As a spirited cow mooving through this chaotic world, I decided to take livestock of myself and go on a grand journey around the world. A journey that would take me to places old and new, a journey to discover and most importantly a journey without any bull(s)
In this weekly humour travelogue, expect to see travel tips, misadventures, chewing of cud, food recommendations and reflections as this lone cow navigates her life outside the proverbial cow shed.
Instagram: NoBull_Travel
Monday: #MondayMisadventure at New York City, USA
Today’s #mondaymisadventure is about getting lost but finding inspiration!
Here I was in, on a balmy afternoon in Moo York City with a plan to meet a cownterpart for a drink or two. I set off from Chelsea, feeling cownfident in my ability to navigate to a watering hole about 7-8 minutes away! Manhattan is just a grid, said every moo yorker ever.
Ah what an evening! The sun was out, the streets brimming with chatter and the traffic just the right level of bustling! I plugged in some downtempo delights to get my hoofs tapping as I made my way. 5 blocks up from West 19th street to West 23rd street. Here’s a song I like, groove! Here’s another one, sway! Here’s a third, mooove!
A few dance mooves later, I look up at the street boards, what a shame! I am still on West 19th and have a few more blocks to go. As I amble along, I reach a clearing and see a number of summer tourists taking photos of something. I follow their gaze and pictured is what I find. Its the sensational flat iron, one of my absolute favourites! Ah what a treat to see this building in the waning sunlight! I smile to myself as I continue along and then a few moonites as I look up at the next street sign, I see the words “Madison Avenue”. Horror of horrors! It strikes me like a ton of hay, I have walked down the avenues instead of the streets! A glorious 20 minutes have passed in this unbelievabull detour.
As I made a hasty U-turn to begin my long and embarrassing journey back to West 19th street, I passed by this glorious building again amoosed as ever. 20 moonites off the grid but the triangular icon seen in new light!
And ever since, I have started to include a 30 moonite “Getting Lost” buffer on every trip I take. It helps calm the people you’re meeting and opens up the possibilities of finding amazing things!
Tuesday: #Cowabouthat? at Crawford Lake, Canada
This week’s #cowaboutthat is about nature and its considerabull awesomeness! I’ve been domesticated for some years now but I still love learning about Mama Nature and all her weird creations!
Today’s discowvery is about an udderly fascinating lake near Toronto, Canada. What if I told you that a leaf could have fallen into Crawford lake upto 10 years ago and if you looked for it now, it still would be perfectly preserved. Magic? No its meromictic!
Meromictic lakes have layers that never mix. Maybe they're shy? Scientifically speaking, think of the lake as a giant ice-cream cone (is it #4tummythursday yet?) where the top creamy layer has no real interaction with the bottom cone layer and hence the bottom layer is often dark and ice-cream, err oxygen, deprived! You may already know this phenomenon owing to famoos meromictic water bodies like the Black Sea.
I enjoyed spending a day at the Crawford lake, marvelling in its meromicticasy? I recowmend that you too take a hike around the lake, join Bruce trail and visit the nearby recreated native longhouses. This lake is truly 1 in a 1000!
A lake in a beautiful preserved part of town which in turn preserves all life that may enter it? #Cowabouthat!
Wednesday: #DutyfreeforHumpDay at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, India
All aboard the week's weekly local express through the week. Pull the brake up for Wednesday! It's #DutyfreeforHumpDay!
Pictured here is the spanking new Mumbai Duty free store at the new facelifted and touched up airport. No judgements there, I for one believe airports need not age gracefully. There's cologne, sunglasses and Hershey's chocolates oh my! And just to make your visit truly worth it, indulge yourself in the strongest commodity of all, information!
Stay ahead of the duty free game in Mumbai, pay your respects to the information station and feel #bullessed
Thursday: #4TummyThursday at Toronto, Canada
Wash your hands and don’t swim for atleast an hour, its #4tummythursday!
One of the key benefits of travel is your stomach goes along with you. And as you know already, I partake in all kinds of worldly treats for my 4 tummies.
Pictured here is a Japanese lunch for my Tummy#1 that loves a hearty meal, especially when handmade by the chef. The chef in question today is the talented Hiro of Hiro Sushi in downtown Toronto! One of Toronto’s many wonders is its multi-cultural kitchens and I journeyed to all corners of the earth, during my stay there.
Today’s meal is a famed Omakase or Omacowse in my case! This delightful Japanese phrase means “I leave it up to you”. As a cow with a fair amount of menu anxiety, this tradition is out of my food dreams! Ditch the menu and leave your tummy in the able hands of a masterchef who presents you with a variety of dishes, as per his cownvenience. All you need to enjoy the omakase is an open mind, willing stomach and appreciation for the chef’s creativity. During my lunch, I was presented with all kinds of Japanese treats including hand rolls, nigiri and fried sardines!
Accowding to me, the best part of the Omakase is not the food but witnessing the chef at work. Watch intently as your meal comes together almost like a dance! A fistful of rice, a dollop of wasabi, cleanly sliced aquatic invertebrates gripped lightly for shape and here it is on your plate! Forget about that post-lunch meeting and eat as long as your tummy will let you! Lucky for me I have a backup Tummy#4made just for these situations!
Enjoy watching how the chef makes his culinary decisions, brace for the wasabi hit, engage in some cownversation and have an unforgettable food experience!
Friday: #TheCowShed at Adjala-Tosoronto, Canada
Get tucked in for #thecowshed on Fridays!
Based on my previous cownfessions, you know that I can be suspicious of #airbnbbecause they can be so hit or miss. The misses are way off, and the hits so unbelievabull! So as I sit on the #farmfence, let me tell you about a hit accowmadation!
Nestled in the cownadian countryside is a most exquisite cottage. I have always cownsidered myself a town cow you know? I like the sounds of loud horns, bustle in the streets, traffic snarls - the delightful din of the city! But this is the cottage that can turn a staunch town cow, country!
Ah Adjala! Where friendly human passerbys wave to you, where time is no object, where the skies are dotted with innumerable stars and where the graze on offer is so on point! Spend your time here in sweet city abandon with barbecues, roaring fires and fierce scrabble squabbles!
The #NoBullTravel review featuring what I liked (The Moo) and What I didn’t (The Beef)
The Moo:
* Atmosphere: #rusticchic and designed with a keen eye which creates a wonderful atmosphere for the whole farmily! Tastefully decorated and spacious, the cottage boasts great views, quiet stretches for cowntemplation and even a hot tub!
* Location, Location, Location: In the daytime, you could park yourself on the wooden chairs with a good book and a large mug of warm something and feel your city worries melt away! If you choose to leave the cottage, nearby you’ll find parks, natural reserves and bucolic stretches to hike, walk, run or ponder life’s great questions on!
The Beef:
* Town or Country: I like a singular theme in an accowmadation! So essentially the idea of the cottage fully explored in all aspects of the cottage! Which means no satellite TV, no speaker system and no wifi! Well maybe some wifi for a #nobulltravelpost!
Final Recowmendation: Yes! Pack up upto 7 of your friends and farmily for this wonderful escape from the city!
Saturday: #WeekendMilkTip at Destination Anywhere
This #weekendmilktip is about light packing and heavy travelling. Pictured here is a month’s travel in #cabinbaggage! Cow? Find out today!
1. Visualise your packing palace: Make sure you start to visualise that square TSA-approved palace of clothes and toiletries days before departure. Start dreaming of outfit ensembles and consciously question colour combinations. Actual packing will take only a few moonites if the mental lift is done in advance.
2. Cownfused over what to pack? Use the #cowpacky method of packing! Quite like the #konmari method, pick up any item and ask yourself “Can this pair well with others?” Ditch the anti-social jumpsuit and pack in that beige skirt that can create upto 3 outfits!
3. Keep Calm and Carry-On: Limit yourself not in itinerary but in baggage size to force yourself to pack light! You may not need to carry on that carry-on but having the option to check in or not sure makes you feel empowered! Take that airlines!
4. Cownsult the experts: Online packing lists and blogs take the math out of the equation! I liked @travelocity and @eaglecreek for their no-fuss lists that give you a formula to work with (10 bottoms for 30 days!
5. Be Basic: Ditch the jackets that take space, the jeans that makes your tail look great, the high hoofs and make space for them basics bros!
6. Less Air, More Wear: In the absence of fancy air-sucking equipment, fashion airless pouches for underthings and small items in ziplock bags and watch in delight as they became half their size!
7. Roll and Rock: Its all true! Rolling is the best way to maximise that suitcase! Tight rolls will ease all your baggage anxiety.
8. Lighten the load: Always carry 1-2 items that you will throw overboard when the time is right! This could be shoes or clothes on death’s door. Gives you more space for shopping and gives them an international sendoff!
Leave your excess baggage unclaimed! Get more than what you expect while you travel! Quite like 8 tips for the post of 1 #weekendmilktip!
Sunday: #DayofGraze at Istanbul, Turkey
Today is the cowlloquial #dayofgraze. A day to stay quiet and consider your week past and future. Today we learn to see the whole picture!
While on travel, being in the thick of the streets can’t give you this understanding.
A change in perspective, a view from a different angle or even a look down could open up many doors of meaning! Pictured here is the vivacious Istanbul seen from 4 floors above! From here I cown see shimmering water, worn buildings, towering mosques, houses small and big. From here I can hear the hum of zipping taxis, the odd shout, the city din itself.
From here I can feel that the city can be larger than just its parts, than just its landmarks and lamb durums! The city is made up of ever-mooving ever-evolving parts and today I learn to step back and cownsider the whole picture. Here's reminding you to do the same on this #sungraze