Mr. Vamshi's discription is very atractive and tempting. I will surely give
a trial. In fact I have visited Sikkim on my own with relatives. But the
discription given of Bhat travel seams to be very exciting. Thanks a lot.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mohammad Parvesh" <mdparvez...@gmail.com>
To: "AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning
the disabled." <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2018 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] Independent tour: Sikkim tour with Bat Travels!
Sent from my iPhone
On 14-Jun-2018, at 10:18 AM, Amar Jain <amarj...@amarjain.com> wrote:
Thanks for penning it down beautifully. I am yet to have drinks with Ritu
and Divya, but one thing which I really like about them is that they are
really pocket friendly people and still offering pretty much the same
thing which other players are doing in the industry.
Regards,
Amar Jain
Sent from my iPhone
On 14-Jun-2018, at 9:59 AM, vamshi vamshi <gvamsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
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.. awesome description really. I feel
like going to Sikkim at once.
Search for old postings at:
http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
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/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/
To unsubscribe send a message to
accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in
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..