Memoirs

↟Vivaan↡

The last three months had been crazy. Since I had left India, I had seen so much of the world.

I started my adventures in China. I felt the burn in my calves as I walked part of the Great Wall and tasted food so delicious that my mouth was watering weeks later remembering it. The blue waters of the Peacock Riverbed in Jiuzhai Valley reminded me of the skirt Meera wore the first night we met. I smiled at the memory and moved on to the waterfalls in the park, their thundering sound nearly too much for my own thoughts to bother me.

I went to Tokyo next. The parks they had were amazing; there were zoos as well as lakes on which people used paddle boats. I saw the sunrise from Mount Fiji and it was breathtaking. From my hotel, I walked to Yoyogi Park and later toured the Hamarikyu Gardens. It was such a busy city, and I was ready for a quieter stop next.

In Italy, I explored Mount Vesuvius, and later toured the ruins of Pompeii. It was humbling to stand in the excavated walkways of the ancient city and face Vesuvius. A shiver went down my back as I thought of the thousands that perished when the great volcano erupted.

I took a ferry tour around the Isle of Capri and remained frozen on the side of the ship as it circled the area. It was beautiful to see the island rising out of the ocean in front of me. I opted not to take the gondola ride to the top of the island, but enjoyed the scenery from below just as much.

I went to Alaska and, bundling against the cold that seeped into my very bones, I saw the aurora borealis. Shivering violently, I watched the haunting blues and greens of the northern lights dancing in the crisp air with only the snowy surface of the ground to reflect it. During the day, I saw animal sand birds I could have never imagined existed. I was overwhelmed when I saw my first moose; there was something oddly adorable about the brown, long-legged animals, but their sheer size was awe-inspiring. I couldn't help but grin as one looked up from the bog where it was eating. The water draining from its mouth dripped off the vegetation that it was munching contentedly. I had focused my camera carefully, hoping to capture the awkward beauty of it.

I went to New York City because it is called the 'Gateway to the World'. The city was always busy, and it stayed open all night. Even in the early morning hours cars rush by and, during the day, people are in such a hurry that they forget how to live all together. It was so bright there, with all the city lights, that I could not see the stars. There were just dark skies, there was none of the beauty that I knew was hidden beyond the neon lights that formed a visual umbrella, lighting up and masking way too much.

A quick flight later, I was in front of another thunderous spill of water—Niagara Falls. I walked out on the Prospect Point Observation Tower. As dusk fell, I sat on the cold concrete and hungrily watched the multi-coloured lights illuminating the rushing water.

The next morning I donned a plastic blue poncho and took a ride on one of the small boats that skitter up Niagara River to the bottom of the falls.

I felt the powerful engines fighting the currents in the river as we inched up to the falls. The roar was deafening, but I couldn't hide a laugh of exhilaration as I felt the spray from the falls coating my face. The monsoons of India brought such a relief, but the force of the falls, with the light, insistent spray, was breathtaking. I watched several couples cuddling on the short voyage, their transparent blue hoods pressed together as they kissed or tried to make themselves heard over the roar.

I went to the Grand Canyon next. I wanted to see if it would be as beautiful as I expected it to be. Truly, any photo could not do justice to the view. It was awe-inspiring to see such an enormous cavern in the earth. I took a donkey ride to the bottom, loving each jostle as the donkey's nimble feet picked the way down the steep paths.

Returning to the top again, it was nearly sunset and the view took my breath away. It was as if a small child had found his mother's painting palette and mischievously splashed all the different shades across a canvas.