Allure of aurora

Geethu Mohandas is all set to become the first Indian woman to ever participate in the adventurous sub-zero Fjällräven Polar expedition in April

An Indian by birth and global by spirit’ is how Geethu Mohandas describes herself. The 28-year-old Keralitea an electronics engineer at a firm in Bengaluru, is all set to become the first Indian woman to ever participate in the adventurous sub-zero Fjällräven Polar expedition, if all goes well. The annual expedition to the 300-km Arctic wilderness is open to just 20 chosen travellers across the globe every year. 

“So far, there have been just two Indians who have gone on the expedition. I would be the third, and the first woman, if I am lucky,” says an excited Geethu, who is counting on the Fjällräven Polar online voting which is her ticket to see the Northern lights! 

“Witnessing the spectacular aurora borealis (the bright dancing lights in multiple colours seen above the northern and southern hemispheres), like any travel buff, is my dream too. I would consider lucky if I won and luckier if I could inspire more women to apply for the expedition next year,” she says.

Geethu has been travelling for several years now, starting with the school nature camps she has been part of as a teen. Staying in Forest Department dormitories and experiencing the warmth of nature, the passion grew with her and when she got a job, she started living her dream. Having lost count of her trips, she puts it as ‘I go trekking almost every weekend.’ Sometimes solo, sometimes with her husband Prasad Aadish and at times, with her buddies. A founder of the travel group Let’s go for a Camp, which promotes responsible tourism, Geethu believes that any journey should have a purpose. As part of the motto, she and her friends explore a place not just geographically but along with its culture, history and traditions by giving back to the people the happiness they experienced. 

“Wherever we go, we practise sustainable lifestyle and eco-friendliness. It’s not just sight-seeing. We believe in making a difference to the lives of people there. Tourism makes sense only if we explore places without upsetting the native people’s lives, nature or practices,” she stresses.

In the past four years, Let’s go for a Camp has organised 95 group journeys, thrice outside the country, every time to lesser-explored places. During the journeys, they practise and promote sustainable practices like use of menstrual cups, seed pens and green initiatives. 

“We conduct research on the historical, geographical and cultural significance of the places and while there, stay with the people, experiencing their lives, culture and cuisine, wear their traditional clothing and pay for it all.” As part of promoting employment for rural womenfolk, last April, a 15-member all-woman group comprising students, doctors, homemakers, teachers, IT professionals and lawyers from all age groups went to the Ladakh villages of Thakmachik, Choklamsar, Thiya and Mann, where they did a trial of the idea. “It was a great experience, for both them and us. We grew so close that parting was an emotional moment,” recalls Geethu, who, along with her Ladakhi friend Dolma, is planning a bigger exercise next year by taking more baches to the Ladakh villages from April to July when the climate is favourable.  

Applying for the Fjällräven Polar expedition is also an act of ‘responsibility’ for Geethu. “I noticed that women do not apply for it. May be because it is considered one of the most adventurous trips on the planet. I wanted to break the myth. So as a preparation I led a 19-member crew, 12 of them women, to the Chadar trek, where we had to survive minus 15 to minus 30 degree temperature and cross the entirely frozen Zanskar river in the harsh winter. We spent 10 days without water. It was an amazing endurance test. That was when I knew that cold meant pain,” she laughs.

Confident about Polar expedition, she is now keeping her fingers crossed. “With the required physical fitness and confidence, I am sure that I can do it. The voting is on for another 20 days and I am at the fourth position now. No worries even if I don’t win. I am sure that next year more women would apply. Being an inspiration itself is a victory.”

Published in Deccan Herald on December 1, 2019 

A life-changing journey

Years ago, when Kevin Cherian read an article on Ziro Festival, he was impressed and decided that someday he would go to Arunachal Pradesh to attend the annual music fest. He knew that the journey wasn’t easy — there are no direct flights or even efficient transport facilities. 

At 27, while running a computer business in Kottayam, his hometown, Kevin decided to take the plunge. Kevin says, “I didn’t know Hindi or have a proper idea of the Indian map.” He planned it as a week-long trip, but didn’t expect that it was going to be a life-changing three-and-a-half-month solo journey, shattering every single idea he had about a safe, happy world. 

The trip, as expected, was tough. He travelled by train and share taxis, hitchhiked and finally reached Ziro. “The festival was a wonderful experience…meeting people from all over the world, it was a big revelation for me,” says Kevin, in an excited voice. From there, a friend suggested that he travel all around the Northeast and he thought of giving it a try. But he didn’t have much money left and whenever he ran out of money, did menial jobs and earned enough to continue the journey. 

At Tawang, he worked as a waiter in a café for a fortnight and earned Rs 1,000 with which he covered the northeast states except Nagaland. “Their lives are very different. Everyone has an iPhone and by the time they turn 18, they move in with their partners, away from their parents. The women are the decision-makers there,” he recalls. 

His next destination was Punjab, where he stayed in a rural area in Amritsar with farmers for a month. He also took tuition for children there. 

From there, he went to Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu, he was looking for a place to stay when a driver offered him a lift. “He appeared very friendly at first, but the ride was very long. After covering almost 40 km, I smelt something fishy and asked him to stop, but he wasn’t paying heed. I realised that I was being kidnapped.” 

On reaching a place called Avantipura, Army officials stopped the vehicle. The two were stripped and searched and asked why they were there. 

“I was relieved actually and told them that I am from Kerala. Suddenly, they pointed their guns towards me. They told me that there was no reason for a Keralite to come to Avantipura. I explained my journey to them and showed them my ID cards. They must have been convinced and let me go. Only then did I realise that we had walked in to an encounter where IS militants were gunned down. They thought that I too was one of them!” 

He was safely taken to Srinagar that night. But that incident didn’t deter him; he continued the journey to Hasinapur, 30 km away from Meerut, UP. “The villagers are mostly farmers. They have a lot of money but no toilets, schools or phones. They live according to khap panchayat diktats and the caste system. I couldn’t even convince them that there is a state named Kerala,” he exclaims. 

The journey taught him a lot. Raised by his mother Leena after the demise of his dad, Kevin has never been out of his comfort zone. “The journey taught me so many things, including Hindi, cooking and the Indian map. Both my mind and body were cleansed during the journey; I lost oodles of weight. Above all, I realised that Kerala is heaven. There are still underdeveloped places in our country,” he says. 

It has been just a few weeks since he returned, but Kevin wants to go on his next trip — to Varanasi with a travel group, working for them. “But my mother is furious and I am grounded now as she fears that I would disappear again,” he laughs.

 Published in The Asian Age on February 6, 2018

Off to the Arctic

Fjällräven Polar is the dream of any globetrotter. The ultimate adventure of a lifetime, the 300-km Arctic expedition in minus 30 degree temperature offers a blissful journey along snow-capped, sun-drenched Polar landscape and above all, the experience of a unique endurance test. Twelve persons from all over the world are chosen and trained for the expedition happening in April every year, through online voting, and this time, it could be a Malayali. Niyog, a 26-year-old Punalur native, is leading the polls with over 20,000 votes in one among the 12 categories. 

Niyog was featured in Kochi Chronicle in mid-September, he was a penniless nomad hitchhiker who was on a journey across the country. How come he heads for the North Pole expedition in less than three months? “The journey hasn’t ended yet. I have reached Delhi and have covered 180 days without money. Hopefully, I’d complete the all-India trip before the voting ends,” he says. 

How did a person, who is on and off the Internet due to his journeys, come to know about the Fjällräven Arctic expedition? “Fjällräven Polar is quite popular among travel buffs. The expedition has been happening since 1997. This year’s application process had begun on November 16. I had applied only four days back and my name was not even in the first thousand. But my followers and friends on Facebook were very excited and started campaigning through trolls, WhatsApp, etc and in four days, I topped the list. It all happened in a flash,” he recalls. 

Just a day ago, it was a Pakistani national who topped the voting. It was a virtual Indo-Pak war with celebrities and politicians seeking votes for their country’s representative. “It was just a contest and things were getting out of hand. It was painful to see the war-mongering and I requested my friends to stay away from using ‘nationalism’ to promote me. After all, journeys are about breaking boundaries, no?” he asks. 

The Polar expedition, though exciting, is not easy as it seems. From Norway to Sweden, you travel in a sled pulled by 10 highly-trained dogs – Alaskan or Siberian Huskies. More than 200 dogs accompany the travellers. The trip is impossible without these dogs which are brought from leading kennels across the world. “Inexperienced in sleighing, the journey by balancing the dogs will be difficult. But there are other risks – like travelling along the frozen sea areas where only the top layer might be frozen. There are also hurdles like hypothermia and frostbite,” says Niyog, who is not worried about the sub-zero temperature or even the mandatory fitness. He has a few Himalayan expeditions and extreme treks to his credit, so fitness is the least of his concerns. 

The voting is on for 10 more days and anything could happen, but Niyog takes it calmly. “I hadn’t expected even this. I’d be happy if I get the chance, but even if I don’t, it’s great to know that so many people love you.”

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on December 4, 2017

Globetrotting shutterbug

Prasanth Chandran can’t get enough of globetrotting. Every year, he goes on at least three international journeys, at times solo, or with his family. A digital marketing professional in Kerala, he is passionate about capturing life and culture in various parts of the world in his camera. His clicks prove that he is slightly unconventional — it’s not always you see aerial 360 degree photographs brimming with life and beauty.

“I do not manipulate my photos. I love to experiment with my camera and click using multiple exposure technique. 40 to 60 images are superimposed and stitched sometimes. Being an avid traveler, I love to shoot landscapes,” he reveals.

Another favourite subject of his is photographing sparks from a spinning ignited steel wool. For clicking spherical panoramic shots, he has his imported gears — his Sony A7R2 and 360 degree cameras, which are not much popular here. One of the 30 Google-certified photographers in the country, Prasanth also owns a contributor license to Getty images.

Of all his journeys so far, the most memorable one has been two years back to first nuke victim land Hiroshima. “The visit to the A-bomb dome, the only structure that was left standing at the epicenter of the blast, is preserved as ruins. A whole new city has resurrected around it. The visitors are greeted with badges and souvenirs. That was a memorable sight — an iconic dome — a reminder of the biggest tragedy that struck mankind — standing amidst a city that literally rose from the ashes,” he recalls.

The landscapes of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia have wooed him. Unlike Europe, which he calls a city of structures, South East Asian countries have a special charm — of greenery, a peculiar culture with lots of similarities with Indian culture and lifestyle. “There are several temples there. Everywhere around, it is beautiful frames and sights that would never satiate one’s passion for photography. I would be going back there again, there’s lot more to click,” he says.

In India too, sights never stop wooing. Leh, Ladakh, Hampi to lesser-known spots like Chellarkovil near Thekkady, he has gone everywhere with his best friend — his third eye, the camera.

 Published in The Asian Age on November 5, 2017

The space girl Life

Ashna Sudhakaran, a village girl whose father is a farmer, is back from her three-month internship in NASA. she tells her story.

I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream — these words of Vincent van Gogh on her Facebook profile summarises Ashna Sudhakaran’s dream. The 27-year-old is just back from Washington DC — from NASA, where she was an intern for three months at the Goddard Space Flight Centre. For the daughter of a farmer who studied in a government school, it has been a proud journey from a little village named Koduvalli in Kozhikode to the prestigious space research centre. 

“NASA was nowhere in my plans. My dream destination was either the ISRO or the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre,” Ashna begins excitedly. Words gush out as Ashna talks about her family, school, teachers, research, sun, love for literature and travel, deep admiration for APJ Abdul Kalam, high regard for Kalpana Chawla and about her NASA days. The self-confessed chatterbox reveals, “I was never the studious type. All I did was read novels, stories and poems. A very weak student in Mathematics, I had no idea about even a branch named Space Physics then!” Space Physics, her area, is the study of everything above the earth’s atmosphere up to the edge of the solar system. 

Ashna was a ninth-grader when Indo-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. Reading about her and her space venture, Ashna started idolising Kalpana and carried her photograph all the time. Her friends teased, calling her ‘the space girl’. Ashna was in class X, when former President and India’s Missile Man Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited Kozhikode where he gave an inspiring talk for three hours. Listening to him among the audience, Ashna — who says she didn’t even know that he was a scientist — found her second idol. 

After graduating in physics with 80 per cent marks, she joined a college in Tiruchy for post-graduation. “I came to know that St Joseph’s College, where Kalam had studied, was nearby and went there,” she recalls. Walking along the corridors of his school and sitting in his classroom filled her with energy. Once, she went on a solo ‘pilgrimage’ to Rameshwaram, the abode of her icon, visited Kalam’s ancestral home and interacted with his brother and relatives. 

For the M. Sc. internship, students had to submit a thesis. When most of them chose to stay at home and submit a ‘purchased’ project, Ashna stayed on the campus alone and worked in the library for hours to come up with hers. For the mandatory internship, she applied to VSSC, but got rejected as they had no place for M. Sc. students. She tried again and again even as she lost one whole month waiting, and finally, impressed by her letter of interest, they took her in. 

“There, I worked on gravity and ionosphere physics. The experience there ignited my passion and thus began my research career. For MPhil thesis internship, I applied to the 100-year-old Solar Physics Observatory in Kodaikanal. Again, they didn’t entertain a woman in their campus which had four to five staff, all of them men. I couldn’t give up and kept sending mails. After a rigorous interview, I was let in. The six months I spent there were very surreal. I was the only person who stayed on the campus at night; everyone else was staying outside. Later, when I read C. Radhakrishnan’s Pullippulikalum Vellinakshatrangalum about his stay at the observatory as the sole person on the campus back in the 60s, I could very well relate to it. That was my story!” laughs Ashna who later also interned at the Aryabhatta Research Centre, Nainital. 

Her journeys were not limited to laboratories and internships; she travelled all over India alone wherever there were summits, conferences or anything that discussed Space. One such journey took her to Maharashtra where she attended a 15-day programme and learnt about the SCOSTEP Visiting Scholarship offered by NASA. “Under the programme, young scientists and graduates were trained in solar-terrestrial physics labs. My research was on the geo-effectiveness of the energetic phenomena of the sun. Getting selected was not easy as they offered it to only four persons every year, and so, I had not much hope,” she says. 

It was on her wedding eve that Ashna received the email announcing her selection to the Heliophysics Division of the Goddard Space Flight Centre; she had 10 days to submit her research proposal for the fellowship. Her husband Umesh, an environment officer at a tiger reserve in Tirunelveli, was very supportive of her dreams and passion. 

With everyone’s wishes and support and her hard work, Ashna bagged the Rs 7-lakh fellowship from NASA which covered her travel, accommodation expenses for the duration of the stay. “My little village celebrated it and for my family, there could be no prouder moment. But all my worry was about my first flight,” she chuckles remembering the nervousness. NASA was a new world to this small-town girl — scientists constantly inspiring each other, friendly people, experts who guided her through mistakes. “My work was on solar radio burst and it was no 9-to-7 research. The Centre was open 24x7. I explored the organisation, observatories and departments, attended various workshops, interacted with space weather researchers from around 50 countries… it was an inspiring, memorable opportunity.” 

Ashna had moments of doubt too. “I am not academically bright; I am just driven by passion. I was demotivated at times, but my fellow researchers said that the world of science needs both intelligence and passion and asked me to never lose the passion. I won’t,” she says. 

She wants to spread the word — that opportunities are always there before you; you just need to look for it. “Every child should know that despite their background — even if their parents are poor, even if they study in Malayalam medium schools or are not brilliant, they could make it there if they have strong passion. I am planning to do a space physics outreach programme at my school to share my experience with kids who want to become another Kalpana Chawla,” she explains. 

Ashna would be back in NASA — she could go back any time — after completing her research in two and a half years. Happiness is double now as Ashna and Umesh are awaiting their first child who will be born in a couple of months. Marriage and motherhood will never stand in the way of her dreams. “People around me have influenced me a lot. My sole dream is to go to Space. I know that 99 per cent of the work happens on ground and astronauts are just a tool. But I’d definitely go there.” 

The Space girl she is, she knows her path to the stars. 

 Published in The Asian Age on October 31, 2017

Journey sans money

Life has changed for Niyog ever since he embarked on his penniless road trip across the country.

Niyog has been on the road for 107 days. He has been penniless all these days, but he is not worn out. “In fact, I have become rich,” he says, “with ample experience, happiness and friends.” 

The Kerala native started hitchhiking from Kanyakumari on June 1, planning to cover the whole nation. Somewhere during the solo journey, he turned another year older with an experience of a lifetime. 

Speaking from a remote village in Ajmer, Rajasthan, through calls interrupted by coverage issues, the 26-year-old sounded cheerful. “This is my longest stopover. I will be staying here for a week, collaborating with an NGO named Manthan, which is providing education and lifeskills training for people whose lives are marred by water crisis,” says Niyog, who is mesmerised by Rajasthan’s colours, contrasts, mysticism, qawwali, rich folk, Hippie-influenced foreigners and their Bohemian lifestyle. 

So far, he has covered Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat before reaching the desert state. “Seven states and three Union Territories,” he stresses. The road he chose to tread has been his dream for some years. His family — mom, grandmothers and sister — weren’t aware that it was a penniless trip. When they came to know about it, they panicked. “Mom asked me to carry at least a debit card. I didn’t want to. As the days went by, she realised I would survive without money,” he says with a laugh.

Was there any moment he regretted the decision? “Actually, yes. The first three-four days were tough. I couldn’t bring myself to ask random people for food. I wished I had money. But hunger helps you lose all inhibitions. You won’t get free food at hotels. I banked on families, temples and dargahs. I just had to come out of my comfort zone,” he recalls. 

The responses were interesting — many felt he was crazy, some others thought he had left his home and advised him to go back to his family. Yet there were many who surprised him with their hospitality — like the host at Usilampatti, Tamil Nadu, who offered him a bed and food, despite them fetching water from a well 4-5 km away; the stranger who sheltered him at an illegal liquor godown at Ambaji, a town on Gujarat-Rajasthan border. All are memorable moments; the bad ones are negligible, he says. 

For Niyog, this journey is a process of learning and unlearning. He calls it “unlearning materialism and relearning life”. “Each day has brought changes to my perspective. I have learned to appreciate little pleasures — like a cup of tea. Difficulties have become subjective. I now know that a life free of illusions is possible,” he explains. 

Coming from a state with lush greenery, monsoon, high literacy and higher living standards, the Indian reality — of poverty, patriarchy and ignorance — hit him hard. At a panchayat meet in Rajasthan, he saw people are seated on the basis of their caste. The sarpanch is a woman, but it is her husband who does the talking; she sits far behind the crowd among other women. In Mumbai, he saw two families — eight of them — sharing a dingy room that they call home. 

“It is a learning beyond academics. This is not the India we were taught in textbooks; reality is at the extreme. The lives of people are worse than even the poorest tribal settlements in Kerala. There are people who have no idea about the government, their rights or even the Constitution. An area that was a forest and later agricultural land, was lying barren, slowly turning into desert,” rues Niyog, a law graduate and a budding filmmaker. 

However, his focus will be on journeys — at least two every year. “Films will happen only in between those,” Niyog says. A lot of faces, lives, stories have come up. He is working on the screenplay of a road movie. He also has plans to make a documentary. He already runs a Facebook page Road to Magic that chronicles his travel. The next halt is at Jaisalmer and from there, off to Punjab. He just can’t wait to get on the road.

 Published in The Asian Age on September 17, 2017

Lessons from jungles

Aparna Purushothaman, whose only dream was securing a government job, is now a school teacher and a passionate wildlife photographer.

For most girls, wedding marks the end of their dreams as their world shrinks and limit to their homes and for a few fortunate, their office. For Aparna Purushothaman, it’s just the opposite. Marriage opened before this school teacher new avenues; from a bookworm whose only aim was securing a job, she turned into a wildlife photographer who explores the forests looking for rare sightings and exquisite clicks.

Looking back at those days, the 33-year-old can’t hide her surprise. “As a child, camera was a rare and precious object kids weren’t allowed to touch. Also, I was a sick child and hadn’t gone for even a study tour. I was a padippist with no dreams beyond a secure government job.” Her only extracurricular activity was glass painting, which she claims, anyone can do.

It was when she was doing her MPhil in 2010 that she got married to Ashok Damodaran, an assistant engineer at KSEB. On seeing her glass painting works, an impressed Ashok asked her to focus on art and she hesitantly tried her hands at painting. Soon, she discovered that she was ‘not bad’. On their first wedding anniversary, Ashok gifted her a Sony Cybershot camera remembering her mentioning once that she wished for one. The excitement is still there in her voice when Aparna remembers those first clicks, “It was a small red one. I clicked everything I saw. My practice ground was the lonely Kattoor Beach near his home at Pala.”


One day, in the garden outside her lab, she spotted two Red-whiskered bulbuls building a nest. She clicked their activities every day as they built the nest, laid two eggs, guarded those till they hatched, the nestlings were fed, taught to fly and finally, left their home. “After my husband posted it on Facebook, the response was very encouraging. That was the beginning of photographing wildlife. He was working in Sholayar back then. I went there with him and clicked the photos of a lot of birds and posted it on Facebook. Many said I had a frame sense and could try a DSLR camera. Ashokettan was waiting for such a response and he literally rushed out to buy me one,” she recalls.

Aparna learned the techniques from the manual and help from photographer friends. Caught in the web of wildlife photography, she began to keenly follow professionals like Rathika Ramasamy and their beautiful action shots. “My interest was in avian photography. Animals came only secondary,” she confesses. Then came the huge turning point. The couple was roaming in the forests in Sholayar when they came across an animal which resembled a mongoose. She was reluctant to capture it on the camera as her focus was on birds, but on Ashok’s insistence, she took a few ‘lazy clicks’. The shocking revelation came when she asked a friend what the animal was. It was the endangered carnivorous Nilgiri Marten that featured in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. No one knew that it existed in Sholayar! It was her ticket to fame in wildlife photography and zoologist circles. “It also boosted my confidence. Then on, it has been journeys and clicks,” she says.

Ashok got a transfer to Kottayam and Aparna’s school was in Kannur, but whenever they got a holiday, the duo escape into the wilderness. They had been to forests all over Kerala and the borders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. No jungle has frightened her. “Forests are the safest place on earth. Animals are very harmless, far more than human beings. You just have to stay on the forest path. For a sharp click, you need good lighting, so a photographer always stays in well-lit open areas.”

Ashok got a transfer to Kottayam and Aparna’s school was in Kannur, but whenever they got a holiday, the duo escape into the wilderness. They had been to forests all over Kerala and the borders of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. No jungle has frightened her. “Forests are the safest place on earth. Animals are very harmless, far more than human beings. You just have to stay on the forest path. For a sharp click, you need good lighting, so a photographer always stays in well-lit open areas.”

Asked about her best shots, Aparna is confused. There are so many — the leopard that won her an award, the lizard that was chosen by Lalithakala Akademi, the Great Indian Hornbill feeding its mate, the frightened Nilgiri Langur holding its baby, so on. But her all-time favourite is owl. She has already photographed eight of the 10 owl species spotted in Kerala. “We are setting out next week to spot the Indian Eagle Owl. I am also looking for a black panther,” she says.

Inspired by their ‘Physics miss’, a lot of her students want to become like her. Aparna is happy about them pursuing wildlife photography as a passion, but won’t advise it as a career choice. “It earns only happiness, not money. Jungles offer a lot of sights and inspire you to explore more, but the income is zero.” She has more plans — to spread awareness on nature conservation and various rare wildlife species through exhibitions, to write a book, to go on that long-pending international wildlife expedition and photograph the Bird of Paradise species in Papua New Guinea.

 Published in The Asian Age on September 8, 2017

Partners in flight

Childhood sweethearts Sanjay and Riya are a much-loved travel vlogger duo who go by the name Trip Couple'.

Sanjay Haridas and Riya Tony have known each other since childhood. As they grew up, their friendship blossomed into love and with their parent’s blessings, they got married and flew to the US, where Sanjay worked as a software developer and Riya joined for MBA. Till now, it was just another happy story of two childhood sweethearts. What follows is a wonderful journey of two adrenaline junkies.

Every weekend, the couple, both 26 years old, explore new places, make videos, edit those and upload it on their YouTube channel Trip Couple, which has brought the vloger couple a huge fan base. Speaking over phone from New York, Riya says, “The channel was initially named ‘Kantha Njanum Varaam’. But since people here call us ‘Trip Couple’, we decided to rename it.” 

The journeys happen over the weekends. At times, they spend the nights there. Apart from visiting the place, the couple makes it a point to learn more about the place, explore the food, culture and history. “We go with a schedule. I do the research part by planning the places to visit, the less-explored sites, off-road adventures, food and accommodation. We always try to include in the videos interesting trivia about the places. The shoot, edit, graphics and music are handled by Sanju,” says Riya. 

They have explored Boston, Philadelphia, Napa Valley, San Fransisco, New Jersey, etc in the past one and a half years. The most memorable journey was to San Fransisco where they spent two whole weeks. “That was our best trip. It’s beauty everywhere in San Fransisco. We went to the McWay Falls, Big Sur coast, Muir Woods, Alcatraz Island, so on. Many beautiful spots were not frequented by people as they weren’t featured in the lists of tourist spots.” 

The trip was memorable in another way too. At San Fransisco, a purse containing Riya’s passport and Green card were stolen from their car. Till the new IDs were issued, their travels were limited to the borders. The farthest they could travel was to the Canadian border. Not all trips were fun-filled either. Only with a shudder can Riya recall that scary trekking night in Pennsylvania. “It was a trip full of mistakes. We started trekking in the evening by 7 — our first mistake. After almost two hours, we reached the top and while descending, I almost stepped on a rattle snake. I jumped back and both of us fell down through the thorny bushes. Suddenly, it turned dark and we could sense the presence of wild animals around. We couldn’t think of anything, forget lighting the torch! We ran through the pitch black and reached the starting point in just 20 minutes! So, our next video was titled ‘Travel Tips: Trekking essentials’,” she laughs.

They have so far posted 37 videos. Interestingly, all those are not travel diaries. A three-part series is about the Montauk Project, alleged secret government project conducted as part of developing psychological warfare techniques like time travel, at Camp Hero on Long Island, where they live. “There are a lot of conspiracy theories about the experiments conducted in connection with the project. It is said that a ship was attempted to be made invisible, following which many lives were put in danger. The entry to the site was banned and we couldn’t get permission. But we did some research and made a video on what we came to know.” 

The couple also did a Halloween special video by visiting three haunted places — the infamous Amityville horror house, Lake Ronkonkoma and Pilgrim Psychiatric Centre. “Sanju loves horror stuff and I am scared about those. He planned the trip to bust the horror myths and my fear. Though he preferred a night journey, I didn’t want that. All along the way, people kept on asking us to go back. That trip was very interesting though I haven’t yet got rid of my fears,” giggles Riya. 

The videos were earlier shot on handycam, but later, as the subscribers increased, they invested on cameras, mic and drone and improved the video quality by adding interesting visuals, background score and graphics. “It has grown out of travelogues. Earlier, our backpacks had clothes. Now, it is more equipment and bare essentials. We always ensure packaging the videos in a pleasant manner with colourful visuals and happy presentation. We want to inspire people to pack their backs and distress themselves by exploring the world,” she says. 

The duo wants to globetrot and explore more countries and continents and if possible, stay there and experience the magic the places offer. They are also regretting not having been able to travel across India. During the next vacation, possibly next year, they are planning a big family trip covering many places, especially Hampi, where they had planned their wedding photo shoot that didn’t happen. 

As their vlog description reads, the couple’s motto is: Hit the road, live the moment, tell the story. Theirs is indeed a match made in heaven!

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/astrology/weather-and-prayer-timings-for-tuesday-august-19-2025-1898268

 Published in Deccan Chronicle on July 20, 2017