Kindness Never Gets Out Of Fashion

People who never leave their comfort zone are the ones who give the advice to others to do the same. I have met countless people who tell me to stop going for so many road trips and stay in my city so that I can be safe. I have tried convincing them that the world is a safer place than they show in the TV, but I have stopped telling them so now because people don’t want to listen what I tell them. They are only interested in the scary stories that they see in the news.

I understand how tough it is for people who want to go for solo trips to trust their instincts and not the news, but I would still say that people around the world have many things similar in their hearts. They have same aspirations, dreams, needs, and necessities. There are numerous people around the globe who would go out of their way to help me and many more travelers.

Last year, we made an instant plan to travel to the Chandratal Lake in Himachal Pradesh, which was a huge mistake, for sure. We could not procure the permit online to cross Rohtang Pass, so we thought we would try our luck at the permit office directly. The entire journey was going against the plan, but we were still adamant to reach our destination. We had already begun our journey quite late, and there was no way we would reach in time in one day. After it was dark, we got at least two families telling us to take a halt and resume the journey the next day.

Again, we were in trouble because we could not find an accommodation. We even thought of sleeping in the car, but we were six people and we did not have enough blankets to survive the chilly cold nights of the region. We might have died of cold had an old man not helped us to stay at his hut. It was a low-roof hut where we could barely stand, but we slept well at least for a few hours. The kind old man helped us to find fuel the next morning. The best part is that he did not take advantage of our situation by charging excessive money. We coerced him to accept money, which he had not asked for, thanked him from the bottom of our hearts, and resumed our journey. However, we pledged that we would never make instant plans for such risky destinations.

Once again, when I was in Goa trying my luck at parasailing, even though I am scared of water, as well as, heights, I found a kind lady soothe me. My family had hired Self-Drive Cars in Bangalore and we had driven to Goa. They all wanted to go for water sports, but I did not. No amount of compelling convinced me to agree, but a kind lady did just by her empathetic words.

There are many other instances where I found several people compassionate and benevolent, especially when they know that someone is in trouble. We just need to give the world a chance; we live on a beautiful earth indeed.

Things I Learned on My First Visit to Bangalore

Even though I had never thought about living in Bangalore, life took me there in the beginning of 2018, and it was a mix of sweet and sour memories. The best part about this city is that Bangalore is full of vigor and joyful people. On the other hand, the worst part is that you cannot bear the traffic situation here. The roads are too narrow to bear the huge number of vehicles on the road.

Thankfully, I had to spend only a month in Bangalore, so I used to take everything in a happy stride and be cheerful about things. Having said that, I cannot blame people for cribbing about a few things about their metropolitan life in Bangalore because they were absolutely right in their place. I, being a traveler, understand that problems tend to magnify when you have to face them again and again.

Since I am quite comfortable in the English language, I did not face any problem in communicating with people. A few people that I had met while traveling, though had a problem with the locals never speaking in Hindi. The local residents here speak either English or Kannad, their mother tongue.

Once, I had to go to the Cubbon Park, which was a few kilometers of distance from the mall where I was. So I tried to board an auto-rickshaw, but could not find one. I asked a guy standing beside me waiting for an auto as well; he responded that finding an auto in Bangalore is sheer luck. Sometimes, they come and at other times, they would just never cross your way. It was a brilliant thought for my mind, and I thought that it is better not to rely on the auto-rickshaw drivers for traveling.

I asked the same man about the alternatives to traveling around, to which he said that I should hire a cab or a car rental Bangalore, the latter of which is the better option because I did not have to depend on a driver to come. I cannot thank that guy enough for his valuable suggestion because having a car ready to drive anywhere I wanted saved a lot of time, even though I had to bear the traffic at times. But at least, I did not have to wait forever for a cab or an auto-rickshaw to come.

In my short stint in Bangalore, I visited the old places like Bangalore Palace, Vidhana Souda, Cubbon Park, and Lalbagh to witness the glory of olden times. Additionally, I visited the new constructions such as unique restaurants, high-end hotels, IT companies, and multiplexes. It was certainly an interesting vacation plus work stint in Bangalore, about which I have fond memories.

I also went to Coorg, which is just a few kilometers from Bangalore, and it was a mesmerizing vacation for sure. I got to know a lot about coffee plantations, and I can never thank the polite locals of Coorg. I think I would go to Bangalore again, given a chance because there is a lot more left to explore around this city.