On the Road to India: A Hitchhiking Adventure

By Gyaneshwar Purgaus

Gyaneshwar Purgaus was becoming increasingly disillusioned with his job as a nurse when he decided to do the unthinkable: hitchhike from England to India.

It took courage and determination to give up everything and venture into the unknown, but once he gave up his job, there was no turning back.

He set out with his girlfriend, Alison, in 1982, and quickly discovered that hitchhiking is a great way to travel on the cheap. Some places were easy to get a ride—others were much harder. Once, he had to wait nine hours.

He learned to observe comings and goings, the ways people behave, their ways of life, and much more during these waiting spells. He also learned to control his emotions.

Join the author as he learns the do’s and don’ts of hitchhiking as he travels across Scandinavia, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia before getting to India—meeting interesting characters, some not-so-nice people, getting arrested at gunpoint, and seeing glorious sights along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jun 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684703302

Book preview

05/24/2019

CHAPTER

1

Preparation

P eople travel for all sorts of reasons—to satisfy their curiosity or obsession, to see the world, to experience how others live, to learn, to challenge themselves, to escape, to appreciate their lives, to have an adventure, to relax and rejuvenate, or to have a free spirit and enjoy the moment. Some people are on the road for a long time, and others travel in stages. Neither is right or wrong, provided you have the courage to want to do it. The majority of people never travel anywhere, let alone get in a plane or a boat. Those who do travel do so over and over, going to different places.

When you are curious about other countries, whether you have read about them, seen them on TV, or heard about them, it arouses interest. Gradually this manifests itself in higher inquisitiveness. Your curiosity is born. It is human nature to ask questions and to see the answers to those questions with open eyes, marvelling at the beauty and vastness before them with appreciation and awe. Some people hear it from the media, friends, newspapers, magazines, books—how the rest of the world lives and the hardships in many people’s lives. This creates an interest in seeing the world and experiencing it for oneself. It becomes a must no matter what may come.

To experience, to see, and to learn something out of our norm and to gain new skills or knowledge is in our genes. Some people are extroverts, and nothing hinders them from venturing on such a mission. Although there are always elements of uncertainty, they are ready to embrace it. Others will have small breaks to see a little at a time. But there is another type who does not want to give up comfort and will stay put in one place with everything at hand.

When you travel, you get an educational experience—a crash course on geography, history, and sociology. Seeing how the rest of the world lives gives you an opportunity to throw yourself in the deep end and experience along with the natives their lives, sufferings, and everyday comings and goings. Each person’s immersive experience unique and may vary from someone else’s. Your aim may be to do something specific—learn a new language, find out about different cultures, learn about different religions and faiths, or experience new customs and beliefs. Whatever your aim, you will come out with an awareness of different customs, cultures, people, and places. These will imprint in your subconscious, forming a new idea within you. Some people are so influenced by what they see, hear, and experience that they are ready to be converted and follow a different path in life.

This happened a lot in the 1960s and ’70s, when westerners travelled to places like India, Nepal, and Tibet, spending time in Dharamshala, Ashrams, giving up all their Western ways of life and retreating to these places to achieve inner peace. For centuries, travellers have always turned to India for their share of self-discovery and spiritual wisdom—be it Buddhism, meditation, yoga, or even ancient practises like chakra that promise to rejuvenate your mind and soul. India has redefined the concept of spiritual travel. There are a number of places in India that can help you as you go on a journey of inner peace.

When you travel, you are opening your mind, becoming tolerant, and embracing other ways of life. Nowadays, this experience is readily available, as people travel from different parts of the world to look for a better life and settle in countries where they find work. The exodus from the European Union, the Indian subcontinent, and lately from the Middle East and Africa has brought a multicultural community as never seen before. You gain tremendous knowledge of how people live, what they believe, how their cultures operate, and how they do things differently, increasing your horizons to view the world with a different eye.

Being away from the everyday chores of life gives you an opportunity to look at yourself through the looking glass, when you have time and space to think and examine your own life. It could be a life-changing experience. Often you hear of people giving up things like meat or drinking or becoming religious. These are some of the conscious and subconscious effects travelling can have on certain people. Others will make changes to their lives without realising what is going on. You will also give a sigh of relief when you get back to your real life and all the comfort you left behind—your friends and family; your TV, fridge, microwave, and washing machine; or your own bed. It is then that you’ll appreciate and value what you have.

When you are travelling with family and friends or a romantic partner, you build these relationships. In the lifestyle we live today, it has become necessary to go and visit parents and family and friends who live in different parts of the world. By its very nature, travelling helps you build relationships and sort out differences. Spending quality time with friends, family, and loved ones strengthens relationships and leads to a happier life. It is also a great opportunity to make new friends with locals and other travellers. The benefits are tremendous for future travels and keeping in touch.

Going to new places is an exhilarating experience, one that cannot be learned at school, in a book, or through the internet. Travelling is a daunting step and one of the hardest you can ever take. But once you have taken that step out of the door, it becomes easier. With every step you take, you are on the way to achieving your goal. If you are on your own, it can be very lonely, but you will meet people along the way who are in the same shoes as you. The feeling of untying yourself from all the materialistic knots you create during life is satisfying and releases you from those hang-ups. Remember, you do not know the place, the language, the people, the cuisine, the customs, the religion, or the atmosphere. How exciting it is to overcome all of this. The buzz you’ll get and the sense of accomplishment are beyond imagination. When you get back to your daily life, the memory of your adventure will be carved forever.

Life becomes monotonous when you are routinely doing the same chores every day; working in a demanding job creates its own pressures, stress, and unhappiness. If you like working, there comes a time when you will have to recharge your batteries before something gives way. This is the perfect time to break the routine and transport you into a different world, where you will be refreshed mentally and physically so you can enjoy the relaxing breaks and rejuvenate yourself. There will be a new you to face up to life’s challenges, and you’ll be at peace within yourself when you get back.

Recharging our batteries is essential for our minds and bodies; it releases us from stress, workloads, phone calls, emails, social media, relationship squabbles, family problems, and much more. Sometimes we may not realise how much we need a break. Once we’re away, we feel the tension and the weight lift from our shoulders and dissipate into nothingness, at least for the time when we’re away. Just imagine yourself sitting on a beach on a faraway resort, lapping up the sun, a drink in your hand, and not a care in the world. What would you not give up for this? Even when you get back, you view those existing problems with a more mature attitude, fulfilling your life and soul. Travel helps our minds and bodies to recharge in a way we cannot achieve at home.

Travelling can also be a celebration, vacation, landmark birthday, anniversary, graduation, or honeymoon or a gap year for university students. It is a good way to get away; get some experience; see other places; eat different cuisine; experience a change in culture and scenery; and, most important, be away from everything. The lasting memory it creates is enough to keep you going until it is time to take another plunge.

There is a community who likes to hitch-hike to places, which is a great way to travel on the cheap and meet some great people while doing so. Hitch-hiking does not cost you anything but a bit of time. And if you’re lucky, you won’t have to wait long. Some of the places where it is easy to thumb a lift are England; Wales; Scotland; Ireland; Denmark; Germany; Switzerland; Italy; and, of course, the United States. But this does not mean hitch-hiking in other countries is impossible. Some people find success where others fail, so don’t give up.

The longest I stood for a lift was nine hours, and the shortest was two minutes. Those hours I stood by the road taught me patience. I learned to observe the comings and goings, the ways people behave, their ways of life, and much more. It also taught me to control my emotions, which at times got frayed. There are many dos and don’ts about hitch-hiking. Just go online, and you will find a whole host of experienced people who have been there and done it all. Their advice is a must-read before you take the plunge.

Be open-minded. Enjoy the people, culture, religion, and way of life in the place you’re visiting. Don’t try to change things. Accept what they are. Most people are decent, friendly, polite, and welcoming. Very few people I meet are assholes. Generally, people want to please you and will go out of their way to help you if you are in trouble or lost.

If you are hitch-hiking, be warned: Getting lifts in Scandinavia, Norway and Sweden, is very difficult. I stood by the road sometimes up to six to nine hours, to no use. Eventually, I had to take a bus ride. Everyone’s experience is different, and different people will encounter different challenges, which is why you are on the road—to get your own joy, happiness, and experience. Hitch-hiking has become a rarity because of the dangers associated with the increase in terrorism throughout Europe. But in my day, it was pure joy to be out there, meeting people, and having a wonderful time.

If you’ve been on the road, you know what it feels like—just like reading Jack Kerouac’s On the Road allows you to experience the feel of the journey he takes you through.

My experience started in my early twenties. I come from a very little island called Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. You can travel around the island in a few hours. My eyes were on the bigger picture of travelling the world. I came from a working-class background and was the black sheep of the family. Everything I did was frowned upon. I was not the ordinary guy. I liked to do things not the conventional way but in my own way, which was not always approved by most people in my community. I did not care what others thought about me. The most important thing in my life was to see a bit of the world and be somewhere else.

I studied British history at college, and this raised my awareness of the various renowned places in Britain and their historic importance. I was curious to find out about those places by being there and seeing them for myself. In 1973, such a chance arose when I was accepted on a nurse training course for people with learning disabilities (in those days called mental handicaps and a lot of other horrible terms). There were big institutions, hospitals, asylums or the like, some with thousands of patients.

When I left home, my heart felt sore to be leaving my ma and pa. But I knew I was venturing on a very long journey, a dream I’d had since I was very young. They cried at the airport, and my eyes welled up with tears I could not hold back. I was leaving all my beloveds, my friends and families. I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Never having set foot outside of my little island, I was apprehensive and scared to be taking such a big step—to be in a different country with different culture, values, language, and weather. I had a premonition that I would not see my ma again but pushed this to the back of my mind. I never did see her again, and I suppose I have to face this for the rest of my life.

I worked in the National Health Service as a nurse for about nine years and was getting more and more restless, disillusioned, and frustrated by the way people with learning disabilities were treated. I was witnessing the most horrific treatment human beings can administer to other human beings; exploitation, ill treatment, extortion, abuse, and much more were rife in those days. I could not fight with the authorities, although I brought this concern to the people who were responsible. Nothing changed. I wanted to leave, but I needed a purpose, a plan to put into action. I didn’t want to leave and go and work elsewhere. The whole system of the health service was wrong, and any change was not forthcoming.

I decided to work hard and save enough money to last me for a couple of years. I told my friends about my plan to hitch-hike through Europe and go overland to India, travelling to Africa by ship from Bombay (Mumbai) and back up through Europe. Most were supportive; a few were apprehensive and discouraging. I spoke to my girlfriend at the time.

I am going travelling, Alison, I said.

Aren’t you going to take me with you? said Alison.

You can come with me if you are serious about it, I told her. But it’s not going to be easy. Sleeping in a tent day in and day out is going to be hard, and the other thing is that I have planned to travel for a couple of years.

A few days later, after some serious thought and considerations, she came to me. I had time to think and weigh up things. I have decided to come with you, Alison said. I have some money saved, and I’ll start saving more.

Alison was very encouraging. She brought out my confidence, which I was lacking. I was over the moon to have somebody with me. We discussed the plan and how much we needed to save for the trip. We would be hitch-hiking most of the way of course. I worked day and night and took every possible shift available. I got a second job in a nearby psychiatric hospital. After the end of six months, I reached my goal and saved enough for my travel and some reserve for emergencies.

It took great courage and determination to give up everything and venture into the unknown. Making up my mind to resign from my job was the hardest part. But once I’d done that, there was no turning back.

A bit of caution for those who are contemplating travelling with a girlfriend—sometimes it does not work out due to the amount of time you spend together. There is no space to breathe, you are always in each other’s shoes and can get claustrophobic. I met a good few people who started travelling with a partner but, after a while, had to go their separate ways due to mounting pressures. I also met a few who were having a whale of a time travelling together. I can only look back now. But hey, I would not change anything.

Preparations had to be made to store our belongings. Passports and visas had to be applied for. There were banking arrangements and vaccinations to be had, backpack and clothes to be sorted. Great parties, dinners, and nights out were given by friends with our company. It became very emotional to be leaving them all behind, but they spurred us on and told us not to look back, to be on our way, and to enjoy ourselves. We said our goodbyes with plenty of hugs and kisses. Emotionally we were drained to be leaving such good friends behind, and I really did not know if I would see some of them after two years.

Alison’s parents lived in Brighton, where we stored all our belongings, and our journey started from there. With backpacks ready and all essentials with us, we were excited to be venturing on the dream travel of a lifetime. We said cheerio and goodbye to Alison’s parents before we hit the road. It was sad to say goodbye, and I could see Alison’s eyes welling up with tears. This brought back memories of saying goodbye to my parents when I’d left home all those years ago. Sitting in that plane ready for take-off, I could not hold back those tears. They came down in a stream, and I knew that I might never see them again. I never saw my ma again. I saw this sadness in Alison’s father’s eyes as he said, Take care, darling. Her mother was concerned that she should not be doing this at all but eventually had to accept Alison’s decision.

At long last, we hit the road early in the bright sunny morning. With our backpacks on our backs, we walked down to the main road. Alison could feel her legs jarring already with her heavy rucksacks. She said, I’ll have muscular legs in a couple of weeks carrying this load.

We made our way to the Brighton Road to catch the morning traffic going up to London. We’d hardly walked up a hundred yards when I decided to put my thumb up. Within a minute, a Citroen pulled up twenty metres ahead. The guy behind the wheel waved us to come along. Shuffling along with the heavy pack, I got there and put my head down by the passenger side.

I’m heading to London, he said.

That will do us just fine, thank you, I said.

And here started a beautiful journey. The ecstatic feeling of freedom overwhelmed me, and a great pressure that had been building up for the past few months started to melt away. We packed our rucksack at the back of the car and took our seats. Terry was a happy, jovial, and outgoing person. He was heading to London to pick up a friend from the Baker Street Underground station, which suited us to the ground. Terry had spent nine months working for a contracting company in Libya and got too screwed up by the Libyan way of life that he decided to pack up and return to England. He was back for a few months and going to Egypt to work for another contracting company. It was a most enjoyable fifty-mile drive, as we chatted about hitch-hiking and travelling. Apparently, he had done some hitch-hiking in his younger days; he was now 45 years old.

He dropped us at Baker Street, we thanked him, and he wished us a fantastic journey. We got the underground to Brent Cross and walked the mile and a half to the M1. There were already a few people hitching a ride. We put our rucksacks down at the slip road leading to the M1. It was getting to midday, and we wanted to have a bite to eat, when this car pulled up. This guy said he was heading for Rugby, which was about 85 miles. There were two girls in their midtwenties hitching a ride to the north; I asked them if they wanted the lift, which they kindly accepted. Within a few minutes, a guy in his fifties stopped, got out of his car, and came to us, asking where we were heading.

Both Alison and I said at the same time, Newcastle.

Come along. I’m heading to Newcastle as well, he said.

I looked at Alison, who had a big grin on her face. We could not believe our luck. We packed our rucksacks in the car and hit the road. Jack was not a bad driver, as he put his foot on the accelerator doing eighty to eighty-five miles per hour. But he was a quiet man. He did not have much to say, and any attempt at conversation was met with either a nod or a shake of head. Maybe he just wanted somebody to be there, and that was enough for him. After a couple of hours, I couldn’t keep awake and dozed off.

When I woke up, I looked up at Alison. She was just waking up as well. Jack dropped us on Tyne Bridge at 5 p.m., and we were so glad to get some fresh air into our lungs.

We took a bus ride to the Tyne Commission Quay, but we were either a day too early or too late, and the ferry had gone. Everything was shut, and there was no sign of any life anywhere to be seen. We pitched our tent in a corner sheltered by a mound of earth. We made something to eat and settled in our tent for the night. By now it was 9 p.m., and it was peacefully quiet. We had an uninterrupted night and slept like a log.

In the morning, we heard a lot of cars rushing up and down the car park. Gradually it filled up, and loads of people were milling around everywhere. Rows upon rows of cars were lined up to board the ferry to Bergen, Norway. The ferry was not due until 3.30 p.m., and it was only noon.

We waited with our backpacks at the ticket office. It opened at 2 p.m. We got our tickets and boarded this monstrous vessel. And away we sailed at the precise time, leaving behind the land of a million memories. My excitement was immense. The joy and elation and the detachment from the life I had been used to was so overpowering that I felt a sense of loss. It was only short-lived, once I immersed myself in thinking ahead to Norway.

CHAPTER

2

Norway

N orway forms part of Scandinavia, historically, Scandia, which consisted of two countries—Norway and Sweden. Denmark and Finland were included on geographic and economic grounds, as they all spoke the same Scandinavian language. The term Norden includes all those northern European countries where there are long life expectancy and high levels of literacy.

Norway is best known for the complex and deep fjords along its west coast, which stretches from the North Sea into the Arctic Ocean. Thinking of Norway automatically conjures up images of Vikings and horned helmets. The Vikings were very determined and strong warriors who also were skilled poets and good storytellers. They were ruthless in battle; they would kill and spread terror wherever they set foot. The one-eyed god Odin and vicious sword-wielding men drinking from skulls were enough to send shivers to European coastal inhabitants.

The Vikings were pirates who invaded most of northern Europe, where they killed and spread their terror. They were also skilled traders and craftsmen in wood and metal. Some of their artefacts have survived to this day. The Vikings took many countries and regions in their thirst for new land, including Ireland, Scotland, Normandy, Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. They reached North America and as far as Newfoundland. They even invaded England in 1066, where Herald Hardrada Sigurdsson was killed at the battle of Stamford Bridge. This was the fall of the Vikings, as other European countries became stronger and more resilient in battle and guarded their shores.

Norway is well known for its amazing scenery. The fjords in the west of the country are craters, as if the coast was eaten away by turbulent weather in the Ice Age. They are long narrow inlets from the sea, flanked by huge mountains on all three sides and mostly unpopulated due to the treacherous wilderness. The west coast is mostly rocky and mountainous and full of fjords, and the views are spectacular. I could not take my eyes off the coast, lest I miss something exquisite. Norway is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. It has a population of only 5 million, which roughly equates to sixteen inhabitants per kilometre squared.

None of the barbaric qualities of the country’s ancient inhabitants exist with modern Norwegians. They are still hard-working people, and research has found that they are among the happiest people on earth. They are generally friendly people, very personal and individualistic. It is a slow-moving society, and they mostly rely on each other, due to the vastness of the land and not many neighbours around them. Their scepticism can be interpreted as coldness, but it is their way of life. They do not trust outsiders, so it takes time to know them. And believe me, it is very hard to hitch-hike there, as you will find out. Norway today has no official religion although most are nonbelievers. It is mostly a liberal country in most moral matters, like Sweden and Denmark, their immediate neighbours. Homosexuality and same-sex marriages are common and not frowned upon.

The sea crossing from Newcastle to Bergen was going to take around twenty-three hours, and Alison and I were dreading the journey, going by past experiences of the ferry crossing. I remember very well being sick as a dog on a channel crossing from Dieppe to Newhaven. The sea was very rough, and I had been drinking; somehow, drinks and sea do not mix together well with me. We inspected all the decks and settled down with our rucksacks and sleeping bags on the upper deck, where the view was superb.

When you are travelling on a shoestring, you cannot afford some of the luxuries like a sleeper or a cabin. You have to make your money stretch for as long as possible. There were some reclining chairs on the decks, but most were taken. I kept away from any alcoholic drinks, as I did not want a repeat of the channel crossing. We settled down in a corner by the door to the deck. Music was blaring in the bar. A few were dancing. Others were drinking at the bar. And most had already settled down on the floor with their blankets and sleeping bags. I was trying to get some sleep, but the pounding music and the door to the deck kept opening and banging, which kept me awake until I became so tired that I fell asleep. The next morning I felt a wreck not having enough sleep, but Alison was on top of her form.

At 2 p.m., in the distant horizon, a landscape was appearing. I was filled with joy to see the shores of Norway. We passed island after island. Hills, mountains, and fjords became more visible as we neared Stavanger. The ferry was dropping passengers off and picking others up. The journey continued to Bergen through the coastal waters of Norway, with breathtaking views of fjords and mountains.

Bergen is most commonly known as the city of seven mountains, surrounded by them and the ocean. It was the capital of Norway from the thirteenth century till 1830, when Oslo became the capital and all administration and government seats shifted there. It is the busiest port in Norway. Over the ages, it has seen about a dozen great fires, which have destroyed parts of the city. But the rebuilding has been progressive after each fire.

We arrived in Bergen in the early evening with the sun still beating; the sun does not go down until about 11 p.m. in summer. We packed our backpacks on our backs and made our way out of the harbour. I had to concentrate to cross the roads, as we are used to the vehicles being driven on the left side of the road. A few times, I got confused trying to negotiate some cars. But the drivers were patient, probably thinking, Bloody foreigners.

We walked around town. Alison was getting irritable with our heavy loads and told me she was feeling dizzy. It suddenly dawned on me that we had not had much to eat since leaving Newcastle, which was two days ago. We headed to a nearby park, where I dropped my backpack and told Alison I was going to get some water to cook something to eat. By the time I got back, Alison was well into preparing some food on the green. We ate our fill and drank to content.

We had to find a place to pitch our tent, but it was a bit awkward to put the tent up in broad daylight. We waited a little while, but we were so tired. I started to put the tent up near some bushes, to give us some protection from prying eyes. According to the Norwegian right to access, you may stay for up to two nights in one spot on uncultivated land, if you keep away from houses and other buildings and out of the way of other people, provided you leave no trace. If you move far away from habitation, you can stay as long as you want. But we were in the middle of a park. However, we decided to take our chances. We had a peaceful night sleep.

In the morning, we packed our tent and backpack and sat down to have something to eat. Breakfast was a cup of tea and two rashes of bacon, as we had run out of bread. We walked downtown looking for a bank to exchange some money. We got to the bus station, where I was able to get some cash. We had some coffee in the cafeteria and hit the road leading up north. We stood by the road for about an hour and a half before we got our first lift.

Thomas was a lively character in his late twenties, with long straight blond hair tied in a ponytail, wearing faded washed jeans and a Bob Dylan T-shirt, Springsteen blaring from the speakers. He had a big smile on his face, and he effused exuberant friendship. He seemed a well-travelled person, driving his caravan with his girlfriend, Ingrid, and their dog, Hans. He introduced us to them and we, in turn, introduced ourselves. He was amazed by our plan to head to India.

Aren’t you heading the wrong way, mate? he said.

Yeah! You could say that, but that’s where we’re going eventually. Time is no problem for us. We have about two years to get there, I said.

Wow! That’s a long time to be on the road. I’m not going that far, but I’ll drop you out of this city where you’ll have better luck, he said.

That’s great, I said. We’ve been stuck here for an hour and a half.

That is not long for Norway. Be prepared to wait for longer. Scandinavia is a difficult place to hitch-hike. People normally don’t pick up hitch-hikers. Only a few people have travelled and have been hitchhikers themselves, he added.

We chatted away about music, as he had the same taste in music as we did. I asked him if he’d been to see Springsteen live. He stated he would do anything to go and see the man. I told him I’d seen him at the London Hammersmith Odeon, performing with his E-Street Band in ’75, and it was an amazing show. People had gone