They Live Where You Vacation… Respect Their Homes
They Live Where You Vacation… Respect Their Homes: Did we tell you that we were at a campsite last week? And did we mention that it was in a National Park? Our guess is, no. Apologies fellow travellers but with the increasing number of our travels lately, some stories reach you a little late. But nevertheless, whenever they do reach you we will make sure that we paint the picture of our experiences in your mind, so deep that as you read about it you forget about your present coordinates and time travel with us to the lands of serenity.
They Live Where You Vacation… Respect Their Homes
So this camp of ours was setup amidst the forests and in the morning the sounds of the waterfall embarking upon its journey couldn’t keep us asleep for long. We sat on the grass not at all concerned about how we looked or how our hair was in the morning because the ageless beauty surrounding us didn’t even compare to our temporary existence. We enjoyed the chilly morning with some masala chai. (The magical combo)The musical sounds the water made as it fell from the height made our inner demons dance away and the sun light which struck the water surface making it look like diamonds floating gave us a feeling of solitude among the crowd. (Ah! The blissful moment)
While we were deriving pleasure from the harmonic combination of the forces of natures we couldn’t help but overhear a very interesting conversation two men from the camp adjacent to ours were having.
Camper 1 (to Camper 2): When I last visited this place five years back it was much cleaner. Now all you see in the passages of the forest is trash.
Camper 2: And all this is happening despite the various boards on the way asking the visitors to carry their garbage disposal bags along.
Camper 1: And the sad part is we do not even claim the responsibility for dishonouring this place.
Camper 2 (sips his hot tea): I think the saddest part is that we do not realize that this place which is a recreational spot for us to get away from the pollution of the city is home to the hundreds of species living here. We are breaching into their habitat and creating an inhospitable environment in their home.
Camper 1: Yes, that is true. We create a scene when somebody litters our garden area while we are doing the same thing to the home of these speechless species. We humans, the most intelligent of all species are so busy in worldly affairs that we have completely forgotten our responsibility towards nature.
This conversation between the two gentlemen got us to thinking that all of us are always busy discussing travel and glorifying it through writing but why don’t we ever discuss or write about the effect our urban habits are having on these heavenly places? Why is that we would read articles and watch videos after videos to find out which shade of purple an actress wore to some film festival and skip write-ups about the necessity of being a responsible traveller? Have you as a traveller given it any thought? Yes? (Okay, we see some heads nodding) No? (And here comes the silence).
Well, we promised you at the start of the article that our writings will take you places. So now let us take you to ashore. Yes, the boundary where the worlds of water and land intersect. Imagine the vast sea and the waves which touch your feet at first then sway away and touch your feet again acting like a naughty child. Amazing, isn’t it? But wait what is this that just washed along with the waves at your feet. Oh! Don’t be scared, it is a rotten body of a seagull with plastic in its stomach. Tell me the cause of its death, please. Plastic, you say, at once. Beeeep! Wrong answer! The cause is you, it’s them, and it’s all of us.
Where we vacation and where we litter is home to many and it’s high time before we realise our obligation towards nature. So fellow travellers step forward to save the hills, to save the water bodies and to save this world because at the end it all comes down to this.
