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This is one red hot couple
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Rashmi and Shrenik Baldota sure have their own way of spending quality time together.They decided to trek up the slopes of active volcanoes at Vanuatu
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BHAGYA PRAKASHK
FIRE IN THE BELLY Volcanoes feel like the emotions of mother earth, say Rashmi and shrenik Baldota
"I am not scared to go to volcanoes because I live with one," laughs Shrenik Baldota, who exhibited photographs from a trip to the volcanoes of Vanuatu. The exhibition at the Chitrakala Parishath showcased the journey he undertook along with his wife Rashmi.
Vanuatu, recently voted the "happiest place on earth", is an archipelago situated in the middle of nowhere about 1,750 kilometres off the east coast of Australia. But significantly, it is part of the Pacific Ocean's ring fire, which is a chain of volcanoes. The Baldotas trekked up the slopes two active volcanoes in the island chain — Ambrym and Yasur. The couple went on expeditions led by Australian vulcanologist John Seach, who lives there.
"You have the incredible silence and then the thundering sounds. Volcanoes feel like the emotions of mother earth," describes Shrenik.
But Rashmi took a little while to warm up to the volcanoes. "The moment I went close to the crater, the fear vanished. After a while I realised that the volcanoes were not that fearsome."
Family connection
Shrenik comes from a family that is into iron ore mining and wind power generation. He describes himself as an adventurer and photographer. The couple have a son but they had to leave him in India as he was too young to accompany them.
Rashmi says the trip has changed her outlook towards life. "I am adventurous; but he is totally wild. I am just learning. Basically travelling with him has made me conquer my fears and made me understand that nothing is secure in life. Any moment anything can happen, so live every moment. And I have come to respect nature now."
The journey to the volcanoes happened in November 2004, but Shrenik says he couldn't get the exhibition organised due to a lack of time. He says he shot over 1,500 pictures and 70 of them were exhibited. The pictures depict smoke billowing from massive craters and small-scale eruptions lighting up the night sky.
Shrenik says the best experience he had in terms of photography was at Yasur where he got to witness a lot of volcanic activity.
Meanwhile, at Ambrym, he remembers trekking through thick rainforests and then climbing up slopes of ash. But his view of the interiors of the crater was disrupted by incessant rain and smoke. Trekking up the slopes of the volcanoes took a total of four days. The safety equipment that the couple had to wear included masks and helmets, and of course some food from namma Bangalore too. "We had packaged MTR sambar rice on the crater!"
Shrenik's earlier expeditions include a research expedition to study crocodiles at the Okovango delta in Botswana and a trip to Antarctica. He says Antarctica was a pristine experience but each place has its own beauty.
His exploits remind one of other business moghuls who have a passion for adventure — the Richard Branson variety.
"It is the spirit of these people that drives you to do these thing. I do identify myself with them and much more bigger personalities who are known for this. I think at the end of the day, it is your attitude. I believe most of these exotic places are free; it's for you to absorb their beauty. It is not the cost that matters."
A small footnote at the bottom of the brochure to his exhibition said something about outer space, and I asked him what it was all about. "I am planning to go to space some day. I think I can go there 10 years from now. It's too expensive right now. There is a company doing this from Russia right now, but more will follow. Tourists going to space for three to four days is possible."
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track.
ANAND SANKAR
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