KOCHI: The road is burning from the scorching sun. Nature isn’t always kind, but that doesn’t seem to stop 25-year-old Civin K P. He walks on, with Ladakh, his dream destination in mind. Civin left home on March 6 with just a few thousand rupees in his pocket and a backpack, on foot to Ladakh. This youngster is driven by an intense desire to visit the snowy hill station and experience its food and life.
On Friday, Civin reached 40km outside of the Maharashtra border. His thirst for travel and adventure gave him the confidence to take up this mammoth journey from Kerala to Kashmir. A native of Kozhikode, Civin says every day has been a fresh adventure ever since he started the journey. “The people, cuisine, language, everything is different. It’s all making this journey a new experience for me. It is refreshing for my mind,” says Civin.
When he started, he was called crazy. But now things have changed. “I am getting a lot of support from everywhere. People are getting in touch with me, buying me food, hosting me, and so on. It’s quite overwhelming,” beams Civin. His Instagram handles @the-dare-footer which just had about 400 followers when he started the journey, now has Over 60,000 followers! Civin documents his journey on his Instagram page.
A day in the life of Civin
His journey starts early in the morning, at around 6.30. He aims to walk 42km daily, resting in the afternoons. “I travel with my tent. At night I pitch it up near petrol stations or roads. Now a lot of people are hosting me. They are as excited as I am about the journey,” quips Civin. He recalls how a group of youngsters walked with him from one town to another in Karnataka.
Civin says the total distance is only 3,500km and travelling on foot is not impossible if your heart is in it. “As I cross each state, I am happy and excited that I am a little closer to my dream,” says Civin. Civin believes that financial constraints should not limit one from travelling. “I am a rider. Ladakh is a dream for every rider. But it would cost me a lot if I were to ride to Ladakh. So I decided to walk,” he says. A salesman in Bangalore, Civin took two months off work to see Ladakh. “When I asked for leave, all my boss said was to take my time but just be back after the journey” he says.