Roadtrip

Small Bags. Big Wishes

January 11, 2019ByteSizebelief, beliefs, blogger, Blogging, destinations, devotion, energy, God, Home, hope, indulge, instapassport, instatravel, journeys, latergram, Life, Love, momentsofmine, opportunity, People, pilgrim, Roadtrip, sea, skyline, traveladdict, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, wonder

Small bags, bright with turmeric, jingling with bangles, dance in the morning breeze. Tied to a tree, they catch the first rays of the sun—fluttering, whispering, waiting.

Each knot holds a wish. Each thread, a quiet prayer. A mother’s hope, a daughter’s dream, a whispered plea for health, love, or a future yet unseen.

In rural Tamil Nadu, faith isn’t just spoken—it is tied, woven, and left to sway with the wind. And as the sun rises, the colours shimmer, as if the universe itself is listening.

(at Thiruchendur, India)

The Road to Vegas & The Road Back

April 24, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talesarrival, blogger, Departures, driving, highway, India, instapassport, lasvegas, latergram, Love, passion, quote, renewal, Roadtrip, sfo, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, traveller, USA, vegas, wanderlust

It was evening.

The road from San Francisco to Las Vegas stretched endlessly—a ride that felt like it had started in another lifetime. Smooth, uneventful, devoid of the delightful chaos of an Indian highway.

No bulls appearing out of nowhere, no tractors playing chicken—just long, sweeping roads with scenery that tried its best to keep things interesting.

But ahead lay Las Vegas—a city of stories, possibilities, and whispered legends. Excitement pulsed through us, and for a moment, even the car engine seemed to hum in anticipation.

And then, I saw them—the cars leaving Vegas, heading home. Their passengers, wrapped in a quiet emptiness, faces drained of whatever the night had held.

That’s when a line from English, August floated back into my mind:

“The ecstasy of the arrival never compensates for the emptiness of the departure.”

I smiled. Because some truths, like the Vegas skyline, glow even in the dark.

(at Las Vegas, Nevada)

The Beauty of Tough Journeys and the Roads That Shape Us

March 29, 2016ByteSizeblogger, Blogging, destinations, discovery, hardowrking, hardwork, hardworkpaysoff, instapassport, instatravel, latergram, Love, Metaphor, metaphorforlife, road, roads, Roadtrip, selfdiscovery, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust

‘Someone once asked me, ‘why do you always insist on taking the hard road?
I replied,
‘Why do you assume I see two?’
– Anonymous

The question of choice isn’t about hard or easy—it’s about whether it’s the right road. Everything else is secondary.

The easy routes? They blur into the background. The tough roads, the steep climbs, the unexpected turns? Those are the ones we remember. The ones that test us, shape us, and bring stories to life.

With the right people by your side and a destination worth reaching, the effort itself becomes beautiful.

Because in the arc of struggle lies discovery—not just of what’s ahead, but of what lies within you.

The Secret to Great Cooking (Hint: It’s Not Just the Recipe!)

March 27, 2016ByteSize, Travel Talescalories, chef, confidence, cooking, creativity, Food, hobby, kitchen, masterchef, oil, passion, recipe, Roadtrip, southindia, tamilnadu, Travel, vada, wanderlust

There’s a joy in watching a chef at work—especially the weekend warriors, the amateurs who step into the kitchen with enthusiasm rather than obligation.

From scribbled recipes to sizzling magic, the journey is one of experimentation, creativity, and a dash of chaos. The dish must first delight the eye before it wins over the taste buds.

But here’s the thing—the best chefs don’t mind sharing their recipes. Because it’s never just about the ingredients.

The real secret? It’s in the hands, the instincts, the little improvisations that make every dish uniquely theirs.

(at Madurai, India)

February 22, 2016Uncategorizedbhim, blogger, Blogging, culture, destinations, epic, Harihareshwar, instapassport, instatravel, legends, mahabaratha, maharashtra, monday, pauseandponder, Reflection, Roadtrip, story, Strategy, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, wanderlust, weakness

“This is the place where the legendary Bhim hit the mountain with his mace”, our guide tells us. We are at Harihareshwar. He is talking of Bhim, of the Pandava fame, as though he lives in the same building as him. And as he hurries us past what seems to be a perfect ‘V’ in the mountain, he adds, “this was the mountain’s weakest point”. It is picturesque, greeting me with a fresh gust from the Arabian Sea.

I conceal a half smile and nod in seriousness.

Coming to think of it, the weakest link breaking an otherwise strong chain is the stuff our cultures, our books on war, management and all else carry. It is almost a predictable curse that follows as through the ages.

As a new week arrives, do take a moment to pause and ponder. As you build the big mountain of dreams, what is your weak link?

I pondered for a bit and then went to my to do list! Tell me, what did you do? (at Harihareshwar)

January 29, 2016UncategorizedBlogging, entrepreneur, entreprenuership, India, Love, maharashtra, Metaphors, Monsoon, pathways, Roadtrip, start, startup, Travel, travelblogger, travelblogging

The pathways aren’t often straight lines. Sometimes they are not clear. Many other two mes, they need to be created.
The undergrowth to be cleared. Concrete and stone coming together to make a permanent path.
At other times, what’s required is walking through the undergrowth. A few more walks for a few more days and the pathways emerge.

That is the true story of several entrepreneurs. That is a true path breaking startup #startup #start #entreprenuership #entrepreneur #pathways #love #travel #travelblogging #travelblogger #blogging #monsoon #Maharashtra #India #roadtrip #metaphors

December 6, 2015Uncategorizedarchives, aurangabad, memory, Roadtrip, tank, Travel, travelblogging, War

The tank museum in Aurangabad had an array of tanks. Seeming impregnable yet most captured and decapitated in war #war #aurangabad #travelblogging #travel #roadtrip #archives #Memory #tank #war (at Aurangabad)

November 30, 2015Uncategorizedblogger, church, Goa, Green, History, India, portugese, Roadtrip, Travel, travelblogging, traveler

Goa. From a while ago. We took to driving through some treacherous roads and suddenly this church presented itself to us.

Suddenly. Simply. Completely. We just had to park the car, get off to stand and stare! It was insanely satisfying.

#Goa #traveler #travelblogging #Blogger #travel #India #portugese #church #history #green #roadtrip

Ellora diary !

April 5, 2010Travel Talesaurangabad, lora, pho, Photography, Roadtrip

Straight to the point : The magnificence of Ellora must be seen to be experienced.

Just imagine carving a huge temple out of sheer rock and mountain. Built in the 5th / 6th century ! When there was no 3D animation, double certified architects, safety standards or hopeless bureaucracy in the name of standard operating procedures!

The Kailash Temple. With Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Double the size of the Greek Pantheons.
The entire structure was carved out of one rock. Top down. Over 5-6 generations.
Would you want more proof to believe that we have indeed regressed ?

The ‘Glory Post’. The solidity of the lines, the curves and the majesticity against the blue backdrop.
Indeed a glorious post !

The structure that was created back then, stands the test of time. Till date. There are so many photographs that sit in the confines of the hard disk that ‘a tough time selecting the ones to post’ is a statement reeking of modesty or falsehood or idiocy !

The Ramayana told in sculpted forms. Perhaps the earliest forerunners of cartoon channels !

Amazing is not the word ! What else would you say if the tourist guide almost had to nudge once in 5 minutes to close mouths. Mouths that often veered to a state of perpetual open mouthed gaze !

Buddha and the beauty of the carving ! Blood numbing !

A row of pillars. For decoration rather than support ! Decoration ! hmm !

Egyptian / Chinese images ! Thousands of years ago, the Chinese had landed ! Trade flourished.
How must life have been ?

Just imagine !

Imagine a temple like this 1500 years ago ! Imagine it being built over six generations. With the barest of the tools ! Picture it being revered. Think of it being vandalised by invaders galore. Visualise it being left to be a resting place for shepherds and other grazers to tie their cattle for a couple of centuries ! And then of course becoming a world heritage sight !

A pillar ! With carving.

Now of course tourists gather in hordes. Clicking snaps amidst endless chatter. Some of them loudly giving out their versions of history. Yet others sitting on the laps of ‘Gods’ for photographs on new digital cameras. Yet others running behind other foreign tourists.

A minority just staring in open mouthed awe. The caves don’t seem to care. They seem just grin and bear. They have done so for hundreds of centuries.

Its a must go place people. Aurangabad is a must visit city. Phew.

More coming.

Tell Tale Signs !

September 11, 2008Travel TalesGoa, Mumbai, Roadtrip, Sightings, Travel

Our road trip from Mumbai to Goa saw us see some amazing roads and fantastic weather.

And hey, the camera also spotted some wonderful road signs. I guess my expectation of the creative talent of those in the Highways department was rather skewed to what was indeed reality.

There seems to be some passionate soul(s) who seems to peep out of every other road sign with a ‘differently’ written out message on road safety ! I clicked some and many others, just whizzed by!!

Image 1

This message was so poignant to me ! The number of drivers with fast machines who thought they were in a Formula One race was not funny. But this sign, set the tone, reminding all that this was indeed a highway. The first time i saw this, an auto smile popped up ! For i encounter morons who think roads are runways. So.

Image 2

This was lucid enough but for the word alignment ! At first glance, as we whizzed past the sign and i read it as ‘Everything is fine in an Italian Accident’. Thinking of it as a work of an ardent Congress party loyalist, we slowed the car down and backed the car up just to re-read the sign post. Relief descended. We drove on !

Image 3

How much more cryptic can you get ?!? Four words. But the message was through loud and clear. Surprisingly we had some good mobile network coverage through most parts of the drive. I guess this sign was indeed warranted!

Image 4

If previous image had four words. This one had three ! This also seemed to hold a message for life & living. Atleast, i would like to think so. ‘Slow & Steady wins the race’ is cliched and passe !

‘Fast Wont Last’ is here, ladies and gentlemen. How cool !

Image 5

For those who have a preference for tea, here is something. I wonder whats is ‘safe’ tea! Perhaps one that you can drink after reaching the safe confines of the destination. Made by a ‘safe’ person..! What is it ?

Image 6

How more direct can this be said ?!? I take a bow !

Image 7

This seems to be a valiant attempt ! But still, it read different. It took a couple of 10 seconds to fully understand what was getting said. But it did sink in !

Image 8

That one was for me. I am happy they are proud of me ! The ultimate recognition from the Highways department….

Ok. Lets get very real here. Well, i am not the best of drivers.
But then that’s not the best of English grammar either. So !