When we were little,my brother and I,we went to long vacations once a year,not alone ,together with our families[my brother is actually my cousin,and his father is my father's brother].The best part about those was the journey,which more often than not used to be a train journey.We never went out of the country,there are so many lovely places in India that we were yet to tour, we chose to remain within the boundaries and since the distance wasn't that much we travelled by train.
I don't remember my first vacation,I was a toddler of 6 months that time when we went to Rishikesh.But I remember preparing MUCH for the journey than the actual vacation when I could differentiate betweeen the call of nature,hunger,irritation...to be precise when I was older than six months.I had a red backpack which used to be stuffed with candies ,packets of lays and goodies which were passed between ourselves(my brother and I) at night when the grownups had drifted off.At this age,we were too impatient to sit still and ran about the train,occasionally stopping to talk to friendly strangers.Later the backpack(still red) had more of books,a walkman,spare batteries than candies and it was great fun reading in the pleasant hum and movement of the train.In a train more time was spent on catching up with all the hum hos of how life was treating whom,taking an occasional smoke when the train stopped at a station,chatting over chai,observing the changing landscape as we entered into a different state.It reminded me of many Ruskin Bond stories and I often weaved a web of imagination with the train being my only connection with Hogwarts,far away from the craziness of life and homework(Hogwarts also has homework and its own craziness pah,but of a kind I wouldn't mind being a part of)
I don't remember my first vacation,I was a toddler of 6 months that time when we went to Rishikesh.But I remember preparing MUCH for the journey than the actual vacation when I could differentiate betweeen the call of nature,hunger,irritation...to be precise when I was older than six months.I had a red backpack which used to be stuffed with candies ,packets of lays and goodies which were passed between ourselves(my brother and I) at night when the grownups had drifted off.At this age,we were too impatient to sit still and ran about the train,occasionally stopping to talk to friendly strangers.Later the backpack(still red) had more of books,a walkman,spare batteries than candies and it was great fun reading in the pleasant hum and movement of the train.In a train more time was spent on catching up with all the hum hos of how life was treating whom,taking an occasional smoke when the train stopped at a station,chatting over chai,observing the changing landscape as we entered into a different state.It reminded me of many Ruskin Bond stories and I often weaved a web of imagination with the train being my only connection with Hogwarts,far away from the craziness of life and homework(Hogwarts also has homework and its own craziness pah,but of a kind I wouldn't mind being a part of)
In 2007 I boarded an airplane for the first time,I was SO excited but everthing changed at take off.I didn't appreciate the sudden speed at which it began to move,the feeling of my heart trying to jump out when the plane was finally air borne.The interior made me claustrophobic,my ears were blocked and however much I tried to gulp air,it stayed that way.I couldn't MOVE,the loo was a pigeon hole,okay larger,but still small.
Moral of the story?I never want to board a flight,EVER.I'll sail,if I have to.Thanks,but fly?The bird kind of flying,yes SURe,but the people flying?Never.
What is your favourite way to travel?
