To travel is to live

“Oh darling let’s be adventurers” I just love this and I think it is one of the best quotes about wanderlust and love I have heard until. You would imagine why the name wanderlust and why not Travel or trip etc etc..this word probably gave me an impulse to venture into the exotic and the unknown.A deep uncontrollable desire to hit the road and travel by whatever means desired to explore and enjoy the world.

When I was a child I remember twirling a globe and touching the equator for the first time. Living within a microscopic town for seventeen years has not been any means a nightmare instead it has driven me to want to move elsewhere. Although I love home I have a strong impulse to get to know the rest of the world. When I was a teen I was watching a Satyajit Ray movie “ Agantuk” (The Stranger) where the character “ Manmohan Mitra” travels from place to place exploring new culture, people, customs, habitat and he calls himself a “ Wanderlust” also explains the audience that’s its an early 20th century German word meaning an overwhelming desire to travel. Waking up everyday and going to work and sleeping in the same bed every night evoked the feeling of safety however the feeling of ennui and wanderlust sometimes takes over.

I grew up an introvert, emotional, sensitive. I was the kind of kid who was not so allowed to enrol in summer camp or excursions. But there is a time most adolescent lives start to change, when the things  you did last week seemed juvenile. The fixation with travelling crept up slowly and the songs gave me a spark, I used to hear them again and again- A thousand miles if i could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by, cause you know I would walk a thousand miles. John Denver’s -Take me home, Country roads... “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

By now you have come to understand my passionate affair not an embellishment. Ever since I was a kid just going around the “next bend” on my bicycle was exciting. Then as an adult over the past six years I have been lucky enough to live and travel in different countries. When I think about my best experience so far so many things pop up out of me. Whether it’s learning to Scuba in the Indian ocean or the Caribbean sea, eating fresh octopus or four pound fresh Jumbo Lobster directly fishing from the midst of the sea, feeding playing and communicating with dolphins, seeing Christmas markets in Strasbourg, France or celebrating the carnival in Venice with Venetians etc. Also, living in Europe is something that I love for the reason that you can be in another country within hours and multiple countries can be visited. Driving in Europe is smooth apart from few big cities Paris, Rome can be a bit crazy. Driving through Italy has astounding beauty- the hilltop towns along the coast then up through the Provence. Nevertheless the Dutch road trips in Amsterdam through the tulip fields around Keukenhoff was absolutely full of flamboyance. Also, from Paris to Innsbruck, stopping in the tiny country of Liechtenstein and last but not the least the winter road trips through Stelvio Pass and Bernina Pass which was absolutely a breathtaking alpine views alongside the towering windswept peaks of the alps on this driving adventure of a lifetime.

Amid all the escapades one experience stands above the rest and that way was my trip to Cuba.The iconic experience of Cuba takes a cold soul to resist them. The Condor flight from Frankfurt to Cuba was eleven hours journey. Reaching Varadero (north coat of Cuba) we felt that it was the perfect spot. My impression was Wow! The impossible soft white sand was the consistency of flour,
the rich turquoise Caribbean Sea was like shimmering painting made real, the clear salt water allowed us to seek out and hold starfish, the soft breeze. The most beautiful beach I have seen in my life so far. A true vision of paradise!

We checked into a beachfront resort which was already booked in Caribbean Varadero tend to be all inclusive. The beautiful bath, outdoor shower, pool bar, entertainments, stage shows, salsa night, rock shows, food of chefs choice everything I had dreamed of and more. The cool crisp night and traditional Cuban food sipping Mojitos, daiquiris while a Cuban playing soft tropical music. The resort seems everything however we thought of spending more time in the beach and also to the town of Varadero and Habana away from the confines of the resort.

Our snorkelling and Scuba shore was Playa Coral on the old coastal road halfway from
Varadero. We snorkelled through the flora and fauna reserve. We could see various species of fish and  other corals and sea life. We also headed for cave diving. Everything was so undaunted.

Contrarily, the juddering fleets of Cadillac, Buicks, Chevrolet, Dodges; the salsa clubs with their charismatic Timba orchestras, the fragrant industrious Cigar factories, rum distilleries. The unspoiled and rustic mountains and plains where the modern world seems not have made a dent. Simply wandering through the colonial earthwork into high baroque churches and through charmed squares, enchanting street lamps, stone benches. Habana capital of Cuba and stunning World Heritage site. The Centro Habana is an atmospheric picture of ruined, rugged beauty this describes the faded grandeur of the 20th century Habana. Socialising is the top pastime and the culture of Cuba is extremely vibrant. People speak Spanish. Cuba is exhilarating and extremely rewarding. It’s different from the rest of the world it’s timeworn but magnificent, dilapidated but dignified, fun yet crazily frustrating- country of inexpressible magic. We were staggered by its astounding history, architecture, music, dance and hospitality.
We spent a month backpacking for Cuba and when our time was up we didn’t want to go home. However, this queer feeling happens to me every time when I am on a trip but Cuba was exceptional though.

Well, here in my blog I was not trying to give you a travel guide on Cuba. Besides I was trying to pen down how immense the world is. There is a world inside of us and perhaps we should explore that one first before going out to see the real one.

I hope in my next trip I feel tiny and insignificant all over again. So what about you. Do you want to travel? Hope your fingers absentmindedly running over the pages of your passport.