The World Through Our Windshield

If someone were to tell you that a couple – grandparents to three grandchildren – travelled 16,500 kilometres by road all within 49 days, you probably would not believe it. Well, the Jatias will change your mind.

R/anne Vatsala and Rtn. Ashok Jatia journeyed through 18 countries during their voyage by car from India all the way to London. Last week, the duo narrated their engrossing experiences to a spellbound audience.

It all began when Ashok received a flyer in his email about a road trip from India to London. About to mark the notification as spam, he paused and pondered over the idea.

Curious, he delved deeper into the subject without informing anybody. Upon covertly contacting the trip’s organisers, he was given more literature to read, which made him ever more eager to begin the journey. An enthused Ashok then discussed the trip with his wife – who asserted that she would only permit him to go if she tagged along for the ride.

Hence, it had begun: the duo’s journey of rediscovering the charm of road travel by crossing 18 countries via the ancient Silk Route. Their journey was flagged off by the Chief Minister of Manipur as they commenced at the Indo-Myanmar Exit.

In Myanmar, the couple was amidst 4,000 pagodas and temples over a 1,000 years old.  Next, they arrived in Thailand, where they witnessed surreal countrysides and beautiful villages. The duo was reminded of cross-cultural similarities when they observed how even young monks were offered reverence in this country.

Unfortunately, the mood took a turn in Laos, where Vatsala fell sick and fainted during transit through the China border. After reviving her zeal, the couple journeyed on. They visited the 1,200-year old Giant Lord Buddha of Leshan carved in stone and also spotted some pandas, before continuing their breathtaking drive to Xining. Next, the Jatias traversed the snow-laden Qilian mountains and then the Great Wall of China, which they climbed via the Western End, the route less travelled by. This was followed by a journey through Dunhuang in the Gobi Desert that boasted a magnificent landscape of sand dunes. Vatsala summarised her experience with the punchline, “You can shake the sand off your shoes, but not [off] your soul.”