On top of the world!

khamkhor@unsplash.com

The call of the mountains beckoned my nomadic soul and restless feet. A day long drive, took me to the foothills of the mountains, away from the mediocrity of a city dweller’s life.

Next morning, I was greeted by warm sunshine. Fully rested, I checked my backpack for all essentials and began my hike.  I have always found the mountains alluring. They calm my muddled mind. The ascent was uneventful. Eventually after a day long trek, I reached the summit by early evening.

The sight that welcomed me was surreal. The beautiful imagery of that moment is still vividly etched in my mind. Its infinite and all-encompassing space was so gratifying. The tantalizing sunlight appeared to be giving a parting kiss, to the snow-clad peaks, embracing the horizon in a crimson blush. The white billowy clouds drifted gently in the purple heavens. The eventide mountain air whispered scattered tales from across the expansive skyline. The refreshing fragrance of their ethereal purity filled my senses. I sat there for hours as twilight faded into a duvet of inkiness. The glitterati of the dazzling stars shone their magical light on me.  In solitude, amid the tranquil landscape, I soaked in its mesmerizing beauty and sacredness of God’s creation. Mother Nature lulled me to slumber on her lap, under her star-studded night sky.

Satiated with the abundance of nature’s energy, my soul drank in the divine elixir of this celestial experience. I was ready to take on the challenges of life ,with a resurgent spirit.

heavenly summit

an elysian paradise

rejuvenation

Eugi’s weekly prompt : Summit

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My Car and I…

ic: Oziel Gomez

My car and I….

A perfect companion to my wanderlust heart and nomadic mind

we journeyed across the countryside ,driving through the meandering roads.

Sleeping under the starlit panoramic night sky, my dreams wrapped under their lambent glow,

to be gently woken up to the sounds of warble and the gurgling brooks.

Experiencing the beauty of the altering vistas, inhaling the fragrance of nature’s scents

soaking in the ambiance of terrains, still untouched by man’s sullied hands, had an organic allure.

Feeling the pain of the ancient scars, of the once resplendent monuments, felt so real.

Coming out unscathed from the jaws of death, heaving a sigh of relief on a narrow shave,

the raw and savage beauty of the wilderness, had many adventurous tales to tell.

Sitting by the aqua waters, listening to the ocean waves, pouring their stories to me,

while the gloomy monotones of the winter’s white blanket penned melancholic poetry,

 the sand dunes hurrying along, under the scorching heat, as if to pass on the message of a weary traveller.

 Wending through the journey, ruminating within, feeling a sense of surreal enlightenment in solitude, solo travel has transformed me.

The autumnal nudity to spring’s vibrancy, the sweltering heat to the alabaster snow,

learning, living, and experiencing a myriad platter of life,

we have travelled many miles together, coming a full circle…

My car and I!

Sadje’s prompt #89

The Sphinx’s Lament…

Since time immemorial, my abode was

teeming with people from across the world.

Intrigued by the myths that shroud me,

photographers, writers and tourists

thronged to experience my mystic aura.

The gales filled me with the echoes of

 chatter and clicks of the shutterbugs.

Always, the center of attraction,

there was  never a dull moment in my life.

Life across the globe changed drastically,

 the gloom of the pandemic, cast an ominous shadow.

Today, the gales sing a melancholic tune

bringing in silent grains of sand.

I am deserted, in this vast desert,

lonely and desolate, scanning the roads,

trying to hear voices, in the eerie stillness of time.

Sadje’s : WDYS #80

V. J’s weekly challenge : Roads

Are you in the Present?

Randy Tarampi@unsplash

The mind travels without an agenda

awakening the memories of the past, from its slumber,

hijacking our today,

 into the unknown fears of the future.

 Oscillating between the two ends of the spectrum

our “now” sacrificed at the altar of this tussle.

The key is just a simple choice we make

from the millions of moments that weave our life

lease not, your present, to yesterdays and tomorrows

for they are tenants who only add heartaches and anxieties.

In this transient world, all that matters is “Now”,

for the living in the present is the best gift to self!

Dodoggocafe’s poetry prompt : Key, travel, choices

Travel Tales!

 

pixabay.com

Each can be read as an individual tale or together as a single one. Hope you enjoy them.

Explore world, travel bucketlist, another strike.

Souvenirs from travels, world within home.

His travel blog, brought him fame.

Travel taught him what education didn’t.

His travels unraveled the journey within.

In travel, he finally found redemption.

 

In response to Shweta’s 6WSP : Travel

 

 

The Solo Trip!

In response to Kat’s twittering tale # 131. Write a tale in 280 letters or less.

Photo by Adhitya Andanu at Pexels.com

Her first solo trip abroad, had taught Annie life skills and learning beyond the two decades of formal education.

Missed flight, incessant weather, bitter experience, helpful people, diverse culture, dealing with situations….it was a mixed bag.

She was now ready to take on life!

Letter count 280

CFFC – Roads!

In response to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge : Roads, Country, Freeway, Street, Dirt etc.

Pathways , no matter how they are, always lead us to our destination!

Here are some random pictures taken over the years during our many travels .

freeway@Germany

A national highway – India

Near a fort in Jaipur

Auli – Uttarakhand

Munnar

 

 

Catching them unaware!

In response to Cee’s photo challenge of catching people unaware!

Many times pictures are more natural when we don’t pose for them. The candid clicks bring out innate aspects of people making the picture so fresh. So here are a few where I managed to catch them unaware!

At a temple in south India

Playtime at the beach!

Krakow market area

At Manna, the last Indian village on the northern side

At a street in Krakow

Holy shrine of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India

 

 

Love…. relived!

In response to Kat’s twittering tale # 112, to write a tale on the picture prompt in 280 characters or less.

Sam & Tia were madly in love in their younger days. As time went by, busy schedules at work kept them away from each other, and they drifted apart.

Tia’s medical diagnosis, brought them back together, to relive their old love for the last few months of her life!

Letter count : 277

Bilingual poem – बांवरा मन , The Wandering Mind

ic:google.com

बांवरा  सा मन मेरा, यह तो है अलबेला

चल पड़ता यही, दिल में तराने लिए

न टिकट कटवाता, न ज़रुरत है इसको पासपोर्ट का,

न लम्बी कतारों में रुकना, न भारी सामान उठाना,

नहीं करता कोई सोच विचार, न चाहिए किसी का साथ,

आंखे मूछे, बस निकल पड़ा यूही,

बांवरा सा मन मेरा, यह तो है अलबेला

 

हसीन वादियों में खो जाता कभी,

तो कभी अनगिनत रेतों की कहानी सुनता

ऊंचे पहाड़ो को छू लेता कभी

तो कभी जंगल की घेहराईओ में खो जाता

समुन्दर के सदा बहार लहरों के संग शाम बिताता

तो कभी बागो में फूलों संग नाचता

लहराते बदल से दोस्ती कर लेता

तो कभी सावन के बूंदो से दिल बहलाता

हिम के सफ़ेद चादर तले ठंड से ठिठुरठा

तो कभी पंछियों सा मदमस्त आकाश में उड़ता

हँसता गुनगुनाता बस यूही निकल पड़ता

बांवरा सा मन मेरा, यह तो है अलबेला

 

 

This wandering mind of mine

sets off, singing a melody.

Without a ticket or a passport,

nor the hassles of long queues and heavy baggage,

with no planning or company needed,

it embarks on a journey, at the blink of the eye.

This wandering mind of mine

sets off, singing a melody.

 

At times, it loses itself in pristine surroundings

or listens to the many stories of the infinite sands,

at times it scales the peaks of gigantic mountains

or gets lost in the wilderness of the woods,

at times spends an evening with the oceanic waves

or sways along with the dancing blooms,

at times, it fosters  friendship with the wafting clouds

or soaks itself in the gentle raindrops,

at times, it shivers under the white expanse of snow

or soars like a carefree bird in the blue yonder.

Smiling and humming along,

it embarks on a beautiful journey.

This wandering mind of mine

sets off, singing a melody.