2008-an year of travel

The year 2008 has been my most travelled year. Excluding initial 2 months, I’ve been travelling out of Chennai every month. Only few of these were official/sponsored and rest were personal, resulting in significant dent in my wallet (The self drive ones are biggest culprits). But I guess it’s better lose money this way than losing it in the stock market.

Looking back:

March: Udupi, Karnataka
April: Manipal, Karnataka
May: Puducheri (Pondy), Mumbai
June: Mysore (Karnataka)
July: New Delhi & Mussoorie (Uttarakhand), Agra (UP), Bangalore (Karnataka)
August: Tada Hills, AP
September: Wayanad (Kerala)
October: Binsar & Nainital (Uttaranchal), Nagalapuram (AP), Parvathamalai (TN)
November: Nagari (AP), Yelagiri (TN)
December: Talakona (AP), Ramanagaram & Antaragange (Karnataka), Belur, Kalasa, Kuduremukh, Maravante, Nagara Fort and some more places, Karnataka (Just returned from a Chennai-Hosur-Bangalore-Udupi-Shimoga-Bangalore-Kolar-Chittoor-Chennai self drive expedition of 1850 kms in 5 days)

Just a question: Now that I’ve visited Wayanad in south to Binsar in north and Chennai, Pondy in east to Mangalore, Mumbai in west, do I qualify to call myself to have travelled across length and breadth of India? (Kerala to Uttarakhand for length, TN to Maharastra for breadth? - I admit breadth is not wide enough, though length should be fine)

Some of the places visited were really nice, but there is nothing extra ordinary in my travel. There’re people who travel more frequently and to far away destinations- All my travels were just a few days max and to regular tourist/trekking places. people spend weeks exploring Himalayas or other exciting places…But since I’ve travelled much during past few years this year looks fruitful.

The trips were highly diversified- on foot, by car, bus, train, air… self drive, chauffer driven, second class, first class (trains-not in air yet), low cost airline, full service airline, all expense paid, all expense self borne, official, personal, semi official; well planned, ad hoc planned, good experience, bad experience; all alone, with friends, with family, with relatives.

Thanks to my Manager at work who granted leave, thanks to everyone who were with me/assisted me for any of these trips or a part there of.

Year 2008 also marks a comeback year with some of my write ups getting published in reasonably accepted/popular print media. Hadn’t sent anything to print in past few years. Highly depreciated investment portfolio, venturing into giving public talks (MIC Manipal and MSRIT Bangalore), A Visa (which hasn’t been put to use so far), a promotion and spending 20k on a camera (my biggest single expenditure in 2008) were other major happenings of 2008.

Wish list for 2009
I feel I’ll travel less next year and try to focus on something else. Have to prevent financial resources from draining. But you never know when situation tempts you to pack and leave. Vizag in AP, Mahabaleshwar in Maharastra are still waiting in my wish list for their time to come. Will have to wait and see what 2009 has in store.

Thanks for your readership and support. Advance new year wishes to you, my reader and inspiration.