We have all heard the phrase, “age is just a number.” A motivational quote to encourage people that they can do anything no matter how old they are. One 73-year-old man in Mumbai, India took this phrase to heart and showed the world by literally traveling the world.
Badri Baldawa went to 19 countries in 72 days with his wife and granddaughter by his side. The trio moved from Mumbai, India all the way to London, England and traveled a total of 22,200 km.
They first went from India to Imphal, then south to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and China. Next, they went to Russia and then hit Europe. It was the only route that was safe and logistically possible for them to reach London. Every hotel and night stop was planned far in advance. The Baldawa’s made sure to do their research to find which countries they would need guides or locally register their car.
The adventures they experienced were incredible. Ms. Baldawa said, “It ‘s hard for me to think of the highlight of the trip, apart from the constant feeling of wanting to revisit those places and spend more time in almost all of them.”
One crazy adventure took place while the trio was driving through Latvia and Lithuania, three storks flew straight into their vehicle and shattered their windshield. The family had very diverse experiences as they passed through different cultures and countries.
Each day they averaged about 12 hours of driving and would stop to enjoy the many places they went passed through. One day they ate breakfast in Warsaw, Poland; lunch in Cologne, Germany; and dinner in Brussels, Belgium.
Their travels opened their eyes to brand new experiences. Some things they saw saddened them, while others left them hopeful, “I was shocked and saddened to see that near Bhopal, the rocks and stones that are part of the Udaygiri caves were being taken by builders for construction of buildings. On the other hand, in Uzbekistan, the palaces undergo an annual upkeep. We have thousands of such places in India rich in heritage, but we just do not maintain them,” said Mr. Baldawa.
Traveling to 19 countries in a mere 72 days taught the family a lot about life and of course the world. They hope to share the stories of their travels but also show that age is just a number.
Connect with us