Travel - make it slow & take it easy!

Did you just return from your vacation and feel like you need another vacation from that vacation?

Were you subject to ‘Army-drill-tourism’ with someone else ringing your alarm-clock every dawn?

Did you just visit all the favourite tourist-spots of your Raju-guide’s?

Did your tour drive you breathless with the non-stop shuttle from one spot to the other?

Has your camera done more sight-seeing than you?

Did you just spend your money on a tour that you do not remember?

Well….you’ve subjected yourself to ‘power-tourism’ – not ‘power’ in ‘power-games’…..it implies ‘power’ in ‘power-yoga’ – action-packed solid workout! With any luck you might’ve burnt some calories too!

It’s time you remedy this.

Travel and tour at your pace – for your own pleasure!

Don’t know how? Here are a few options to get you started:

1.    Take a River-Cruise on a ship for a few days– skiff up a river and laze around on the deck all day and all night. Choose to keep your eyes open or not. Wake up in a new place each day without moving a muscle. Have food & drinks of your choice served to you wherever you are on the ship. Pay to get pampered!

2.    Get wild in the wilderness – pick a jungle-themed Eco-camp in any Wildlife Sanctuary or National Park to stay at and hop on to an elephant or a jeep and visit your favourite wildlife – One-horned Rhino, Asian Elephant, Royal Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopard or even the Great Indian Hornbill and Dolphins. You want to stretch your legs, go nature-trekking in the wilderness.

3.    Moped around in those British or Portuguese Colonies along the beach or on top of mountains wearing comfortable clothes and no makeup. Make random stops at beach-shacks for cocktails or mocktails or just juices. Drive to feel the fresh cool breeze in your face or chase the sunset.

4.    Check-in to a log-cabin and explore the gorgeous and scenic lush green Mountain-meadows swaying with millions of wild-flowers. Park yourself there with your favourite book and music or go mountain-trekking.

5.    Tired of the tropics? How about you chill in the snow? Most mountain-resorts are easy to reach with well-developed flights network and bus-connectivity. You just need 5 days for a trip to Leh and back. Explore the mountains on Yaks, Donkeys or Ponies.

6.    You’re neither fond of beaches nor crazy about mountains? Then pick a quiet but enchanting hill-station and stroll around Tea Gardens, Orange Orchards and Orchid Farms.

7.    You want to explore your spiritual-side? Check-in to an Ashram or a Buddhist Monastery and get in touch with your inner-self. You don’t have to be or become a Buddhist to visit a Stupa.

8. And if you're looking for an even slower paced holiday then check-in to a Spa. Get a full massage in ayuvedic oils or dip into a mud-bath daily. Get a back-rub or a foot-massage twice daily.

Now imagine all this.

Hemis Festival in June 2012.

The largest Buddhist Institution in Ladakh – located in the highland town of Hemis at 11,000 feet altitude, 40 kms from Leh – the Hemis Monastery celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava in a grand and elaborate annual 2-day festival held in the Hemis Monastery on 29^th & 30^th of June this year.

The high-point of the Hemis Festival is the performance in the Monastery courtyard by the Lamas of the Monastery – a Mask Dance which depicts the victory of good over evil. The brightly coloured costumes and large multi-coloured masks constitute the performers’ attire during the Hemis Festival Dances performances which stretch for two days. The over-sized and grotesque masks are the main aspects of the slow and graceful dance. Few other Lamas provide the music for the Hemis Festival with percussion instruments such as the drums, cymbals and long trumpets.

Guru Padmasambhava is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is regarded as the second Buddha by the followers of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism since the 8^th Century. Guru Padmasambhava is the first one to have introduced ‘Tantric Buddhism’ to people.

During the 2-day pageant, a 30-foot high painting of Guru Padmasambhava is displayed centre-stage. Several other performances, religious ceremonies and discourses and exhibition of Buddhist relics are a part of the Hemis Festival which is not only attended by the Buddhists from all over Jammu & Kashmir, it is also attended by the non-Buddhist locals of Hemis and Leh.

Tourism & Tour operators design tours of Leh which include a visit to the Hemis Monastery and its adjoining Hemis National Park (India’s largest National Park) during the Hemis Festival as this is the best time of the year to see Hemis. You will also find the media and photographers from all over the world witnessing to cover this event. Visitors of Hemis stay at Leh which is at 40 kms and do a day trip to Hemis.

In the backdrop of the Ladakh Mountains that overlook the Hemis town, the Hemis Monastery with its multi-coloured splendour gives a fascinating appearance and experience.

Pix courtesy: James Gritz, Baiyu, vkiran_2000 @ flickr, wikipedia & ABOUT.