Fastest Fifty Days of My Life
Once you’re on the driving seat, you watch the world pass you by in different forms, shapes, terrains and weather. The only constant is the observer, giving a new dimension to what is observed. The borders are namesake but the fearless majestic nature has always been there waiting for you to ingrain it in your DNA. After traveling around the world, we realize that we all want the same things only in different proportions and languages. Our needs and emotions are the same. We all look into each others eyes and smile in acknowledgement. And know deep within that you are enough!
I drove from India to London and passed through 18 countries in my own trusted Toyota Fortuner. All I took with me was my mind, my dreams and my imagination; returned with such calmness within my mind, new colours and dimensions to my dreams and affirmation that my dreams are always waiting to be achieved. All I have to do is go out of my comfort zone, take a step forward and conquer them. These emotions and feelings gloriously come out on my canvas when I relive those memories with my abstract paintings.
India is home and my place of belonging. Myanmar is the rustic land of Pagodas and of immense faith. Interiors of Thailand was such a beauty to drive through that it strips away the materialistic image and mindset that we might have and grounds you completely. Laos had pure lush organic scenery. The fruits were the sweetest and the local people were always smiling. China, the superpower of magnanimous infrastructure, the country made with a vision of the next 50, even 100 years in mind, the food so healthy only for the growth of their citizens, various forms of green energy were being produced, stored and eventually utilized throughout every patch of open land made me realize what foresight they have for the sharp growth of their country and for their people. Tibetan China was a wonder of its own. The rugged and beautiful terrain full of mountains and the rush of the chilled wind through them shakes you and wakes you up from within to get ready for the Silk Route we were about to enter. While driving from Ruoergai to Xining in Northwest region of China, the open landscape of mountains, valleys, winding and long stretched roads and clear sky that was a part of Silk Route had immense power and vibration.
That terrain had endured so much in the past centuries that you could feel it in the strong wind.We come from it and we go back in it. Its a full circle. I am grateful to have witnessed the magic.
The Great Wall of China had such intense vibration carried forward throughout the centuries. The locals invited us to play a game with ball on hand trampoline. Off roading in the sand dunes of Gobi desert was such a serendipitous moment. As we enter the North Western China to drive towards Central Asia, we saw the changes in the faces of people, language, personalities, food and body language. We passed through the Pamir Glacier in the night in 0 degrees under the star lit sky. It felt as if the stars were shining bright and making the snow glitter just for our journey. When we entered Kyrgyzstan, the landscape turned lush green, the mountain and the roads swerved and turned so gracefully that it felt as if we were swinging effortlessly through the terrain. Beautiful lakes reflecting the open sky and clouds was just what we needed to experience the best of the countryside. For me, Uzbekistan was the most exceptional country on this trip. Uzbeks know how to make their guests feel loved and welcomed. It was such a pleasant surprise when ladies would come towards me and give me the warmest hugs, sang songs from Raj Kapoor Era and said Mithun is their favorite actor. We had the sweetest and the juiciest of strawberries. Kazakhstan was a vast land of wild nature. We chose to drive through the country side where the wild horses ran along with our convoy. The camels grazed on grass and I made friends with a tortoise on the highway. Some adventures over the Kazakh land.
From India till Kyrgystan I tasted the transition in the qualities of Rice grown in different kinds of soil. Another transition was the roof of all the houses. Starting from Myanmar, the roofs were 90 degree straight line and as we entered Thailand, the roofs would have a slight curve with detailed motif on the top. China had ornamental motifs with even more inverted V-shape curved roofs. North Western China had a mix of inverted curves as well as paisley shaped dome authentic to Mosques. Russia had the iconic Red Square shaped roofs leaning more towards a dome. Europe has the sturdy yet intricate wooden structures with flowers and plants to make their homes look pretty and warm
Reaching Russia, another super power was waiting to be explored in the next 5 days. Samara to Penza to Moscow was a great transition from the wild open land to a big city we saw after many weeks of driving through countryside where the speed limit was 100 kmph. Once we entered Europe, the trip was almost coming to an end. India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, until we crossed the English Channel through Dover and reach The UK!.
This trip was visualised, planned and flawlessly executed by the insurmountable Sanjay Madan and Tushar Agarwal from Adventures Overland. All that our convoy of 15 cars had to do was dream big. This was by far the biggest group of Indians who drove from India to London in one go.
These were the Fastest Fifty Days of my Life. And I’m glad I lived it for myself!