Gypsy at Large

It was the work and the memories or should I say nightmares inspired by the childhood books about Dracula that I undertook the travel to Romania, my first in the Transylvania. After three days of struggling with the food (the only time I ate at McDonald’s/KFC instead of local eateries while traveling), I had lost my enthusiasm of venturing out of my room. My traveling partners dragged me out of my room and it was then I had this out of the world experience – boating at 370 feet deep under the earth surface at Salina Turda! It was my last day in Cluj-Napoca, the unofficial capital of Transylvania, and I was cranky to have been denied my right to sleep till late. The idea of visiting a salt mine failed to impress me even if it was 2000 years old. An information leaflet read out that people with respiratory diseases visit this place for health benefits. But then I entered the mine and whoaaa!!! was instantly swept off my feet. The place has been anything unlike that I have visit...

Gujarat has been a home for me for the last four years. For a Delhi girl, used to carry a constant frown on her face as a time tested safety drill, Gujarat - Jamnagar - to be precise, came as a refreshing change with girls roaming around unhindered on the roads till late in the night, with no person trying to cat call them or trying to grope them was the much needed impetus for my traveling dreams. This state of Gujarat just celebrated it 50 years of foundation. On this occasion I tried to curate my own reasons to visit this state on the west coast of India. 1. Rann of Kutch - The white desert aka Rann of Kutch is a marvel of nature that is seen to be believed. A marshy stretch of white salt is shared between India and Pakistan. The unending white stretch till your eyes can see and the sun going down at the horizon is a sight to behold. Stay in Bhuj, Gandhidham or Dhordo in case you do not want to shell a bomb for the tents in Rann of Kutch during the Kutch Festival in winter...

This place is a gem, tucked away in Tripura, one of the seven north-eastern sister states. Carved out of giant monoliths, surrounded by lush green trees, the place has been a flourishing epicentre of Hinduism. Unakoti means one less than a crore and is supposed to have as many rock engravings and carvings depicting Lord Shiva in full glory of his various forms and other deities. It is exactly my kind of place of worship – located in a hill, under the blue sky, amidst greenery, closer to the forces of nature and provides spaces where one can sit without disturbances having a tête-à-tête with one’s soul. The journey to Unakoti has been a fortunate stroke of serendipity. We, me and my partner, have decided to mark all Indian states on our travel map and Tripura had eluded us for long. After trekking in Shillong, we headed to Agartala via Kolkata. One can take road from Shillong to Agartala as well. It was a three day stay in Agartala and had nothing much to do. So a ...