14th of January, 2023.
Hitchhiking in India.
At the temple I get a bit disappointed. Only one guy working here is actually nice, and the man in charge of the place doesn’t see very happy on having me over. Plus, they charge the nice man who brought me there, Varum, 100 Rupees for me to stay. I didn’t want him to pay but he insisted. Since when they charge people to stay in the temples? I was always told that it is for free!
I make a quick video of the room. The train passes so close that it seems like it will crush into the room at any moment!
When I am ready to leave in the morning, a knock on my door: it is Varum! He takes me to the temple. I am curious to see it but two things bothered me: the payment you have to make SO MANY times, and the fact you have to take your shoes off. I was so afraid of getting something on my feet…
I have to admit that I didn’t feel good at all inside the temple. The main reason been, most likely, all the money involved on this. I just cannot agree with it.
I go back with Varum to the restaurant. He came by motorcycle this time. Oh, no! With the backpack it is a nightmare getting in on of those. What to do?
After having a tea and finishing my apple and lemon pie, Varum takes me to the highway which leads to Una.
When we are driving, he sees a licence plate from Una, and he believes that we have to catch them so they can take me. You see, he doesn’t understand that just because that car is going to the same place as I, it means they will take me. I try to explain that to him, but he doesn’t listen to me. He speeds up and when we are side by side with the car, he lifts up my sign and when he is trying to show it to the people, it flies away. Of course! I get a bit angry so I repeat a few times “I told you!”. But also, it was a bit dangerous as we were superfast, he had only one hand driving, he was distracted trying to see the people from the car, and my balance was compromised by my backpack.
Varum walk back and recover my sign. Yay!
It doesn’t take much until a car stops ahead and then comes all the way back. But before that, a lovely lady, with a child in her motorcycle, try to help me by offering money so I can take a bus. And she is really persistent! Other young men also pass by and ask what I am doing.
Samritika and her husband Bharat are going to Una. They are from Chandigar though. They are super nice and we get along well right away. Samritika saw me on the road and she though I was a student trying to go back home, that’s why they came back. They are both very healthy people and they are both working with Herbalife! Herbalife! I remember that even from Brazil!
We have a very pleasant chat for the whole time we are driving. Then we stop for a coffee in a Barista shop. Wow! I have seen this brand every country I go but have never had a coffee from them. It is delicious! We also have some delicious sandwiches! They tell me about their son and show me some of his videos. He looks like an incredible boy, just like his parents!
When we arrive in Una, before they go to their appointment, Samritika and Bharat invite me to come and stay with them when I am on my way back South.
I walk a bit outside of the town and that is where Sony picks me up. He is alone but I can see he is a decent man, so I get in. He is going to Hamunpur.
Sony works as a journalist and he gets very interested on my story. He asks to make a video with me, telling about my journey, and I agree. He finds out where is the best place for me to stay in the direction of Bir, and drives me there, even though it is quite a lot out of his route.
When we get to this spot, he stops a car immediately as we get out of his car, and asks them about me. They are a family going to Palampur and they agree on taking me along. Sony makes a few more short videos. Later on, I become news in India, in his TV channel working place, but on their Facebook platform. He sent me the link on Instagram.
Sudaisha, her daughter Advirtia and her husband are very nice people. Sudaisha has a nice style and she is also beautiful. I give little Advirtia some chocolate I have with me from Uzbekistan. I am getting hungry, so it is with much joy that I receive a guava juice that Sudaisha gives to us all. We pass but their house in Palampur but they drive me a bit further until an intersection.
It is getting a bit late so I start considering staying somewhere for the night. But I am so close! Bir is only about 30 Km from here. The reason why it takes so much time to get in here is because of the mountains! They make the cars have to go very slow in the tortuous road.
In about only one minute, a car which has passed by comes back. They are a family coming back from the driver’s engagement party. In the car are four people, including the son of a couple. They are all very nice and are a family of teachers. The mother of the driver has actually a Ph.D in Sanskrit! Please, teach me! His father was the principal in a school and previously a teacher also.
We stop in their house, so his father can go in, and the rest of us carry one because they want to drive me a bit closer to Bir. It is night time now.
They drop me off only 4 Km before Bir. It is a busy place, full of people and cars, and they tell me that many people are going to Bir from here. I could even walk if it was daylight.
I am confident that I will be fine.
A car with two guys stops. I refuse.
A car passes by and then comes back. Sheetal and her brother Aryan are going to Bir and they take me. Yay!
They are both so sweet! They have a cafe and pizza place in Bir, called Himalayan Pizza, and we make a stop there. The place is super cool! The ground floor is under restoration but the terrace is operational and I love the style. Sheetal offers me a ginger, lemon and honey tea, and it is the best I have ever had, I think. While she has to do some talking with the workers, I go up to enjoy a bit of live music: Aryan in playing guitar and singing. He is so talented! And he is just a kid, like 19 years old! He is very cute too! I wish I could stay longer, and hear him a bit more, but soon he takes a break and they drive me to my volunteer work place.
What a lovely journey I have had here in India!
10 Years Around the World 