Chapter Zero: Getting our asses off

All journeys, before that single step, begin with the extreme activity of getting off one's ass and taking the walk..

Thus, we got our collective asses off the block and headed to the Bangalore International airport on our way to Europe via Colombo as we were travelling Sri Lankan for the trip.

Unfortunately, the trip happened to coincide with the closure of night operations at the Bandaranaike International Airport. This only caused the trip's launch to be preponed by 2 hours with our connection to Paris being scheduled for the next day. In effect, this meant a night's halt at Colombo.

The implications of the matter were not so bad considering that some other carriers transiting via Colombo cancelled their operations during the duration. The prospect of visiting another country, albeit only in nightly transit and for a maximum duration of 8 hours, was pretty satisfying.

Just for the record, Srilanka now happens to be the only Asian country I have 'visited'. I guess one can always look at the brighter side of unfortunate events.

Backpacking in Europe anyone?

Thence, let me start an account of my escapades with my recent backpacking trip to Europe... The trip lasted from the 10th of May 2007 till the 28th of May 2007...

Europe is the chosen destination for backpackers simply because it is the easiest place in the world for any first-time backpacker as everyone in our group was. Because of the following reasons

• Europe offers seamless travel under a single visa (Schengen) and currency (Euro). As a result, you and me are saved from endless legal hassles and border controls
• Europe offers the maximum density of places to see within a small area to be covered
• The European cities are extremely well covered by maps (both online and otherwise) and travelling around could not more intuitive
• Travelling within European countries is extremely easy with high speed trains connecting all the major cities.

The first step is charter out an itinerary which could also prove to be the toughest task because of the range that Europe offers. The thumb rules followed by most backpackers (and hence, adopted by us) are

• Accommodate for at least three days in each city; this helps explore the city in its entirety and factor in any delays of any sort
• Divide Europe into Western, Central, Eastern and Scandinavian regions and maximise travel within one particular region.This helps comprehensive coverage of at least one region and leaves the other regions for a future trip (as there is a very high chance that one will re-visit Europe)

We decided to concentrate on the Central Europe and narrowed ourselves down Paris, Rome, Venice, Vienna and Amsterdam. Since this was a backpacking trip, it came with a set of self imposed rules to be followed at all times during the trip

• Travelling by cabs is strictly not allowed and will be treated as a blasphemy. Only public means of transport will be tolerated.
  
• Only local cuisine will be consumed and any visits to McDonalds and any of its insipid variants will be quickly frowned upon.
• Yes.. We will need to walk a lot..

And with that, I will cut from the gibberish mode to the descriptive mode detailing out how the trip actually went

The road unwinds...

and it speaketh innumerable tongues... narrating stories some long lost and forgotten and some
truly cherished...

Oh the road.. snaking away to eternity carrying with it the destinies of many... the laughters and tears of you and me...

And so commences this blog in which I wish to reminiscence my travel experiences near and far... to speak about all those spices that tingled me and all those cholesterols that fattened me..

Hop in and I hope to provide you with some wholesome experience..