Memory is unpredictable . One never really knows what we will remember and what we will forget. Which is why nostalgia arrives in unpredictable waves, highlighting something and skimming over others. Recently, I have found myself thinking of how memory works, as I was assailed by nostalgia over a trip to Varanasi, a city I prefer to think of, as Kashi. The nostalgia hit right as we landed at Varanasi airport. The last time I was here, it was 1988, I was 13 years old, the airport was brand new… regular flights hadn’t started yet (I think) … flights landed about once a week, and for the rest of the time, everything was open to those of us who lived in the airport quarters nearby. There were fields everywhere, vast expanses of green… I have vague memories of corn and sugarcane… and being overwhelmed by the vastness of the fields (this was the first time I was in such close proximity to them), and the warm hospitality of complete strangers who lived and worked amidst these fields. I h...
Have you heard of Deballasting? I certainly hadn’t, until we happened to see the process in action……………..
We saw this sight while returning from Elephanta, and were curious about what they were doing.
Thankfully, we have a marine expert at home (my father-in-law), who told us that this process of pumping out the excess water from a ship is called Deballasting. Google yielded a lot more information, and you can check out this link for an explanation for laymen like us.
Thankfully, we have a marine expert at home (my father-in-law), who told us that this process of pumping out the excess water from a ship is called Deballasting. Google yielded a lot more information, and you can check out this link for an explanation for laymen like us.
Anyway, leaving aside the technicality, it looks good, doesn’t it? Every person on the ferry was busy taking photos, and there might be quite a few floating around the internet already! In any case, here are a few more….
Some oil from the tanks seems to have mixed with the water, showing us all these wonderful colours! (I dont think this really counts as an oil spill, since the amount of oil would have been very small, so I could really enjoy the view!)
So, have you seen anything as interesting while on a boat ride?











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