One of the best ways to discover yourself is to travel. Travelling is not just about visiting far off lands; it also helps you develop a whole new perception about the world. Even though the approach to travelling differs from person to person, ultimately it’s all about feeling enriched and liberated. Vyshak Vishwanathan, too, wanted to break the monotony that his job had created in his life. It was not a tough task for Vyshak, a techie working in Benguluru, to book tickets to a pristine location and go on a break to a beach resort or a hill station. Instead, Vyshak opted to go on a road trip. In an Alto with a bicycle mounted on its rear side, he travelled all the way from India to Malaysia, traversing nine countries – India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Combodia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia – and crossing 18 international land borders.
Was he crazy to go against every ‘don’t dos’ that people suggest while going on a journey, especially a road trip? “I didn’t think much. The only thing I was concerned about was that I needed a break. I wanted to be somewhere I could be on my own and live every moment the way I felt. I thought it would be best not to plan things. It would be the most interesting part of the journey to see how things unfold.”
Vyshak near the Petronas tower in Malaysia
Vyshak covered South East Asia in 73 days at a mere Rs. 1.2 lakh, and India, Nepal and Bhutan at Rs. 1.6 lakh, which according to him was a conscious decision. “I had a fixed budget, which was comparatively very low. But I opted to stick to that and not find sponsors because if I do so, then it would no longer be my trip. I would have then been conscious about different things and as a token of acknowledgment I would try and stick to the itinerary, which in this case did not even exist,” laughs Vyshak,
Adding that he could therefore stay at a place as many days as he wished and not even visit a popular tourist location if he did not feel like. He quotes this as the reason why the trip even extended to five months, which was initially planned for three weeks. “Thanks to my boss and the ample number of leaves I had,” he says. He stayed in hostels, lodges and even pitched tents in some places and ate local cuisines to lessen the expense as much as he could.
Vyshak at Varanasi during Ardha Kumbh Mela
His longest stay was in Vietnam. He took 28 days to explore the country, which he says is the most vibrant place he has visited in terms of geography, food and people. “Vietnam is a small country, but has a lot to offer for a solo traveller like me. I rode a motorcycle for 2700 km in the country and was amazed to see the variety the country had to offer in terms of landscape and food. I made friends with a guy who took me to the largest cave in the world and narrated the story behind numerous huge tunnels in the country. They were made during the U.S.-Vietnam war and were well equipped with even conference rooms, bedrooms and kitchens built inside them. It was actually a breathtaking experience that I never had. He also offered me snake meat, a delicacy that I had never tried back home in India,” he adds.
Narrating another experience that was different from what he had experienced everywhere else throughout the journey, Vyshak explains that he was cheated by the people at the immigration counter in Cambodia. “I knew that the country was called ‘scam’bodia, but never thought it would happen to me as the people I had made friends with during the journey were really nice and helped me graciously. However, I lost around 3000 Indian rupees while exchanging currency in Cambodia. They confused me by saying that as per a new rule, I could not exchange dollars anywhere else in the country. I panicked and exchanged $300, for which they gave me three or four bundles of currency and I could not count them precisely.”
Vyshak, however, stresses that his country excites and surprises him every time he travels irrespective of the fact that he had already been to the place. “I was in Varanasi when the Ardha Kumbh Mela began. I have always been in awe of the vintage town, but I would say being there during the mela was an eye-opener to me. I could understand how deep-rooted our traditions are. I met a guy who, after trying hard to convince me to buy some marijuana, finally understood that I was not there for the ‘stuff’ but to explore the original Varanasi.
He took me places and arranged a low fare boat ride from the Manikarnika Ghat to the other side of the river during Ganga Arti. He even helped me know more about real Aghoris. I had only heard about this group of people who considered themselves as Shiva, but it was actually amazing to see their lifestyle and the endurance power their bodies had to meditate in minus degree temperature and bathe in the cold water of Ganga at 3 am. The Army allowing me to pitch the tent near Triveni Sangam during the mela after discovering about my travel plan was one of the most encouraging experiences.”
The solo backpacker adds that he did not deliberately want the trip to be an adventurous one, but just took it as and how things shaped up. His will power to break the comfort zone and explore places kept him going despite harsh weather conditions and an almost fatal accident at Manipur. Vyshak winds up with more travel plans on his mind.
