To give up job at 23 with the desire to travel the world should make Shivya Nath one of her kind. The fact that she grew up in Dehradun, once a quaint town, to undertake some exciting journeys to little known places, living out of her backpack, making friends of strangers, reflects her spirit to venture into the fascinating vocation of discovering the world. To document her experience in a compelling book, The Shooting Star , published by Penguin, promptly establishes her as a rising star in travel writing.
“I always wanted to do writing,” she confesses. “I wrote on my travels but never thought it would become so big. My writing has evolved too as I have focussed on little known experiences after having spent time in big cities.”
In terms of growing up, she notes, “Dehradun was a quiet town, close to nature, I built connection with nature in Dehradun. Not in Delhi. Not in Mumbai. In Dehradun, I was living in a bubble, not exposed to outside world. I would go cycling to the river. Today there is no trace of that river. It is a dry bed and there is construction everywhere.”
A trip to Spiti, a cold desert mountain valley that separates India from Tibet, changed her life. As Shivya recalls, “It (travelling) was a gradual process. Spiti was the main initiation to my love for travel. It had a huge impact on my life.”
In a daring decision, she opted to live the life she had dreamt of. “To trade my nine-to-five cubicle routine for a life that would (hopefully) allow me to experience the world on my terms. I had to do something differently.” So Shivya resigned her tourism job in Singapore to explore the world.
In a style that is riveting, Shivya takes you on a fascinating trip, from villages in Himalaya to the rainforests of Ecuador, hiking across to new destinations. “Loved places where they didn’t speak English. I don’t have to say everything (in the book). I have also left things to the imagination of the reader.”
The Shooting Star is essentially an entertaining portrayal of nature. She soaks in the ambience and presents it in a delightful narrative. Her enduring passion for travel and writing makes it a wonderful read. The chapter, Paradise, is an ode to the captivating Mauritius. “As the brilliant orange sun slowly slipped towards the horizon, I noticed a slender silhouette wade ashore. A salty breeze ruffled my hair as the gentle waves of the Indian ocean slipped away the velvety sand from under my feet.”
Description of Delhi
Cover of the book The Shooting Star
What follows is a near-perfect description of Delhi, “A mix of nauseating smells flooded my nostrils. The stench of urine, faeces and fried snacks filled my lungs,” she writes. She had moved from Singapore and Delhi was an unpleasant stop. She realises soon that her dream of a city that had “filled me with awe as a child” was nothing more than a city that instilled “aggression and fear as an adult.” As she reveals, in six years on Singapore, Shivya would call her parents once a week but when she moved to Delhi her mother called her every day.
Are Indians good travellers? Shivya, who has travelled to more than 50 countries, can’t hide her disappointment. “Not always. Some can be atrocious but it is changing though. There is more awareness about travelling. Indians have learnt to become more sensitive towards local culture. India can be most challenging but it has friendly people. We have come a long way in terms of infrastructure.”
There are passages in the book that triggers the tourist in you with an invitation to cold Siberia, deserts of Turkmenistan, hot and dusty Persia, vineyards of Australia, volcanic rim of Cuicocha, northern coast of Dominican Republic, a (horrific) chicken bus ride in Nicaragua that transformed her into a vegan. A mugging incident in Costa Rica and a swimming experience to cross the border to Panama make The Shooting Star a lively travel story. A self-proclaimed nomad, Shivya, 30, is off to pursue her passion with two bags she lives out of. “I keep moving,” she signs off.
