HAVE LOVE, WILL TRAVEL: FIRST EXPERIENCE AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS Lucky being a word I sparingly use lest it lose meaning, goMowgli’s launch necessitated that I use it: I was one of the lucky few guests invited to the debut of a traveling experience so singular, it could (and soon will) become the new way to travel. I am under no duress or obligation to write any of this, so rest assured that the words that follow are rooted in nothing short of or more than honest, impartial observation. The highlight of any ordinary touring option – and you can Google a random tour website in a new browser tab for a quick verification – is the package. By “package,” what is implied is the mechanical list of places you will visit, number of days/nights you will stay, and pale clichés of brochures that lack as much in joy as in delivering on oversold promise. At least part of the reason for its mechanicalness is that the organizers themselves have no real spirit for the art of traveling or fervor for adventure; they are symbols of failed capitalism, gone from wrong to worse. But anybody who has any inkling of what makes for an intimate, memorable travel experience will tell you that where you go isn’t anywhere near as important as who you go with and whom you will meet – except those you already know. In other words, the journey is the destination. This is the thin but dividing line between memory and oblivion, a line that goMowgli has tacitly made the heart of their intent – not places, but people; not constraint, but freedom of movement. This difference is measurably visible from the very first moment you meet the organizers: The warmth of greetings tells you that you will be in the company of cultivated folk for the remainder of the day. When that ice is broken and you are made to feel comfortable in a circle of strangers almost immediately, you will begin to wish the day would never end before it even begins. Strangers cease to feel like strangers, and the journey starts. But as with any responsible agency, the thing of paramount importance is the safety of you. My journey began with rockclimbing on Chamundi Hills, and the care with which the instructors arranged the climb and descent made even a first-time climber like me feel secure enough to trust their expertise like a child does his dad. They were husband-and-wife adrenaline junkies, and their passion for extreme sports was contagious. Word of advice, though: Wear sports or rockclimbing shoes. My first attempt failed. With shoes then exchanged, I climbed faster than was necessary to impress myself. But I digress into minutiae. To get back to my core point, it’s all about the new people you meet, and I met a bus-ful of them, knowing almost no-one from the trip except the organizer, Sunil Abhilash. The day progressed through exchanges of culture, conversation, and curiosities between European and Indian invitees. The organizers, far from being non-participating observers, became as much a part of the group as the guests. I ended up welding meaningful friendships that I’m convinced will last for years to come with people both eccentric and down-to-earth but wonderful all the same. This, and not the other thing that travel agencies sell, is what I will cherish. The organizers of course left nothing to chance and planned the day in advance, replete with plan B’s and well-timed breaks that culminated in a brand new, indescribably cozy French café in Mysore run by a lovely French couple (the French lady looked strikingly similar to and reminded me of my English teacher, which I hesitate to say was scary). The organizers did, however, underestimate the heat. It was hotter than usual today, and it made it nasty to walk through the streets of Mysore during the edu-taining Mysore Walk of historical intrigue, and equally searing for the European womenfolk who cycled through the paddy fields and jaggery houses and handcrafted blacksmithing villages around Srirangapatna guided by the charming cycling/nature enthusiasts, Steve and Ananth, both of whose hospitality was just mwah! But as is obvious, the pleasure overcompensated the pain. Complaints weren’t really complaints; merely maybe-next-time suggestions. (Among other hassle-free events of the day were lunch at riverside restaurant Mayura River View in Srirangapatna and visit to the hills surrounding the super-scenic Thonnur Lake where a large body of water was so flat and still, you could mistake it for ice.) Sunil tells me that his dream is to take this concept of slow travel meets backpacking and make it big. He wishes to grow in scale and ambition and bring “travel without constraints” to the national stage. He’s not being unreasonable; this concept of slow travel doesn’t exist in India but would undoubtedly be well received as I now testify. India is big and diverse, much too much to be intimately experienced through superficial sightseeing and shallow travel guides. We need this as much as we need to eliminate extreme poverty; the former increases the awesome, the latter decreases the suck. That’s what makes a country grow. That’s what makes a country worth living in or visiting, and worth experiencing. If traveling is a form of self-indulgence, then GoMowgli creates a complete social experience to do just that, and I wish them well on this enterprise. All in all, at the end of the long, much-needed day out, this trip exceeded my expectations of being pure, all-caps FUN! I cannot at all believe my initial reluctance to hop on and would be surprised if I don’t hop on again soon. I recommend it with confidence. Trips like this can make you and me and others happy – that elusive happy. cc: Sunil Abhilash goMowgli
Posted on: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 04:43:48 +0000
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