“On the off chance that you truly wish to pursue your fantasies, nothing can prevent you from it,” – a line like this may sound cheap in segregation, however when Vijayan , a 65-year-old wayward tea-vender owning a minor tea shop in Kochi says it , 10 years of stories resounding diligent work, sweat and prevailed over dreams tumble out.
Vijayan owns and works in tea shop for over forty years, be that as it may, that hasn’t ceased him and his wife from visiting just about every picturesque end in India alongside an astounding 16 different nations Britain, France, Austria, Alexandria, UAE, the rundown goes on.
His tea-stall is his only source of income, something that has never been a deterrent in satisfying his fantasy of voyaging everywhere throughout the world. “I got the fascination of travelling in going from my father; he took me to different places since I was 6 year old. We went to Madurai, Palani and numerous different spots. Those travel memories with my father helped me unleash my fantasies” says Vijayan.
Life was not simple on Vijayan while he was growing up. Outings with his father to just about all temples in Kerala set off his energy for voyaging; however his father’s passing away brought all potential outcomes of making a trip to a stop as he took up all family obligations. It was just in 1988 that he continued travelling when he went hand in hand with a man as his cook on a journey to the Himalayas.
What is the purpose of satisfying your dreamss in the event that you have no one to impart it to, says Vijayan as he alludes to his wife Mohana, who went along with him forty years prior. In those days her life spun around Kochi, yet post marriage, the couple have investigated fascinating urban communities, all alone. Fervor lights up her face as Mohana clarifies her most agreeable voyages.
“I was really excited when we first travelled abroad. Belonging to a very poor family, I never dreamt of a life like this. Later along with him I too became obsessed with the journeys. Switzerland is my favorite among the places we visited”, she says. Switzerland may have been her favourite but according to her, seeing the statue of Jesus in Israel left her rooted to her spot for a long time.
For Vijayan, then again, every experience was distinctive, right from walking through the deserts of UAE to heading down the grand Nile waterway in Egypt, Nile being one of the spots he wishes to visit once more.
It’s hasn’t been simple for the couple to manage such a way of life. With their sole wellspring of wage originating from their tea-shop, the main way out for them to seek after their affection for voyaging was by means of assistance through bank loans.
In spite of all budgetary insecurities, the couple would take a loan, go to an outside objective, return and put in the following three years reimbursing the obligation they owed, and the cycle would go on.
Has toiling and working so hard helped him? “There will be many hurdles, but we can overcome that through hard work. If you really wish to chase your dreams, nothing can stop you from it” he says.
Vijayan takes after an exceptionally straightforward funda for sparing cash, “I save rupees 300 a day for our tickets and spend just 10 dollars or less on picking up some tiny souvenirs from the places of visit. We don’t spend anything more.”
There is no question of spending lavishly for this couple.
They may have headed out to 16 nations, however one nation on their to-go-rundown still escapes them – the United States of America, a spot they have been wishing to try for quite a while now since their last outing to Europe in 2012.
Considering their age, the couple as of late have confronted challenges in getting advances to fund a credit to their next dream end. Anyhow all is not lost, says Vijayan. “Once I was completely stuck without money, then one of my old acquaintances who resides in South Africa offered me stay and food there. Then I somehow managed the ticket fare and visited the country. So am sure that somehow I will be able to visit the US”, he said.
In spite of the budgetary trouble the couple will need to support, Vijayan is ardently unshakable around one thing, about not deserting his wife. “I can’t travel without her, I will be happy only when she is around”, says Vijayan smiling.
A few dreams are worth going hard and fast for, and Vijayan’s story sounds like one of those few.
