Awesome Blossoms: Horn OK Please (28 page)

Seeing these glorious animals in their natural splendour is an unbeatable sight, unparalleled in its grace and memory. Soaking up the knowledge and nuances of many of animal behaviours was an added bonus.

And we were fortunate enough to view the Elephant, the White Rhino, the Cape Buffalo, Giraffes, antelopes and zebras at close proximity.

Wild it was, the Africa!

***

My next pit stop was in the continent of Europe, which was partly driven by my immense interest in its amazing mythology! Yes! You guessed it right! Next in the row were Greece and Turkey.

A visit to Greece may be perceived as a passage through an ancient civilization , and it comes off as a journey through a land of blue skies and seas, wonderful food and some truly beautiful smiles.

All the news about Greece has been fairly negative in the last few years, the crashing of the economy and the upward spiraling of unemployment and discontent portrays a country that would be full of despair and grump. That in itself was the best surprise when in my personal experiences I found the most warm hearted of people I had ever seen during my travels. The cabbies, the bellboys, the waiters at the local restaurants, the coach drivers, all had always something extra to offer.

This is not just painting it rosy but when you see the stark reality that inspite of having 25% unemployment, the country is still coming to grips with a retirement age of 58 and supporting its senior citizens, the path ahead continues to be difficult.

Greece is a country with a population of 11 million, of which 5 million live in Athens, the capital. With over 500 habited islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas and the obvious plethora of artifacts and monuments, it is certainly a tourist’s paradise. And outside of gas/petrol, the prices are just unbelievable. Unbelievably cheap that is!

Athena (patron goddess of the city) looks over the city perched in the temple of Parthenon that is located on the Acropolis Hill, one of the seven hills in the city. Awe inspiring spectacle. She apparently was born from the head of her father, Zeus (King of Gods), and is a symbol of everything that is beatific. Between her and Posiedon, God of the sea and 10 others, they signify the bounties of the Golden age of Athens circa 450- 300 BC. The plundering of the gold and statues of the Parthenon, by several marauders ranging from the Romans, the Turks and the Britishers is the unfortunate aspect of this all. Even now, some original pieces from this splendorous monument lie in the museums of London. Wouldn’t it be a good gesture on part of the administration to get these back to where they belong?

The azure Aegean sea is quite a temptation for those who love cruising around and as long as the right non-touristy islands are picked, you have a fair chance of actually being in the right place at the right time. Greece has had a record this summer with over 17 million tourists and this being the primary source of their revenues, it certainly looks like Greece is doing the right things to attract tourists without fleecing them and may be some of them may desire to come back.

Some inspirational stories are about the marathon race, when a foot soldier in his armor ran the distance from Marathonia to Athens (42 km/26 miles) to tell the denizens of Athens of their victory over the Persians. The legend lives on. One person who never actually stepped into Athens was Alexander the Great, the young king from Macedonia who has had so much written about him. Such is a range of great personalities and some real insights into art and architecture from a civilization that stretched from circa 8000 BC and well into the 5th century AD.

For those inclined I got a good view of the column architecture of the buildings, Doric order of the Parthenon and the Ionic order in the temple of Posiedon and then interestingly, there were the Corinthian orders in the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. How architecture and the styles travelled from one civilization to the other. How the artists look to one civilization and absorb and adopt certain architectural styles into their own civilizations with varying degrees of nuances. I never thought I would actually get so absorbed into something I had barely paid attention to in my college years. My civil engineering classmates may think different.

Enchanting Greece was left behind owing to a short hop into the mystique Istanbul, Turkey. One fact that will most certainly overwhelm anyone is the sheer population. A city that has loads of history, has two continents forming part of the city limits has over 15 million people in it. But then, you actually start to take in the sights, the chaos of the bazaars and then think of the Grand Ottoman empire. From the famous battle of Constantinople in 1453, The Ottomans, hailing from central Asia and descendants of Genghis Khan invaded the city from the Romans and then went about making it about the power nerve center of the world. Their glory is evident in most sections of the city, specifically the old Europe portion with its teeming bazaars, the grand mosques and the wonderful architecture. They probably chose the losing side in the Great War (1914-18) and that signaled the beginning of the end and that is when Ataturk took over as the father of modern Turkey.

The palaces, the mosques, the layout of this historical city make it to stand out with a character of its own. And the Turkish folks come off as a very hospitable people indeed. The flavor and character of Istanbul warms you up. With their continuing efforts to arrest the incessant traffic by means of building additional bridges and tunnels across the Bosphorus and the sea of Marmara, I hope the crowds do not become a deterrent to visitors. But the city is strong and makes Turkey proud, no doubt.

You have to get into the rug purchasing in Istanbul certainly once in a lifetime. You step into to a reputed store and it is an almost certainty you will not walk out without a rug or two. The art of salesmanship with a massive human touch is in full display here. From invoking the Ottoman Sultans to your heart, to offering the strong Turkish coffee that appeals to your culture and your ego, the salespeople make this entire rug buying experience a unique one. Istanbul is where I truly experienced the West transitioning into the East, a hub of the world is what it seems.

Remarkable is the word I would coin for this city.

***

Every place I visit, I form an instant connect and explore as if there is no tomorrow. And in this manner, the list of travelogues keeps on growing.

In this life, whenever I travel, I have realized that no matter what the colour of the skin might be, no matter what the climatic conditions of the place would be, no matter what the traditions and the cultures the place would foster; at the end of it, one thing still remains the same and that is ‘the spirit of life’.

The more I travel, the more I explore myself, the more I come to know of the intricate balance of nature, the more I appreciate the present. Travel gives me strength and restores the belief that somewhere in some distant corner of the world, humanity is making a progress.

***

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

By
Prathamesh Bute

***

We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without
.

-
Immanuel Kant

The
City of Dreams

“A
ditya, Wake up! We have already crossed the suburbs”, said Mrs. Patil as she gently stroked Aditya’s hair, “We’re about to reach our destination!”  Aditya woke up with a start and sleepily looked out of the window. His eyes lit up and a broad smile crossed his face when he realized where he was. Panchavati Express, a large serpentine train chugged into the Mumbai Railway Station. It had been Aditya’s tenth birthday and a trip to Mumbai was what he was promised by his father.

It was the ten-year old’s first visit to the city of dreams. He was excited to visit the city. Everybody called it India’s Maximum city; he just had to be there to experience it. He’d studied hard and got good grades at school. His Dad had promised him to take him to Mumbai if he did well in his final exams. He had. He was finally in a city he had heard about so much from his friends and had seen it in movies. He was finally there. It was a hard earned vacation.

Aditya was the only child of his parents. His father, a simpleton, was a salesman in a garment shop while his mother was a homemaker. The trip had cost them a bomb. Money was hard to come by for Aditya’s father while his Mom was busy trying to make ends meet all the time.

Little Aditya stepped out of the train and tightly gripped his father’s hand. He was nervous, excited and scared at the same time. He was awestruck by the sheer grandeur of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T.) Railway Station and the sheer size of the railway station left him speechless. It must have been at least a hundred times bigger than the station in his small town, he figured.

He tried to listen to the announcements on loud speakers about arrival and departure schedules but he couldn’t fathom it. Like any other visitor to Mumbai, he too was scared and fascinated by the sheer size and the number of people around him on the city station itself.

As they stepped outside the busy terminus, Aditya looked up and smiled to see a massive clock that adorned the Railway station. It looked like the crown on top of a grand monument.

It was a pleasant day. The skies were clear and the weather was dry. It was just the perfect weather for their vacation. As the family of three explored the busy streets of Mumbai on foot,
Aditya thought about all the wonderful places they would visit and drooled, thinking about the different cuisines he had always wanted to try out. Lost in thought, they crossed a McDonald’s restaurant.

Aditya, the child that he was, was real excited when he saw the place. He had only seen them on television ads or in Bollywood movies. He had to taste a burger for it was what his friends had advised him to do. To him, it was the coolest thing to do and here he was standing right in front of the famous food joint.

Oh! For a bit of a big, juicy burger! He had to have one right then.

Aditya’s Dad had no clue what a burger tasted like nor was he too inclined to try one. His mother was equally clueless and disinterested. To them, it was a fancy and an expensive joint for city dwellers, not small town folks. Reluctantly, Aditya’s father mustered enough courage to step inside as the leader of the pack. 

His parents took turns at staring at the menu card with utter disbelief. Not only did the items on the menu card seem like tough riddles to be solved by the hapless customers, the victims probably were also subject to typographical errors that involved misplaced ‘zeroes’ which made it completely unsolvable and unreal.

His father looked at him and reasoned, “Son, I am sure you will find tastier burgers elsewhere in the city. If you really want to do enjoy your vacation, allow me to treat you to the local delicacies. Have you heard of the famous ‘
Vada-Pav
’? It is the Indian version of a burger, just vegetarian. This is foolishly expensive and we just cannot afford to waste money like this. Out, let’s go!”

An irate Aditya stormed out of the eatery and walked ahead of his parents in a huff. He was hopping mad and disappointed. He didn’t want to be spotted with his parents at all. What would he tell his friends back home? As his father watched him from afar, Aditya found a large, marble statue to squat under. His mother watched him as he sulked. From the corner of his eye, he saw his Dad make a beeline to a hawker’s stall close by. Maybe he liked the smell of the deep-fried, unhygienic stuff or maybe he went there because it was cheap and affordable. Aditya felt a pang of guilt creep inside. 

He saw his Mom walk across to his father and help him collect the small packets that the hawker skillfully packed for them.

As his parents squatted beside him on the smooth, marble slab that had enough place for a dozen people to sit on, Aditya chose to look away while his parents gorged on the local, roadside delicacy called ‘
Vada Pav
’. The Indian version of the meat-free burger of the common people smelled delicious and Aditya was hungry. But he couldn’t just give in; after all, his pride had been hurt.

They had just walked out of a world famous food chain simply because his parents would just not understand what people around the whole world seemed to love. A quarter of an hour later, though the pangs of hunger seemed to take over his foolish pride, he chose to stay hungry for some more time.

His parents tried but in vain till his Mom decided to pack in a couple of ‘
Vada-pavs
’ in a newspaper and stuffed it into her handbag and rose.

“Let’s go, Son, it is evident you aren’t hungry enough yet to enjoy the simple life”, said his Dad sarcastically and got up. As the trio walked in silence towards a famous monument known as the Gateway of India, Aditya felt his anger subside as hunger seemed to get the better of him. But Aditya’s anger was short-lived.

His mood changed instantly as they reached Gateway of India. It being a pleasant Sunday afternoon, many visitors had thronged this historic monument situated in the heart of Mumbai. Aditya ran towards the parapet wall to get a closer look at the Arabian Sea. It was a jaw-dropping experience for him. The blue waters extended till infinity and even beyond the point till where his eyes could see.

The zoetic water sparkled with brilliance as the rays of the afternoon sun danced on the surface. The tidal waves lashed against the shore and a damp breeze fondled Aditya’s face. The water receded and in a few moments another wave lashed against the shore, and the cycle went on. This cadence of the sea waves seemed to have a calming effect on the little boy. 

Aditya tugged at his Mom’s handbag. She promptly pulled out the neat little packet of ‘
Vada-pav
’ and handed it over to Aditya. His Dad chose not to look at Aditya as he greedily munched off the snack. After all, it was a matter of pride for the little boy and that had to be respected.

So what if he wasn’t a good provider who couldn’t give his son what he craved for? So what if he had to take a loan for this vacation simply to keep a promise to his son? So what if he didn’t know how he would pay off the loan? After all, he had to look good in front of his family.

While he munched away merrily at his snack, Aditya’s Mom felt at ease. It seemed as if the sea signified the rhythm of life with its cyclic nature of waves. Good times would always follow the bad times.

So what if she had worked her fingers to the bone just to ensure her family was well taken care of? So what if she had secretly sold off her bangles to carry some extra cash for her only vacation in years? After all, was love not supposed to be selfless and her family far more precious than anything else?

A calmer Aditya stood in between his parents staring at the beauty of the turbulent sea. He stood transfixed by its magnificence. He realized that he had behaved like a jerk. He knew very well that it had not been easy for his parents to afford a vacation. He’d asked not knowing that it would really happen. He knew his parents couldn’t afford it.

Aditya let his mind wander. The sea made him think of the promise he had made to his parents before they came to Mumbai.

Aditya recalled an incident from last month. One morning he saw his father cleaning the old bicycle. The bicycle was sometimes used for carrying out the odd-jobs like visiting the grocery store, flour mill or the nearby market.

Aditya enquired, “Where are you going so early in the morning?”

“I am going to the shop,” Dad replied.

Aditya was puzzled. He knew his father went to the shop on his scooter and the shop was 10 km from their house. Aditya looked around, but he couldn’t spot their scooter. “Where is the scooter?” Aditya asked, shocked.

“We had to sell it, we needed some money” replied Dad.
Aditya couldn’t believe his ears. Since that day he saw his father ride to the shop and back on the bicycle.

That night Aditya overheard the conversation of his parents who were in the other room. He could hear his mother sobbing. Aditya peeped through the crack in the wooden door. He saw his mother applying some ointment to his father’s feet. His father’s feet were swollen by riding the bicycle over such a long distance. He seemed to be in great pain. He knew the money was needed for his education and other expenses related to him. He felt bad that he was burdening his parents. He wanted to do something to help them, to ease their pressure. His parents sent him to the best school in the town and made sure that most if not all of his requests and wishes were taken care off. They didn’t want him to lose out on opportunities due to lack of money. Though they avoided spending where they couldn’t see any rationale or logic as money was scarce. No one at school could guess that he came from such a modest background. He knew his parents could have sent him to the local public school, where most of the kids from the neighborhood went, even from the families which were far well-off as compared to Aditya’s but they chose not to. Aditya felt immense pride in what his parents were doing for him. He loved them. This incident had made him realize that he respected their undying efforts and also idealized them.

      Next day, at school Aditya came to know about a Scholarship Exam which was scheduled after 6 months. If he passed this exam, Aditya’s education till the 12th grade would be taken care of. He knew he had to crack this exam to support his parents and honor their efforts. At night, Aditya was greeted with the news that his request for the Mumbai trip was sanctioned, He was finally going to visit the city of dreams on his 10
th
birthday. He wanted to pinch himself to confirm if this was true or was a dream. His mom replied, “See we kept our promise!” Aditya was ecstatic. He decided then and there that he would pass the scholarship exam about which he had learnt a school. He told mom and dad the exam. “I promise I will pass the Scholarship Exam!” Aditya assured with conviction in his eyes.

     Aditya’s chain of thoughts broke and he returned to the present moment. He was still gazing at the waves. He looked at his Mom’s hands which were resting on the parapet. It hit him like a tidal wave, Mom’s bangles were missing. He hadn’t noticed it until now. He realized that Mom had sold them off for money. He fought the tears, the breeze helped to fight the lump in his throat. The scooter and the bangles were no longer a part of their family. Aditya thought that the absence of scooter and the bangles which were assets for them should have added to their poverty. But ironically it made them rich. Reduction in wealth, sure but wasn’t it an appreciation in the love their family had, the renewed respect he felt for his parents and strengthening of his will to work hard and succeed in life?

Yes, he didn’t belong to a wealthy family. But he was rich. And they’d kept their promise. Now, he would too.

He reached out and held their hands as they stood watching the stormy sea. His Mom hugged him tight as his father gripped his tiny hand.

***