All posts filed under: Travel

volunteering, spiti, travel, trip, solo

What I experienced Volunteering In Spiti.

Published by Rekha

“Bas itna hi dig kiya, itne mein kya hoga? Aur deep dig karo!” said Nawang, our uber-cool guide. The sun was killing us with its harsh rays and lifting the 16 kg pickaxe and shovel was just adding to it. But this didn’t deter Nawang from commanding us. For him and his village people working at the field under the sun is an everyday job, but not for us, “The so-called city folks.” Frankly, at an altitude of 4270 meters, doing anything is a task, and here we are talking about digging up trenches. I, along with 8 volunteers from across the globe was part of Spiti Ecosphere’s Trek and Volunteer Programme. Spiti Ecosphere is a social enterprise that has been involved in creating sustainable livelihoods for the local community with a focus on nature and culture conservation. Our basic task was to build a rainwater/snow harvesting system (you can read more about it here) by digging-up trenches alongside a hill outside a village called Demul. These trenches are important for the village because Spiti …

Live Life, Not Age because living has no age

Published by Rekha

Birthdays are always exciting, aren’t they? At least they are for me as it makes me grateful for having a good life. But, turning a year old on your birthday also means having to face the countless two-cents and questions (regarding your life, marriage, kids, career to everything) thrown at you by the society. And as I turn a year older today, I am reminded of many such two-cents and questions thrown at me over the period of time on “Living my life according to my age.” And why do I receive this? you may think. Maybe because I love exploring and learning new things and I am usually engaged in some or other activities like trekking, running, volunteering, learning new skills, developing a new hobby or attending workshops and that keeps me busy. We all receive these pieces of advice almost every day of our life, don’t we? And that is because everything in our society revolves around certain set rules that are time and age bound. The moment we are born, we are handed a …

Destination is not important, your Journey is!

Published by Rekha

  “Look at Sharma Uncle’s daughter. She always comes first.” “Such a bright guy, he excels in everything that he does.” Most of us have grown up hearing these kinds of dialogues from our parents, teachers and from almost everybody around us, haven’t we? It so happens that most of us are brought up in an environment where we are constantly told that coming first and winning is the ultimate mark of achievement. Every now and then, we are told to compare and compete ourselves with others and their achievements. And in this competition, if we do not end up being the winner, we end up feeling guilty about not being good enough to do anything. The thing to ponder is why should it always be about I v/s others? Shouldn’t it be about I v/s I? where you compete with yourself in becoming the better version of self. In this aimless race that we are conditioned to follow in life, we often forget to celebrate or acknowledge the most important thing “Taking the First …

7 Superheroes of Travel I met in Europe

Published by Rekha

While walking on the streets of Berlin during my solo trip to Europe, I came across a piece of Berlin Wall with an artwork that said, “Be Nice.” As rightly mentioned on the wall, “Being Nice” is the biggest gift that we could give to anyone. And, I was lucky to have received this gift from some of the nicest people I met in Europe. While planning this trip, I was warned by many that I may have to face the elitist behaviour at few places, but they were so wrong. In fact, my stay wouldn’t have been this wonderful, if it wouldn’t have been for these amazing people I bumped into. To me, they are the Superheroes that appeared out of nowhere sometimes to help me, sometimes to guide me, sometimes to make me smile and sometimes to just show me the magic of goodness. They are my “Superheroes of Travel” and here’s why: 1. Zulfukar, my Uber-cool driver I met Zulfukar during my Uber ride in Berlin. While I was busy looking at …

8 things to do as a wannabe local in Dharamshala

Published by Rekha

Have you observed how the world is becoming a place of hatred? Never were we this angry, aggressive or intolerant towards each other. At the drop of a hat, we have people getting on to each other. And, while this is happening in one part of the world, in other part, there are strangers humble enough to trust each other and open up their life. I was part of one such world of strangers who now, have become friends. I met these amazing people on my recent trip to Dharamshala, where I was a guest at their house. They provided me with a room to stay and in exchange, I shared one of my skills with them. Interesting, isn’t it? I thought so too, that’s why I were happy to be part of this concept. Few months back, I got a mail from Stay On Skill informing about my selection for India Tour 2017. Stay On Skill is a platform that allows travelers to barter their skills for a stay, thus building a community of …

Quick tips to turn you into a pro Stay On Skill Traveler

Published by Rekha

When I came back from my recent Dharamshala trip, many of you were curious to know how, when and what made me go with Stay On Skill, a platform that helps people travel the world for free by using their skills. One of the common query that everybody asked me was, “Is it safe?.” Team Stay On Skill follows a very strict selection procedure, so I would say, all necessary measures are taken to make the trip as safe as possible. There are certain things to be considered before embarking on such a trip where you are going to be a guest in a stranger’s house. I usually follow a checklist for all my trips, and this was no different. So, here are some quick tips that you could follow if you are planning to go on your Stay On Skill experience: 1. Do not fake your skills   I understand having a place to stay while traveling can be a tempting offer. But then do not give in to the temptation and fake up …

Trekking in High Altitude – A Beginner’s Guide

Published by Rekha

The craze for outdoors has seen a great high in the last few years. There are more number of people going on treks or doing adventure activities now than ever before. Its a good sign, but what is not good is the lack of preparation by the people before indulging in such trips. I have seen people coming on treks without even knowing what it is all about. This attitude can be dangerous both to yourself and the environment. While stepping into the wilderness, it’s our duty to follow the guidelines correctly. We need to respect the mountains only then will the mountains respect us. I consider myself as a nascent trekker that is yet learning about the mountains and trekking. Yet, I have made a simple guide from whatever learning I had through my years of trekking in the Himalayas. If you are a first-time high altitude trekker, I hope this guide helps you in becoming a responsible trekker and makes your first trek enjoyable: 1. No Alcohol   You would have often heard …

Ranthambhore Tales

Published by Rekha

Somewhere hidden in the heart of Rajasthan is the small district of Sawai Madhopur where lies the gorgeous and mystical forest of Ranthambhore. Perched between Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges, Ranthambhore is spread across 500 kms and offers great sighting of wildlife. The forest takes you on a tour of the magical landscape that changes in every few kms. From dense, green foliage to the barren open spaces, from sun kissed long grasses to the mystical remains of the majestic fort. Ranthambhore is a paradise for wildlife lovers. As soon as you step into the forest, you get transported to a world of bygone eras where the forest used to be the hunting ground of Maharajas of Jaipur. Every stone, every rock, every structure tells you stories of these royalties. But what’s even more exciting is exploring the wildlife that is ruling the jungle now. And if you are a photographer or a wildlife enthusiastic, then just pack your bags and head to Ranthambhore like we did. Because there’s nothing like waking up to the …

RAIL ROKO ANDOLAN

Published by Rekha

Photo Courtesy – Atul Vaidya Being an Indian, one mode of transport which we all would have used at least once in our life is a train. A mere mention of trains can evoke in our life many memories like the fun filled train journeys during vacations, an exciting journey to reach your hometown or the boring train journey for business. I have always been a big fan of train journeys; it’s hard to tell you what I like the most, I still can’t figure out if it is the beautiful sceneries, the hustle and bustle in the train, the constant chattering of the people or the endless food items making the rounds at every station. But in midst all these things, there is something more to the Indian rails and that is “RAIL ROKO ANDOLAN.” It is a common terminology in India, literally meaning “Stop the Train Movement” and it’s mainly used by a group of people who want to make certain bodies, mainly the government, listen to their woes. So, what happens when …

The Local – New Secret South Mumbai Pub

Published by Rekha

Right now, Mumbai is experiencing a rapid change in food culture. Everyday one gets to hear about some new restaurant, pub or patisserie opening around the city. From specialized restaurants to world cuisine, from pop ups to cooking studios, you name it and Mumbai has it and adding on to this list is the new secret pub “The Local” in South Mumbai. The concept of “The Local” is quite unique, its a secret pub, the entry to which is only through a special code. And thanks to Mumbai Boss, I won a chance to experience “The Local” before it opened its doors for everyone. What’s the address? The place is nestled between the numerous shops standing still on M. G Road, Fort. We followed the directions given to us, still it took us a while to locate the place, remember its a secret pub, so there was no sign board. As guided, we were standing cluelessly in front of Currimjee Building, and we kept staring at the graffiti art wall. Suddenly, we hear a voice …