IAN WRIGHT….

…ON ENGLAND

“England is wonderful. From London you can just jump on the train and you can be out in the country in an hour, walk, have a lunch in a beautiful country pub and then come back. Suffolk is particularly beautiful. There are rivers everywhere, it is stunning, so many little villages… I have a friend who lives in the smallest village you can imagine, when I visit him everything just goes fffffff, and you're just so relaxed. As soon as you turn into a one-lane road, you feel the pressure and the weight coming off your shoulders, you just chill out! There is something about being with nature, being in the country, there is no stress. That's the nicer thing about travelling; you leave some of it behind and just concentrate on what is going on. The sea is always a beautiful thing to see. Even just going over bridges in London and looking at the Thames gives you this little magic instant.”

…ON TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY

“If you spend too much time thinking about it, then you miss it! Things come. Keep looking, meet different people, and exchange ideas. There is no rule."

"The first step is in your head. So don't think about it, buy a flight ticket tomorrow and then worry about it on the plane. This is the hardest step."

…ON WORST EXPERIENCES

"In Nepal, the kit didn't turn up and we lost two days. Then we went to the Monkey Temple and after two hours the director got bitten to the blood by a monkey, and was at risk of death from rabies. It was a disaster!"

"In Vanuatu, we visited the most accessible volcano in the world. It erupted every ten minutes, spitting out moulting lava all over the crater. It was unbelievable - until the wind changed. A piece of lava landed two meters away from my head. And we ran like scared rabbits crying like babies. But now I wish I had a lava burn mark on my arm to boast about in the pub. "

"Every single country you go to just blows your mind! You know with this job you always get five months condensed in three weeks! The final program gives you a splash of colors, a smell of the country, and that's where its success is I think."

…. FINALLY

"There is no secret; there is nothing mysterious about a rucksack. All you need is money, passport, and a change of clothes. Forget the rest."

THROUGH THE LENS

When travel and photography come together, it’s a heady combination. Now, I haven’t done much of the two together. But it’s something I wish I could do for the rest of my life.

Goa was my first real experience. With my Nikon FM10 in tow, I had the challenge before me to capture my friends, the place and laze away merrily. So, wherever I went, I observed everything with the eye to fit it into a good frame. My heartfelt apologies to my friends, who may have felt my neglect for them at the cost of a good photograph.

But the results just blow away any guilt. To see your passion take shape, evolve into colours, to view the expected and the unexpected, just gives me so much satisfaction and pride.

So, travel shows are not easy. You are not on a holiday. You are working for your audience’s leisure. I can only imagine that all one can think about is getting all the shots and the frames. That sounds disappointing for those who dream about such a job (including me).

But when I go back to my Goa experience I remember the madness that welled up within me, when I thought of a frame. I ceased to think about anything else, until my shutter clicked. So, what you need is passion. It is the only thing that takes you through life.

[Photo Credit: Harmanpreet Kaur]

THE PERFECT TRAVELOGUE

I bought the book, City of Djinns by William Dalrymple from the pavement behind Bombay University for Rs 130 only. The vendor promised me sixty rupees if I returned it back. The book never gave me a chance of that. For if I could, I would put every chapter of that book in gold.

Every word in it is so beautifully etched, that it made you travel in your mind. History never sounded so appealing, till when it came from Dalrymple’s words like a true story. He explores all aspects of Delhi, giving his opinions but maintaining that brilliant journalistic quality of being unbiased.

I treasure it as one of my favourite books, and respect him as the ideal travel writer. So much so, that when I wanted to buy his next book, I chose the fattest volume.

DRIVING THROUGH HERITAGE

I travel on the Delhi-Mathura highway everyday to work and back. Busy at all times of the day and packed with trucks of all sizes, I cross the border of an ancient town called Badarpur. Bursting with vehicles, you can manage to catch sight of an ancient structure tucked away admidst electrical wires. It’s the Badarpur Gate, and unfortunately it’s a beautiful ruin.

And then there are these slender archways, again in ruins. It was after a hectic day at work, that to avoid a traffic jam, my driver quickly swerved into an alley and drove me through narrow lanes outlined with ancient darwazas. Empty lanes in front of me, and with moonlight at it’s best, it was indeed a royal feeling.

I’m trying to find out about these ruins, but am unable to on the web. So, the mystery surrounding them shall continue and keep my imagination occupied.