My top 10 alive & awesome moments
This post is a quick list of my top 10 alive and awesome moments, chosen from my various travel destinations & related experiences in recent past.
1. The 2nd waterfalls, Talakona
This second waterfall is not oblivious to regular tourists. It is situated few kms behind the main waterfall and one can reach there only by walking amidst the bushes and local help is advised. We'd explored this falls during my first visit to Talakona in 2008 December [Details here]. However during few subsequent visits, I found the path to this falls blocked by bushes. I tried relocating this place in Google earth, but couldn't. Google didn't have close enough zoom to locate this and thick forest makes it difficult to locate from a distance.
This second waterfall is clean, serene, not so deep (except closer to the fall). Had felt extremely alive and awesome swimming under this falls back then. Dying to revisit.
2. Underwater Walking, Thailand
Underwater walking is next best thing to Scuba diving (still in my wishlist). We tried this last year, near the coral islands off Pattaya, Thailand. Nice experience walking on the seabed having close watch of fishes and corals.
3. Camping in the hills, Binsar, Uttarakhand
During the Club Mahindra bloggers trip in 2008, we camped for a night at a hill near Club Mahindra's Binsar resort. In the company of fellow bloggers, spending a night amidst the forest was a great experience, so is the thrill of warming up near firewood and sipping kettle made tea.
I only hope this place is not destroyed too much during the recent floods.
4. My first self drive trip- Chennai-Mysore and back in a Skoda
Back in 2008, just a few years into job and not enough money to buy a car, I got introduced to the world of self drive car rentals. Managed to identify that Hertz Chennai offers a Skoda Octavia rider on self drive and quickly booked it for 3 days. This was my first long drive with entire car at my command. Drove for about 1300 kms between Chennai-Mysore-around and back. Have cherished every moment of that drive- nice car, superb highway, friends and family for company. Since then there's been no looking back. Haven't bothered to buy a car and have been renting a variety of cars on need basis. [More details here]
5. One month road trip with Tata Nano as official blogger
I spent most of June 2010 as official blogger for Tata Nano's Superdrive road trip. It was a 26 days 5000 kms trip covering most of South India. Visited a host of cities, drove for most of the time, blogged about the car, the people and more. Its a special privilege because one had to earn that spot of official blogger and I managed to secure one, along with Sankara and Deb who covered other 2 routes. I had to forgo my one month Salary, but the experience was priceless.
6. Earning from my photographs
I had earned few hundred rupees here and there from my articles but for the first time in 2011, earned some money from my photographs. Exhibitor magazine paid me few dollars for using my Tata Nano superdrive photos in one of their articles.[Details here]. Unfortunately I couldn't sustain the trend, haven't earned from my photos after that. Still it is refreshing and confidence boosting incident.
7. Managing to pet a cat wherever I go...
I like pets and incidentally, in every country I've been to, except US, I've managed to find a local cat and pet it. In Srilanka, In Chile, In Singapore, in Malaysia and in Thailand, always managed to spot a cat and befriend it.
8. Para-sailing
Para sailing in another affordable activity one should definitely try. Tried in in Pattaya last year. There're still many other activities in my wish list- Balloon ride, para gliding, scuba diving... Hopefully soon
9. That first salary
The first salary is always a moment to cherish. Knowing that someone is trusting your skills and is willing to pay a decent amount every month is a good experience. Your salary will increase every year and you might be earning much more now, but the feeling of receiving that first salary is awesome. Needs to be experienced.
10. Seeing our parents enjoying a moment.
Our parents have sacrificed a lot for us. They've given up lots of luxuries they could have enjoyed for themselves, trying to save money for our education etc. Even when we start earning and offer to spend some money on them- a gift or a tour etc, they resist thinking it will cause unnecessary waste of money, though deep within they might be longing for things. It feels good when we take them out and they enjoy the trip. All the expense seems negligible in-front of those few moments. I can't explain this in words, you need to feel it yourself.
1. The 2nd waterfalls, Talakona
This second waterfall is not oblivious to regular tourists. It is situated few kms behind the main waterfall and one can reach there only by walking amidst the bushes and local help is advised. We'd explored this falls during my first visit to Talakona in 2008 December [Details here]. However during few subsequent visits, I found the path to this falls blocked by bushes. I tried relocating this place in Google earth, but couldn't. Google didn't have close enough zoom to locate this and thick forest makes it difficult to locate from a distance.
This second waterfall is clean, serene, not so deep (except closer to the fall). Had felt extremely alive and awesome swimming under this falls back then. Dying to revisit.
2. Underwater Walking, Thailand
Underwater walking is next best thing to Scuba diving (still in my wishlist). We tried this last year, near the coral islands off Pattaya, Thailand. Nice experience walking on the seabed having close watch of fishes and corals.
3. Camping in the hills, Binsar, Uttarakhand
During the Club Mahindra bloggers trip in 2008, we camped for a night at a hill near Club Mahindra's Binsar resort. In the company of fellow bloggers, spending a night amidst the forest was a great experience, so is the thrill of warming up near firewood and sipping kettle made tea.
4. My first self drive trip- Chennai-Mysore and back in a Skoda
Back in 2008, just a few years into job and not enough money to buy a car, I got introduced to the world of self drive car rentals. Managed to identify that Hertz Chennai offers a Skoda Octavia rider on self drive and quickly booked it for 3 days. This was my first long drive with entire car at my command. Drove for about 1300 kms between Chennai-Mysore-around and back. Have cherished every moment of that drive- nice car, superb highway, friends and family for company. Since then there's been no looking back. Haven't bothered to buy a car and have been renting a variety of cars on need basis. [More details here]
5. One month road trip with Tata Nano as official blogger
I spent most of June 2010 as official blogger for Tata Nano's Superdrive road trip. It was a 26 days 5000 kms trip covering most of South India. Visited a host of cities, drove for most of the time, blogged about the car, the people and more. Its a special privilege because one had to earn that spot of official blogger and I managed to secure one, along with Sankara and Deb who covered other 2 routes. I had to forgo my one month Salary, but the experience was priceless.
6. Earning from my photographs
I had earned few hundred rupees here and there from my articles but for the first time in 2011, earned some money from my photographs. Exhibitor magazine paid me few dollars for using my Tata Nano superdrive photos in one of their articles.[Details here]. Unfortunately I couldn't sustain the trend, haven't earned from my photos after that. Still it is refreshing and confidence boosting incident.
7. Managing to pet a cat wherever I go...
I like pets and incidentally, in every country I've been to, except US, I've managed to find a local cat and pet it. In Srilanka, In Chile, In Singapore, in Malaysia and in Thailand, always managed to spot a cat and befriend it.
 |
| Cat in Valparaiso, Chile |
Para sailing in another affordable activity one should definitely try. Tried in in Pattaya last year. There're still many other activities in my wish list- Balloon ride, para gliding, scuba diving... Hopefully soon
 |
| Para-sailing in Pattaya (its not me in the photo though) |
The first salary is always a moment to cherish. Knowing that someone is trusting your skills and is willing to pay a decent amount every month is a good experience. Your salary will increase every year and you might be earning much more now, but the feeling of receiving that first salary is awesome. Needs to be experienced.
10. Seeing our parents enjoying a moment.
Our parents have sacrificed a lot for us. They've given up lots of luxuries they could have enjoyed for themselves, trying to save money for our education etc. Even when we start earning and offer to spend some money on them- a gift or a tour etc, they resist thinking it will cause unnecessary waste of money, though deep within they might be longing for things. It feels good when we take them out and they enjoy the trip. All the expense seems negligible in-front of those few moments. I can't explain this in words, you need to feel it yourself.
Talakona waterfalls, Para-sailing images are awesome.. It's true first salary experience is very special to every one.. Thanks for sharing..
ReplyDeleteThanks Nasreen
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