Still Travelling

Arrived Santiago airport and boarded  bus (CIL 1800 a ticket) to Los Heroes bus station. Walked with our backpacks down Av Libertador Bernardo, past La Moneda onto Mornade street to no. 280 a distance of 3 kms.  A cozy apartment awaited us. we unpacked and made our way for lunch to "Mercado Market". The market is Santiago's wrought-iron fish market and is a classic for seafood lunches (and hangover-curing fish stews like the tomato- and potato-based caldillo de congrio ). We skipped the touristy restaurants in the middle and ate at one of the tiny low-key stalls around the market's periphery First day in a new city, first day of our trip. What better to do then take in the sights of the city, via a tour. We opted for a walking tour which took us 4.5 hours. Meeting point was across the Cathedral. Our tour guide for the day was Valentina a 24 year old girl studying Geology at Santiago University. We visit...

Unsure when the trip commenced. To make it easier for me for decide “in the beginning’ I took 15-Oct as the start. My first day of leave (or retirement!!) The leave started on a lazy Sunday, as I eat a late lunch with Russ and Nilofer at their apartment overlooking Mumbai harbour. The waters of were calm and the changing tide swung the ships at anchor in a confused manner. Each one of them looking for the incoming tide to settle to their final direction. Russ did remark, this trip ‘will be a life changer for you”. I just looked out to sea and into the endless expanse. I followed up a late lunch with an even later tea. I sipped spring water from the Mulshi dam, but I contaminated it for the second time. Make a mistake the first time and you could be forgiven, the second time and you better pack your bags. In my mini journey’s I never have been a great packer. I could fill up any suitcase for my weekend trip to Pune, Panchgani, Lonavala or the ever lovely Dhanau (at “Talis...

From Bandra to Panchgani to the deep blue sea. Life moves on. Fair winds and following seas drove me back home. However a boat is of no use in port, so that made me think of sailing again. For I cannot change the strength  and direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to take me down the path of my dreams. One may have the strength, but does one have the direction?                                 Bandra                           Panchgani Pictures by my dear friend Sunil Kamble   Deep Blue Sea Return to office Back to Sea