The Joy of Embraces- Sagnik’s New Zealand Trip Review With Thrillophilia
There is a lot to see in this world. Sagnik had always dreamt of visiting the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon, while his wife had been craving to see the highlands of British Columbia and the ice caps of Alaska. Since their retirement, they had had a tonne of time, and their savings were good enough to sustain their travels for a good 10 years. So, as a deliberate move, Sagnik and his wife had been travelling to different parts of the world ever since then.
This time, it was New Zealand for them. Although Sagnik was not a very extroverted person, he did like meeting with people and enjoying his own time. He was not expressive enough. But how did it matter when he was travelling with a partner who had been by his side constantly for almost 25 years?
Why did he say this? Because on this trip, he finally learnt to embrace his feelings and express them in a healthy way.
Courtesy nature, courtesy travel. Also, courtesy of their trip planner, Thrillophilia.
A Glowing Ride
They visited the Glowworm caves from Auckland. On the way, they also went to Rotorua, where they visited Hobbiton. Sagnik learnt from his wife that movies like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were shot there. It was a movie set, so it did not appeal to him as such. However, he would like to praise the designers for coming up with such a unique set. It seemed to have come right out of the book by JRR Tolkien.
Truly commendable!
Now, in the Glowworm Caves, he was stunned to see the walls of the age-old tunnel come alive in shades of blue and yellow as soon as they entered. The boat was gliding slowly inside, and the world inside the cave was unveiling its true beauty. And he was gradually feeling his heart swell up with wonder and joy, something that had never happened to him before.
His wife noticed this, and she found watching his face to be more interesting than the cave. So she kept on clicking random pictures, and he, getting conscious, returned back to his original state. Showing nothing of what he was feeling.
Coming back to Auckland that evening, they witnessed another marvel of nature, the bioluminescent beach. The waves were rolling on the beach, creating a spectacle that knocked out a “wow” from his mouth. His wife was so super excited to see this that she ran ahead of him to cup her hands and collect some seawater. The water was glowing on her hands, some of the light lighting up her face as well.
He realised at that moment he was so lucky to have this amazing person as his life partner. He would forever be obliged to the universe for this.
That evening, they took a stroll around that beach, playing with the water and getting excited as it was glowing with every touch. He found the sight magical; never ever in his life had he imagined spending an evening this way.
Wide-eyed Wonders
First up, the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown.
Now, what could possibly be the role of two retired people there?
Cable car riding, cafe hopping, and lounging?
Instead, they decided to challenge themselves with a one-day hike to the Moonlight Track. The trail took them through the countryside, the roads meandering through the valleys surrounded by sky-high peaks. The views were exceptional, and they could see almost hundreds of sheep grazing at one patch.
Anyway, the Goldfields took their breath away, with grass as tall as their height covering the entire region in shades of gold. The mountains around them only made the views better, and the cold autumn wind seemed to tell them stories about all the past winters that New Zealand had witnessed. Times change, and with it, a place and its people change too.
Sagnik was changing, he could feel it in his bones. He was feeling more overwhelmed even though he was not planning to, his expressions were more vivid than ever, and his wife could spot them in a click. Something was stirring up his insides, reminding him of the times gone by.
And he didn't know why, but he was reminded of his father a lot. He missed travelling with him, he was the one who taught him how to trek, how to stay in camps, and how to survive. But after his father passed away, nothing seemed to affect him.
The next day they went to Milford Sound. He was sitting by the fjord at one of the banks accessible by road and waiting to catch the sunset. The fjord mountains in front of him gleamed in the orange sunlight, and the soft chirping of birds returning home created a soothing sight. The water lay still, reflecting the sky and the mounts, forming a spectacular scene.
Embracing self
His train of thought was navigating through his entire life, and suddenly, almost as if randomly, he felt like listening to this song…
“Zindagi, kaisi hai paheli hai, kabhi yeh hasaye, kabhi yeh rulaye…”
Then suddenly he felt two hands rest on his shoulder and a chin rest on his head. It was his wife. He looked up at her with gleaming eyes. She smiled back at him.
The sun had started to set, the entire sky hosting a carnival more vibrant than the Rio De Janeiro carnival in an autumn theme. It seemed as if a painter had poured shades of pink, orange, yellow, red, and blue randomly on a canvas, and it looked ever stunning.
There is a certain solitude in chaos, a certain peace in randomness. And that day, the scenery reflected his inner self. For the first time, he cried after his father’s death.
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