A Farewell
My tickets were booked some weeks ago.
This morning Anu, my houseboy, carefully packed my bags.
I head for distant shores.
It is time to say goodbye, for now.
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Picture taken in Cochin.
A Shared Journey
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An Elegance Of Tea-Making
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Being on the road involves frequent stops for tea.
Quite apart from enjoying the drink, it is good to stretch your legs and give the driver a break.
The snacks and facilities are variable:
The proprietors are friendly but curious.
Each has a certain dignity
And could no doubt tell a moving story of life’s struggles.
Their tea?
Remarkably good, if sometimes a little smoky…
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Back On The Road
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It was Friday. We had been travelling for eight days.
The wonders of Hampi and Mysore still floated in and out of my thoughts.
The diverse temples were almost merging into a single amorphous memory.
But our travels were not over.
It was time to get back on the road.
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Before setting out again, there is usually the small matter of re-packing to be dealt with:
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My own packing skills show neither forethought nor patience.
Nowadays, I collect together what seems necessary, then leave my kind staff to do the rest.
A few minutes later, having compared my selection with what he thinks proper, Anu will invariably return with suggestions, such as:
“Papa, I think maybe you wanting some inner-wear*?”
(*Indian English for underwear)
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He is practically always right. My planning is well on the way to becoming reliably unreliable.
Perhaps I am better suited to observing life from the sidelines.
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On The Road
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A long journey lay ahead of us.
Leaving our hotel in Belur early, we decided to take breakfast on the road.
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On my first visit to India, any thought of eating in one of the countless, road-side restaurants induced emotions ranging from a tight-lipped “I think not” to something verging on hypochondriacal terror.
Their cleanliness and décor can prove challenging to a Western eye.
But I have since learnt that the food served is invariably tasty, cheap and safe!
As expected, breakfast in this establishment was far better than any we had eaten in our tourist-class hotels.
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Back on the road, there was little to do but observe:
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Take lunch:
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Then observe once more:
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While the scenery changed:
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Until finally we reached Hampi,
Our hotel,
Cool showers
And cooler beers.
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The Journey Is The Destination: Part 12
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“But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.”
Khalil Gibran
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Picture taken in Hampi
The Journey Is The Destination: Part 9
The pleasures of travelling together
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Picture taken in Hampi
The Journey Is The Destination: Part 3
The attraction of spiritual accessories
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Picture taken on my travels in Karnataka
The Journey Is The Destination: Part 2
From the hesitancy of youth…
To the reflections of age.
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Pictures taken during my travels in Karnataka
The Journey Is The Destination: Part 1
Ancient & Modern
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“Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…”
Erich Fromm
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Picture taken during my travels in Karnataka
Neither Use Nor Ornament 