35,000 Km, 365 Days And A Bullet

Do you love traveling enough to quit everything else, pack up your bags and just leave for a trip which has no end? Bhishma and Deepak did. Over an year ago Bhishma called Deepak and asked if he wanted to join him on a long road trip. They packed their bags and left for a one month trip. One month changed to two, then to three and so on. They never looked back.

When I heard of their story and looked at the map of their journey so far, I was left speechless. Absolutely fantastic and so gutsy to do something of this sort. But how? Why? How did your parents react? Where does the money come from?

Well, we decided to call them up and do a small interview with Bhishma and he was happy to answer our questions.

Zopky: Hi Bhishma, tell us about yourself and what prompted you to take this trip?

Bhishma: Hi. Deepak and I are college friends and have known each other for more than 9 years now. Before this journey, I was working with Box8 & Deepak was working with IBM (he continued working there for an year while traveling and quit recently).

Travel had fascinated both of us for a while. I had done a couple of 2-week solo trips before this but somehow it did not satisfy me. I wanted to do a long bike trip in South India. But I did not know how to ride one. Deepak on the other hand was traveling for sometimes across India by buses & trains. I asked if he would join me on this trip. We didn’t plan anything but had a rough estimate of 1 month or so for the trip. That 1 month became 2 months in South. Followed by 2 months in Gujarat & Rajasthan and then North. It was never planned this way. We just kept on doing whatever felt right.

Z: What places have you covered so far? Is there a favorite?

B: We have covered a little more than 35000 km in India on this bike. Except Madhya Pradesh & a few parts of Kashmir we have been to most of the places. But I still feel I have seen very little of India.

Travel has taught me to find the beautiful in everything. Also, everyplace is unique in itself & I can’t really find myself saying no to visiting a place again. But my favourite ones are Ladakh & Meghalaya.

Z: Are there any rough times when you just want to leave and go back?

B: I can’t say about tough times, but I certainly missed home at times. When I did. I flew back home for sometime, and took to the journey afresh. As I said before, we just did what felt right instead of stressing ourselves out to complete a task.

Z: How have you sponsored this journey? Any plans of returning back to a corporate life?

B: We have tried to live on a strict 500 per person per day budget throughout the journey. Even after taking into account some unexpected expenses, this journey has cost us around 2.5 lacs. I had some savings from my job while Deepak was getting a salary. So it hasn’t been tough financially.

Corporate life doesn’t look like a good option for us. I have started working as a freelance designer & hope to continue while working for at least few more years to come. Deepak aims to earn from his travel tales, photographs. He has already started to earn by selling his travel calendars, diaries etc. & hopes to set up a travelers’ place sometime in future.

Z: How has this year changed you?

B: As a person, a little. I am slightly more patient than I used to be. But thats it. I don’t see myself as changed person as a lot of travelers do. But my knowledge about India has grown many folds. I have seen and experienced a lot of things that people only read in books.

Z: Do you have anything to say to fellow travel enthusiasts? Any Tips?

B: I have met few people who don’t dream of traveling. Yet there are only handful of people who leave their comfortable lives to explore the world outside. Their biggest fear is the life after travel. Job. Family. Relationships. Money. Leaving out on so much. The list can go on and on. What they don’t realize is that travel will teach them to be happy. It will teach you to cherish a silly laugh with kids on the road to flying high above a city in the night equally.

We are lucky to have been born in a country where traveling is so inexpensive. Sometimes even free, as the people here immensely generous. Specially the ‘poor’ ones.

Tip to other travelers — Go by your own rules. Make sure you don’t regret not doing something you want.

Z: Thanks a lot Bhishma. Leave us with your favorite quote.

B: This one is from Zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance — In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
 On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.

Another one from the movie Anand — Zindagi Badi honi chahiye babu, lambi nahi.

The following is a beautifully compiled video of their adventures in Gujrat and Rajasthan.

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