Why I do what I do. Every time I read a travel article with enviable visuals, the words rush by and there is only one emotion that races through my capillaries and that is - " That should have been me!'' , so much so , I end up telling myself to stop wishing and start writing. What happens next is that I close the magazine and with that goes the urgency to make a start. Therefore the blog.

Life takes you to the most unexpected of places and situations. If you try to think of one such episode, several knock on your mind's door. The one knocking loudest today in my head is about a day in the market in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Formalities were being done for a trek in the Takpa Siri trail in the Subansiri Valley, my adventure yet to start.
Shopping for food for the trail at the local market was an uninspiring logistical exercise. Aalu, Pyaz, Dal, Rice, Coffee, the regular stuff. In the midst of the oranges and berries, sat a no-nonsense woman selling some bright green globules. I hadn't seen any berry this green. There was a crowd around her little market display on her maroon scarf. Edging inwards, getting a better glimpse of her wares, I saw that the berries were hairy and ..waita minute.. they were moving. Apparently a delicacy, they were rare and tasty caterpillars. To check its freshness /youth/ taste level, a little woman popped one into her mouth and started bargaining. The seller looked my way, flashed a toothless grin and continued bargaining for a wholesale transaction. I managed to get a pic. Wasn't brave enough to get a taste.