Being A Traveller

અલગારી રખડપટ્ટી : when the Place remains with the Memories, and not the Person

"So, Goa is postponed, and your Diu trip is cancelled. What now?"

"If nothing, then I can go to Ahmedabad."

"Oh! And who's gonna come with you?"

"No one. I don't want anybody; I want a solo trip, and you're never gonna allow me. So, here, I'm giving it a try and then you'll get used to it. It's my first solo trip, and it will be fun. You stop worrying."

"You're gonna go in this summer!"

"Summer never bothers me if I'm up to my activities!'

7th May, 2016, and I started my journey of four days. Yes, Ahmedabad, my hometown, is only a hundred km from here. And yet I haven't visited it as a traveller. So, this was the time!

Day 1 : 7th May, 2016

5th National Ahmedabad Book Fair

Around 3 o' clock, I reached there and did my chai-nasta. It was the last day of 5th national Ahmedabad book fair, and I was fully energized to explore my Ahmedabad. I got a Two Wheeler, switched on my mobile and tried to search for my ways with the help of Google Maps (Yeah, I must have remembered the roads, but Ahmedabad is different. Yeah, complex!) My first bad experience of the first day - when I was a bit away from the Sardar Bridge near Paldi, and I tried to take help of a Rickshaw man. Map was showing to go to right, and he showed me left. I have heard it from people that sometimes Google Maps is wrong and you have to ask people. So this time, I tried to trust him. I turned left, and there was no bridge, and instantly my instinct forced me to believe the Maps and go straight to the right one. So, I took a U-turn and went on following the Google maps. Then, there I passed the bridge and finally went to the book fair. The 5th National Ahmedabad Book Fair was too cool. It was like half of the Ahmedabad is interested in reading and was gathered there. I liked one thing there, this 'Vanche Amdavad' fair had three halls for books and other halls for programmes and speeches from famous writers (unlike other government programmes, the hall was pleasantly air-conditioned; yes, summer in Ahmedabad is scorching hot) that was contained in an enormous space near the riverfront. It was impeccably designed and nurtured loads of books; so it became one of my favourite places too. I had plans of visiting a museum and a restaurant, but didn't get much time as I was too busy rubbing the pages of my favourite books to my fingers. I spent 25-30 minutes on riverfront. Took pictures, and then just stayed there on the riverfront calmly. I was so happy after buying the E. A. Poe collection that I almost forgot about the dinner and stayed there for long, enjoying the sound of running water in the burning summer.

E. A. Poe collection, that night, and riverfront!

At late night, I met my cousin. He is a talkative person. Besides, I had remained quiet for the whole day, so we talked incessantly. That day I recognised the importance of my being social. I realised that I missed talking to people. There, I understood that these noises which I missed were actually peaceful to my inner soul.

Day 2 : 8th May, 2016

Good Morning! :D

That day my cousin was quite excited to buy some books. So he insisted to get me a bike ride, so that he can join me to Gandhi Road to buy some books. That road was used to be a whole new world of books, but now it's in so bad a condition that we can't even get a book we desire. So, unlike I'd planned for buying more books from Gandhi Road and less from the fair, the reality contradicted my plans. After buying those books, we, my cousin and I went to Commerce 6 Roads and took cold coffee coco and momos. (Yeah, I prefer Vadodara's momos though.)

Ellis Bridge

We came back to our home in Ahmedabad, and I thought of my dinner at Vishalla restaurant. Well, Vishalla is a bit costly but I wanted a life time experience, and still I hadn't had any time to go there, enjoy, and come back in time. So, I searched for other cool restaurants of Ahmedabad and got really impressed by Agashiye restaurant and The Green House restaurant. Both were in the same building known as The House of MG, situated in front of Sidi Saiyadni Jali. But well, at the end, my mom phoned me, “It’s okay that you want to eat in that restaurant. But to go there specially is wrong. લોકો શું કહેશે! (What people will say!) You can change your plans and go there for your dinner only if you do not come to your place and go there directly after your tour." So, I had to postpone my dinner to the next night. Even in that solo trip, people affected me!

Day 3 : 9th May, 2016

Zen Cafe & Amdavad ni Gufao

Juma Mosque

As per my plans, first I went to Lal Darwaja by rickshaw and bought a મનપસંદ ticket with what we can meander to any place in Ahmedabad for the whole day in the city buses. So, from Lal Darwaja, I went to Gujarat University and from there, went to Amdavad ni Gufao, Navrangpura by rickshaw. It was closed on Monday, but I liked the view of those caves when I saw through the closed glass door. I ate garlic breads, a sandwich and drank a glass of ice tea there at Zen cafe (FRIENDLY ADVISE: Do not eat its sandwich). Then I went to Kankariya. It was closed but I didn't mind as I've seen it many times. From there, I went near Sidi Saiyadni Jali, and visited Ahmed Shah's Mosque , also known as Shahi Jam-e-Masjid or Juni Juma Masjid. It was quiet there in that oldest mosque of Ahmedabad. After clicking loads of photos and staying there for a while, dinnertime approached and so I went to Sidi Saiyad ni Jali, and then to The House of MG. I was eager to eat in the Agashiye restaurant, as it's enjoying to eat on the terrace in the summer evening. But as there was a fixed Gujarati thali-dish which was expensive, containing a lot of Gujarati food items, and I was not even able to eat that much after the evening snacks, I remained at the ground floor, in The Green House restaurant, where I ate Mung-Bhindi (okra) subji, chapatis, and bhaji-paav. Dinner was delicious! And then, I enjoyed a cup of badam shake at Prem-Mevad Lari-Shop on the Relief Road. It was an amusing day.

The Green House Restaurant

Day 4 : 10th May, 2016

Tagore Hall

Gandhi Ashram

The day, when my Google Maps app denied me to help, like two or three times I forgot my bus stops and had to walk a bit from another stops. I visited a Kites' Museum known as City Museum in the Paldi, and the Tagore Hall. (Where I was afraid, honestly, as it was a deserted place.) Then I went to Gandhi Ashram, Sabarmati. And then visited Adalajni Vaav (Adalaj step-well). Coming back to home, from the Sarangpur bus stand, I asked for my stop 'Mariambibi mosque' and bus cabin uncle said, "Bus no. 142 or 147". There came 147 numbered bus, and he said, "Yes, go. It's your bus." I knew the road from the Sarangpur bridge. But then the bus went to ‘Patel Mills’ and I got that Mariambibi Mosque would not come by that way. I tried to wait, but then I decided to ask the bus driver and he said, "Beta, this bus is 147, not 77. It will stop here in Gomtipur, not on your stoppage. You can get a rickshaw from here." And I felt good that I knew the road from there. Otherwise, waiting in the bus would have led me to nowhere. (Yeah, after wandering this much in Ahmedabad I still can’t remember the roads and all.)

My trip ended. But how I trust people and how much I trust people; when I should not be alone and where; what is the real noise and what is the real peace - that's what I got to know from this trip. What the real adventure is - that's what I got this time. When people were asking me somewhere, "Excuse me, where's Maninagar?" and I had explained them by Google Maps and my memories, I was becoming a citizen of my favourite city. And when I had no ideas, I was becoming a traveller of this new city! The real taste of food, the importance of water in this summer, the time spent with my own self, and the sleep that accepted me for the nights, were not new for me, but were obviously making me alive day by day...

Adalaj Step-well

The first solo trip to Ahmedabad, my hometown, was miraculous. After living there for years, I was still a stranger in this city. The city, which is a Mumbai of our Gujarat, busy day and night, was that lively in the present that I wasn't even able to find my lost childhood in its streets!

A "Perfect" Vacation

What do you call a perfect vacation? Probably we will relate it to perfectly planned trips or relief at home. Well, the former answer would be having higher votes. But in my views, the "perfect" vacation is anything that you do in your free time with its intensive wishes and plans. As the trips with all the plannings, bookings and ticket reservations, and all, will obviously give you pleasure after it's over; or those sleepy days in your comfy couch where you only do is watching movies and eating pizzas or ice-creams. The saddest part of these vacations are that they're not "perfect", after all not for me. I usually end up sleeping for the whole day, watching TV and cartoons, and mobile-ing... And those trips which I've covered were mostly under my Mi's or Paa's plannings..!

"Hobbies", a word that can describe me! I find it bad that I've too much hobbies. It's like distracting. I can't even concentrate on one hobby only. And hobbies are those which can be diminished and can be added too. As I was not that inspired with tours and all, yes, if my parents plan it, I would be ready. But now, it's not like that. I have heard it from people, my friends and all, that their hobby is travelling. Yes, it can be. But most of them still don't know it's real meaning. Travelling is not only that you pack your luggage and go to a tour, but it's always about adding that area's morals and cultures in you.

This vacations, I made plans on reading books, watching movies, (these both points count doing PhD on Harry Potter Series 😝🤘) having a trip with friends or a solo trip, guitar practice - bring it on, writing my book constantly for at least 5 pages a day, and still if I get time, I should study a bit!

Now - reality.
Vacation was about to start and my cousins came here after long. Gave an exam and passed my vacation's 2 days with them. I enjoyed a lot and it was great that they came, as it made my vacation different than others as they all rarely come here. Vacation - the term only includes college and not our hospital, so these 14 days' mornings are dedicated to patients unwillingly! From 8th May, I would be having a trip with my vamp-chick friend in Diu, after cancelling the plans of Delhi with cousins and Goa with girls' gang. And somehow Diu trip also came to our plan cancellation. My friend, having a nature like me, can manage the sad feelings of cancelled trip, as she can be busy in her brother's wedding shoppings, but well, I had to do something to control my emotions! So, after all these trips being cancelled,
Here, I got an idea!

After having the permission from my parents about our trip to Diu, I got a thing about Indian parents! It was hard for them to send only two friends, especially "girls", for Diu trip, and we had thoughts of our world tour. So, to change their perception, I surfed net for some ideas. And got this one - feel the awesomeness when you visit your own city as a traveller! Vadodara is my city but I've seen it as a traveller, and have almost seen everything as if it were yesterday. But Ahmedabad, another city to which I belong, is a memory. I live there for like years, but have never seen it as a traveller! If I want to have a solo trip, I have to start it from somewhere, so why not from my own city, why not from this vacation! I'm gonna have a visit to crossword and will obviously read a book on Ahmedabad (I like to travel like that, with every information in your mind, marking every point of your vision). अगर कुछ शुरुआत करने का time है, तो अब है..!

This summer vacation, search for your own self. Take time for your self. Stop doing nothing, and start living your hobbies or things that you like. In everyday routine, we lose our parts in our lost hobbies; regain them in your vacation. Make yourself fresh, and be a new energetic you in your work and studies..!

All the Best! Gotta go to be a bag packer!
📢Ahmedabad, I'm coming!