I have learnt to pack light. It was not always so. In fact, on the Ganges I had to offload a whole lot of gear progressively. By the time I reached the end of the journey more than 2,000 km downstream, there were still things in my kit that I never even touched. I have …
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When people hear about the Sri Lanka circumnavigation expedition, almost always they ask me questions related directly to the effort itself. “How tough is it going to be?”“What about sea conditions?”“How far into the sea will you be?”“Where will you sleep?” “What if you get lost?” “What about food?”Etc. All these are legitimate questions that …
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In the previous post I had briefly alluded to the Beaufort Scale. Let us look at what it is in just a little more detail. The Beaufort scale was devised in 1805 by the Francis Beaufort, a hydrographer and Royal Navy officer. Interestingly, the scale that carries his name was first used aboard HMS Beagle …
The Beaufort Scale Read More »
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There is literally no end to the kinds and types of gear and equipment that can be added to the kit list, particularly for an expedition such as this. If I had a larger boat and was embarking on a more perilous journey without access to shore every evening, I would most definitely have invested …
Four invaluable gizmos Read More »
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This is a fact. The paddle around Sri Lanka is unlikely to be anything like the one I experienced while canoeing the Ganges a little over a year ago. For one, the Ganges is a river. And largely devoid of any water of any consequence, no current at all except a very gentle one that …
Sri Lanka is NOT the Ganges Read More »
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The author André Gide once said, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” This statement has taken on a very real meaning for me. And I not talking metaphorically or philosophically or allegorically or even humorously here. This is very literal. I am actually planning on …
Leaving shore behind Read More »
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Well, with a global population of seven billion people, give or take a few million, three children does not sound like a very big number. In fact it is probably smaller than the proverbial drop in the ocean. But, let us put things in perspective. Let us look at some unfortunate disasters. 239 passengers and …
What is the cost of the lives of three kids? Read More »
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For the past couple of decades I have been quite firm in my belief that the next great war … World War III, if you will … will be fought over the control of water resources and not over oil or WMDs or terrorists or any other kind of geographical and territorial domination. Lately, I …
The imminent War in which everyone will lose Read More »
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Recently I have been bitten by the bug of paddling down rivers. And as each day passes by and I inch just a little bit closer to the day when I will be crossing the river into the afterlife, I am consumed by the fervent hope that there will be enough water in the river …
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Subsequently, as I grew up, I went through various phases of my life, as is bound to happen, and I moved from one phase to the next, thinking (erroneously?) that I was growing as an individual. Not too many other people quite agreed with my growth curve, but I went on growing anyway. School was …
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