Some fear it, some embrace it, some shy away while some of us love it! The fact is that growing up is beautiful and the joy is immense, if you choose to see the joy. They say you need a companion to share & live a happy life and they are right. And I did find one! The company we keep, is ours to find new people and choose. Here is how an affair with my companion became another treasured memory. Read on to find out more…
*Engage Flashback Sequence*
29 years of joy, laughter, tears, fun, adventures, and I was now embarking on my big ‘3-Oh’.Life begins at 30, or so they say. Like other new age young damsels I was wondering how I should step into the wonder years of Womanhood. I decided it had to be a special beginning with your partner and a memorable milestone. To celebrate this, I planned a trip with my bosom buddies and hired an excellent luxury travel boutique to plan us an adventure to Cappadoccia and Latvia. Let me take you on a walk through this trip with singles.
The Land of Fairy Chimneys and the Valley of Love
The Land of Fairy Chimneys and the Valley of Love was a magical stay. You can lodge in one of the best cave hotels and live the fun fantasy life of Flintstones, set on your maiden ride on one of the finest hot air balloon deep valley tours which will provide you a soaring bird’s view of the dramatic volcanic valley and ice kissed mountain tops and end your tour with a champagne toast for the flying team.
With spirits high from these experiences, we moved on to walk through the valleys and visit the fairy chimney homes & churches. While here, you can explore a marvellous 8-storeyed underground city. This settlement dug deep into the earth, not only gave shelter and security but was also home to a winery, for an entire village. You can then get ready to be mesmerized by the fine ceramic handwork of a traditional pottery business family. I also got to carve my very own clay bowl on their kickwheel – a gleeful and fascinating experience.
Sufi & Souls
Evening sets in and you can prepare for a taste of Sufi philosophy and culture. The chant, the miraculous dance of the whirling Dervishes, ending with a Fatiha for all souls will make you witness an extraordinary and peaceful experience you will cherish lifelong. After this mystical experience we went back to the warm cave hotel to wake up next morning to another experience of the place, the food and the culture.
A Turkish Delight!
The place still had more magic to reveal – A maverick working on chewable Ice-cream – a Turkish delight which never falls out of a cone held upside down; a hot milk shake- Salep, your empty coffee cup revealing tales of your fortune; a gleaming deep blue votive tree that acted as a talisman protecting the owner from the evil eye and a tour of the semi-precious turquoise, azura stone treasure centre. Last but not the least, was the deserted and captivating Valley of Imagination. Its Lunar landscape had stones carved by nature in a way that boggled our minds. It was just like when as kids, we could wear wings of creativity and think of various shapes and forms by watching the stars, the clouds, we now watched these rocks turn into camels , snakes, seals, dolphins, penguins, fishes and many more! For our tastebuds, we got to savour myriad flavours and textures in the form of their cuisine – Meze, Tabouleh, Baklava, sips of Raki and the warm Turkish shiraz wine served.
The Land Of Riga
Following this wonderful leg of our journey, we prepared for our arrival to the Baltic land of Riga to visit the last Pagan areas of the world. A dash of folklore heritage, history, music, dance, clubbing, adventure, sports formed the highlights here. You arrive to the views of the snowclad city of Riga and then head off to dine at Rozengrals, an ancient wine vault which is an experience that will transport you back in time.
Fly Up Or Bob Sled Down!
The next morning, we walked through the city centre absorbing all details of the culture and then drove to Sigulda to satiate our adventure appetite. Free flying in the Aerodium like a bird with wings spread and riding the ‘Vuchko’ on the bob sleigh track was a rush like no other. Thereafter we rejuvenated ourselves with a unique 4 hour Spa with several rounds of herb oils, coffee-scrubs, body massages; coupled with sauna, aromatic tea and fruit breaks. The nights were filled with posh and plush club hopping with the company of both friends and fun-filled locals.
The Best Thing About Growing Up
Seven days of magic flew by for us. It was time to bid farewell but before that, we did find oursleves chanting “Tikai Riga, Tikai Dinamo” with the best fans at a match against Moscow at an Ice hockey stadium and lunch from a huge spread of traditional and scrumptious Latvian food. Like all good dreams this one also led us back to reality but made ‘growing-up’ so much more fun, fulfilling and a memorable experience that one must plan to stash every year with such memories.
Life’s a journey and I have found that travel is my true companion for a lifetime, my soulmate. A happy, forever after story of my own.
So what do you think? Haven’t I found a catch? 🙂
…and if I happen to find another traveller soul, well then, it would definitely be ‘more the merrier’ for me, although travel will still be the one true love of my life!
Let me know if you have a similar soulmate in life in the comments below! I would love to hear your stories and maybe inspire you to start a new journey! Happy beginnings!
