Camping

Camping outdoors, getting ‘back to basics’ and enjoying the raw purity of natural surroundings is one of the best ways to travel. It connects us to nature and allows us to reconnect to the natural cycle of life.

I was introduced to camping by my parents. They would take my sister and I during school holidays to National Parks & Reserves throughout Australia. My father coordinating camping equipment, my mother making provisions for food. It wasn’t long before we operated as a smooth team; pitching the tent and organizing the site in record time.

We would go for walks during the day. Swim in the river or ocean and return to camp at dusk to build a fire, cook diner and share stories until our eyelids drooped. It was during these times that I also learnt something of basic bush survival. Learning to read and understand the environment and respond accordingly.

There was a lapse of camping days during adolescence when camping with my parents wasn’t so cool. I began to camp again in India, when travelling to remote regions. Initially out of necessity as lack of basic infrastructure calls for you to come prepared. But finally I choose to camp from preference.

I enjoy being close to nature and furthermore enjoy the company of people who live close to nature. As much as I like the vibrancy of India’s urban centres, it is in the rural villages & remote regions that I feel a greater sense of calm and connectivity. To nature, her peoples and to myself.

Nature and Wildlife enthusiasts would sympathize with this and are themselves not strangers to camping. Neither are social anthropologists and ethnographers who often camp in remote regions to study ancient cultures.

Our oldest cultures and indigenous peoples inhabit the most remote geographical regions. I am always amazed at the ability of Orissa’s indigenous communities to transform hostile landscapes into fertile settlements. I often camp in these regions as much to appreciate where and how these communities live, as to connect with the people here.

The indigenous communities in Orissa are in step with nature’s cycle and the seasons of harvest. Giving in the to the rhythms of nature can be humbling and challenging. It is this spirit of cooperation that I most admire about Orissa’s indigenous peoples. And what I enjoy most about camping.

Camping is a great leveler. It strips people of their pretenses and allows their soul to breathe.
Camping in groups is also about building teams. Living in close quarters with basic amenities cuts through the formalities of contrived social occasions and hits at the core of who we are. There is nothing like a campfire to unleash the storyteller amongst us!