Sliding Off the Map
Our planet is hopelessly trodden upon. There is hardly a spot untrampled by human feet or unclaimed by human greed. Even in the remotest jungles of the Amazon or Borneo, or the wastelands of Patagonia, our insatiable race is digging for buried riches – oil, metals, minerals. The remotest corners of the planet are now linked by some form of transport, to ferry these riches to civilization. Conflict and terrorism, realities of our times, have rendered vast swathes inaccessible.
Yet, the curious traveller does venture into uncharted territory, even if it entails multiple modes of transport and/or interminable waits and peering over national borders. Not all these places are on the edge of the earth or hidden in the interiors of the landmass. They could be right in your midst, except that you scarcely notice them.
Would you care to accompany me to some of these less-frequented places? Pontianak or Mitad del Mundo, both on the equator, but on opposite sides of the planet, Uluru and Alice Springs in the Australian outback, Ramallah and Jericho in conflict-ridden Palestine, Bastar in our very own heartland, mesmerising Issyk-kul in the folds of Kyrgyz Tien Shan ranges, Khorgos in the godforsaken deserts of Xinjiang, Tuting where the mighty Brahmaputra enters India and many more.
Alice Springs Under the Starry Skies of the Australian Outback - If you wish to experience the Australian outback in all its rawness, Alice Springs is the place to head to. An isolated outpost in the centre of the map of Australia, Alice Springs is the quintessential frontier town. Its colonial structures wear a weathered look.…
Astrakhan – Caviar capital of the world (Nikitin Expedition -2006) - Astrakhan is not easy to spot on the map although it is Russia’s gateway to the Caspian replete with oil and sturgeon. Even the usually loquacious Google slows down to a slur when you ask about Astrakhan. But there used to be a time when…
Chitkool, On The Edge (2011) - Chitkul, in Kinnaur Valley is just 80 km from theborder; it is the perfect fruit and nut village, if ever there was one. Sitting astride the gurgling Baspa river, Chitkul groans under the weight of apricots, almonds, apples, cherry, chilgoza, walnuts and other assorted hill…
Emeishan, in the Sichuan Highlands - Chengdu is also the springboard for a picturesque region called Mt. Emei or Emeishan. It was in Emei that Buddhism was first established in China. The 3,099-metre-high mountain is now home to the surviving 70-odd ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries. The landscape is so beautiful…
Gelling in Arunachal, Where the Siang Enters India - From the McMahon Line on the Indo-Tibetan border, the Siang seems almost benign. Is this the same river that routinely ravages the plains of Assam every year, washing away homes, hearths and wreaking havoc? Is this the same river that spreads out in chaotic tentacles…
Khorgos in the Wilderness of Xinjiang - Khorgos, the border town that straddles two countries – Kazakhstan and China – is a beehive of activity with construction cranes crowding the horizon. A steady stream of Kazakhs queue up at the immigration booth, waiting to cross into China and bring back manufactured goods…
Lake Issyk-kul, Eerie & Enchanting (2003) - It seemed a minor miracle that we survived the landing, considering the extent of blinding snow all around the tarmac. Our tiny Uzbek Air plane of Soviet provenance, was probably held together more by the indomitable will of its engineer than by the laws of…
Moreh – Surreal and Sparkling (2002) - He hangs a lantern on a hook suspended from the bamboo rafter above and disappears into the gloom. The reluctant illumination reveals a freshly-washed dhoti spread on a charpoy. And then he re-emerges from the darkness with a small cloth parcel. With a flick of…
Pontianak, the Equator Town in Kalimantan (2011) - How does it feel to be on the equator? Hot and humid for sure, but also as exasperating as it is exhilarating. A 360 degree horizon splattered with rainbow hues, endlessly flat delta crisscrossed by expansive and meandering rivers, deep and dark jungles harbouring strange…
Uluru – Sacred Mound of the Aborigines - Uluru is a unique rock formation, bang in the middle of the outback, almost at the centre of the Australian continent, in the desert province of Northern Territory. Along with Kata Tjuta, a similar rock formation some 30 kilometres away, Uluru is sacred to the…