How I Protect My Camera while Traveling

Whenever I think of traveling, I think of photos and then Instagram and then hashtags. I have clicked at least 5K to 6K finished photos until now, forget the raw ones, I cannot even count them. There was a time when I used to click photos using my smartphone for my blog. However, they were never too good to be uploaded on my website. Still, I had to be content with it because I could not afford a DSLR until college. And when I bought my favorite Nikon camera, I never knew that I would love it like my baby.

Now whenever I go out for a photoshoot, I have to take care of it all the time, but I don’t mind it at all. The first thing that I realized after buying it was that I have to have a good quality padded camera bag. My friend, Rohan, had lost his camera to a thief because his camera bag was too flashy I guess. He became an easy target for the thief and he swore that he would never buy such a bag again. And from that incident, I also learnt that I must buy a bag that doesn’t look like a typical camera bag. I have a sling bag that appears to be carrying books in it, and the look on the acquaintance’s faces is worth seeing when I take out a camera out of it.

The next thing that I do is to keep my camera with me all the time. When I fly, I never send the camera in the checked-in luggage. I don’t trust the airlines guys to handle my fragile things safely. I have seen them throwing even the bags with fragile notice without care. That is why; I keep my camera with me in my hand luggage.

Secondly, if I am driving my Car Rentals in Mumbai, which I often do for my professional photo shoots, I never keep the camera or the lenses inside the car. Yes, I can use the boot space to keep my valuables, but India is not a country to be trusted for the expensive stuff. The thieves here are the most clever breed of humans, and they are too smart to outsmart us. It is only in the emergency circumstances that I keep something valuable in the boot.

I used to love showing off the Nikon logo whenever I went for a shoot. The aspiring photographers especially love to notice their dream equipment with someone. I understand this feeling because I have also felt this for a long time. However, there were instances when the crooks also noticed the camera too.

Thankfully, I have never been robbed, but a few instances like this changed my perspective and I have started hiding the branding on my camera. Every Nikon logo on the camera or the equipment is now hidden under the black duct tape.

I know I might be overprotective for my camera, but I have been able to afford it after a long time of saving money during college. I don’t want to lose it too soon because I have seen veteran photographers taking care of their gear like I do.

The Eminence of Self-Driving in Mumbai

Mumbai, a City of Dreams!! The Financial Capital of India!! Isn’t that what this city is known by? Famous for the beautiful marine drive and the marvelous Gateway of India, the city has something in its air that just makes some explorers like me to come pouring in there. From architectural marvels to some famous beaches, Mumbai has it all for travellers. Being amongst the top travel cities in India, it wouldn’t surprise any of us if Mumbai tops the list of travel cities in India. For me personally, visiting this city was an experience that makes me want to go there again.

That Epic Beginning of the Journey…   

So where to begin from? Taking a flight from Delhi and landing in Mumbai turned out to be a little different for me. It didn’t take me long to figure out the high travelling prices in this city. The taxis meters are devils ready to take it all away from you. So here’s a thing, for an approximate travel distance for a cab/taxi for 44kms in Mumbai will cost you around INR 968, which is a tat higher than the rest of the cities in India. Now getting out of the airport, I had to hire a cab for a 50 kilometers distance to my hotel which priced me a considerable amount. Quiet a hassle too, taking a cab and getting somewhere in Mumbai. Although it seems very convenient when you sit around at the backseat and enjoy the views of this city but honestly, not everyone can spend so much on a daily basis when in Mumbai unless you’re some rich brat with a lot of money to spare right?

Getting to know about self-drives…

So I came across this nice cab driver on my way to a friend’s place who cared enough about the expenses and told me about something like self-drive cars in Mumbai to save me from those extra expenses. Surfing on the net, I came across a self-drive rental and thought about giving it a go. The price is pretty reasonable when you compare it to a local cab hire. So I got the car for a two day round off, got it delivered at the hotel which is convenient. And honestly, why would you go for such a service if you have to pick up the car from a different location and to get to that location you have to get there first by spending more bucks? So considering the scenario, it was convenient.

Worth it…

Driving around the beautiful marine drive and exploring places at my own will, who doesn’t like that? And with a free road side assistance, it was a comfortable experience moving about in the city. Although the car wasn’t as up to the mark as I expected it to be, but it was certainly in a way better condition that the rest of the cabs and taxis that you come across in this city. So here’s a thing to note, self-drives cars are easy to book, less costly and worth trying in a city like Mumbai where you might want to get around some other untouched places as well. Doing that isn’t possible with taxis and even if you make it happen, well you probably will a tough time dealing with the behavior pf the taxi drivers and the cost would bear upon you.

So step worrying about the worthiness of the self-drive rentals in a city like Mumbai. Give it a try and enjoy the Beautiful an economical experience of moving about the famous financial capital of India.   

How I Decide the Time of My Vacations

I have made a commitment to myself that I need to travel at least thrice a year, or maybe four times if I can manage. However, there have been times when I cannot decide the exact time of the year when I need to go on a vacation. Financial and social commitments subside my travel plans, and I have no choice but to cancel or postpone my plans. Even if I go to a nearest city for a weekend getaway, or just sit at the edge of a hilltop fort, I love the quiet time I spend with myself. However, whenever I start feeling the signs of mental burnout, I realize that it is high time that I should pack my bags to leave for a far-off destination.

The negativity creeps in

Whenever everything starts giving a negative impression, or the world starts feeling ugly, I know that I need to take a break. There have been times in office when the job that I love starts feeling boring, the friends that I have fun feel too poky, and the clothes that I wear don’t suit me anymore. I know at that time that the problem is with me, not the world.

The physical symptoms

The best part about being human is that I can think; I can analyze things, even though I may overdo it sometimes. My body does not make sense to me whenever the mental discomfort reaches the head, eyes, or legs. I realize that the body has started getting the signals from the mind that I should relax. I might sleep for the entire weekend without eating much, but the mind will still be occupied by the household chores.

The struggle to sleep is real

I have a serious problem of sleeplessness whenever I am struggling with an issue. I have spent many restless days and sleepless nights just because I could not stop thinking about the office politics, the unfulfilled ambitions, and even the grocery that I have to buy from the store. I know that I am being too foolish to behave like this, but just a weekend getaway can solve this problem. I like to sit on the edge of a fort and just be quiet for a while; it may not solve my problems, yet it gives my mind the much-needed relaxation.

Decision making is hampered 

It is not that I always make mistakes at taking decisions, but I do err a lot when I am restless in my mind. Simple things seem complicated to me. For instance, I forget how much sugar I had put in the pan while making tea, the number of pages I had counted while making files, the left turn I had to take while driving. I would brainlessly think about various things that do or do not matter. When my mind starts wandering, I know that I need to wander too. It is healthy to be on your own during the vacations and travel without an itinerary.

I have not been going to the gym lately, and I do not work out at home either. A simple walk to the grocery store seems difficult because my body feels heavy along with the mind. There have been multiple phases like this in my life of three decades, and I know that they are normal. I just need to book tickets to a new city or village, and free myself for a few days. I am no saint, but I love the solitary feeling for a few days. It is time to look for Self-Drive Cars in Mumbai and leave for the hills. Yes, I will be going soon!

How a Trip to Mumbai Turned Hilarious

Absentmindedness is a sin, they say, but it turns out funny for me every time. I am fond of traveling and I can hit the road at any given chance. My office wanted me to be there in Mumbai for a month so that I can give presentations to our clients on various projects. I obviously did not have a problem with it, but I made a mistake. I chose to live with my friend rather than staying at a hotel, which meant I had to spend at least one additional hour on the messy roads of Mumbai. Anyway, I was prepared for it because I did not want to get bored every night in the city for one complete month.

I took the flight and reached my friend’s place in Andheri. I had taken a week’s leave so that I could prepare well for my presentations, but I would sneak out time to visit places in Mumbai. Every day, I woke up early in the morning, and worked for a few hours on my laptop. Once the peak rush hours were over, I would leave to roam around the streets of Mumbai. I did not want to miss this opportunity to explore a new metropolitan. Although I don’t like urban travel, I don’t mind wandering around new cities free of cost. I came back home in the evening so that I could spend some more time for work. Thankfully, I did not have to depend on the crowded local trains and I could take Self-Drive Car on rent Mumbai for my travel needs.

Anyway, coming back to the blunder that I did, I had to join office on the coming Monday and I was getting ready for work. I was late, by three minutes or more. It was important to reach office on time because I was supposed to give a lot of Powerpoint presentations. I raced down to the parking area and entered my car. However, I felt that the pockets of my pants were lighter than normal that day, and it dawned upon me that I had forgotten my phone in the room.

I did not have time to search it in the room, so I called my friend to look for it. His phone rang and he answered it. I told him that I had left my mobile in the flat, and he should look for it. He was surprised at what I said, but I interrupted him and said I was coming to pick the phone up.

He: Stop it Rohan, wait and listen to me. You are talking to me on your mobile phone!

I was flabbergasted!

Obviously that was the most stupid thing of my life. I started the car and rushed to office, though we shared tremendous laughter over my foolishness that night. Thank God, I had not asked him for my car keys after entering the car! He might have banned me from coming over his place again!

What Motivates Me to Travel Every Month

For me, travel does not necessarily mean that I should go out of the city every time. I live in Mumbai and I love to explore every corner of it, which might take a year or more. Even then, I feel I would not be able to grasp everything in the city owing to the versatility of the city. Nevertheless, I want to share how I find the motivation to leave the house every weekend and explore a new place or even a new café.

Tiredness from work

Exhaustion from the routine of weekdays is the first thing that bores many people. Still, they keep slugging for weeks and months to go for just one vacation. However, I don’t like to sit at home on Saturdays and Sundays. I make sure that I have my plans ready before Friday strikes so that I do not feel too confused to decide upon the destination. I plan my weekend for a new meet-up, visit to a historical monument, or eating at a new place. If I cannot find anything, I make sure that I meet someone from office, college, or school. I just cannot spend time sleeping at home throughout the weekend.

Curiosity to explore

This reason may or may not work for others, but it does wonderfully work for me. I love to learn about new places, especially the historical monuments. I have deep interest in history and politics, so I love to explore more and more places as soon as I can. I have been to several museums and monuments to learn about the culture and history of India. 

Meeting people

When I know that I have to meet an interesting person, my heart comes abound with joy. Talking to a new person gives me a reason to get dressed and find topics to talk to him or her. This trait of being so communicative came in me from my husband. I used to be a little reserved whenever I would meet someone. However, as soon as I observed him after marriage, I noticed him talking to everyone he met. He is not an MBA graduate or a marketing executive who knows how to strike a conversation with people. Still, he is a pro at making people comfortable with him and he can extract a lot of positive information out of anyone.

I and my husband often take Car rental Mumbai to go to places that we can visit together, based on our personal interests. Nevertheless, it is completely my choice to be out of the house every weekend while he prefers to relax on both days. During my journey of so many weekends in and around Mumbai, I can proudly say that I love the way I live. Life would not have been better than it is today. Although I have seen people talking about travel a lot, but when it comes to actually doing it, they have broader plans than they can accomplish. Nevertheless, I would keep doing what I am pursuing at present.

The Only Disadvantage of Traveling By Car

Much has been written about the pros of traveling by car and extended road trips, but hardly anyone talks about the cons of it. Every coin has two sides, and the road trips also have their benefits and detriments. Since I am talking about the negative sides of road trips, it does not mean that I do not like them. I am an ardent lover of traveling by car, but I felt like writing about the flip side of it. At least a decade ago, road trips used to be cheaper and much more fun than today. Let me take my heart out as I talk about the disadvantages of traveling by car.

Traffic jam

Earlier when I had started going for road trips during my college time, there used to be hardly any cars on the road. However, nowadays the immense traffic on the road irritates me every time I go out on the road, especially during office hours. Passing through the small cities is one hell of a task because the vehicles are not regulated at all, and I am sorry to say, but people do not have any civic sense to be on the road. The animals, children, pedestrians, and bikes are all on the same street where the high-speed vehicles should be. All this chaos causes traffic jam even in metropolitans, forget the Tier-II cities of India, which are in massive bedlam.

Time consumption

 I have to be honest here; road trips do take a lot of time and effort. If the distance is more than 100 kilometers, I have to do a lot of mental preparation to be there in the car for hours at a stretch. With the growing age after forty, being in the car for more than three hours definitely seems painful. If I leave for Goa from Mumbai, it takes me more than 11-12 hours to be there, which is a long time of course. Although extended hours of journey do not seem much painful when I have someone to talk to in the car. Being alone for such a long journey is undeniably awful.

Hidden costs

Being on a road trip does involve a few hidden costs, which may sometimes shoot up the budget by a great deal. If the car breaks down, the prices of the motels are great than I expected, the food is expensive, and the toll taxes there at every hundred kilometers; I have to bear the costs of every such expense. All these expenses are really agonizing, mainly because I am habitual of going for a road trip when these expenses used to be much lower than the current times.

Bad weather

Although the bad weather can impact traveling in all modes of transport, sometimes it becomes especially challenging to deal with it when it is raining or snowing heavily. Driving on the wet roads is highly risky since the visibility is too low and the roads become slippery. Secondly, if the snowfall occurs on the hilly areas, it becomes equally disturbing to drive the car in a zero-visibility environment because of snow.

I do love going on the road trips despite all these disadvantages because of the peace of mind that I get on the roads. Someone has rightly said that the roads are an answer to all problems. Whenever I feel lost or confused, I rent Self Drive Cars in Mumbai and hit the road with my friends or even alone. Just after a few hours, I feel my nerves calming down, and I can find answers to all my problems.