Broken Bangles: Travel, Stories, Thoughts

  Earth Has No Boundaries Earth has no borders except natural barriers, mountains and seas. There are no barriers at all, given the travel technologies we possess.  Surreal the concept of borders is, yet, borders are quite concrete too; they can start wars, prompt mass exodus, and provoke all kinds of tricky emotions like national pride, a sense of belonging, unjustified hostilities, and fear of the other. Many national borders have no physical properties. No one can tell where one country ends and another begins by merely looking at them. For that, one needs maps and soldiers, fences and fear.  They are mostly barren land, rivers and deserts, these national borders that we hold on to at huge prices, costing human lives, diplomacy, weapons, and real money. They deceive you if you look at them for long- so normal, one could even feel tempted to step across. The invisibility of such borders evokes many sociological and philosophical questions. Were There Borders Always? At ...

  (Image source: Flickr.com) Hi traveller, The Himalayan mountain ranges are a confluence of beauty, mystery, and spiritualism. They inspire awe and wonder and open a new world to the wanderer.  The world's two oldest philosophies, Hinduism and Buddhism, were born in the Himalayan foothills. Unlike the still wilderness of the Alps or the Appalachian, the Himalayas have spread over it, tiny hamlets full of people and stunning cultural colours. Yet, the mountain offers solace and silence if you climb to its remote and inner recesses.  The Himalayas could be your next destination. It suits those seeking life's meaning and life-changing experiences.  The Himalayan States India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, and Myanmar form a group known as the Himalayan states. Southern Tibet also falls upon this mountain stretch.  To have the best experience of the Himalayas, it would suffice to visit Nepal, India, and Bhutan. These countries are easier to visit, to...