Haridwar - The Ancient Holy City by the River Ganges

The Ancient city of Haridwar is an important Hindu Pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand state of India where the river Ganges flows as it exits the Himalayas.  The largest of several sacred ghats (bathing steps), Har Ki Pauri hosts a nightly Ganga Aarti (river worshiping ceremony) in which tiny flickering natural lamps are floated off the steps. People often come here to achieve salvation and some just to get amused by the beliefs and vibrancy. Falling more into the second category, I also decided to visit Haridwar to experience the vibrancy of the city and also somewhat to get rid of my sins (I still don't know how that works to be honest).

Kerala: God's Own Country!!

After what felt like a hundred failed attempts at planning a vacation, it was finally happening. The Kerala trip. My excitement was a physical entity, a joyous aura that radiated from me, causing my friends and family to groan in unison every time I brought it up. I’m sorry, but also, not sorry. You can’t put a price on the joy of travel bragging.

So, the big day arrived, and my morning was a masterclass in controlled chaos. First, I carefully placed my camera—the most crucial item, my precious baby—in a place of utmost importance. Then, I scrambled to finish packing the rest of my luggage as we waited for our cab to the airport. Yes, we were running late, as always.

Warley Museum: The 'World's Smallest Museum'

Source: SWNS.com 

A telephone booth which was not being used anymore has been turned into 'world's smallest museum'. Yes, you read that right, a telephone booth. Located in Warley, Yorkshire, the booth was “adopted” from British Telecommunications (BT) by the town association of Warley and filled with the local historical artifacts. The exhibit includes old photographs, glass etchings, and personal items such as antique fashion pieces and jewelry.

Here is Why Flights take Longer than they did 50 Years ago

Ever feel like airplanes are dragging their wings these days? Well, you’re not wrong. Believe it or not, modern flights often take longer than they did decades ago - even though we now have shinier planes, fancy engines, and more Wi-Fi to distract us.

Take this for an example - back in 1973, you could zip from New York City to Houston in about 2 hours and 37 minutes. Today? You’re looking at a leisurely 3 hours and 50 minutes. That’s almost enough time to re-watch The Lion King, twice (with snacks).

So why the slowdown? The culprit is fuel efficiency. Yes, airlines figured out that if they fly slower, they burn less fuel—and save millions. Between 2002 and 2012, fuel prices skyrocketed from about $0.70 to over $3 per gallon. To cope, JetBlue once admitted in 2008 that by adding just two extra minutes to each flight, they saved a casual $13.6 million a year. That’s a lot of peanuts and pretzels.

And they don’t stop there. To squeeze out even more savings, airlines are obsessed with making planes lighter. Translation: your suitcase gets slapped with “excess baggage fees” faster than you can say carry-on only.

Oh, and here’s a fun trick airlines play: something called “Block Padding.” This is when they pad the official flight time with extra minutes so that - even if they’re late, they can still proudly announce they arrived “on time.” So, next time the captain tells you, “Good news folks, we’re landing ahead of schedule,” don’t break into applause. Chances are, the schedule was just stretched like yoga pants after Thanksgiving dinner.