Aswini Ashok

Never in my life have I considered solo travels to be a yardstick of how ‘alone’ I can be. I just think of it as how well I can ‘manage’ things. Solitude cannot be confused with ‘alone*’. Every time I post my trip’s blog or pictures, I get lots of love for sure. But, at times I get hurtful messages as well-which can be loosely interpreted as I am destined to be alone*. Over time, I got used to it and have never really cared to explain. But, I feel I am obliged to clear certain misconceptions around the A-word for some reason which I will come to later. I might be 27 years old but the only sibling in my family to still throw tantrums that I am the usual ‘ignored’ child. Middle child syndrome is for real, people. Also, the fact that I am not writing a diary to keep it myself but a blog in ‘public’ about things that matter to me means, I want people to engage with me for god sake. I have no shame accepting, I crave attention as much as everyone does. But, if you call me a lone...

Part 1:  Curating My Own Golden Triangle - Delhi (Day 0 - 1) Part 2:   Curating My Own Golden Triangle - Agra (Day 2) Day 3 – Jaipur:           Thoughts about Jaipur: I find it very disturbing that such a big state’s capital is dependent entirely on tourism. I don’t see any other form of development activities going on. People seem very poor and illiterate and sadly I saw police thrashing people in public places very frequently. Though Jaipur is very vibrant, these things again left me with sadness about the poor governance they have been subjected to.           I must say Gypsy Monkey is one place I would recommend to anyone staying in Jaipur. The staff was very friendly. It is only because of them I changed my mind from hiring a bike and decided to explore Jaipur through tuk-tuks and buses only and it was enthralling. My first stop was to the city palace. I don’t feel the entry fees for monument...

Part 1:  Curating My Own Golden Triangle - Delhi (Day 0 - 1) Day 2 – Agra:          Thoughts about Agra:  If not for the Taj Mahal, the city would be totally invisible. Despite the revenue the state yields from the Taj and the GDP they gain through the tourist activities, Agra still remains very backward. And I can’t help but feel bad about the poor governance they have been subjected to all their lives. Also, the religious polarisation seems evident as the only person(autowala) I spoke with was very open in spewing venom about the minority community despite the fact that it is only because of that particular community’s ancestral work, Agra is even a city to visit, to begin with.          I got the 6.45 train, Taj Express from Delhi to reach Agra. The woman who sat beside me offered me her yummy home-cooked parathas. Once I reached Agra, I kept my luggage in the cloakroom and headed outside. UP tourism has prepa...

               Delhi and Tajmahal are places that have fantasized me always. So, once I made up my mind that its time, I promptly enquired tourist packages, but, eventually, gave up the idea because I know the fun part in any solo trip is curating our own program and schedules and not blindly following someone else’s itinerary. After all, that is what solo trips teach us - to be completely responsible for things that may or may not happen as we please. Thus I began curating my own Golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur. Day 0 – Bangalore à Delhi              Honestly, I was nervous while boarding the Airport shuttle in Bangalore. This was my first solo trip too far away and for a long time too. And Hindi is a complete no-no. But, the nervousness transformed into a sense of excitement as soon as I entered the airport. Watching the red-orange horizon, flying from Bangalore filled me with a newfound p...