Its human trait to settle down in places, make units and grow. But I think its more a human tendency to get up and leave, to leave and wander. Be it in mind or body. I have always wondered why we need to travel? What are we in search of?
We tend to reminisce about our travels and memories. Put it into words or cinema- a way of expressing what the road can do to us. How traveling can change the way you think and see. For Bharath and I (and most other people I know) movies and books with a travel twist seem to inspire us into thinking more than just about ourselves and gives us an insight into people, places and how everyone sees lives from different perspectives.

I thought it would be nice to give you a little insight on our favorite travel movie and travel book.

On the Road
Jack Kerouac’s autobiographical novel is all about life and seizing the day. Part of the beat generation the novel was about the characters of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty racing around America with a backdrop of sleepy small towns, rural wilderness and endless deserts all linked by the road. It was a need to get out, find freedom liberated from any notion or ideology. Having one and only one philosophy and that was LIFE. Bharath says this is his favorite travel book because of simply that. That it is about what you see and how you are on the road.
Trivia : Beatnik was a culture which started out as an expression of alienation of from mainstream american values and experimentation with travel, drugs and eastern philosophy. Beatnik culture paved the way to ’ Hippie’

Falling off the Map:
Pico Iyers travel essays on ‘lonely places of the world, this book definitely transports the reader to the streets of N Korea, Cuba, or Paraguay with plenty of funny moments, at the same time giving insight into the political or geographical isolation of these countries. At every corner Pico seems to find the ironic and definitely brings out the eccentric of the place. My absolute recommendation for all those who love to take the road less traveled.

Travel Movies: Into the Wild
The movie recounts the life of Christopher McCandless a student who gives up his home, family, possessions and donates his money to charity before he embarks on a journey throughout America and finally ending in Alaska, into the wild, to spend time with nature, with real existence away from the trapping of the modern world. After 20 months of traveling he reaches Alaska and realizes he is insufficiently prepared. but nevertheless continues and finally meets his end in the wild.
The courage to break away from from society, to follow your own path whatever the end result maybe and the carefree way of traveling is what appeals to Bharath.

The Motorcycle Diaries

A biopic into the life behind the myth of the famous figurehead of the Cuban revolution,  Ernesto Che Guevara, the movie is about the young Ernesto and his friend Alberto Granado making a journey on a sputtering motorcycle throughout Latin America. The goal of the trip was simply to have fun and meet a few girls..

As the trip unfolds they learn a lot about themselves through watching the impoverished lives of peasants unfold in front of them. This is a journey of sheer self discovery through travel and I think it absolutely reflects about how I think travel can change the way you think.