On the road again ...

Has it ever happened to you that you go to the same place the second time (within a span of an year) and it looks completely different from how it is inside your head and so unlike what you remember it to be. It's not that you have forgotten your previous experience but on the other hand, you remember it vividly - right from the rotten wooden fence that you held and slipped, to the edge that you tiptoed to and took a photo; Vividly enough to spot the difference this time. And just when you become a stranger again in the place, from some corner a memory tumbles down, a moment caught in between the blades of grass and a whole scene unfolds transforming an unknown alley into childhood playground.

After what feels like ages, I hit the roads again in Europe. Went to Salzburg in Austria along with my colleague ~S and his parents, and a Long time friend and co-prankster (appropriately with a capital L. To place things in perspective, we know eachother since the age of four). Back to the world of sprawling landscapes, highway signs, mappy.com print outs, reruns of the same CDs, stretching exercises in filling stations by the highway side, pain-au-chocalat-breakfasts and the same old travel stories that you dish out everytime you travel about a friend-who-lost-his-way and the accident-that-almost-happened.

Austria is an interesting country. It's extremely beautiful, is surrounded by the Alps, and is not very crowded, except for the filling stations that is. On our way back to Germany, we found this one filling station which had queues right till the exit in the highway. It was only then my colleague explained me that the price of oil is substantially lesser in Austria when compared to Germany. So, Shell on a highway near Munich would sell fuel for 1.36 euros while 85-150 kms away, right at the borders you get it for 1.09 euros. So, every sunday a lot of cars actually travel all the way from Germany to Austria and fill their tanks causing serious traffic jams in the area. And thanks to EU regulations, this is perfectly legal.

Also, fulfilled a long pending dream of sleeping under a tent. It was an immense learning experience I admit. According to Zen, "When sleeping inside a tent, it doesn't help to pile on 3 blankets on yourself to avoid the cold when the mattress you are lying on is as cold as ice". Profound, I must admit and a little numbing too.

Also had a taste of the severe sexual discrimination that is prevalent in the world. Did you know Swarovski is originally from Austria? It is and in a place called Wattens, they have a huge exhibition and a crystal shop. In the women's section, you have jewels, little cute boxes and other interesting things you can see but cannot buy. I was surprised to note that they have a men's section, which among many things showcases crystal Rats and Teddy bears in the size of a spit chewing gum. It is one thing not having a section at all. But to have a section with crystal rats ...

I shall take leave with a Joke on similar lines that I read in Questionable Taktix,

"In Rwanda (I think), the goverment is funding girls who get through college as virgins. Guys who finish college as virgins, of course, get as usual, an Engineering Degree."