THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: This is probably the ultimate hitchhikers’ guide to see India. And that too without spending a penny. Shakir Subhan, a 27-year-old video blogger from Iritty, Kannur, has covered 3,300km from Kerala to Nepal hitchhiking, becoming the first person Keralite to cover the entire breath of the India unplanned in seven days.
A part-time travel blogger, Shakir began his journey on July 5 when he travelled with one of his friends to Bengaluru in car. But his real journey started from Bengaluru after he decided to travel to Hyderabad.
He had decided to travel on two-wheelers from Bengaluru after he got down on a National Highway to Hyderabad. Shakir started asking strangers for a lift. He had to stand on the road for more than an hour as no one stopped. Finally, a milk vendor came to his rescue and took him for the next 17km. Then there was no looking back for Shakir as he got help from two-wheelers one after the other till he reached Hyderabad.
From Hyderabad, he decided to opt for inter-state trucks to cover longer distance. A truck carrying vegetables from Hyderabad was proceeding to Ayodhya on the Hyderabad-Bhopal highway when Shakir asked for lift. He was alone on the highway. Surprised, the driver asked “Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you going?”
Too many questions amused Shakir. But he chose to answer all of them honestly. “I told him I am from Kerala and wanted to go to the place where the truck ended its journey.” Though startled, the driver offered to take him. That was his longest trip. From Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, he started hitchhiking on motorcycles, trucks and mini-trucks again to reach the India-Nepal border.
“It was not easy to travel so much distance without money. Besides, the major challenge was travelling with strangers. Luckily, I got help from some nice people. They were extremely helpful in realising my passion for travelling and are very fond of Malayalees,” Shakir said.
Though Shakir had plans to extend his trip to Bhutan, he had to give up in midway. So after reaching Kathmandu on July 12, he travelled back to Kerala in the train from Uttar Pradesh after borrowing money from Malayalis he met.
“I came across different people and their cultures. I went to places where the truckers took me. A major part of the trip was across the villages. So I got to know the real life of the common man in North India,” he said.