It was exactly after my Jaipur trip that I quickly decided to travel south during September. The wanderlust of Jaipur hadn’t worn off and I wanted to make the most of that excitement. What better than planning your next trip? But then the pandemic threw a big bucket of cold water on our lives. I often think about some travel memories and imagine myself in those beautiful places again. So here are some memories which I forgot to add in my previous travel blogposts.
When our scooter broke down in the middle of a tiny Pondicherry road - 2018
It was our last day in Pondicherry and we were on our way back to our hotel from the boathouse to get our luggage and hand over the bike keys to the owner. We knew the petrol was low but we were odd 500-600 metres away from our hotel, so I knew we would make it. Only, we couldn’t. The nearest petrol pump was 800 metres away and I was in no mood to push the bike for that length in the scorching heat of 3 pm. This never happened with me before and I had no clue, so like a naïve person I called the nearest petrol pump and told them how we ran out of petrol in the middle of a street. The guy on the other end asked me the location and said he would get the petrol. My friend was laughing for I don’t know what reason but she told me that no petrol pump offers petrol delivery service. You have to drag your vehicle or get it towed till petrol pump. It is not safe. The guy reached us like a kinight in shining armour, only he had petrol instead of a sword. Well I guess I got away with it due to sheer luck and the small-town magic. One of those memories which I intend to share with a group of strangers I meet on my future journeys.
Auto ride from Nahargarh fort…at 7.30 pm - 2020
My Jaipur blogpost is pending but this is one memory that I will never forget from that trip. I have never been this scared in my life. So there are three forts on the mountain- Amer, Jaigarh and Nahargarh. You probably will remember Nahargarh from the movie Rang De Basanti but it is the last fort on the mountain and therefore the topmost. You get an amazing city view and it is popular for its sunsets. I was always mesmerized by the pictures I had seen on Instagram of the beautiful city from atop. Being the loner that I am, I waiting for everyone to leave so that I can enjoy the view all by myself. Wrong choice. It was almost 7 pm and I was still surrounded by an annoying bunch of people who thought I can’t understand Hindi. I decided to leave when I realized how dark the walk towards the exit was and how “alone” I finally was! The stretch was dimly lit and the beautiful palace that I was admiring a couple of hours ago was now looking like the place where horror movies are shot. I reached the gate and my auto driver was right outside waiting for me, I didn’t even recognize him. The Bombay girl in me keeps forgetting a few basic things like every city is not hustling and bustling till midnight and definitely is not well lit. To make matters worse, I was on a mountain road, straight dimly lit single street, jungle on both sides and no other cars in sight. It was a private auto meant for me and me alone. All I could see was the city which looked far far away and darkness everywhere, more than thieves I was scared of ghosts. Hey it was a spooky place and I do believe in spirits.
I would never want to experience it again, not even with a friend by my side. It was scary and I definitely was not thinking clearly when I stayed after dark. It seems like an adventure now but I just wanted to reach the Jal Mahal street as soon as I could.
When the wardrobe door at my Delhi AirBnB fell on me – 2019
First time solo traveler meet private room in an Airbnb apartment at Delhi. What a combo! When you are travelling alone, there is nobody to correct you. You are on your own. I spoke to people about what to do, where to go, where to eat, what to carry but not once did I ask about where to stay and if booking a private room in a shared apartment a good choice. My hosts were good apart from the fact that they were pretty chatty. When I reached the apartment, my room looked smaller and dim but that was because it was winters in Delhi. I called a friend, made some plans and locked my door. I started arranging my clothes in the wardrobe so that I don’t have to reach for my bag every now and then. I was all set to leave when I decided to pull the wardrobe door shut. It was open for a reason, it can’t shut. It was broken and placed still on one side. It landed right on me. Thankfully I was not in a hurry and was standing right in front of it while shutting it, because it landed on my entire body, I could lift it with some strength and put it back. Thank goodness for my reflex! This is not what I expected.
I don’t like to make a lot of fuss, so I casually informed the owner while leaving and she told me not to shut it, it’s broken. Thanks for letting me figure that out on my own. I thing is for sure, I am never staying in a private room in an Airbnb. Never.
These are some of the forgotten memories from my tiny travel diary. I wish to travel more and make some amazing memories across India but till then, this is all I have and I cherish it with all my heart. Travel is not all about happy memories, Instagram worthy cafes and food trails, sometimes it’s about helpful strangers, random plans and messed up itineraries. See you next Wednesday!
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