Want to become backpacker again soon!!

Cafe at Hostel

Apart from the beautiful Scottish landscapes my recent holiday introduced me to budget travel and backpacking. The four days of travel were very different from the family holidays and tours we are used to in India. Must say I am looking forward to become a backpacker again!

Unlike in India, booking a tour did not mean I was offered a ‘posh’ hotel and three meals of the day with services to carry my luggage and local transport. It was fun to learn to travel light, which is so impossible for us Indians. I was amazed to see how western travellers manage to travel for weeks and months with a small suitcase or a travel sack. Here I was with a similar bag travelling for four days.

Travel wagon shaped bar

It was a pleasant surprise to enjoy the ambience that backpacking provides with the company of fellow travellers from different countries. So we had Team Australia, Team China, Team Turkey, Team Korea, etc on our bus. Having read about budget hotels as a professional, I had some idea what backpacking hostels would offer. The most happening part of the hostel was the pub or the cafe where travellers would relax after an early dinner. The self catering kitchen was ready with cutlery, utensils and chopping boards for those who fancy cooking. The lounge was a perfect setting to play cards or for net surfing.

The hostel I stayed in Edinburgh offered complimentary walking tours, pub crawl and pool competitions. It was this walking tour that I realised such hostels also employ backpackers who earn while travelling. Our walking tour guide was a Canadian student on a break, travelling around Europe with Edinburgh as his base.  He is in the city for 10 months, has travelled around Europe, UK and works at the hostel.  “What a wonderful life. I would love to become backpacker like him”, I thought.

Work in progress, Apologise for the delay

Today I got a mail from Transport for London (TFL) informing about bus route diversion on 14^th August due to a cycling test event for London Olympics. Such communication is highly unimaginable for a Mumbai citizen used to unexplained road digging and facing daily traffic snarls. And I realised I am getting used to London’s way of communication and liking it.

One chilly November morning I was late for a morning lecture because of some traffic near the campus. I was fortunate enough to have been allowed to enter the classroom, but the lecturer reminded the late comers about the ongoing gas pipeline work near the campus. This meant we were supposed to factor in that delay and plan our journey accordingly. This was one of the first lessons of travel planning in London as opposed to the assumptions and presumptions of Mumbai travel.

Later I started noticing digital sign boards along the roads at least a week in advance informing about planned engineering works. Importantly the boards apologised to commuters for delay and causing inconvenience. London tube stations have a ‘good service’ sign flashing against a tube line. Once my friend wondered what is ‘good service’. In Mumbai terminology it meant Western / Central / Harbour trains are running on time. Here the tube driver apologises for delay if the tube stops between stations, which was amusing for us in the beginning. Today’s TFL mail mentioned specific bus routes in my area that will be affected and provided a link for further information on those routes. Couple of days back my friend noticed our internet connection was down and we remembered receiving the pamphlet from our internet service provider about possible connection failure from 9am – 1 pm. Aptly our net connection was back at 1.30 pm.

This is in stark contrast to seeing Work in Progress signs on Mumbai roads for infinity. Worse the same road is again dug for some other reason disregarding logic and commuter’s convenience. If engineering works were actually planned a Mumbai commuter will not suffer the annual saga of pot-holed roads during the monsoons. Many will save money spent on doctor’s consultancy for backaches, sprains, maintenance costs for private vehicles and most importantly time and energy to face the same ordeal again and again.

Have you wondered about your favourite bus route?

It was hot afternoon when we boarded our usual bus no 71 from busy Eden Street that my friend remarked, ‘I hate 111, 131 their routes are so long, 71 is the best, it goes straight’. This made me think, I am not the only person having peculiar thoughts about bus routes. Living at Dadar, I have mostly travelled by bus to school, college, classes, work, anywhere in Mumbai. These bus travels have developed certain notions and memories about particular bus routes in my mind.

When I think of Mumbai buses I remember bus nos 165, 164, 385, 81, 85, 324, 79, 33, 87, 91, 28 and the list can be expanded. I can associate some memories, incidents, people I travelled with or something or the other with each of these bus routes. Bus no 165 has been a permanent companion from childhood till date. The landmark for my house is ‘ building behind 165 bus stop towards Worli’. This will be amusing for Londoners who depend on tube and location maps to travel. I use to take the same bus in the opposite direction to catch those early morning lectures at college. The 7 am 165 use to be full with school kids, most of them disembarking at my stop, making way for us other regular travellers. The daily routine to see the bus conductor managing the school kids and his witty conversations were fun to watch. The same conductor knew his other passengers and we never had to mention the stop we wanted to get off at, the ticket would be ready in our hands.

There was something I liked about route no 81, but still can’t figure out what was it. So many time when we were engrossed in chatting on the bus stop, my friend would say ‘your favourite bust has come, will see you tomorrow’. Was it the particular seat I use to scramble for while travelling to French classes? But I know why bus no 324 was my favourite while returning home from a tiring day when I was working at Business Standard. Doordarshan was the starting point, I got the window seat and the bus stopped right opposite my house! Bus travels on routes 87 and 91 remind me of several visits to my aunts' house, 79 and 33 will always be associated with my first job at Andheri.

This saga has continued in London too. My first Red Bus ride was no route 131, travelling from New Malden to Fairfield Bus Station. One of the early experiences of travelling in London was the recorded tapes inside the bus – 131 to Tooting Broadway. The journey in 111 to Heathrow Central will always be remembered for my early days in London, horrendous travel time to reach my university campus and for many more reasons. And I cannot forget 85 to Putney Bridge, my all time companion while studying at Kingston University. Another day when I was boarding the same bus home, I heard a guy telling his friend ‘this is my favourite bus’. Have you ever wondered about your favourite or not so favourite bus route?

Portobello Market - London's Colaba Causeway

Yesterday was my first experience to venture on the streets of London, and I discovered Portobello Market. Situated in West London, Portobello market was once a farm and is now a famous market to shop for antique items and vintage goods. Recently it has become popular as the shooting destination of Julia Roberts starer film Notting Hill.

The Portobello Street, which turns into a market, is dotted with small stalls and shops selling a variety of antiques from old parking boards, posters, cameras, old CDs,old momentos and many other things. The common site was see stalls of oxidised imitation jewellery. Beautiful hand crafted rings, earrings, necklaces studded in silver. What struck me was its uncanny resemblance to the Colaba Causeway in Mumbai.

Like Portobello market, Colaba Causeway in South Mumbai, attracts tourists and city shoppers alike with stalls selling imitation jewellery, clothes, accessories and electronic items. Both these streets are vibrant with shopping buzz, hotels, restaurants and pubs. I live you today with a glimpse of Portobello Market - London's Colaba Causeway.