Around 28000 . I would like to mention that i was not required to take out my wallet from and back to the airport.
Regards Vamshi > On 14-Jun-2018, at 11:29 AM, George Abraham <[email protected]> wrote: > > How much did it cost? > > -----Original Message----- > From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of vamshi vamshi > Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2018 10:00 AM > To: accessindia > Subject: [AI] Independent tour: Sikkim tour with Bat Travels! > > Dear friends, > > I had just taken one more step in the direction of independent living for > blind, a tour alone to Sikkim, Indochina border with Bat travels. Now I am > in euphoria for not just completing my first tour alone, but finding a new > way of happy living with new bunch of friends! > > I took off alone from Banglore airport having all the apprehensions as it was > my first time tour without family, friends or known people. How should I > find the cab at Bagdogra airport? What if other sighted tourists are not > ready to help me? Will I be left out on a few spots on the tour? How will I > have lunch in a new place? What if I need to go to wash room? What if other > sighted tourists are not interested in talking to me? Will it be risky to > depend purely on my white cane in hilly places? Will I enjoy the picturesque > beauty of Sikkim as a blind tourist? Many more like this. But then, I > thought its worth giving a try. After all, life is all about trying things > new. Isn’t it? > > Day 0 > Getting bonded > All the group of 8 arrived at Bagdogra airport. Two of us were blind and > others being sighted. Pleasant surprise was that Bat Travel team of Divya > and Ritu were there a day in advance to receive us! Couple of hours after > introductions, we found ourselves cracking jokes at each others and pulling > each others legs. We started to Gangtok comfortably seated in two SUVs, good > old bollywood music playing and I humming some songs , more to show that I > knew them than to sing well (smile). River Teesta was along side us as if > was showing us the way. A river is the best friend for blind in nature as > it makes sound to make us feel it. Bat Travel team was describing the > nature around us, the size and shape of trees, height of mountains, how far > and low is the river, the depth of valley, colour of monkeys, a fox that we > sighted etc. It was as good as seeing everything. By the night, we checked > into the hotel at Gangtok and rested after dinner. And yes, each blind was > accompanied by a sighted in the room to orient us. > > Day 1 > We enjoyed a water fall, Sprinkled water on each other and had a few snaps > taken. Then we went to Enchey monastery, with Divya or Ritu describing > sculpture and paintings in detail, even letting us have a tactile feel of the > Buddhist sculpture, rare leaves, flowers etc. Contrary to our personalities > and the tour, we remained silent in praying before lord Buddha with a monk > chanting beside us. After that, was the time for the most exciting part of > the tour, a rope slide between two mountain clifs, with a water fall beside > us and water flowing below us! A part of me was hesitant but the stubborn > side of me wanted to do it. I was carefully guided to the clif and was > explained how it would be functioning. Even the staff there ensured all > safety measures. But still, to be harnessed to a rope, and sliding from one > clif to another by holding the rope was one heck of an experience! They > even stop in the middle where we can leave the rope and wave in the air. At > that moment, it was a sense of achievement to think, what if I can’t do > certain things like sighted, here I am doing an adventure which many sighted > wouldn’t have done! After having a Sikkimmese lunch with pasta, bamboo > shoots, etc., we returned and rested at hotel. > > Day 2 > Time to touch China! Natulla pass! 14,000 feet height! > It was all the more tantalizing when we had to wait twice for permits to > reach there. With every passing mile up, the temperature kept dropping and > air freezing. I deliberately refrained from wearing jacket till we reached > there to see how it will be like, but only to loose the battle with the > weather as by then my hands also started paining. It was a hike to the top, > with either of the bat travel buddies or sighted friend holding one hand and > my white cane in the other. There were steps, treacherous passes, snow > passes, other tourists and what not, but it was a great experience to use the > white cane at such a place and reach the peak. We could see Chinese > buildings, flags at the other end. My impish side got better of me as I > poked my cane beyond Indian border and was duly cautioned by the army person > against it. After saluting the army friends, on our way down, we had hot > tea, jilebi and popcorn. We had a few pics and shouted Jayho to India at the > border! On our way down, we stopped at beautiful Tsomgo lake to have a yak > ride. Ritu went so far to walk ahead of me, or rather the yak to take a > video of my ride. > > Day 3 > From east to west of Sikkim. > We visited Temi tea gardens on the way to west of Sikkim. It was planned > that we will have lunch in the middle of tea bushes! But nature had > different plans as it rained. However, it was no less an experience with > having lunch at top of a building of 50 feet height with the entire tea > garden below us, mountains around us and clouds along side! We visited the > factory and got the entire process of producing tea explained. We even > handled one or two machines to get hands on. Then we proceeded to Okhrey, > visiting the golden colour 130 feet statue of Lord Buddha on the way. > > Day 4 > Wooden Home stay in a Sikkimmese village, and disability etiquette of a > village boy > Putting up on second floor of the wooden building was a rare experience. A > few humming birds woke us up in the morning. We argued amongst ourselves for > guessing the name of the bird that is humming, obviously with no one knowing > it correctly! It was a loving family that served homely food in the village. > Then we went through a forest trail, and I have met a special person. > Ashish, a twelve year boy. He kept all others away from me and guided me all > the way through the trail across patchy ways, streams, rocks, trees etc. He > went so far to step on the ground ahead to check the firmness and then place > my cane. After sometime, he took the cane away from me saying the path is > smooth and my hand would pain for holding it for long time. I took the risk > of giving up the cane and prepared for an injury for the love and concern he > had for me, but his confidence took me through. I thought Corporates and > governments need to be sensitized with prolonged campaigns and agetations, > but a village boy from a north eastern village just had the right attitude > towards a blind whom he met for the first time. Hatss off to him! The day > ended with a Sikkimmese music and dance performance, again with Divya and > Ritu describing the steps. I even tried my hands on the instrument and > Sikkimmese dance, which was followed by Anthakshiri sitting around bond fire. > > Day 5 > Good bye Sikkim > I travelled all the day, in a car to Bagdogra airport, in flight to Chennai, > RTC bus to tirupati, and finally a auto rikshaw at 1 in the night to my home. > See? I am confident of independent travel! > > Follow up > I received all my pics and videos taken with detailed description as to who > are all there, our poses and the background. Isn’t it inclusive tourism at > its best? > > About Bat Travels; Ritu and Divya > It requires great passionate hearts to give up jobs and start something like > Bat Travels. And great professional minds to run it. But their uniqueness > Lies in the fact that they get sighted tourists on board with blind after > duly sensitizing them about blind etiquette. See how a village boy from > north eastern village helped a blind man from tirupati to have a life time > memory! It was my first innings with the “Bat”. And given my experience, I > will surely have more, and longer innings with them. Would surely recommend > to all my friends, blind or sighted, to go with bat Travels! > > > -- > G. Vamshi > Mobile: +91 9949349497 > Skype: gvamshi81 > > WWW.VIBEWA.ORG > EQUALITY AND DIGNITY > > > > > > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > > > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
