Born to Travel !
Remember the movie , Titanic . At the very beginning of the movie , do you see the hustle and bustle at the port . Everything appears so chaotic ! People rushing everywhere . It appears as though something has gone wrong or there is a state of panic . well , that is the ways of people !
Last minute rush to get onto the ship .
Why I am telling you a movie scene ?
That is how all travelling is ! Last minute packing , rushing to close the house . Dogs , cats and the plants need to be looked after by some kind friends and neighbours .
Bags look pregnant ! Travel papers and passports checked and rechecked .
Friends and relatives all gathered to add to the excitment and fun .
This is how the stage is set for a great journey ! We are set to travel .
As a child it all appeared so wonderfully magical and fun .
I was 7 years of age and my family was going to travel .
It was customery to do this great travel every 4 to 5 years .
You must be wandering what sort of custom is this ?
Well, my dear friends, it happened that we were living in Malaya , to be precise , it was British Malaya. ( Malaysia was formed way later in 1963 ) .
My story is starting in 1954 .
My wonderful loving mother was from Punjab,India .
She came from the punjab villages . Proud Sikh Jats , a clan of landlords.
She was married to my father who was from Malaya.
Hence , this custom to travel to India to visit my mother's family .
Each such trip easily lasted about 6 months !
The travelling took about 10 days one way !
A slow steamer sailing from Penang , in Malaya and crossing across the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean . This little tub of a boat rolled and tossed about endlessly in the dark black waters of the ocean
Our stomachs too rolled ! Vomiting and throwing out food was a given .
Plates danced around . We rolled from beds . It was simply crazy .
This drama had its high days and , of course low days.
It took a good 6 to 7 days to do this crossing !
It was truly an experience that I cannot forget easily ! As I write I can feel and see my past .
Finally , after this endless water world from morning to night and back to morning , a few birds are seen and what a joy it is to know that we are approaching land . Than gently we start seeing small fishing boats . Than slowly we start seeing an outline of land ! That was the most wonderful feeling.
As the land became more visible , our joys and excitments to increased .
Everybody were back to their rush mode to pack and get ready to disembark .
The same rushing , hustle and bustle was at its peak .
We were all set to get down in Madras , India .
That is the way of the traveller !
Excitment and adventure in the unknown .
That is when the Human spirit is at its best .
