The foot with the mole

They say that if you have a mole on your foot, you are destined to travel a lot. I am glad I have one. A Chinese proverb goes that a mile travelled is worth a hundred books. Or something on the same lines. They couldn't be more right. I have always loved travelling. As a young girl, I would look forward to the summer vacation when I would go to Bombay with Ma. The warm, constant chugging of the train, the various goodies at every station and the different flavours, colours and scents of every place would be so intriguing, I would be wide eyed and sleepless all the time just so I could absorb everything. Travelling to Raipur and Bhopal were also very inviting. Changing trains and even seeing the soil change colour from black to red was one of the many things that mesmerized me. 

I have hated flying. Except for the thrill of it all. Your stomach  churns and your ears pop as the plane takes off. You keep yawning so that you don't turn deaf. But when you look out the window, you lose all sense of relative size. The world seems at your feet. Quite literally. Moreover, I have met some pretty interesting people in flights.

Travelling to new places is always an experience that is remarkable in its own right. Every place is unique in its own way. Meeting interesting people, different cultures, varied lifestyles is always the limelight in every trip. And every visit  is a learning experience.

Treks are a different story altogether. When I am walking - wherever it may be I am only listening to myself. That is the time when I get to introspect and clear my head. Listening to the surroundings - the sounds of the forest, I am at peace with life. Also, I get to see different places the Shivaliks, the North East and even the Western Ghats are very distinct and aplenty of rich flora and fauna that is a treat to the eyes.

A train journey could also turn into something very interesting. Once gets to interact with people from different backgrounds. Conversation about anything and everything is a special characteristic of Indian Railways and is more or less like an assured gift that comes with the ticket. Food, ideas and opinions are exchanged openly. I even know a couple that met in a train and are now proud parents of a wonderful son. 

One could spend hours reading about the Taj Mahal and how surreal it is in moonlight. But only when one actually goes to Agra, haggles with the cab driver, gets into the queue for the highly coveted tickets and views the symbol of love in its full glory - moonlight or without, gets a photograph clicked on that trademark bench, and has the world famous Agre ka petha while doing all of this, has one, then experienced the Taj.

Get every opportunity to travel and roam around the world. You don't know what you're missing. The world waits to be explored. And we all know about the story of the frog who refused to hop out of its pond...