6th of May, 2023
Hitchhiking in India.
On my way to Bangladesh, I have a sign which reads “Mohania”. Unfortunately, I am in the wrong direction. Either Surjeet Singh showed me to the wrong spot, or I messed up. It takes a long time until somebody stops and tell me that.
After I switch places, soon enough Sudil stops. He is going with his four years old boy to Zamania. He is in the army and… Sudil is a very nice and kind man, who is also very surprised about my travels.
A group of teachers, Sorabh, Jitendra, Raghavendra and Kanchan (teaching Geography, Economy, Philosophy and Maths, respectively) are very exited on helping me by gibing me a lift. They don’t drive me for too long, but it is nice to be in a car with 4 teachers. They are going to a seminar.
Anyat and Aditi drive me a bit further, to Dehri.
Pavin drives me for about three hours, until a small town called Bahri. He tells me about how this road we are on it is the famous Grand Trunk Road, one of the oldest and longest roads across South Asia. It goes all the way from Kabul, in Pakistan, to Bangladesh, in about 2500 Km.
When I am walking across Bahri, a car stops and the young man on it insists on trying to help me. Sanjay is a very kind and patient young man, who works as a journalist but also is in politics. He first takes me to his home, where I meet his lovely parents. His mum, only a few minutes after we met, is already asking me to stay a few days with them. How sweet! She also gives me some delicious watermelon! Sanjay and I have lunch, a delicious food prepared by his mum. They all present me with a beautiful traditional cloth of the state Jharkhand, called Assamese Gamocha, which is actually a tribal dressing. I am honoured! After this lovely time, Sanjay takes me to the highway again, so I can resume my journey to Bangladesh.
And at this point, a mystery: I don’t know where I’ve spent the night. I know it must be late already, and I am sure that in the night of the 7th I was somewhere else, so it is a mystery, I cannot really recall, where I stayed on the night of the 6th.
7th of May, 2023.
The remaining three hours driving to Anansol I get a lift with someone called A., of whom, unfortunately, I have no recollection.
When I am walking to outside
A young man, called Bibek, drives me after Anansol, for about 10 Km, in his small truck. He drops me off in a toll boot.
Shereen and her father stop for me. They are going to Bandharman (and that’s what is written on my sign). I am extremely impressed by Shereen. She is so young but already has some incredible insights about humans and society. We have some really nice chat, and it is so comforting to find some young souls like her with such broad mind. It gives me hope!
Because they are going into Bandharman, they decide to drop me off a bit outside the town, still in the highway, so I can remain on the way to Bangladesh. But the place is a residential area, so I can try to find a place to camp there.
It is called Renaissance, and it is more like a secluded area, where people’s access is limited. But they let me pass through the gates without asking anything. Once inside, I talk with two young girls going somewhere, and they tell me they will ask their families if I can stay with them. I wait by a football field, where hundreds of people are spending the evening in an enjoyable way. Perhaps, I could’ve just camped here and it would be fine.
When the girls come back, they say they actually cannot help me. I decide to ask in a house, to a lady who is taking care of her garden, if I could camp in her garden. She seems very nice and call her son to help with the translation. He is also very nice and they seem to be coping very well with the idea. Until the father arrives. I don’t know what is in his mind, really, but he doesn’t think that to let me camp in his garden is a good idea. Go figure! I don’t remember now if he is a police officer or just someone in a higher position. But I do remember he bragging about it. It is true though that he still decides to help me, even if in another way. The only problem is that, in this case, I will have to go somewhere else, meaning that tomorrow I will have to come all the way back here.
He calls a gurdwara in town and make the arrangements for me to stay there tonight. His son is going for some private classes, so I come along with him. In the gurdwara everything is fine but still, too many questions are asked, and I hate to feel as people don’t trust me, as I am a criminal. The father even come over after a while, to check if everything is fine (wouldn’t have been way easier if he simply had let me stay in his garden?).
In the opposite of him, another man, from the gurdwara, seem extremely surprised with my presence, intrigued in a good way, and excited to help me. He says that the kitchen is already closed, so he will be happy to brin me some dinner. After we chat for a while, he goes to get the food. I start to get settle in the room they gave me. Is a very spacious room, with two king size beds and bathroom.
When the kind man comes back, he has his wife and his son with him. They are all very sweet and we chat for a little while. The food they have brought me (some rice, dal, vegetable paneer and pickle) is delicious!
Next morning I shall resume my journey to Bangladesh.
10 Years Around the World 