Riding and Dancing in Lanka

Topi riding Rickshaw

From Airport we hired a tuk tuk (in lanka, rickshaws are known by this name) for Negombo. We thought that will go for scuba diving but it was very costly-75$/person, so we changed our plans and headed for lunch, when we were moving towards restaurant, our driver stopped for paan (a stimulating 

Default Dish-Meduvada

and psychoactive preparation of betel leaf combined with areca nut and/or cured tobacco), and we were waiting inside tuk tuk, suddenly my friend asked permission for driving his rickshaw, he was so cool, that he said ok-go ahead. Funny thing Topi was not even able to start it in the beginning, but once driver started, he was driving it like its own car. 

EGB-Ginger Soda

Obviously I was little bit scared, after some time we stopped at restaurant and were provided with a default item in their menu (medu vada). Its default dish weather you order or not. While we were eating, I saw a mother giving some yellow colored liquid to her 2yr old kid from a bottle which looked like daru bottle (hard drink), but I thought it can’t be possible, so to know what it contains us also ordered a bottle of Egb. When I looked at its sticker, it read as real ginger. Then we knew that it was ginger soda. Since that mother was giving it to her child, so it was clear that it is a local health drink. Note that lanka is famous for natural herbs and hence the drink was.

Dance like nobody's Watching

After Egb, we moved onto our new adventure-Dance.

Yes dance was also an adventure, the way we did it. We were walking on road and I saw a joker dancing in front of a Bata showroom with blasting sound, I was so excited to see him that I joined him (It’s a natural talent whenever I see a person dancing, I also starts, it has happened before also when I was out with my school friends.) It became a road show. All the people were looking at us. But I didnt care about all such things,  I was there to enjoy not to think about what others think and we should be like that only, we should feel free to express ourselves, because if we keep thinking to please others, we won’t be able to live.

Pic with Bald Uncle

When we were back on track, one bald uncle was looking at us and smiling, he asked about us, where do we belong to, what we were doing there and then he showed us his vintage car, we took some pics of his car and then the conversation turned about our adventure that we are looking for scuba diving. So this bald guy called two of his friends and invited us in his car. He took us to his other friends who go for fishing and scuba. These people were not professionals for scuba but they were experienced locals, they asked about our experience of diving, we informed that we have no idea about it, so they said it is not possible without proper training. So bald uncle dropped us at the same point plus he hired a rickshaw also for us to place, where we can get training for scuba. Meanwhile we asked about his profession and knew that he works in Pharma Company but at that instant he was out there for some social work which was really good and image of uncle was again raised in our eyes. I would like to stress on the fact that Sri Lankans are ready to help anyone and everyone, without having any personal agenda behind that.

Entry in Sri Lanka

Day 1

Chennai International Airport

I was planning a trip to Andaman and Nicobar with a good friend Topi and while we were discussing the plan, he informed me that Shri Lanka round trip is cheaper than Andamans, this small chat resulted in a adventurous trip to the Pearl of the Indian Ocean-Shri Lanka. It is known so because of its natural beauty. Sri Lanka has also been called "the teardrop of India" because of its shape and location, and "the nation of smiling people". I invite you to have a virtual tour with me to the Pearl.

Guess who?

We were flying like a shooting star. As soon as we stepped down in Bandaranaike International Airport, we used free wifi on cell phone and net enabled computers at the entry. Yes they were providing free internet 24 7 for tourists. Now we were moving in and authorities were not allowing us to go inside as we have not mentioned local address in immigration form also on the other hand they are themselves telling us to put anything hotel like “Colombo hotel”. I have to say, they are helping people, normally Indians have myth that Sri Lanka is a dangerous place, but I cannot agree on this anymore. The best part, they gave us free local sim.

Topi

Finally we entered in and my dear friend Topi had to shit, so he went inside washroom, as soon as we entered in, it was smelling so good as if it was not a washroom but a aroma factory. You may not believe, but it was the first washroom which actually smelled awesome. Now we were moving out and many people approaching towards us with different travel plans, all looks very costly as they were offering us cars and being 2 people crew it was costly affair. 

Ram Setu

So we dropped all those and came out. when we were about to leave port, one more man approached us with a plan, but we asked him for money exchange, so he approached a business person (people who exchange labours between countries) who gave us exchange rate of 1.97. Meaning if we give him 1INR, he returns 1.97 Sri Lankan Rupee. Since we didn’t had any LNR with us so we agreed at this rate for a small amount 1000 INR, I knew that we can get rate up to 2 also and later we got to know that 2.10 is also available. We came out of Port and then it was time for many rickshawala to approach us but unlike India they do not start fighting themselves, if one person is approaching another would not.

I hope you liked our entry, stay tuned for complete trip.

Running in Kathmandu

Country: Nepal

City: Kathmandu

Crew: Pahadi, Anna, Maag

Boudanath Stupa and Yellow Color

Our Last day in Nepal spent in running on the streets of Kathmandu, we had to cover complete city in a single day of course only Superman can do that without a private cab, in our case, we chose Local conveyance. Note: if you have a single day and you plan to roam complete city, it’s always better to go for private cabs/cars because it’s a big city and to go from one site to another takes a long time via local. Initially we planned to cover whole city, but as the clock was ticking, we had to wrap it up after visiting 3^rd site.

First we saw Pashupatinath Mandir, next we moved to Boudanath. It’s the biggest stupa of Nepal which stands on 3 tired platforms raised over crossed rectangles in order to bring yantra form. 2 interesting incidents happened here, 1^st: Stupa was all white in color and the authorities were pouring yellow colored paint on it, so we fools were mocking on it saying that “stupa has been here from thousands of years and now authorities found time to color it”. But later we found out that they are not just throwing color on it, they are making a lotus shaped painting on it and it’s a practice. It is interesting even if we don’t know something; we can laugh on it, fools. 2^nd: when we were clicking, one old lady called Maag and said something due to which she had to change and stitch her dress, it is better not to go into details on this point. It was another funny instance that took place in Boudanath.

Narayanthan

Next we moved to Changu Narayan (Narayanthan) located on a magnificent hill top commanding a fantastic view of Kathmandu valley. This temple of Lord Vishnu is full of art works in metal and wood, finest example of Nepalese Architecture. This is the place where we understood that all along the journey we were just running from one place to another (due to time constraints) and hence we slowed down here and enjoyed the place. At this time we also learned that last bus to border leaves at around 6 PM (later we knew that it was not the fact, you can even catch bus last by 8-9) so we dropped other spots since it was already 4 o clock and again started running to our hotel in a local bus. There were 3 locals sitting behind us and they only knew English so I was continuously talking with them about the routes, time and about them, kind of flirty, but fun, they were also enjoying. Then I asked Maag to take pics of us.

Then we reached hotel, collected bags and moved to bus station, as soon as we stepped down there, one bus was leaving so we boarded the bus. Later we found out that the bus started before time so other bus drivers didn’t allowed any passengers to board it and hence bus returned station, after an hour or so again started from there.

This journey took the same time (12 hours) to reach border, where our bags, identity cards were checked properly. When we moved to another country Nepal, nothing was checked but when we came back to our own country everything was checked, funny isn't it. Then we had the most favorite snack of India: Samosa as our lunch and headed back to railway station: Gorakhpur.

View of Kathmandu Valley from Narayanthan

We had some time before boarding our train so we thought of visiting Geeta Press or Gorakhpur Mandir, but both were far away from station and there was a possibility of high traffic while returning  so we dropped our plan and relaxed on station only.
Since sleeper coach waiting rooms didn't had proper bathrooms, we paid some money to care takers and entered into AC coach rooms for proper bath. After all this adventure Maag was hell tired, fall sick and slept there for 30-45 minutes, but even this little time was enough to get her strength back.

We boarded our train and headed back towards our routine, I had some private chat with Pahadi about the ups and downs of my life, since she was the only one who can understand it. Anna felt bit jealous due to this and same was seen in whole trip, Maag always seemed to be in her own space. I, Pahadi and Maag stepped down at Bhopal, while Anna continued in same train towards Mumbai. There was a cab waiting for us in Bhopal which was sent by Dad, all boarded it and then finally returned our homes.
Overall it was a nice trip with lots of ups and downs, adventures, secrets and fights. I am never gonna forget this trip and its true that for Naturally Nepal, Once is not enough.

Shri Pashupatinath Mandir-God and Death at the same place

Country: Nepal

City: Kathmandu

Crew: Anna,Maag, Kuntal and Pahadi

Entrance of Pashupatinath Temple

Our last day in Nepal was planned to roam around in Kathmandu, but first things first was to visit Pasupatinath Mandir. Once you enter the temple, you will get caught in its vortex, it is totally a different world inside it. Here the Shivling is panchmukhi meaning 5 faces of God in the same structure, but we could see only 4 gates to enter and worship, so we asked the security person standing at the gate about the catch of last one. He said “it’s present at the top but invisible”. Pashupati actually means “The Lord of all pashus which are living as well as non living beings”.

Baba in Pose

As we moved further maag went into dhyan (she meditated for some time) and rest of us were roaming around here and there. I saw a person giving tilak-chandan in a leaf, so me and anna also took it and applied on our forehead, this was the first time I have seen tilak being given in a leaf.  Some people were chanting bhajans in a corner and obviously Pahadi was attracted to her passion-music. Sound of bhajan was mixed with the environment in such a way that its part of whole shanti (peace) prevailing in the temple. When I looked at the backside of temple, there was a river (Bagmati) passing, in addition to that I can see that it was a cremation place with few bodies in process. Also there was a person with oxygen pump in a corner, he was there as if it was confirmed that he is not gonna make it and has to be here. It’s the only temple where I witnessed Gods image at one end and death at the other.   

Inside the Temple

I was frightened by the look of that place so I told my crew members that we should move out now, but I was not the only explorer out there, Maag wanted to see what’s there at the backside, so we all moved there and rest of my crew members saw what I was afraid of. It was the first time Pahadi had seen a dead body and she was always afraid of the thought of looking at a body. So for her it was a nightmare come true and photographer Maag wanted to take pics here also and she was standing right beside a body, I tried not to take body in the picture. 

Bagmati River: Backside of Temple

It is said that there is aura present around everything / person, and if our aura conflicts with others, it signals that we should move out of the place as soon as possible. It was happening same for me, I was feeling to move out of that environment as if there was something which was telling to move out from there.