Nomadic travels on the Silk Road

Well, what can i say that i never ever in my life thought i'd blog! Blogging meant for me being lonely ...but i soon realize that is cultural! In my part of the world in India, one just doesn't spill emotions about anything, personal, professional or aspirational. My aspirations have been of nomadic travel. I would lie if i said i do not love Paris or Rome, i love them both with a passion and beyond multiple visits but random nomadic travel appeals to me, like a moth to a flame!

So i take the leap, right or wrong to share with my friends, hopefully friends i make around the world, on a conservative approach on travels with Indian families, vis-a-vis nomadic travel alone, being an Indian married mother of 41, leaving a family to be by themselves and WANT a identity of self interest. Makes sense? Not to a whole lot, but hopefully to some in the emerging travel generation of Indian women. I humbly say, hopefully..

I went for this amazing Study trip through the Silk Road in China last year. Xian, Dunhuang, Urumqi to Kaashgar, 2000 kilometers in a bus - unheard of in India! Why would i travel to such odd places? My mother says this to me every day. Why there, why sky-diving, why scuba diving, whats up with you? Mother - identity, that's who i am vs the Indian girl that you think i am and married and denied herself the dreams. The reason to write this is that some of you, i'd hope want the same things i missed out on in terms of personal education vs education to any woman in the Western world ( again i say i am 41 and not the new generation of Indian girls that have the money, more important liberty to do what they want). So..thus the quest

Dunhuang, a dream place, pure desert when one lands, feelings of exhilaration, take offs and touch downs of planes still give me the goose bumps after 25 years of travel, can't understand it. The Magao caves, beyond my comprehension, the caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship, the Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China. I come from Rajasthan, went to Sam dunes in Jaisalmer at age 15 but that does not remind me of the excitement that i felt during that camel ride in the Taklamakan Dessert. Maybe its something to do with conscience freedom. Not saying Sam dunes were not good is any way, but maybe its the time and feeling and the importance of my of being and doing something that one one really wants to do alone.

Urumqi, an ugly city, we go onto to Turpan and the beautiful grapes and one of the best aqua-duct systems of olden times. Korla, Kucha - uninteresting cities at best.

Kashgar - city surrounded by the sthans... Pakistan, Kyrgygstan & Kazakistan, one does not feel that one is in China. The most important city for trade during the Silk Road. How can one replicate that other that putting its famous building in ' Kite Runner' ! The old corridors, the Uyghur Culture, the huge Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China, is located in the heart of the city.

Its almost like the quest for travel is unending. And the assimilation of data through the mind takes forever to settle, thus the article a bit too late.

Olden are endless, some touch your heart and some don't. For me the camel ride in Taklamakan dessert was exihilarating.