Travel is not just about seeing different places and trying out varieties of food (as I used to think). It’s also about the interesting/annoying people one encounters on the way. The interesting ones enrich the travel experience and the annoying ones give you that feeling of relief that you will not have to see them again.
Like this family that was staying at the same hotel as ours. Husband, wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters. The kids looked between 5-10 years old. There was also an older teenage boy who I couldn’t make out if he was another son or the brother of the wife (they looked similar). And yes, I’m inquisitive and like to people – watch.
So, there we were in the dining area, enjoying a delicious lunch, when this family descended at the table right next to ours. The kids swarmed around the table like bees and then grabbed a chair each. Then all 4 of them reached out towards the box of tissues in the centre of the table and pulled out several each to wipe their dry hands. Soon the table was littered with crumpled up tissues. One of them tore a tissue in half and very considerately stuffed the other half back into the box. I tried to avert my eyes from this carnage but I was facing their table. The youngest boy stood up in his chair and kept leaning across the table to talk to the others. At any moment I expected to see him climb on the table. Thankfully that didn’t happen. But that’s because he discovered the salt and pepper cellars and started playing with them. How? Simple, he tipped the contents into his palm, licked them off and then shook out some more. He kept this up till the food arrived. We vowed to not to ever use the salt and pepper, swallowed our lunch and exited fast.
But again, some meals can be recalled without a shudder. En route to Dapoli, we took a pit-stop at one of those roadside eateries that dot the highway. We were seated at a table and discussing plans for our stay- what to see, where to go etc. One of the men who were seated across the table; started talking to us and added his suggestions. These two men happened to be bikers who were driving from Mumbai to another place on the coast. Between bites of misal-pav, they told us that they were part of a group of around 20 bikers who were going to converge at the designated place. They planned to cover 800-1000 kms a day over the weekend to get there and back to Mumbai. For them, it was more about the drive than the place. On Sunday evening they would be back at work. And as one of the bikers humorously added, “But I won’t sit, even if someone asks me to. I’ll just keep standing!”
Much as I love photography, it still annoys me every time I see people taking pictures of themselves when they travel. I mean, you know what you look like!! And if you forget, look in the mirror! Why pose like a blot on the landscape of a beautiful place you’ve travelled to?! And if you must, then why take a 153 pictures of yourselves in the SAME location? (Sorry, that’s just me on a rant)
Like these two youngsters who were probably part of a college group. One morning on the beach, we observed them taking dozens of pictures of each other in different poses. And after each click, they would go into a huddle to see the result before getting ready for the next one. In. the. same. spot.
Notice the attractive photo-bomber to one side? Heh heh.
Then there was this couple who were taking pictures of each other- posing on the rocks, among the waves, trying for selfies. It was quite endearing because they didn’t look like honeymooners. At one point I was most tempted to go up to them and offer to take their picture, so they could snuggle up together. I didn’t of course. I’m not that much of an intrusive, interfering aunty!
I just contented myself by sneaking pictures of them taking pictures, from a safe distance!
Then there was this other couple we encountered on the beach, on the same morning. But this was a couple with a difference. It was a mother-son duo; the mother was a sprightly, bespectacled, grey haired lady and the son was a grown man who was carrying a large sack. They were busy picking up litter from the beach. We asked if we could also join them and were cordially welcomed to do so. They were from the hotel next to ours, also across the road. They had been coming to this place for the past 13 years and it pained them to see litter on the beach. So, they asked the hotel staff for a sack and were doing their bit to clean up a small stretch of the beach. The mother joked that this was a good way to do some bend and pick up exercise. They also happened to be from the same city as us. We helped them fill up the sack with assorted litter from the beach and then left. A nice way to spend our last day at Dapoli.
We headed back to our hotel, had breakfast, packed up and got ready to check out. I stepped out on the balcony for a last look at the sea. The two youngsters were still there, taking pictures of each other.
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