its by an impulse that we react.. NO THINK-TANK!! IMPROMPTO!! And I won't deny that even I've got my priorities set without putting the teeny-tiniest efforts to learn about it.. And when it was time to implement whatever my mind framed for me - for quick decision making, I was proved wrong!! And HOW?? I won't divulge in those details now.. Travelling has been on my mind after a rather busy year where I almost flunked in third year second sem finals, earned a job in a MNC, watched some dozen movies each month and screwing up the big three : TOEFL, CAT and fourth year first sem exams; I needed a break!! Well I deserved a break at least for those efforts that didn't go in vain.. And when my suggestion was actually considered with utmost gravit...