(16th September 2012) I did not climb the peak of Pen-y-fan…

… yet climbing even half way is an achievement for me. As I am someone who’s scared of climbing down even a steep staircase; climbing down a mountain has been until now like impossible to me.

We started climbing pen-y-fan from storey arms car park. 

  map at the Storey arms car park

After walking for about 10 minutes I turned back and then looked at the path ahead of me and was dead scared – “How am I going to climb down?” 

Ankit said I need not worry as he will be with me. But nothing would console me. I could have gone back then but Ankit wouldn’t leave me alone and I didn’t want to spoil his day.

  Ankit and me... thanks honey for being so supportive...

Every now and then I would stop and would have an opportunity to go back or wait somewhere until they come back. But I decided to continue; for

One – I did not have the courage to climb down alone AND 

Two – Ankit would not allow me to wait anywhere alone.

We planned we would walk till Corn Du and then decide whether we go till pen-y-fan or start climbing down as we had to leave for London at about 4.

 

we had come this far

Soon the weather started getting worse; and so did my fears. It was so foggy that we could not see anything beyond 10 meters. Then we reached a point where it was very windy and I gave up. My group agreed too that it’s not safe to go further as we did not have protective gears.

 we couldn't see anything beyond 10 meters

We thought we were close to Corn Du and may walk up till there. So Ankit went a bit further but then he came back because he could not see anything beyond 4-5 meters and weather was very bad up there.

So we started climbing down. Initially I was holding Ankit’s hand; but after sometimes I decided to try alone i.e. not holding his hand but he being a one hand distance away from me.  

And this way I climbed down Pen-y-fan - in a way alone and in a way holding Ankit's hand; but mostly with the support of Ankit, Vikas and Bonney.

Thanks Ankit, Vikas and Bonney for being with me. I feel a bit guilty that because of me, you guys couldn’t go further.

 Vikas, Ankit and Bonney having fun

 When we came down I posed for this victory-picture that I would cherish for my lifetime.

and that's me with my victory pose

top 5 thrilling activities I want to do before I die

There are a lot of things that I want to do before I die; the list is huge, always changing.

Here’s a list of top 5 outdoor, thrilling activities that I am excited about and want to do before I die –

1)      Ride in a hot air balloon

2)      Paragliding

3)      Scuba Diving/Snorkelling

4)      Bungee Jumping

5)      Sky diving

I wish I do get a chance to do them. Will update this post each time I do one of these activities.

Things you must do when in Venice

When I discussed my Italy travel plans with friends, most of them said that Venice would be bore, there’s water everywhere and there’s hardly anything to do except for visiting St. Mark’s square and the islands all of which can be done in a single day. For once, I had even thought of reducing my stay in Venice. Glad I didn’t do it. As I fell in love with Venice the moment I reached Venice and enjoyed my every moment of stay in Venice.

There’s so much to do in Venice that I felt two and a half days were not enough. Ankit and I – both of us would want to go to Venice again.

Things you must do when you are in Venice

Visit St. Mark’s Square very early in the morning; chase some pigeons and enjoy the beautifully glittering mosaics of St. Mark’s Basilica. We spent hours photo-shooting the church.

 beautiful mosaics of St. Mark's Basilica

Take the “Secret Itineraries” tour of Dodge’s palace; that’s the only way to know the inner secrets of Venetian Republic that ruled Venice for about 900 years. Also, only by entering the palace you can walk on the “Bridge of sighs”; the famous bridge that connects the palace with prisons.

behind me is the famous Bridge of Sighs

 

Hop off the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for glass; don’t forget to visit the lovely glass museum. Burano is the prettiest island in the lagoon; all its houses are painted in bright colors. Even the alleys are colourful.

 a glass specimen at the island of Murano

colorful houses of Burano

  
Visit the Jewish Ghetto (Il Ghetto) where all the Jewish were forced to live from the 16^th to 18^th century. A small Jewish community still lives there.

the Jewish Ghetto

Take a gondola ride. We did not take a gondola ride as we didn’t have enough time. Instead we took Vaporette 1 from Piazzale Roma to St Mark’s square. If you get a good seat, it’s equivalent to taking gondola tour of the Grand Canal; though less romantic.

 tour of the Grand Canal

Get lost. You might have your own itinerary of Venice, but keeping your maps aside, forgetting the itinerary for sometime and getting lost is the best way to explore Venice. Well, it’s not possible to get lost, as you will see signs for Rialto bridge & St. Mark’s square everywhere. So finding is easy after getting lost. While you walk in Venice, you will see some lovely bridges, cross them; you might come across some beautiful churches, visit them.

exploring Venice while getting lost

 
Venice can be creepy at night, but don’t let that worry you. We walked the alleys at night and saw no signs of any violent crime. But that does not mean Venice is crime free; be aware of pickpockets.

Buy a Venetian mask. If you want to experience the local life in Venice visit local markets and shops.

 that's me with a Venetian mask

While you are in Venice, take a lot of pictures and bring back home lovely memories.

why do i start a travel blog?

may be... to document my travels...