6th of April, 2023.
Hitchhiking in India
In the opposite of yesterday, today things go quite slow in terms of moving forward. Because I left Vijay’s house quite late, long waiting by the road and detours, long walks too, I didn’t manage to go much further.
I get a lift with Rishad and Mudasil just to the next town, Phaphamau. After that, Sulkran and Bimba drive me to Sultampur.
My last lift today turns out a bit confusing, contradictory. Pradeep is going to his home in Khalilabad, which is a bit after Basti, the next bigger town on the way to Sonauli. I am uncertain if I should come with him there, or stay around Basti. In the end, he tells me I can stay with his family for the night, so I decide to come.
There is something odd about Pradeep’s attitude. Funnily enough, even before he told me, I knew he was a Brahma. Quite a few people in India asked me which caste I belonged to. When I tell them that in Brazil we don’t have a caste system, they get really surprised. His daughter and his wife are very nice to me and arrange for me to stay in the daughter’s room, by myself. He also has a young boy and they all sleep in the main bedroom tonight.
Next morning, Pradeep drops me off on the road to Sonauli before going to work.
7th of April. 2023.
A series of strange lifts happen before I finally get to the border. Vivikuma is the most “normal” one. Then a group of drunk people take me a bit further. A couple, Sunil and Maya, drive me a bit more. They are nice but seem a bit suspicious about me. When we stop where they will drop me off, Sunil buys us some lassi and also a bottle of water for me.
I have to walk under the sun for quite a while until I reach a good hitchhiking spot. And it is still not so good. Many people try to help and there is even this one guy asking in some cars if anybody is going to Sonauli. Finally, a car with three young man stops. They say to be going to the border and can take me. They are oddly quiet and we barely talk during the whole drive. They are actually taking the car to do some repairs just before the border and it is very unusual that they don’t drive me the last few kilometres to the border, but stop at the repair shop and tell me I must go by myself.
Sonauli! Yay! I made it before the 90 days straight which I am allowed to stay in India are over.
10 Years Around the World 