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The Canadian Rockies – 3

February 6, 2023

The unexpected snowfall on the day I arrived in Jasper had not just taken everybody by surprise but also made it that much more difficult for me to find things to fill in my itinerary. I wanted to go on the hard hikes for the breathtaking views but that was not a possibility anymore. …

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The Canadian Rockies – 2

October 23, 2022

By Gargi

I was back at Lake Louise early in the morning on my third day in Banff, now familiar with the area and some of the trails around. I had read a lot about the trails and was confused about choosing the right one for my abilities and the time I would be spending in …

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The Canadian Rockies – 1

August 29, 2022

By Gargi

At the start of 2022, I decided I would not travel much. I have not explored my beautiful home state of California as much as I would like to and I was also feeling guilty looking at the spending summary for last year on my credit card. I had splurged after a year of …

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Island of Hawai’i – The north shore

August 8, 2022

By Gargi

We chose to spend the four days that we would be working at an Airbnb in Hilo. We had not considered that the pandemic had changed how things were and most cafes including the ubiquitous Starbucks had turned takeout-only. A relatively quiet place to sit and work eluded us as we spent half a …

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Island of Hawai’i – Volcano and Hilo

August 15, 2021

By Gargi

We drove to Volcano, a small town very close to the Hawaii Volcanoes national park from Kona once we picked up a different car. It was a two-hour drive through Hilo and there was rain for the most part, something that we had not experienced so far on our trip. The east side of …

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Island of Hawai’i – The west coast

July 19, 2021

By Gargi

As soon as I got the Covid-19 vaccine shot, I was looking forward to make up for the nearly fifteen months of little to no traveling. I was still apprehensive of flying but decided I would be all right since I was going to Hawaii where they had restrictions right from the start of …

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Alaska: Kenai Fjords National park and Matanuska

March 8, 2021

By Gargi

It drizzled and sometimes poured as we drove away from Denali towards Seward, a city in the southern coast of Alaska, with a planned stop at Anchorage. We were to pick up a friend who had missed the first leg of the trip from the airport. I was quite comfortable in the driving seat …

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Alaska: Denali National Park

July 26, 2020

By Gargi

“What’s one thing that Texas has that Alaska does not? Texans!” The captain on our flight went on a flurry of brag jokes like this one once we touched down in Anchorage, the state’s largest city. He did not forget to mention that Alaska is indeed twice the size of Texas and has a …

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Winter in Niagara

May 11, 2020

By Gargi

While telling people that I am moving to the USA for my Master’s, most seemed genuinely happy that it was to California, a state with nice weather throughout the year. It is just like Bangalore, one of my professors had said, taking away some sheen from my adventure that was to be. Although the …

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Life in the time of a pandemic

April 27, 2020

By Gargi

Michelle Obama, in her autobiography, refers to herself as a box checker, someone who thrived to do everything they are supposed to do in life, planning every detail. It would be scornful to compare myself to her, but I think I turned into one somewhere along the way too, diligently carrying out all that …

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A throwback to the medieval times

April 6, 2020

By Gargi

Toulouse, the capital city of France’s Occitanie region is called the pink city due to the color of the bricks used for most buildings in the city. It appeared on my world map owing to a friend who moved there and could not stop talking about how typically European it was. Mainland France has …

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The City of Love

March 22, 2020

By Gargi

As much as I love being in the woods, hiking, putting myself through hours of physical exertion to be rewarded with breathtaking views, I daresay I am intrigued by history, culture and beautiful buildings. Europe boasts of every one of these and I only had a taste of it while visiting London and Wales …

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A weekend in Barcelona

January 25, 2020

By Gargi

Catalonia is a region in the northeastern area of Spain, vying for independence since the last couple of centuries, revolting the imposition of Spanish language and laws on the Catalans who take pride in their language and culture. It was designated an autonomous community when Spain became a republic. The beautiful city of Barcelona …

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Peru: Lake Humantay, Rainbow mountain and Cusco

October 23, 2019

By Gargi

I arrived at my hotel in Cusco, greeted by a sleep deprived man who wanted to change his room in case it was possible and the bleary-eyed hotel staff. Once in my room, I fell asleep quickly, only to wake up in a few hours to head out on my day trip to the …

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Peru: Machu Picchu

August 18, 2019

By Gargi

The two-day Inca trail is probably the most expensive thing I have done on any trip. I would have loved to do the “classic” four-day trek (following the path that the Incas took), but it is much more popular and gets sold out almost a year in advance. In the wee hours of the …

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Peru: Sacred Valley

August 5, 2019

By Gargi

As a botanist’s daughter, the number of times I heard the word ‘biodiversity’ while growing up is probably what led to my fascination with South America, home to the Amazon rainforest. In the recent years, watching David Attenborough’s shows has only intensified my thirst for nature. A trip down there to experience the forest …

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