Embrace That #TravelWaaliFeeling While Socially Isolating at Home!

Is the wind beneath your wings twitching to escape? Are the walls of your home boxing in your travel dreams? Do you find yourself looking at older vacation photos and sighing? We totally understand your travel cravings but do not despair. There is no reason why a little social isolation should mean that you can’t see the world. With just a little bit of creativity and resourcefulness, the world’s wonders can be at your feet. Don’t believe us? Read on to to find out for yourself. 

Raghu Rao, Ornithologist and Wildlife Photographer (47) lives behind Khan Market in New Delhi. He has albums and framed photographs of exotic birds from all across the world but he had no clue just how rich the biodiversity around his home is.  

“While the times are stressful and I hope things get better soon, I have actually experienced an unexpected windfall gain because of this pandemic. I had absolutely no clue that my house has these many bird neighbours! I woke up on ‘Day 1’ of quarantine and was cleaning the house with some music in my ears, and during one of the gaps between the songs, I heard some chirping. Now, I had seen and heard pigeons and mynahs and koels many times here, but this was different. A bit of binocular-hunting through the window, led me to discover an entire ecosystem of birds that I never knew lived here. There was the Black Drongo with its distinctively regal looking forked tail, then I saw little Laughing Doves (slender, tiny pigeons with a softer coo that sounds like a giggle), and I even saw a White-Throated Kingfisher. I have clocked 7 different species already and I still have many more trees to discover. It was amazing! I spend an hour every morning or evening just going through the birds and my diary is now FULL of food and lifestyle habits of these birds. I am thinking that I might write a book on this soon!”    

 

Kanika Pratap, a Cultural Blogger (27) who lives in Rishikesh, is someone who likes to pack in a month or two of travel in one go and amass enough material that helps her write articles and photo blogs throughout the year.

“I usually take my annual vacation to Europe around March and April. I like the weather, plus there is a lot of non-touristy things to do like watching theatres, attending concerts and conducting workshops. These act as fodder for my blog for the rest of the year. This year, I was feeling a bit depressed since I have not been able to travel, but lately my timeline has been exploding with art performance related news. First, there was the Youtube premiere of the iconic Hamlet being performed in London’s Shakespeare Globe. Do you know Michelle Terry (a woman) played the role of Hamlet and Shubham Saraf (a man) played Ophelia? They completely changed the way we think of that story! It was an electric performance, and I felt like I was IN LONDON with all other Shakespeare fans cheering and sobbing away as every Act progressed. Magical! Then there was the online Radiohead concert, the Dublin one. I have always wanted to attend one and boy oh boy, was it fun! They have been streaming their concerts weekly and  they upload behind-the-scenes features and let you buy merchandise (to be delivered later). It feels like you are actually at the venue!” 

 

Saahil Ali, Sales and Marketing Professional, (32) lives in Hyderabad and is a closet chef. In his head he has won ever Masterchef contest and runs a fancy chain of global restaurants. He dreams of travelling and learning how to cook that ONE local and authentic meal in every city. Well, because of the lockdown, he can actually live out his dream (partially)!

“I am fascinated with food that is specific to a place, and in fact, is named specifically after that place. Like the Mississippi Mud Pie, the Sichuan Pepper Noodles, Pad Thai, Black Forest Cake, Madras Curry Sauce or even the (don’t kill me) Wuhan Duck. I have always wanted to travel to all these places and live there for a bit and learn their recipes. Well, now I have time, if not the ability to travel. I log online and watch lots of travel documentaries for that area, learn a few words in that language and then try and cook a dish similar to the local delicacy there. Obviously, I don’t always get the ingredients but my Indian kitchen has enough alternatives to suffice. I put on some regional music while I cook and really get into the mood. Then I serve that dish to my wife – along with proper cutlery and table napkins etc – so that she feels like she is in my restaurant. It’s our little escape to another city, and it makes our meals happy and hopeful.”   

 

Royden Mathews, PhD Student and Anthropology Professor (30) lives in Kerala. He is someone who loves to travel and visit cities with a wealth of history. Luckily for him, the museums of the world have opened their virtual doors to connect with their viewers.

“I was feeling a bit low about the whole lockdown, when a student sent me a link to a virtual tour of the Louvre in Paris. I do not remember doing anything else for the rest of the day and the artworks and murals of that magical museum are still swirling in my mind. I had gone to Paris in 2015 and spent 2 whole days at the Louvre but it still was not enough. There were hundreds of art pieces and thousands of legends tied to each. With this virtual tour, I could see all the art galleries, pause the tour and even catch up on the history of each iconic piece. I also finished the Great Wall of China tour, something I had only dreamt of. You can go on top of the 2000-year old structure and enjoy the most marvellous view ever. My current obsession is the Pyramid of Giza virtual tour. The website is interactive and you just click and reach all the crevices and magical corners that I have only dreamt of visiting till now. These tours have saved me! They take you away into a world far-far away from the four walls within which we are confined.”