Adieu !

We may receive pleasant surprises when we expect them least. When I was suggested the place called "Branson" in the borders of Missouri and Arkansas for a weekend trip I visualised to be a small town on the shores of a lake , worth a day's tour. Yes I don't deny the fact that it is small . But how could I imagine that this place is big enough to house 50 entertainment theatres with multitudes of artists, magicians, gymnasts, circus people performing each day to entertain crowds arriving from neighbouring Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri?

The drive to Branson is through valleys between densely covered Ozark mountains. The trees on the both sides were assuming bright fall colours a rare phenomenon unheard in my country. The multiple curvy concrete roads, though man made, added more beauty to the surroundings. It's resorts were built in the midst of thick green covers, and it's multiple lakes add sublime beauty to the gorgeous surroundings.

Our stay in resort was very memorable and reminded me of a forest guest houses way back in my country where I stayed with my sister's family. The walls were typically adorned with antilope's horns. The walls were nothing more than thick wood logs and interiors were made with rich quality wood. It was truly amazing to watch so much wood being used for building purpose. It pained me to watch many notifications on the way indicating sale of acres and acres of land with lush grown trees for development purpose.

New York Broadway attracted my attention when I had to choose my show and I was thoroughly disappointed with it. Shanghai gymnasts fared better though they were no where nearer to Vegas performers. Branson was almost like a family Vegas. It had two important things to offer to the tourists over five decades, one is entertainment and the other being beautiful nature. I think it is a great combination.

Shanghai performers have shown their country's high lights as no body did. The great cultures have lot of their own to show case to the world like skills , artistry, stories, music and dance honed over centuries. To learn about India one need to have a special interest. At his own peril he has to get acquainted with things therein. Modern India for long is closed to the world. It is unhealthy to depend on our IT sector alone for the much needed recognition and prosperity.

The butterfly museum, it's humid environment, it's various butterflies reminded me of India. The caterpillars, the glowing insects , butterflies how long ago did they fly in my back yard? Not very long ago. May be ten years. Now am I able to see them? May be as not often. The small jumping frogs which jumped into my house the moment I opened my back door seem are in extinct. How could it be? Yes. It is possible. It is not difficult to make bad things possible.

We went to the wild after the museum. I think I exhausted all my vocabulary. I need to coin few words to explain the beauty of changing nature.Yet I felt I was passing through a phase of diminishing returns. I had enough of every thing here. I need some gap to renew my interest in these things. The fall hues, the ups and down the hill by the lakes, deep green woods , I am experiencing repetitive fading emotional raptures. It is time to experience some thing very different.I am tired of too much beauty. I can not conceive any further.

I am saturated. I need a break. It is the time to go back to my country. I must once again get into that insane traffic, unhygienic eateries, reckless crowds, loud musics, lengthy movie ticket lines and wet bath rooms. There I can thrash any body, I can pat a child, I can pray loud, I can cross in the midst of a busy road. I do not think that I love to do that. But I have got more familiarity with them. A disgusting familiarity can make me love any thing exotic once again.

My unscrupulous politicians, my torrential rains or floods, my Midnapore nuxalites, my home grown love jehadis, my Hindu opportunists, increasing neighbour hood Taliban threats, each and every thing is big enough to make me anxious. My fluttering news paper at the door, my inevitable news channels, my endless cut outs on the roads, constantly remind me of the mess around. And I am unconsciously dragged into them. I really don't look forward to them. But I am just a part of them.

Did I ever miss anything here in US ? When I question myself I cannot help think about strong filter coffee. Countless varieties of best coffees of the world were available to me. But none of the coffee was good for my palate. I am so much used to the chicory blend least flavourful sawdust sold to me in my market. Surprisingly I never missed Indian food, though I wouldn't thoroughly like exotic herbs in my platter..

Lack of domestic servants necessarily doesn't appear to be a problem here. In fact , engaging servants in India is increasingly becoming headache for people like me. Perhaps I am one amongst many who cannot extract work from people. So I am happier with the machines. I started viewing Indian work force with high regards after coming here. The way things are skillfully handled by my people back there is praiseworthy. In times where smartness in India is misread as English speaking, I think we need to pat our many youngsters who barely can speak English but handle things exquisitely.

I am fascinated by the orderliness, cleanliness and discipline over here. The comforts don't look very exiting as most of the things are available in India. We are not so much behind. Perhaps not at all. But I don't see any possibility of our growing so clean and orderly. It is too much to ask for.

I loved the nature. It may be or may not be one of the most beautiful countries in relative terms. But I have seen the large stretches of green belts, beautiful lakes, ravaging rivers, majestic mountains and thundering waterfalls.. still alive.. which should qualify this place to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's sparse population in terms of it's land offered me an opportunity to be one with the nature. It's liberal outlook allowed me to eat and drink whatever and wherever want. It granted me freedom from dress code. Freedom enjoyed by their women offered me new insights into the concept of personal freedom. Law enforcement here reinforced my belief in good governance. I am turning to be an optimist. We have not yet lost good things. Half of the forests of earth are not lost. Still we have Antarctica . Amazon forests are have not turned thin. We have not lost good things yet.
Admist all the contemplation I say adieu to this place. This is very necessary to comprehend more, to rejuvenate, to renew, to reinvent life. It is much needed break. I would like to bid fare well showing statue emblematic to welcome than to goodbye. I always thought that it is very metaphorical to Americanism.

Meramec Cavern

When you travelled across United States all through you don't miss a glaringly noticeable feature, that is it's enormous land. We know how it measured , but we feel it's hugeness only when we travel through it. Passing through miles and miles of uninhabited lands, scattered human dwelling, flowing rivers and swelling huge lakes, humongous canyons, astounding mountains, extensive lawns, expansive green belts, ungrazed priories, high mounds, what it really means to be vast is only to be seen and experienced.. India is a big country too. Travelling from one state to another is a painful thing considering our moderate transportation and road conditions. There are many places where I have not stepped into. But with no exception almost all the places are overcrowded and the land virtually looks inadequate. The lakes, mountains, riverbeds, valleys, peaks, plains, every place is occupied and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a tranquil place. Forests have been cleared and cultivated. Waters have been contaminated. Almost nature has lost it's lustriousness and placidity.

This country restored my confidence that there remain few places on earth where human inhabiting, still not a threat to the nature preservation. .Things with different objectives can peacefully coexist. Some places on the map are yet not on the brink. I can imagine that these places when they were under the control of native Indians would have been almost impenetrable. If we enquire the natives aged over 60 or 70 they would account for the destruction made here too.

As the days pass by miles and miles with no trace of human being make you increasingly restless over a period. The vastness appeals almost to the point of dullness. The wilderness to the point of distress.The loneliness to the point of morbidness.The compelling powerlessness that make you sterile. One morning I suddenly wake up and ask myself "Where are my people?". I don't hear anything but the sloshing waters, and rumbling winds. Occasionally one would would crave to retreat to the crazy noises, mad chuckles, and machine honking. It is a kind of retreat to the invisible interconnectedness between humans.

I was travelling again to the caves, chiefly accredited with Jessey James hiding. I wondered why a place is so significant after a bandit? I know in India it will not happen. It is a country where belligerence is not state culture, and gun is not a household possession. It is a country where the next door man is not quickly suspected. It is a country where people were not easily killed for petty reasons. I found my answers when I carefully studied the case of Jessy James a falsely attributed "Robbin Hood " a robber, a betrayed gangster, after civil war hero. Hollywood had found a subject worth 20 movies in succession!

The scenic beauty of the place quite a thing. Trees stood like mangroves in the overflowing waters bordering the caves. Where does the water come from? Quite a puzzle. But it twisted and curved and goes farther and farther into woods. The very entrance of the caves looked gigantic and and caves looked very long ( approximately 7.5 Km). Very few telling about Jessey James, but the rest of things like flowing underwater, and the year long uniform temperature of 60 F were seemingly interesting facts. . Living in the damp caves for a long without a ray of light or sunbeam could throw a man into deep depression.

I did not learn a bit about the caves before stepping into them as I wanted learn every single detail from my tour guide. But the guide being too American in accent, only few mutterings could be deciphered. Few minutes walk into the caves really made me astonished by their grandeur . For few minutes I thought it was perfectly reconstructed, until I found stalactites and stalagmites. My God! I have never seen a thing like this before!

I did not come knowing what existed here . It was like pleasant surprise to me. They looked so wonderful and looked like a mystic mistake the nature had indulged into. The calcium deposits slowly dripping through cracks like frozen waters take one hundred years to make one cubic inch. A person can spend his whole life in observation, yet could only find an inch length of speleothem. At this rate there is no wonder they took 400 million years to take this shape. They were wonderfully lighted , walkways thoughtfully made, an systematically shown as in case of any other thing in Us.

The vine room, supposedly the largest in the world, at height of 58 steps away in the caves is worth the sweat. The stalactites take the form of grape bunches as if they have forgotten to drip down. When we come down we find the the still water in a pond no more than two feet deep, reflecting the high dome creating an illusion of 50 feet deep in water. We walked into the cavern for a mile or so. There is always a water dripping through their ceilings and a stream flowing alongside. It was amazing sight. We could not go further as we were told that the caves deep inside are home for numerous bats and water animals. So we turned back. My visit to the caves was most satisfying experience. I thought I was privileged to see one of the wonders, the world has to offer, specially when it is unknown phenomenon in my country.

Niagarala Niagara !

I thought I have nothing much to write about Niagara. After a while I thought it would be great injustice if I don't reflect on Niagara, the most beautiful fall I have ever seen in my life. Nothing much to write shouldn't be misconstrued as there is very little about Niagara. With no city around and not many attractions on unveil, there is only one attraction that is big enough to surmount the multitudes of petty things. That is Niagara itself.

I went to the USA side of Niagara. First time I felt so bad about for not obtaining Canada Visa. It is virtually Canadian grand sight which gives a spectacular feeling about the show. The very first sight of one patch of falls could have been really big for me considering my past exposure any water falls. My much awaited journey to "Jog Falls" in India was a disaster as it is no more than a thin patch now. But there was something inside me telling that it was not exactly what I have expected from Niagara. I roamed along the side of Niagara river, which was turbulent and wide. It's path looked intriguing from whatever little information I have gathered , and even to day I am not sure where it began and where it ended. The clouds of mist was visible to a distance and location of the falls is easily identifiable. Surprisingly I have noticed many Indian tourists and came across to many Indian restaurants than any other place I have been to. Certainly it is one of the most popular destinations for Indian tourists.


My afternoon trip was cruise on Maid of the mist. I was not entirely thrilled about it, but I undertook it as mandatory one. With my plastic wrap around, with camera in one hand and camcorder on another I was ready for the tour . We started our Odyssey closer to the falls. As we were approaching falls everything started looking different. My positioning which looked quite casual before suddenly looked so important to me. I began frantically running around for a good view. All of a sudden our voices sounded too feeble. Our faces started soaking in with splashing waters. I started forgetting what I am. The waters were jumping down from the cliffs surrounded in semicircular shape. I was in the midst of great roaring waters. I was in the middle of a magnificent, spectacular sight of my life.I was mumbling , not knowing whether to watch or capture it on my lens. The camcorder got wet and dizzy. I felt that my great precious moments should not get wasted in filming it. It is the moment that got to o be experienced. I t was the moment to get unified with the great wonders of the nature. It was the moment for penance . Tears rolled down my cheeks but remained unnoticed as we were drenched in water. The great falls were telling something with it's heavy roar, with it's overpowering majesty, with it's diffused mist. Who am I? Is it necessary that I attach so much importance to my small existence in this universe? My dirty ego, my petty thinking, my selfish never ending quest for temporal acquisitions? My drenched cloths, tripping camcorder, my sticky hair, my blown off cap nothing..nothing really bothered me. It was great moment, which I cannot afford to miss it. It was a bliss which cannot be measured. It was more of ecstasy than an exhilaration. It was more of being one with it, than experiencing it from outside. It was a moment that I heard an erudite oration in the midst of over pouring sound. It was the moment of ethereal language spoken with enormous depth which may take years to decode. I thought I had a vague idea about life, the universal scheme of arrivals and exits. The truth of being one with it. The intense cosmic theology of one's own, and every one around. The profound silence of Grand Canyon and roaring Niagara both try to tell me something. I need to hear them by designing my own ear phones.

I was back to the shore. I went with empty hands. But I was back with a treasure. I went to the banks of the river and strolled watching the scenic surroundings. I went to Cave of Winds. Floated in exhilarating water splashes. But I was mounting wooden steps built by human to access nature's experiences. They looked like few things obstructing the unifying experiences. But there is no way you can reach them. You got to go through them. It was good to stand very close the jumping waters fearing being drenched, and secretly yearning for it.

The night lighting of the falls was impressive. They did not look natural but looked elegant. It is very strange that people got nothing to do except watching the falls, yet could spend number of hours before it. There is no rush. No hustle bustle. People were fewer in number. Every one had their own space to delight. That was the last I saw those enormous waters.. I bid a farewell to the gorgeous falls on earth. I want to keep the memory preciously wrapped in my heart.

I couldn't resist my desire to check if there is any other fall more beautiful than this.Planet earth helped me in identifying few more specacular ones like Angel falls with the lesser width, gigantic but less watched Victoria falls fell into the category of exotic falls on earth. There some more, very few of them as special as Niagara. Great things don't' happen in plenty. We travel,fly, row, climb,crawl, swim, to get the sight of one unique splendour. We don't get a penny for doing so. But we experience an unmatched divine joy by watching them.

Chase Manhattan!

If one has to recall a city with umteen number of people walking on the side ways holding their briefcases, alongside enthralling skyscrapers, unmindful of the countless yellow cabs gliding on the road it should necessarily be a place called New york. In reality it is Manhattan which is popularly known to the the world as the city of New york.It is a seat for many world organisations. The city with magnificent skyscrapers and electrifying activity. The city of crime and culture. The city of glamour and vanity. The city of art and history. The headquarters for many world class business houses. The city of celebrities and street dwellers. It can be as resonant and radiant as heaven and could as dirty as a swamp. The city in five parts but to many of us it is Manhattan, the New york which matters the most.

A traveller can easily pass whole day by just roaming around Fifth Avenue or Broadway yet doing nothing. It's popular Time square with it's New Year falling ball can be more bewitching than Las Vegas strip as he is delighted by watching traffic rolling all around, peacefully sipping his cup of coffee sitting in the island quite in the middle of it. However we try to recreate that kind of atmosphere I am sure any tourist who is made to sit in the midst of Mumbai traffic will eventually die with choking. But you can afford to do that in this city of New york.

It is the city as old as Hyderabad and as populous as Mumbai. The visitors often come across equal number of regular commuters rushing in different directions. It's streets offer wide variety of Mediterranean and Asian foods. Many of it's skyscrapers designed in their unique style and height make our necks break. Even the mid day Sun doesn't dare to penetrate into the allies as the structures are so tall casting shadow all the time.You get a feeling that you are visiting one of the most industrialised and technologically advanced places on the planet. The stroll on the Park Avenue delivers a touch of majesty and richness which is hard to forget. This is a city which can pull you like a magnet and there is always something more you get to see.

It has many things worth a visit but not many tourists are tempted to experience them. Its numerous art galleries and museums have so much to offer but I guess a visitor who plans a short visit is more attracted to it's streets than what is inside the museum. A glace either from a Rockefeller Centre or Empire state building gives a birds eye view of the city swarming with high rise buildings on the banks of Hudson river and misty Brooklyn Bridge one of the oldest and longest suspension bridges in the world. A huge lung space provided by the central park is a lesson for many of the upcoming cities with no elbow room, yet too small to relieve pollution completely.

Millions who crossed Ellis Island as immigrants with large hope and tears were never disappointed. They found a heaven which could materialize their dreams.The fate of many who muttered their names was rewritten with new spellings. Photos and accounts show that they were treated better than people in refugee camps of our country. The people with no money, no backgrounds, no past have built their own nation brick by brick with their sweat and blood, where as the countries with history and culture dating back thousands of years, found their own ways of gradual decadence and immorality. The statue of liberty, basically a savage goddess in it's creator's imagination , stood like a personified democracy carrying a mantle showing the splendid passages of equality, liberty, and good living for all. It is like a gate way to America and stood like a rock wall of strength and courage. I swear there is no city like New York in this country.

For a resident Manhattan could turn to be a nightmare, with soaring apartment rentals, meagre space, cluttered traffic, and constant need to run to catch a train or bus. Yet there are innumerable opportunities open to him to make a living. May Indians who work in Manhattan always had New Jersey as an abode through Lincoln or Holland tunnels with number of Indian food joints, shoppings and movie theatres, Indian music and unclean roads.

Around the world great cities have their own identities. They grew sucking the vitality of everything around and virtually making surrounding provinces debilitate. Our cities have no soul of their own and are only part of a large constituencies, the only exception being Mumbai, the only city comparable to New york in terms of it's exuberance and population. Yet it is less cleaner and organised than New york. It is more than usual that we never plan our cities nor even regulate them. They grow on their own by virtue of their living opportunities. For many of our people they are the places of cinemas , hotels and short term gains or employment. Given a choice not many love to live in these concrete jungles. Thanks to our loyalty to agrarian living. Greener pastures can be created in our backyards with conscious effort by the governments and planet can be saved from excessive conglomerations and depletion.