Around the time I had been reading about Scotland, especially Edinburgh, I remember stumbling upon the statement “But Edinburgh is a mad god’s dream.” Now I don’t know about mad gods and goddesses but I do know that it is a city of Good Samaritans. Do you remember where we left off in the last post? That bit about me…
I confess. I have a crush on Edinburgh. I have been in love with Amsterdam from when I first set foot on that gorgeous slice of heaven on earth. But now Edinburgh, with its cobbled streets, mix of old-new structures and a skyline that gives off a broody Gothic vibe on a cloudy day, has found its way into my…
I know, I know… It’s been over a week since we bid an emotional adieu to Goddess Durga and almost everyone is in Diwali prep mode. Some of your houses and lives must resemble chaos now – pushing the painting/remodelling job in the house, the annual home cleaning session in progress, shopping and planning the Diwali mithai, etc. etc. I’m doing…
No one is born a solo traveller. Somewhere along the path of life, you determine the need or desire to travel alone and then forge ahead. At least, that’s the way I look at it. I’ve been a latecomer to the world of solo travel. Till about five years ago, my solo travel time was limited to trips to-&-from home/boarding…
She: “So… I read that post of yours. The one where you shared travel tips.”
Me: “You did? That is great!”
She: “Those are generic tips but there’s nothing specific for women.”
Me: ____________
She: “There is so much more women have to deal with when they travel. You should have written about that too”
Me: “Ummm… okay!”
This conversation between me and prefer-to-keep-unidentified acquaintance was a bit of an eye-opener. I’d never thought about travel as being gender-specific. And that was a mistake it seems! Because she made me realised that as a female solo traveller, there are certain steps I take to ensure a smooth run.
I strongly feel vulnerability is not specific to gender, age or region. A lone individual in a foreign country may be considered easy prey and rather than allow the fear of “What if!” inhibit our movement and the joy of travel, a few conscious measures could make the trip a memorable experience in a good way.
So previously, this blog post was titled ‘Three cheers for my bucket list’. When Rem – the techie friend who handles the nitty gritties of this blog – saw a strike through the word ‘bucket’ in the heading, her first reaction was: “What on earth woman! We don’t mess with headings!” Luckily for me, it was said in an affectionate…
Throbbing feet, heavy shoulders, a rumbling in the tummy and a satisfied grin on my face, I shivered in delight, enjoying the mildly chilly wind of the late September evening. Having managed to locate St Valentine’s relics in a cathedral tucked away in a not-so-touristy part of Glasgow, I plonked myself on a bench along the upmarket Buchanan Street after…