KOCHI: For Ziyad Eriyadan, travel comes with a learning curve. He dedicates one month every year to explore new places and meet new people. Though Covid stopped him from travelling last year, he realised a much-awaited Bangladesh trip this year. Since February, he has been bikepacking solo across Bangladesh and North-Eastern India.
“Travelling to Bangladesh has always been on in my mind. The land that was once part of the Indian mainland, and I was curious to know how it may have changed now — the people and their customs,” says Ziyad who hails from Kottakkal in Malappuram.
Ziyad travelled more than 2,000 kilometres in his cycle, exploring the terrain, customs and life of Bangladesh and the North East. Much like he expected, Bangladesh was an experience, he says. Having gotten to know the people and their vibrant traditions helped him gain new insights.
“I even had the opportunity to attend a wedding there. The groom’s family offers the fish Rohu, all decked up with ornaments, to the bride’s family — a tradition that still thrives there. That’s when I understood the importance of seafood in their community,” says Ziyad, adding that it is a land untouched by tourism. One of the most rewarding experiences for Ziyad was chancing upon a village where the main source of livelihood was horticulture.
Ziyad visited more than 20 districts in Bangladesh over the one month he stayed there, and the hospitality he experienced fill his heart. “I was planning to stay in my tent. But I never had to pitch my tent while in Bangladesh. The villagers would offer me accommodation every day. It was like walking into the home of a relative. Everyone was friendly and hospitable, despite the pandemic,” he recalls.
The journey to northeast was also to explore the wide range of plant species and to add them to his collection. Ziyad’s three-year-old entrepreneurial venture, succulentgallery.com, sells succulents and cactuses online. It has been three years since Ziyad started the plant business and he wanted to bring in more diversity, from the northeast especially.
Ziyad says that the number of plant parents has increased during Covid and lockdown. “Many have started growing plants as a hobby,” he adds. Ensuring the quality and longevity of plants is of importance to him. So, he gives his customers all the basic lessons on plant care. Ziyad’s plant business revolves around succulents.
“One of their interesting traits is that the succulents can survive for days without soil or water. This helps while transporting them,” he says. The colours and types of succulents in the North East are so varied. I intend to start my farm and make all of them available here,” he says.