maverickbird2016 has been very eventful and I have morphed into a home bird. A new baby, domestic responsibilities and rekindling of my long forgotten passion for cooking and gardening have changed my lifestyle dramatically and I find peace nesting at home. A mini maverick chick has become my centre of the universe and nowadays my world of happiness lies in toothless gummy smiles and baby gurgles. While, all these should have clipped my wings and made me want to put up my feet, in reality, this year I have traveled as much as I normally do and nearly all of them have been spontaneous ideas of Tarek. As a person who loves exploring himself, he has made it sure that Maverickbird flew high and thus in 2016, my trips have been with and sans family, while being hugely pregnant and with a baby. They have been extremely enjoyable learning processes too and the experiences opened my eyes to the quirks of traveling under non solo traveling conditions.
For example, I had forgotten how big I get when expecting a baby and that walking tours are bad idea in this condition, how much detailed packing skills are required when traveling with these precious little persons and it had been tough to unlearn my borderline compulsive habit of severely traveling light. In fact, my habit of traveling light has been the hardest hit of 2016 and from being a person who has traveled across continents for months with just 1 small bag, I have become a living breathing mini house on the move. From safety pins, first aid kit, food, bottle warmers, extra blankets, cushions etc, my bags just get bigger everyday and I have started maintaining packing checklist for my family.
My perspective of travails too have changed and while once, I would wake up early to catch rosy sunrises, 2016 has taught me to luxuriate in precious sleep time. I have become a sort of Yogi Bear, who can nap just about anywhere and my accommodation priorities now highlight soundproof rooms with blackout curtains. With so much of change, it is needless to say that my choice of destinations have been different from the past and I have soaked in an immense amount of culture this year. From Greece, Khajuraho, Aachen, Berlin, Malta etc, it has been quite a whirlwind year and I had flown with happily with the winds of change. So, presenting my little maverick chick, Akash Amin along with the highlights of 2016, the year of incredible changes.
ATHENS –Â I had spent the first trimester of my pregnancy exploring Greece. The month had been February and most of Europe had been shivering with cold. Greece had promised sunny days, warmer weather, cheap off season prices and less crowd. My jumping off base had been Athens, followed by Hydra, Delphi and Meteora. It had been a very satisfying trip, in which I had eaten nearly twice my body weight and Greek food was to die for. I had grand plans of going deeper into Corinthia and Macedonia, which were ruined by civil agitations that were rocking Greece at that time. So, when things had become too fiery. I had hopped onto a flight and flown to the gorgeous island of Crete.
HYDRA – If I could describe Hydra in 1 word, it would be laid-back. A lovely rugged island on the sapphire blue Saronic Gulf, Hydra‘s charm lies in its hilly cobbled paths, shady citrus trees, rows of gorgeous mansions and a stunning port. Motor traffic is banned there and thus carrier donkeys‘ clip clops fill the air. I had visited it on a day trip from Athens and had liked it so much that had gone back to spend a few quiet days there. Those had been days spent doing nothing, except people watching from my tiny sliver of a balcony, sitting in the sun and experiencing the lazy island pace.
DELPHI – Visiting Delphi had been like going to the centre of the earth. Famous among the ancient Greeks as navel of Mother Earth, Delphi‘s importance is as intense as its natural setting. Nestled snugly among the soaring peaks of craggy Parnassos, it had been spring when I had visited the Sanctuary of Apollo. Wild flowers had carpeted the precipitous spot and almond trees had been bent down with the weight of soft pink blossoms. Delphi had been truly spectacular and there had been something magnetically enigmatic about it, and I had felt to have visited one of the most primal and sacred places on earth.
METEORA – Meteora had been beautiful, yet it had been one of my most lusted after places, which had left me feeling not amazed. Touted as one of the most extraordinary sights of Greece, the pinnacle topped old monasteries of Meteora had been built in the 14th century to provide the monks (and later nuns) a safe haven. While earlier the only access to them were removable ladders, until 1920’s windlasses were used to haul up the monks in baskets. This had lead Meteora monasteries to be one of the most isolated in the world, a fact which had impressed me a lot. The panorama however had reminded of Ladakhi monasteries and Meteora had been a secret let down. 
CRETE –Â The large Greek island of Crete had been unbelievably beautiful. Famous for the palace of Knossos and Minotaur, Crete had been surrounded by azure blue sea, capped by snow dusted White Mountains and orange trees had scented it heavily. I had stayed at the Old Town of Chania, where I had simply eaten, walked about, relaxed and enjoyed being lazy. Needless to say, it had been tough to return home from such an idyllic paradise.
JAIPUR –Â Tarek and I made a grand pan India baby moon plan and on one fine spring morning landed into Delhi. We had flown straight to Jaipur from there and spent nearly a week in the Pink City. Bright fuchsia bougainvillea and blue skies had greeted us and we had taken it very easy. Visiting Galtaji, Jal Mahal and eating enormous amount of finger licking Mughlai at the famous hotel Mohammadi had been our super lazy itinerary.
AGRA –Â We had harboured the romantic dream of visiting the Taj Mahal for quite some time and so decided to finally make it come true on our babymoon. Agra had been blistering hot and crowded during the day and we had caught a pearly sunrise at the Taj. The grand monument of love had taken our collective breaths away and both of us had fallen in love with it. The rest of Agra had been pretty enjoyable too and from watching sublime sunsets at Mehtab Bagh, resting in the beautiful pietra dura work of Itimad-ud-Daula tomb, escaping the afternoon heat at Agra Fort and admiring forgotten frescoes at Chini ka Rauza, we had loved our time at the erstwhile Mughal capital.
KHAJURAHO –Â Madhya Pradesh had happened on an impulse. Both of us had grown weary of the super touristy Rajasthan (and Agra) and had started severely longing for somewhere quieter with less footfall. Thus Khajuraho had followed the memorable Taj Mahal visit and we had stayed there the longest. The quiet temple town with its friendly people, village like atmosphere, greenery and nearby sanctuaries and national parks had really charmed us. We had stayed at a nice hotel overlooking the grand Western group of temples and had explored the intrepid countryside on a rented Royal Enfield bike. The Karnavati river had been our favourite and the blatantly erotic carvings of the temples had left Tarek jaw dropped. The sweet smelling mahua trees had been bursting with fruits at that time and it was also in Khajuraho that I had gotten Tarek hooked onto cricket.
PANNA NATIONAL PARK –Â As strange as it seems, but I have hardly visited any of the gorgeous national parks of my own country. I would love to see the tiger in the wild, or maybe a leopard or two, but the truth is that, my wildlife experience in India is nearly nil. That’s why, we had visited Panna National Park on a day trip from Khajuraho. We had ridden on our trusty motorbike all the way to the park gate, from where we had shared a jeep safari with a few other travellers. It had been a lovely spring morning, one which had started dewy fresh and had heated up as the day had progressed. The park was beautiful in its dry light foliage and though we had not spotted a single wild animal, Panna National Park remains embedded in our memory because of its pristine beauty.
KALIMPONG –Â Kalimpong will forever remain etched in our memories as the town of flowers. We had stayed for 5 days at a lovely homestay just outside the hill town and our hostess was a fantastic gardener. Orchids, lilies, magnolias, Himalayan cherries and strawberries surrounded us from all sides and it felt like the Garden of Eden. We had hiked, motorbiked, explored the local market and sampled moms throughout our entire stay. Scent of pine, quaint monasteries, flowers and smiling people had really made our stay in Kalimpong very memorable and then there had been the sight of the peaks on clear sunny days. There could not have been a better finale of our grand India babymoon.
BONN CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL –Â Spring had come with a bang this year and I have fulfilled one of my longest standing wishes..i.e..to experience a real sakura or cherry blossom festival. Late in April, after returning back home we had gone visiting the grand old city of Bonn on one weekend and its cherry trees were frothing with flowers. It is one of the most beautiful experiences of 2016 and hopefully someday, I will relive the memories again under a blooming cherry tree in Kyoto.
AACHEN –Â After India, I had grown considerably large and uncomfortable and so, we had given long distance places amiss. Instead we had explored interesting places near us and Aachen had been the first of such short trips. I had liked Aachen very much and the cathedral had been truly mind-blowing. Very few places have till date taken my breath away and Aachen Dom had mesmerised me at first sight. The magnificent mosaic work in its interiors had been of rich gold and blue hues and history had filled its every niche.
BRUGGES – Brugges had been a very cute interlude from a substantial break from our wanderings and we had experienced one of the nicest b&b‘s there. It had a very adorable name too (Little White Bear) and the owners were warm and nurturing. They had been super excited about y condition and thus made sure that every morning I get more breakfast than the other guests. Lace had been one of our discoveries in Brugges and we had both fallen deeply in awe with the painstaking lovely art. After Brugges, we have kept a lookout for lace heritage of the new places we have visited this year.
Short getaways are ideal
MOSEL VALLEY –Â Cochem in the romantic Mosel Valley had happened at the fag end of my pregnancy and it had been a very memorable trip. A romantic weekend as a couple, a gorgeous wine country and the charming old town had been the best possible break that could have happened to us before the stress of a new born had set in. Our son, Akash Amin was born a week after that trip.
MONSCHAU – The day trip to the erstwhile textile town of Monschau was the first out of the city outing of Akash and us. It had been a lovely autumn day and the Eiffel National Park had blazed with rich burnished colours. There had been a fete going on in Monschau at that time and it is indeed one of Germany‘s most picturesque towns.
ZEELAND –Â Zeeland in Holland had been a lot of fun. Though the North Sea was cold, the days were bright and sunny and autumn colours had painted the landscape in vivid hues. The highlight of the weekend getaway was our stay at an actual castle, complete with knight armours and the sand dunes had undulated gently all around us. Akash had loved being a beach baby and we had enjoyed some sun, sand and sea, before the winter had set in.
POTSDAM –Â Potsdam had come as a complete surprise and the palaces and gardens of the erstwhile East German city had been astonishingly beautiful. Autumn had been at its peak at that time and the colours had been glorious.
BERLIN – Berlin had trailed Potsdam and we had taken a break there before heading back to Cologne. Berlin‘s bohemian vibe had made us feel carefree again and we had chased its incredible street art all across the town. 
MALTA –Â Malta had been an anniversary gift from Tarek and the European island had been a delight to explore. We had stayed at a little fishing village called Marsaxxalok, whose history had dated to Phoenician times and had driven around the island on a rental car. For an island of its size, Malta had been surprisingly full of sights and attractions and from beaches, blue grotto, megalithic temples, cathedrals, fortified cities of the Crusaders and colonial grandeur, it seemed to have it all. The days too had been exquisitely warm and sunny and the Maltese countryside had a riot of wild flowers. Cactus too had been fruiting at that time and the sweet scent of prickly pear had permeated the air.
UDAIPUR – 2016 for me had started in India and incidentally, I am ending the year too in my country. This full circle gives me a very good feeling and there can be no better place to usher in the New Year than the magnificent city of lakes, Udaipur. This will also be Akash‘s first India trip and keeping his nomadic parents in mind, he is starting the first year of his life with a bang.
Can a year get more eventful than this? This truly has been an incredible year of changes. Happy holiday, folks and wish you all a wonderful year end.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE