All Around the World with the Most Travelled Indian
By Nitin Gairola
I am quite sure that I will be Earth bound in this lifetime and not reach the Moon and unless anyone is delusional, then they would probably believe so too. So far only 12 humans have planted their foot on the lunar surface and all of them did it between the brief window from 1969 to 1972. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t get the lunar experience here on Earth. Heck you can even wear an astronaut’s costume and walk on a Moon like surface should you want to take it that far. Some people have done so and their photographs have come out like they are from another world.
Actually in a way it’s quite simple to see such alternate reality – just select a location with some black lava flows (from a recently active volcano) or head to a desert which is rocky (not sandy) and of a greyish colour. These are primarily the ones in the Arctic (Greenland, Iceland) or even parts of the Atacama Desert and Altiplano (Chile, Bolivia) and to an extent Death Valley in Mojave Desert (USA). A classic desert with dunes and gravel works better for a Mars substitute since ochre is the dominant hue there. Another advantage with these places is that they are cut-off as I can’t even begin to tell you the difference a crowd can make to your dreams of solitude in a desolate alien place. Such places are rare too, that’s why you should know where you want to go in order to bring out the astronaut in you. Here is my way to guide you on the only thing I am hardwired for – a search for the extreme and the exotic in this world.
So in order to get into the ‘Moon Mission’ mode, I can recommend a trip first to London or Washington DC. Why these two great capitals you may ask? Well, London has the incredible Science Museum that houses the space suit of Buzz Aldrin. Buzz was in the first mission to the Moon (Apollo 11) and stepped on the lunar surface right after Neil Armstrong in an area now known as the ‘Sea of Tranquility’. To top it all, the museum also displays an exact replica of the Apollo 11 lunar lander (Eagle) besides its actual kit. However its real jewel is the real Apollo 10 command module. Apollo 10 was the practice mission with lunar flyby and it took place just a month before the July 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. And as you have guessed, all the biggest lunar geeks would head to Washington DC’s Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It holds the real Apollo 11 command module named Colombia and Neil Armstrong’s Apollo spacesuit in an area within the museum called ‘Destination Moon’. This area also has actual lunar rocks and an interactive educational center.
Since USA is where it all started, you have few other incredible places to get inspired such as the Space Center Huston and the Pima Air & Space Museum that wowed us in our last visit to Tucson, USA. For a slice of the real action, you can pay a visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that has been NASA’s launch center for spaceflight missions. And if SpaceX is your thing (as is mine) then all Elon Musk fans can see the real Falcon 9 rocket in Hawthorne California, a suburb of Los Angeles. A visit to Boca Chica in far south of Texas is the absolute high as you can see the Elon Musk’s ‘Star Base and if you time it well, can actually witness the launch of the ‘Star-Ship’. The only caveat with SpaceX is that its rocket ship is aimed at Mars, not the Moon. So if you are a purist then you can save it for your Mars themed pilgrimage to the US.
Post the USA and UK space inspiration trips, the action will begin now for your own desolate Moon experience. Just land in Iceland (most likely their capital Reykjavik) and from there head towards the volcanic center of the country to a magical landscape called ‘Landmannalaugar’. It is eerily Moon like in many parts, especially where the volcanism has left a black lava deposit, making the place devoid of all plant life. It is just rocky, barren and grey.
If you are really feeling adventurous then I also suggest you extend your visit to this part of the world and head much further west and up to Greenland. Greenland is actually in North America and not Europe even though administratively this ‘not-so-green’ land is linked to Denmark. We know it is the place to see mega icebergs and witness climate change first hand but it is when you start trekking into its very cold interior towards the ice cap that you reach a transition zone. This zone is not ice but it is not tundra either. It is a lifeless narrow band full of grey rocks and a look strikingly similar to the Moon. In fact a lot of places in the Arctic are used as bases for planning or training for such extraterrestrial missions of NASA and other space companies.
So now you know where to go in North and South America and in the Arctic but I can’t close this article without mentioning Mt. Etna. It is a very active stratovolcano in Sicily, Italy and was all over the news in July and August this year when it was erupted multiple times. It drew a lot people, one of who was my elder brother Amit and his family. Only challenge is that when a place becomes this popular, it’s not possible to wish the crowds away and that’s when waking up very early may help.
And that’s how we too can have our Armstrong moment and proclaim ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’. But please don’t count on suddenly being released from the grips of gravity unless you bring some elaborate contraptions with you. It will also be a good time to remember that India became just the 4th nation (after USA, Russia and China) to have an unmanned landing on the surface of the Moon on 23rd August 2023. What’s more, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Lunar South Pole, which was a first in the field of exploration. Maybe it’s time we made our own ‘Destination Moon’ – A huge museum that displays real full size rockets that have actually been used along with an interactive learning center for all to fall in love with the magic of the Moon. Here’s to some Moon fever.
Nitin Gairola is from Dehradun and has travelled the natural world more than almost any Indian ever. He has set world travel records certified by India Book of Records, has written for Lonely Planet, and holds National Geographic conservation certifications. He is also a senior corporate executive in an MNC and in his early days, used to be a published poet as well. More than anything else, he loves his Himalayan home. Reach him at: www.facebook.com/MostTravelledIndian/ ; www.instagram.com/MostTravelled_Indian/
