Distinctiveness - Travel and Lifestyle Blog

Mother Nature's masterpieces (including the two young fellows) The second day of a trip can be either really exciting or deeply depressing depending on the circumstances. Even in Meghalaya , the abode of the clouds.  For instance, the second day of a week-long vacation is likely to keep everyone in an upbeat mood. However, the second day of a weekend trip can be quite melancholy. There's always sadness looming at the culmination of good times.  That was how I felt on a Sunday morning at Quinton Enclave, a quaint little homestay right in the heart of Shillong . We were all a little sore from our ten-hour drive around North East India the previous day. [ Also Read:  A Drive to Krang Suri Falls, Meghalaya ]  There was another six-hour drive ahead of us. The thought of holidays coming to an end only added to the gloom. I sat at the small desk, working on my laptop, but mostly lost in thought. The tea turned cold. It was a lazy morning. That was of course, until Messi wo...

Krang Suri Falls There are few things in the world as exciting as the anticipation of a long-awaited trip. A lot of effort is required behind the scenes to script a successful trip, and it all starts with an idea. A brainwave. A craving for the road.  A touch of Wanderlust. "Isn't it strange that we have never been to Krang Suri Falls yet?" That. That was the exact moment when it all started. Almost immediately, we were thinking about the trip. Soon enough, it was on our mind all day and then, all week. We began planning for the journey. We started scouting the route on the World Wide Web. And pretty soon, it was time to leave.  The anticipation of a long-awaited trip hits its record high on the night before the journey. On a Friday evening, we finished our chores in time and hit the bed a little earlier. My seven-year-old son, however, remained deep in thought. "What is it, Messi?" "Do we have to leave at the break of dawn, Baba?"  "Yeah....

Growing Old isn't bad when you have the right people for company Does anyone know of a man who forgot his wife’s birthday? No, because he didn’t survive to tell the tale. Birthdays are special, apart from the fact that they arrive every year to remind you that you are growing old. I don’t usually wait a year to enlighten Sumita, my wife, with this sombre news; I point it out to her every day! Especially on her birthday, which falls on the 12 th day of September. But then, there’s a charm in growing old together. There’s a wealth of experience to look back upon. Stories to retell over the dinner table. Subtle moments of déjà vu. Been there. Done that. Among all the things I recall and relive is a memory from exactly a decade ago. The first time Sumita and I celebrated this special day together. We were young, freshly in love, seeing the world in each other’s eyes. Girlfriend and boyfriend, yet to be knit together in social binding. I recall riding with my trusted Intrepid...