To Travel Or Not To Travel: That Is The Question

satchitananda · Jul 3, 2018

Taken while waiting 'patiently' for a response from the BH about what needed to be done for the injury to my forehead - jod diya jaaye ya chood diya jaaye. My first instinct on falling and hearing a crack was to check my camera!!! I wasn't too worried about my skull. I am a tough nut to crack and anyway, I guess, it had cracked loooooong ago.

GeetaKashyap · Jul 3, 2018

satchitananda said: ↑

Not a typically touristy activity.
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I loved this post for the images. Even though we can see more professional photographs on the net, when someone known to us talks of life in a new place, it is very interesting, at least for me. Thanks for sharing.

satchitananda · Jul 3, 2018

Thanks a lot, Geeta.

shyamala1234 · Jul 4, 2018

satchitananda said: ↑

All's Well That Ends Well:

So, after all that Angst in I Love Travel, I Don't Like Travel, I Love It, I Don't ......, here is the sequel.

Am going to write this totally free style, no fixed pattern. I want to present this just the way I remember it all. And it might be in many parts ..... or it may not! So here goes.

Is it bad to start from the end? Well, maybe as a language teacher, I might insist on my students presenting stuff in a coherent, logical sequence. But in this moment, I am neither language teacher nor am I writing for an exam. Besides, the end might be relevant to the beginning.

I am seated in an aisle seat in the plane bringing me back to Bangalore. Announcement: "Please ensure your seat is in upright position for takeoff". I grit my teeth. Why? I like nothing better in life than to be sprawled out. Nonetheless, being a law-abiding person, I look for the button to push myself up straight. No button. Yes, you read right. NO BUTTON. BUTTON ILLA. Button is missing. Air-hostess comes along asking me to straighten up. With a straight face and my heart singing 'tra-la-la, Tulips in Amsterdam', I inform her (trying not to appear as cheerful as I feel and finding my hand twisting the way a child's would when informing the mother that the maths teacher has not come for tuitions ) that there is no button. And like the mother of that cheerful child, she checks out for the button and finds it is missing. She goes calling for help but all help is seated with seat belts fastened and seats in upright position. So she decides if she can't get them off their seats, she might as well join 'em.

The situation is fair and square. I mean on the outward journey by the same airlines, the seat was in upright position all the hours of the journey to Schipol. There was a button but I could not push myself into 'not so upright' position. I was forced to be one of those reluctantly upright members of the flying fraternity.

Lesson learnt: Life has a way of balancing itself out.

..... to be contd ..... (Please scroll down for further OPs)
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Dear Satchi,
You seem to have enjoyed Germany trip.
Places are beautiful! Though journey is hasstlesome. That is always there. But when we visit places forget all the hasstles. Nothing comes free.
This trip would motivate your husband also to make many more trips in future.
Syamala

joylokhi · Jul 4, 2018

Hi satchi,
welcome back. Enjoyed reading of your trip. Clearly, you had a wonderful time and enjoyed inspite of some misgivings you had before leaving. Lovely pics, took us thro' your travels

satchitananda · Jul 4, 2018

shyamala1234 said: ↑

Dear Satchi,
You seem to have enjoyed Germany trip.
Places are beautiful! Though journey is hasstlesome. That is always there. But when we visit places forget all the hasstles. Nothing comes free.
This trip would motivate your husband also to make many more trips in future.
Syamala
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Hi Shyamala,

Absolutely. Totally enjoyed the trip and saw a lot of changes. Berlin was always what they called "multi-culti" but it now seems even more so. From the various people one sees on the street to the various ethnic restaurants, alternate life possibilities, street art, culture, the number of people ready and waiting to talk in English ..... one sees it just everywhere. Loved how friendly and helpful the majority of folks are.

As you rightly guessed, BH seems (at least for now) more willing to think of travelling. As for me, I have always had a travel bug in my blood. But right now I am willing to wait for at least a few months before I get moving again. Give me time to tank up for future travel and challenges.

satchitananda · Jul 4, 2018

joylokhi said: ↑

Hi satchi,
welcome back. Enjoyed reading of your trip. Clearly, you had a wonderful time and enjoyed inspite of some misgivings you had before leaving. Lovely pics, took us thro' your travels
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Thoroughly enjoyed Joy. Thanks so much.

Thyagarajan · Jul 4, 2018

Thanks with wonderful messages about unified Germany and it' greeneries.
2. You mght have seen the river spree frozen sometime several years ago and now flowing at this time of the year.
3. Ref to vivaldi reminds popular ready made full hand shirt - brand and tramline takes me to old days before 1956 at chennai/Bombay now MUMBAI.
4. Jews reference reminds me of mein kempf. You must ha 'e enjoyed fresh oxygen in many parts in Germany known for zero pollution.
5. In the prologue or epilogue you did Mention about your Being set out to discover or rediscover after nearly 21 years BH or is it DH. Trust you did discover!
6. A fantastic read of your short but sweet sojourn that would stay green for ever with you. You have taken the reader for a ride indeed!
7. The most enjoyable part of this remarkable tour is about The co- passenger who deplaned with his seat intact as it could not be folded back to normal sitting position. It usually happens with Maharaja.
Thanks and regards.
God Bless the musaffir.

kkrish · Jul 6, 2018

Hey Sats! Willkommen zurück!
Ok thats all the German I know.

That was a lovely travelogue. I felt like I was experiencing everything firsthand, especially with the pictures to assist.
Thanks for sharing!

You also helped me another way. Now that I've seen Berlin through your eyes I am striking this one off my bucket list. A request: I have Monte Carlo, Tasmania, Timbuktu, and a lot more places I want to visit. Can you please visit them and post the pictures here? That way I can strike them off my lust and deposit the money I saved in my bank

kkrish · Jul 6, 2018

kkrish said: ↑

strike them off my lust a
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Oops.. typo! I meant "strike them off my list"
What a difference a letter makes..Hmmmph.