Explore! A small word with a million possibilities!
Whenever I travel, and I try to as often as possible; I fancy myself as more of an explorer than a tourist. Through my experience I have learnt that my best travel moments were never those that were spent looking at tourist spots. My best moments were when I got off the beaten track to explore nooks and corners and places that were not in the guidebook.
Exploring doesn't always mean destinations.You must also explore different cuisines, people and cultures. When you visit a new country or state, it doesn't make any sense to eat the kind of food you have always been eating! Try out the local food. The best meals I have had include having camels milk with a nomad family in Jaisalmer, Salty butter tea in Ladakh and Octopus eggs in Kyoto.
Talk with the locals, interact with them and try to understand their culture. You will be amazed at how rich you will grow in experience and how much you can learn from the wisdom of others.
I remember when I was in London I decided to go to Hamilton court at dusk because I wanted to avoid the tourist crowds. I didn't get to see the inside of the Hamilton court, but I did have a lovely walk through its gardens and then I met a quaint old lady walking her dog along the Thames. She told me many stories about the ghosts residing inside Hamilton court that I am sure a guide would never have told me!
Exploring is not only limited to Travel. We all need to explore our own selves. The world is filled with endless possibilities. There is so much to learn, so much to discover. We need to give up our inhibitions, try out new things, different careers, new hobbies.
Stretch your limits, Push yourself, Grow! Never be afraid of mistakes. It is better to explore and make mistakes than not to explore at all!
Whenever I travel, and I try to as often as possible; I fancy myself as more of an explorer than a tourist. Through my experience I have learnt that my best travel moments were never those that were spent looking at tourist spots. My best moments were when I got off the beaten track to explore nooks and corners and places that were not in the guidebook.
Exploring doesn't always mean destinations.You must also explore different cuisines, people and cultures. When you visit a new country or state, it doesn't make any sense to eat the kind of food you have always been eating! Try out the local food. The best meals I have had include having camels milk with a nomad family in Jaisalmer, Salty butter tea in Ladakh and Octopus eggs in Kyoto.
Talk with the locals, interact with them and try to understand their culture. You will be amazed at how rich you will grow in experience and how much you can learn from the wisdom of others.
I remember when I was in London I decided to go to Hamilton court at dusk because I wanted to avoid the tourist crowds. I didn't get to see the inside of the Hamilton court, but I did have a lovely walk through its gardens and then I met a quaint old lady walking her dog along the Thames. She told me many stories about the ghosts residing inside Hamilton court that I am sure a guide would never have told me!
Exploring is not only limited to Travel. We all need to explore our own selves. The world is filled with endless possibilities. There is so much to learn, so much to discover. We need to give up our inhibitions, try out new things, different careers, new hobbies.
Stretch your limits, Push yourself, Grow! Never be afraid of mistakes. It is better to explore and make mistakes than not to explore at all!
I leave you with this wonderful quote by Mark Twain. I try to live my life by this maxim!
I love this blog post! You are very right about exploring. It's one of my favourite things to do, you never know what you will find.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the challenge.
Thank you ! Good Luck to you too :P
DeleteThats the fun part not knowing what you will find !
I think exploring cuisines is a major part of exploring.
ReplyDeleteJO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE
Oh yes .. exploring cuisines is a lot of fun.Specially if you are a foodie like me !
DeleteLove this post and the quote - I am amazed at how many blogs reaffirm my change in direction - "Sail away from the safe harbour" really stood out for me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you !I love the quote too !
DeleteAh, you write what I endorse. So TRUE about going beyond a designed holiday package. I've eaten pigeon, frog legs and rabbits, now that you mention. Your post made me wanna take a trip......loved it.
ReplyDeleteFrog legs ... You are more adventurous than I am ! I had rabbit pie once and loved it :P
DeleteA good one...By the way, how does an octopus egg taste like ? :P
ReplyDeleterather an interesting flavor ! Welcome here Akash !
DeleteOh N! What a LOVELY LOVELY start to my day. True, just doing the patel-spots is one way of holidaying, not mine though. I veer towards the experiential as well. If there is one memory of living in the moment, where you feel one with the surroundings, occurs on a holiday, you've hit pay dirt :) Happy exploring :)
ReplyDeleteThank you - glad you liked the post. A holiday is not a holiday till you have done something different.
DeleteRuch, I am so glad you decided to join the A to Z challenge. Look at the good stuff you are churning out. Yes, exploring is not just about travel, it is much more. Love the way you pen your thoughts, always.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that thanks to you I discovered Ruchira ! :D
DeleteThank you Shail. And thank you for tweeting this post :P
DeleteYes it is for Explore... Infact you know if someone would call me a tourist and not a traveller I would be offended !!! :P
ReplyDeleteI love to set my foot lose... also I completely believe in the journey being a celebration and not the destinations... the moments of my holidays that I remember the most clearly and loved the most were all that happened when we left the regular circuit... took a plunge and followed instincts... like trekking at midnight to find a village in Rohru with only torches, a river to cross in the night... it was a shit scary and yet the most wonderful moment of life... hey wait I will do the E for explore post too !!! I can kinda relate to it soo much !
Yes we know how footloose and fancy free you are ! I wish I was working on my own instead of in a corporate job !! sigh ..
DeleteThe one time I traveled internationally was with a school group and I couldn't explore and it's something I've always regretted. Great post.
ReplyDeleteKC @ The Occasional Adventures of a Hermit & Oh Frog It
Thank you and welcome here ! Travelling in a group can be constraining at times !
DeleteLovely lovely post Ruchira :) Indeed traveling is more about journeys , exploring , learning and un-learning rather than exotic travel destinations :)
ReplyDeleteThanks ! Glad you liked it !
DeleteWonderfully penned.
ReplyDeleteNavneet. I know you like this maxim too !
DeleteWonderful thoughts, Ruchira. I'm stopping by from Every Day Is a Miracle (D is for Delhi). Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog. I'm sorry I didn't have more positive things to say about Delhi--as I said, it was a bittersweet experience for me in India, and I have many positive memories too...I'm sure a lot of it was because of traveling on the cheap...and in 1989.
ReplyDeleteWelcome here Marie. Travelling cheap can be so hard. Been there done that !
DeleteMy "Exploring" right now is all thanks to A-Z challenge! It has opened me up to a world of wonderful thinkers and writes such as you. Cheers - Laxmi.
ReplyDeleteHow true @ We are getting to explore so many new bloggers and themes thanks to A to Z.
DeleteLovely post, Ruchira! Exploring newer places, ideas, cuisines, meeting new people... open up our world and leave us so enriched. How were the Octopus eggs??
ReplyDeleteInteresting to eat shilpa ! They were in form of pakodas ! So it was a bit like having egg pakodas ! We all need to open our minds .. there is so much to see in this world !
DeleteLovely post! I can identify so much this it. Exploring everything new, and old is a kind of journey I love to take.
ReplyDeleteOctopus eggs- now that sounds strange :P
When you are in japan no food sounds strange !
DeleteMark twain I'd my favorite!
ReplyDeleteLove his quotes . The one who doesn't explore is a dumb ass and his company with one who explores is pain in ass
Spoils our experience too. However I may not be able to taste all cuisines
I was mostly on fast food bread and fruits in Malaysia
The aroma made me bit nauseatic
Without exploring places life and self it's boring to live
Good one ruchira
Thanks Afsan. Glad you liked it !
DeleteAbsolutely! Exploring and as you pointed out it is about discovery. I feel exposure also helps break boundaries and removes stereotypes. If we do not explore, we remain insulated. Loved the post!
ReplyDeleteexposure does help break boundaries and remove stereotypes ! Well said !
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Deleteoctopus eggs- that's cuisine exploring at its best. I so love this Mark Twain quote- so apt.wonderful post ruchira :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Priya ! I love the quote too !
DeleteThis is one of my favourite quotes - but you're the one truly living it out! Hats off to you.
ReplyDeleteI think we all are .. in our own way :P
DeleteWhat a lovely nuanced post. You explored the different facets of exploration. I was reminded of how much catching up I have to do with regard to exploration.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your blog go places.
Thank you Cynthia ! I hope to keep on exploring !
DeleteSuch warmth exudes from the word travel and explore. I wish may you have more wonderful experiences to share. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Pallavi. And welcome here.
DeleteThat's the only way to travel is what I firmly believe
ReplyDeleteSo it is !
DeleteI hate being all touristy too. I like exploring and experiencing other places.
ReplyDeleteThere is no point in going to a new place unless you are willing to explore !
DeleteThat's a wonderful way of brightening up the trip. I always walk and explore. For me that is the best way of getting the feel of the city. :)
ReplyDeletewalking is surely a great way to explore the city !
ReplyDeleteYes, you are right - visiting as a tourist and exploring a place are indeed two very different things. Loved the quote and its application to all other aspects of life too.
ReplyDeleteHow I wish to be in your shoes!
ReplyDeleteI love travelling. It's exhilarating. It makes me realize how insignificant my life in this grand world, every.single.time. I wish I could go on more trips.
ReplyDeleteSo well-put Ruchira. Loved reading this post of yours. The topic is pretty close to heart :)
Check out this cool comic on Mark Twain : http://zenpencils.com/comic/73-mark-twain-an-educational-journey/
ReplyDeleteYou're SO lucky to have already explored so much! So true, we should explore and experience all kinds of things in the world......I'm trying to do it everyday! :)
ReplyDeleteThough I have not got the opportunity to travel much but there lives a wander in me. To enjoy the essence of travelling one must explore. I did the same when I travelled recently to McLeodganj. It was my best travel ever. I want to go there back.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I don't understand people who search for restaurants that serve their own cuisine when there are so many options in this world!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a wonderful trip!
Wonderful quote and I love how your post segued into exploring within! Wonderful word choice, Ruchira!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, my exploration starts long before I take up a travel. I thoroughly go through the available information of the proposed place of visit as regards culture, population, climate, cuisin, habitat and so on. During my visit I try to spend my leisure time with the locals exploring their family life, culture, beliefs and religion. After the visit I normally jot down all the experiences for sharing with others.
ReplyDeleteBut from your blog I've learnt a great thing which is as folllows
"Exploring is not only limited to Travel. We all need to explore our own selves. The world is filled with endless possibilities. There is so much to learn, so much to discover. We need to give up our inhibitions, try out new things, different careers, new hobbies. "
This paragraph of yours has given me a real understanding on the idea of "ËXPLORIN".
I've all admiration for this beautiful writing.
There is an explorer in everyone of us. The irony is that we curb him/her for other responsibilities. I wish to live in a world where this is not required.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
You are so right, locals and their stories are way more interesting than the regular guides and tour operators.You can write a travel book, why don't you? :)
ReplyDelete