HUMANS OF BOMBAY

“My father passed away when I was very young and being the oldest in the family, the responsibility to take care of my mother and siblings took over me since then.  As a family, we’ve seen very difficult times.  When I was away at college, and came back to visit home, my mother would encourage me to go back, because we couldn’t even afford two meals a day.  Somehow, I always remained positive and looked to the future.  From my tiny dorm room, I dreamt of getting my family out of poverty, working hard, seeing the world and living a good life.

From my biggest adversity, came the motivation to work twice as hard as those around me.  I studied all day and night, focused and managed to top my college.  I graduated in Chartered Accountancy, Cost Accountancy, and i’m also a Chartered Secretary.  I started an Export business that flourished and little by little, all my childhood started to become a reality.

I still remember when I took my first International trip in 1983 to a place that had been on my bucket list — North Camp; where the sun shines at midnight.  That was the day, I felt like I had achieved, and my life has never been the same.

I began to travel with my wife, and live my dreams — one passport stamp at a time!  At the age of 63, I climbed the Mount Everest — I’ve been to 65 countries, lived with the locals and seen the most spectacular parts of our beautiful world — all because I had a dream.

Most recently, my wife, grand daughter and I traveled to London…by road!  It was a journey of a lifetime — over 72 days, 22,000 kms, 10 indian states and 19 countries.  We stayed and mingled with locals, saw nature at it’s absolute best and did all kinds of adventure sports as we went along!  We even had our share of problems — from hotels being booked out, to our windshield cracking in the middle of the night, to running out of food — we’ve taken everything with a pinch of salt and carried on.

Looking back, I feel like the younger me would be proud of who I am today.  At 73, when I decided to take this trip, I never once thought that ‘I wouldn’t be able to do it’ and that attitude has helped me throughout life — believing in myself even when the odds were against me and dreaming big.  So that would be my only message — no matter how old you are, or what your situation currently is — believe in yourself, dream hard; dream big and watch how the doors open!”

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HOME GROWN

Meet The 73-Year-Old Man Who Drove From Mumbai To London

“Every time we achieve something, life gives us new inspiration.”

In 1987 at the age of 43, he drove for 46 hours straight from Oslo to Nordkapp. At 44, he drove from Mumbai to Badrinath. At 60, climbed to an altitude of over 19,000 feet to perform the Mt. Kailash parikrama. At 61, he lived in the dense forests of Amazon and touched down at Antarctica. At 63, he trekked to the Mt. Everest Base Camp, and at age 65, he organised a group of 90 pilgrims to Kailash-Mansarovar for charity. Meet Mr. Badri Baldawa, who at 72 drove all the way from Mumbai to London with his wife and 9-year-old granddaughter. Now, at age 73, he is still young at heart with many more adventures coming his way.

The first thing I notice as soon as I walk into his posh office in Goregaon is the huge, vibrant world map framed on the wall. A qualified Chartered Accountant, he has been a first-generation entrepreneur for most of his life. In 1986, he quit his then 18-year-old career in the Middle East to come back to India and start his own company. With the day to day operations managed by his son, Mr. Badri now has the time and resources to be able to travel and he funds all his expeditions himself.

Having visited 65+ countries so far, Mr. Badri’s experiences range far from conventional. When asked why he often chooses destinations not frequented by travellers he explains it to me with this example. “I studied about the midnight sun in school. I did not believe how the sun could only rise and set once a year. I could not afford to travel back then. When I could, I used it as an opportunity to satiate my curiousness.” His expedition to the Mount Everest base camp was inspired by Sir Peter Hillary, son of Edmund Hillary who he spent 22 days with, on a cruise to Antarctica.

With sleek black hair and a fit, lean stature, Mr. Badri looks young for his age, the secret of which, he shares with me, is yoga. His nostalgic eyes give away much more than stories, as he passionately recounts hundreds of experiences from his travels. The most recent one being his drive from Mumbai to London with his 9-year-old granddaughter, Nishi along with his 63-year-old life cum travel partner, Ms. Pushpa. In a long, once-in-a-lifetime journey, Mr. Badri drove his BMW X-5, which he fondly refers to as Soham, across 22,000 kilometres in 72 days.

The thought of driving all the way from Mumbai to London came to him when he was on a flight back from the UK. Through the window seat, he saw the snow-capped peaks of the Alps glistening in the night sky. He yearned to drive through them, rather than fly over them. Turning to his wife, he expressed his desire to her, who at that moment dismissed it as a joke. But Mr. Badri seriously considering the idea, returned to India and started looking at tour and travel companies that execute such drives. In the past, he would only travel with his wife, plan and execute all their journeys himself. But this time, he chose to do the cross-continental drive with a group only so that the legal and logistical formalities could be taken care of. He spent many months planning and researching for one, and when he finally found one, he immediately called his wife.

In his blog, he states,

“ ‘Pushpa, there is this road-trip, self-drive to London from India. It is about two and a half months long. Should we?’ I called Pushpa within moments of getting an email to the effect on 20th May 2016. She was on a train from Rishikesh.

‘Yes! Let’s do it!’ she said without waiting even for a second.”

“A green signal from my better half and I was confident of convincing other members of my family. Within a few minutes I gave our provisional confirmation to join the expedition – ‘Road to London’ organized by Adventures Overland,” he says.

Travel route

After months of planning, booking and remaking itineraries, their expedition began on March 23 and cut across India, West to East, crossing about 10 states. This was followed by Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and finally, the UK. Covering off-beat tracks, rugged mountains, deserts, forests, snow, high altitudes, heritage sites, highways and cities, they experienced a variety of cultures and tasted exotic cuisines. “The longest we drove in a day by distance was 930 kms in Europe. We had breakfast at Czech, lunch in Germany and dinner in Belgium. The longest driving time was 19 hours in China where he traversed through the other side of Himalayas,” he tells me.

At Indian Borders

“Age is no bar if your mind is determined and your body taken care of” That, if one keeps themselves fit, age cannot hold you from extra-ordinary feats – be a grandmother at 63 a grandfather at 72, or a child at 9. This is especially why I chose to take my granddaughter, so I could encourage the youngsters of my family to travel and push through their comfort zone. Nishi, who lives in Chelmsford, UK was thrilled. Her school was very supportive and encouraging and easily granted her leave,” he says.

Winding Roads in China

The 72-day-long road trip must have come with hundreds of experiences, possibly a few bad ones. “What were some of the worst?” I ask him. “First, there are no worst experiences,” he says. “They are all challenges. We were taken to the police station in China, just because of a misunderstanding that occurred due to the language barrier. There was a time when a pebble hit our windshield and created a hole in Russia. We were driving at a speed of 120km/hr when a stork hit our car and shattered the windshield. I lost my phone in China. Sometimes the places we lived in weren’t too great. The food wasn’t to our taste. Nishi had problems adjusting to the Indian loo. We went from 24-degree Celsius in Dunhang to zero degree Celsius in Xining in just a matter of 4 hours. But travel is all about adjustments, so we tackled each issue as it came. Before the trip, Nishi feared heights. But 3 ropeway journeys later; she overcame her fear,” he adds. “It’s you who decide, if you want to dominate the problem or let the problems dominate you.”

At the snow mountains in Kyrgyzstan

Talking about his most emotional moment on the trip, he fondly tells me an incident. “Being strict vegetarians and having exhausted all our supply of theplas, we asked our son to send some to the hotel that we were staying in, in China. One night, I was surprised to see him at my door, at midnight. I would never have imagined that would personally come to deliver them. That was truly a very emotional moment for me.”

For Mr. Badri, having completed the drive itself was a wonderful feeling. Experiencing the landscape and the cultures of 19 countries, from the unique architecture of Uzbekistan to the drive through the beautiful mountains of Kyrgyzstan; exploring the canyons in China, and watching gymnasts perform in Russia. Receiving the warmth and cooperation of people, especially on the borders, it has been an overwhelming experience for him. He claims to have become more confident, and all his travel tales have been all beautiful documented on his blog.

On arrival at the UK Border

So where are his adventures taking him next? He smiles and thinks for a while, before he answers – a trek through South America and a space walk! “I am still planning it with my wife. Let’s see,” he says. “I have my whole life in front of me.”

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MUMBAI LIVE

Meet Badri Baldawa: The Man Who Drove From Mumbai To London

A long drive for a Mumbaikar would be going to Marine Drive or maybe if the person behind the wheel is feeling adventurous, one might hit Lonavala. But what if a long drive for someone is equivalent to driving from Mumbai to London?

Meet Badri Baldawa, the 73-year-old Mumbaikar (looks 37, honestly) who drove from Mumbai to London in 72 days with his wife and granddaughter.

Driving a BMW X5, Mr Baldawa is an adventure junkie and has traveled to about 65 countries in his life. Covering 19 countries, he changed the definition of a long drive when he completed the one way journey to London.

Mr Baldawa spoke to Mumbai Live and shared his adventurous journey with us.

The idea behind the adventure

“Once when I was on a flight to London, I was just looking out of the window and this random thought just came to my mind. What if I drove to London? The route seemed so scenic that I couldn’t ignore the temptation of considering a road trip.”

In 2011, Mr. Baldawa contacted a person who had traveled from London to Delhi and his plan further strengthened. He then casually mentioned to his wife that he was planning a road trip to London and she was on board immediately.

Problems he faced

“It’s not easy to plan such a big adventure without facing problems. I actually lost my international driving license just before the trip. I had to contact a lot of people at WAA and got it an hour before I left for my trip. Visas, permissions, registration papers, it’s a long list.”

Mr. Baldawa was advised to postpone his trip but he didn’t budge and made his journey possible.

“We were driving at a speed of 120 km/hr when a stork hit our car. I saw 3 birds, a large one with two little ones, flying together above the car in front of me. In a fraction of a second, the big bird hit the windshield, shattering it. Since the windshields are made of toughened laminated glass, the broken pieces of glass do not fall out. But in this case the impact was such that small particles of glass spread all over, inside the car. They even spilled over Nishi (granddaughter) who was sitting in the rear seat. My spectacles saved my eyes. Fortunately, I was in the right frame of mind and ensured that the vehicle does not go out of control. I slowly pulled the car over and stabilised. Though it was difficult, I managed to drive for about 100 km to get to a safe place to park the car for a few hours and get the windshield fixed.”

Best moments from the trip

“When I drove on the 20-lane road in Myanmar. The entire drive was one big moment which I’ll never forget in my life and neither will my wife and granddaughter. Also, visiting the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent was a special moment for me. Driving in China was also fun and one day, we drove for 19 and a half hours.”

“Once I was trying to exchange some currency in Russia and the Russian man didn’t speak English and I had a tough time communicating. He wasn’t ready to exchange the money and I didn’t understand why. He then referred to Modi and how he banned currency in India and that’s when I realised that the note was banned in Russia. I had a good laugh but felt proud that our country and our Prime Minister are known in different corners of the world.”

Message for youngsters and others who would like to go on such an adventure

“Just don’t fear anything. Feel free and enjoy each moment. Don’t let hurdles and small problems affect your journey and drive safely,” he says with a smile on his face.

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INDIA TIMES

Indian Couple Pull Off A Mumbai-To-London Road Trip, Cover 19 Countries In 72 Days

A road trip from Mumbai to London will be a dream for many. While you keep making and breaking your travel plans, this couple from Mumbai let go of their inhibitions and set out for the challenging road trip.

Meet Baldawa family from Mumbai.

On March 23 this year , 73-year-old Badri Baldawa embarked on the road trip with his 64-year-old wife and 10-year-old granddaughter in their BMW X5, across 72 days, crossing 19 countries and covering 22,200 km, before reaching London

And age for them, is just a number.

Mr. Baldawa, steel exporter and chartered accountant by profession, hails from Karnataka and now lives in Mumbai with his family. Embarking on spontaneous adventure trips seems like a norm with the Baldawas.

Baldawa had hiked up to one of the base camps of Mount Everest, has driven from Mumbai to Badrinath, has travelled to Antarctica and has drive across Iceland in 2015 along with his 10-year-old granddaughter Nishi, reports The Hindu.

The Mumbai to London road trip that they set out for this year, needed massive planning and the journey, albiet difficult at times, was enriching.

They started chalking out the last year along with some friends and decided to go to Imphal and then make their way to London via Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China and Russia.

In an interview with The Hindu, Badri Baldwa said, “”There was no other alternate route to drive to London from Mumbai: if I were to drive via Pakistan and Afghanistan, there was no guarantee that I would make it alive. We could not go north via Tibet either, as China would not allow it,.”

When they reached Imphal, they were joined by 12 other vehicles on the same journey. The group had connections with the Indian government, and so their stay and dinner was managed by the Indian Embassy.

Baldawa also talked about the longest distance they covered in a single day; a whopping 930km from Warsaw to Brussels.

“On that day we had breakfast in Warsaw (Poland), lunch in Cologne (Germany), and dinner in Brussels (Belgium),” he added. Their journey through 19 countries, was a complete eye-opener for the Baldawas. From infrastructures to brillaint landscapes they got to see it all.

Take the Baldawa as an inspiration and give yourself a break from the daily monotony! Pack up and just step out, you deserve it!

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THE PETROL STORY

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THE HINDU

Age is a number: 73-year-old covers 19 countries in 72 days

Badri Baldawa and his wife inside their car at Goregaon. The Couple along with their grand daughter went on a road trip from Mumbai to London

Badri Baldawa does a Mumbai-to-London road trip with his wife and granddaughter, covering 22,000 km

Mumbai: In 2011, Badri Baldawa was returning from London to Mumbai. Unlike other times, his wife Pushpa allowed him to take the window seat. As Mr. Baldawa looked down from the window, he was mesmerised looking at the mountains below. The avid traveller wondered what would it be like to drive through the mountains, but his wife dismissed this as a joke. By May 2016, he began to chart plans. And on March 23 this year, he embarked on the road trip with his 64-year-old wife and 10-year-old granddaughter in their BMW X5, across 72 days, crossing 19 countries and covering 22,200 km, before reaching London.

The 73-year-old steel exporter and chartered accountant, and hiswife, who are originally from Rajasthan but were raised in Karnataka before they found their home in Mumbai, have undertaken long trips before: Mr. Baldawa had hiked up to one of the base camps of Mount Everest [2008], and had, three decades ago, driven from Mumbai to Badrinath. Apart from these were several cruises, a drive across Iceland in 2015 along with his 10-year-old granddaughter Nishi, and a 46-hour non-stop drive through Norway to reach North Cape, to make it in time to witness the longest night. Mr. Baldawa has also travelled to Antarctica, and claims to be the first Indian to reach 90 Degree North.

Mr. Baldawa has visa stamps from 65 countries; his wife has 55. But this road trip has had a lasting impact on the couple. “It is difficult 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,” says Ms. Baldawa.

Planning

In 2016, along with some friends from Delhi, the couple began the process of charting out the route — an unusual one, by all standards. They drove across India to Imphal, and from there, south to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and then to China, before entering Russia and finallythe Schengen area. “There was no other alternate route to drive to London from Mumbai: if I were to drive via Pakistan and Afghanistan, there was no guarantee that I would make it alive. We could not go north via Tibet either, as China would not allow it,” says Mr. Baldawa.

They spent 24 days driving from Mumbai to Imphal, as they had wanted to explore many places within the country, and especially expose their UK-based granddaughter to the country’s diversity.

In Imphal, they were joined by 12 other vehicles. In all they were 26 adults, and one child. The rest of the group were people from Tanzania, UK and other parts of India. Three others were from Mumbai.

With all the planning, there were the usual worries: even though Mr Baldawa had obtained an international driving licence, their passports were not with them. They were held up in the Uzbek consulate, because the consulate had run out of visa stickers to be affixed on the passport.

All hotels were booked in advance, and daily night stops planned after extensive research, about the condition of the roads, interesting things to see or do on the way, and existence of proper hotels. In some places, like eastern Europe, they needed mandatory guides, who helped them navigate, especially when the language and local ethos were not known, and there were security concerns. In some places, local registration of the vehicles was also required.

The actual trip

From Manipur, they headed to southeast Asia. In Thailand, the tourism ministry organised a cultural event for them. Finally, when they entered Kunming in China, they drove for 16 days across the northwestern region of the country.

Further along in northwest China, in a span of four hours, they went from 24 degree Celcius in Dunhang to zero degrees Celcius in Xining. As much as they were not prepared for the tight security in the border between China and Kyrgyzstan – with petrol pumps being manned by police – they were also not prepared to experience the warmth of the people. “We went in with an assumption that people in China and Russia are tough and not too welcoming of outsiders, but we were welcomed everywhere,” said Mr. Baldawa.

The convoy had to cross the border between Russia and Belarus, via Smolensk, but had to abandon that route for security issues, and had to detour and go via Latvia and Lithuania. “During that route, three large storks came flying towards us and one of them hit our windshield, crashing the glass. I was driving at 120 kmph, and hence could not apply sudden breaks, as not far from us was a valley. Unfortunately, the stork fell off and I was able to halt only about half-a-km away,” said Mr. Baldawa.

On an average, they were driving 400 km each day, for 12 hours, and taking adequate breaks to look at the places. The longest distance driven on a single day was 930 km, from Warsaw to Brussels. “On that day we had breakfast in Warsaw (Poland), lunch in Cologne (Germany), and dinner in Brussels (Belgium),” said Ms. Baldawa. In Lithuania, Russia and Brussels, dinners were hosted by the Indian embassies. Photographs taken daily were emailed to the Baldawa children, who uploaded them on a blog and Facebook.

What they saw

Ms. Baldawa was shocked to see the pit toilets in rural China and Russia. Yet, she cannot forget the cleanliness everywhere. “Across all cultures, there is a high sense of civic responsibility, even in rural areas. That is something I wonder why we Indians can’t work towards,” she says.

While the roads in China were expected to have the best infrastructure, what surprised them the most were the roads in the mountainous regions. “Across northeast India, the roads wind around hills. But there were high-speed highways that connected mountain tops, and long tunnels through the mountains too,” says Mr. Baldawa, adding that it ensured that their speed be maintained towards their daily plan of arriving at their set daily destinations.

Along the way in China, Nishi turned 10. She was on her second trip with her maternal grandparents, and even though she had an upset stomach twice, she insisted on completing the trip. “It was my responsibility to ensure her safety and well-being as I am accountable to her parents,” said Ms. Baldawa. Her husband, on the other hand, was confident that she would enjoy the trip even though there was no other child all through the 72 days.

And there were moments from their travel that made them wonder about life back home. “I was very surprised 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.

Similarly, they were enchanted by the peaceful coexistence of elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and deer in Kaziranga National Park. “I wondered why humans cannot coexist.”

But given that the couple has together covered a significant ground across the world, did they see the world from a different lens because of the road trip? Mr. Baldawa is quick to respond that driving allows one to see the ground reality, cultures and the ways in which governments function. “When you fly into a place, almost everything is readily accessible and uniform, and so there is a disconnect. But when you drive, the experience of a place is more real in every way, revealing the essence of a place more accurately.”

What next?

The Baldawa couple is now on a soft mission to share the story their travels, the key message being that age is just a number.

They also wish to convey that there will be several problems on a mammoth plan like this. “But it is up to us to see them as challenges and overpower them, instead of being overpowered.”

Even though he has been to Antartica, Mr Baldawa’s next goal in 90 degree South, while the ultimate goal is a zero gravity space walk. As for Mrs Baldawa: “I haven’t thought of the next trip but will be ready to go wherever he wants to go.”

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SCOOP WHOOP

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THE BETTER INDIA

Mumbai to London in 72 Days – This Couple Went on an Epic Road Trip Crossing 19 Countries

Taking an unconventional route, the couple along with their 10-year-old granddaughter Nishi set course from Manipur and after 72 days hit London.

One couple’s road trip from Mumbai to London, crossing 19 countries and covering 22,200 km in 72 days, is not just an example of a journey of epic proportion but also a testament to the fact that age really is just a number.

Badri Baldawa, 73, along with his 64-year-old wife and 10-year-old granddaughter, embarked on a trip earlier in March this year in their BMW X5.

Badri, an avid traveller, was struck by the idea sometime in 2011.

Back to Mumbai. Source: Facebook.

On a flight to Mumbai from London, he had switched seats with his wife, only to be blown away by the sheer magnanimity of the mountains that he saw through the window and wondered out loud about the possibility of driving through the terrains.

Though initially dismissed as a joke by his wife, the idea kept growing in Badri’s mind and by May 2016, he started charting a proper route of action. A steel exporter and chartered accountant by occupation, both Badri and his wife are originally from Rajasthan. However, they’d been in Karnataka all their lives before finally calling the city of dreams their home.

Taking an unconventional route, the couple along with their granddaughter Nishi set course from Manipur after which they headed to Thailand in Southeast Asia where the tourism ministry organised a cultural event for them.

After touching Kunming in China, the family drove for 16 days spanning the northwestern region of the country. On reaching the China-Kyrgyzstan, they had mixed emotions. The warmth of the people coupled with extremely tight security was a paradox in itself.

“We went in with an assumption that people in China and Russia are tough and not too welcoming of outsiders, but we were welcomed everywhere,” said Badri to The Hindu.

Covering 400 km each day with 12-hour drives on an average while taking adequate breaks to look at the places, the longest distance that they had covered on a single day was 930 km, from Warsaw to Brussels.

“On that day we had breakfast in Warsaw (Poland), lunch in Cologne (Germany), and dinner in Brussels (Belgium),” said Mrs. Baldawa.

Now that they have seen a lot of places across the globe, did the Baldawa family view the world through a different perspective because of the road trip?

Source: Facebook.

“When you fly into a place, almost everything is readily accessible and uniform, and so there is a disconnect. But when you drive, the experience of a place is more real in every way, revealing the essence of a place more accurately,” Badri added.

The road trip seems to have made a lasting impact on the couple. “It is difficult 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,” reminisced Mrs. Baldawa.

The Baldawa couple is now on a mission to share all of their travel exploits with the message being that age is no obstacle for the determined.

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Press Report in Hindi around 17 July 2017

????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?? 74 ??? ?? ????? ?? ???? 63 ??? ?? ?????????
72 ????? ??? ?? ???? 22,200 ???????? ?? ????.
???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??, ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ???? ???. ????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ????  ????? ???. ????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????, ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???. ?? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???, ?? ?? ?????-????? ?? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??. ?????, ?????? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ????? ??, ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????.

74 ??? ?? ????? ?????? ???? 63 ??? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ??????. ????? ???????? 19 ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? 22,200 ???????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??. ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??.

????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ??. ????-???? ????? ??, ??? ??? ?? ???? ??, ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??. ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???.

???????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??? 23 ????? ?? ???? BMW X5 ?? ??? ????? ?? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ???, ???????, ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????. ???????? ? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ??. ????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????? ?? ???????????? ???? ??? ???? ?????. ????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????. ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??, ????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ????.

????? ?? ????? ?????????? ?? Chartered Accountant ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???????? ?? ?????? ???. ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ?????? ??.

????? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ??. ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????. ?? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ???? ?? ?????. ????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ????.

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MAHARASHTRA TIMES NEWSPAPER

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SCOOP WHOOP

He Is 73, She Is 64. Together They Drove From Mumbai To London In 72 Days Across 19 Countries

Taking that impromptu road-trip is travel goals for so many of us but there’s never enough time or resources! And when you finally think you have time you feel you are too old for that kinda thing now. However, this couple from Mumbai is all set to show you that there’s no age limit to crossing that road-trip off of your checklist. 73-year old Badri Baldawa and his 63-year old wife accompanied by their 10-year old granddaughter went all the way from Mumbai to London by road!

Setting off for the trip! It took them over a year to plan everything out.

They set off on March 23rd on their BMW X5 and crossed 19 countries and covered 22,200 km in 72 days before reaching London. 

They started from Imphal and then made their way to London via Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China, and Russia.

 In an interview with The Hindu, Badri Baldwa said, “There was no other alternate route to drive to London from Mumbai: if I were to drive via Pakistan and Afghanistan, there was no guarantee that I would make it alive. We could not go north via Tibet either, as China would not allow it.”

Not many of us would attempt to do this after a certain age and that’s whatmakes their story all the more special.

This couple has given us major travel goals once again, so just make those plans with your loved ones already. And all you people who thought old age might hold you back, take this couple as an inspiration and set out on that remarkable journey at once.

All the pictures are from Badri Baldawa’s Facebook account. You can even read more about their journey there.

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RADIO MIRCHI – 98.3 FM

 

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TRIPOTO

73-Year-Old Indian Drives Across 19 Countries In 72 Days, Gives Millennials  Major Travel Goals

“Age is just a number.”

Time and again, people have casually inserted this saying without fully grasping its implications. But the Baldawa couple, just lived the saying with their recent road trip from Mumbai to London.

Back in 2011, when the Baldawas were flying back to Mumbai from London, the scenery from the airplane window intrigued and challenged the adventurer inside Badri Baldawa. Mr. Baldawa started planning the epic road trip in May 2016, and after little over an year, he embarked on the 72-day-long journey with his 64-year-old wife and 10-year-old granddaughter. This trip from Mumbai to London, took them across 19 countries covering 22,000km.

Badri Baldawa is a steel exporter and chartered accountant by profession, and a serious roadtripper by heart. Over the decades he has hiked to one of Mount Everest’s base camps (2008), driven from Mumbai to Badrinath on a pilgrimage, covered the length of Iceland by road (2015), witnessed the longest night of the year after a non-stop 46-hour drive to North Cape and has also taken a challenging cruise to Antarctica.

Badri Baldawa’s passport has visa stamps from 65 countries, and Pushpa Baldawa has 55. But this particular road trip has left a lasting impression on the couple. The Hindu interviewed the Baldawas and discussed with them what it takes to plan and successfully complete a road trip such as this.

Before the journey even began, the couple started facing issues regarding what route they could take from Mumbai to London. After much speculation and consideration, they decided to go to Imphal and then make their way to London via Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, China and Russia.

“There was no other alternate route to drive to London from Mumbai: if I were to drive via Pakistan and Afghanistan, there was no guarantee that I would make it alive. We could not go north via Tibet either, as China would not allow it.”

The Baldawas were not alone in their journey as they were joined by 12 other vehicles in Imphal; the group in total had 26 adults and one child. The group had connections with the Indian government, which ensured that wherever they spent the night, dinner was served at the Indian Embassy. The tourism ministry of Thailand even organised a cultural event for them.

After leaving Thailand, it took the Baldawas and others 16 days to cross the northwestern region of China. The terrain of northwest China posed a great challenge as the climate changed drastically within a span of four hours; the temperature dropping from 24 degree Celsius in Dunhang to a freezing zero degrees Celsius in Xining. But the challenge which they were prepared for, hostility of locals, took them by surprise.

“We went in with an assumption that people in China and Russia are tough and not too welcoming of outsiders, but we were welcomed everywhere.”

Badri Baldawa and the group covered 400km every day and made sure that their driving time was not more than 12 hours as they wanted to stop adequately to observe the countries they were driving through. In the interview with The Hindu, Mr. Baldawa talks about the longest distance they covered in a single day; a whopping 930km from Warsaw to Brussels.

“On that day we had breakfast in Warsaw (Poland), lunch in Cologne (Germany), and dinner in Brussels (Belgium).”

Their journey through 19 countries, also opened the Baldawas’ eyes to certain aspects, infrastructures and facilities around the world that have been lacking in India. They give the example of how the road network across the mountains of China surprised and helped them in keeping up with their daily plan.

Across northeast India, the roads wind around hills. But there (in China) were high-speed highways that connected mountain tops, and long tunnels through the mountains too.”

The couple has taken several road trips around the world, and the one from Mumbai to London strengthened their resolve to drive to places instead of directly flying to them. Mr. Baldawa firmly believes that it is on a road trip to a place that you get to observe the ground reality and cultures of the destination.

“When you fly into a place, almost everything is readily accessible and uniform, and so there is a disconnect. But when you drive, the experience of a place is more real in every way, revealing the essence of a place more accurately.”

The Baldawas do everything together!  Badri Baldawa

Next on the agenda of the Baldawas is to share their travel stories with the world, especially with the up and coming travellers, who are exploring travel with a renewed fervour, and might find their tales inspirational. Their key message is, “Age is a number”, and with a journey such as the one from Mumbai to London, they do complete justice to that.

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FM RADIO 106.4

 

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ZOOMERGE

73-Year-Old From Mumbai Travels Across 19 Countries In 72 Days On An Epic Road Trip

Mr. Badri Baldawa, a steel exporter and a Charted Accountant by profession was returning from London to his home in Mumbai, 2011 and this time around Badri’s wife Pushpa had made an exception and let him sit on the window seat. Mr. Baldawa, as he remembered the amazing journey, he was totally mesmerized upon seeing the mountains below him and fantasized about driving around them rather than flying over them. And that spark was enough to light a fire that fueled his planning towards making that fantasy into a reality.

So in May 2016, he began to plan his charts for his imminent epic road trip that he embarked upon on 23rd March of 2017. For his company, the 73-year-old Mr. Badri Baldawa was joined aboard by his wife Mrs. Pushpa Baldawa and their 10-year-old granddaughter. The vehicle of choice for this epic journey was their own BMW X5 that would take them across 19 countries and cover more than 22,200 km, before reaching London on the 73rd day of their trip.

The lovely couple helms originally from Rajasthan but grew up in Karnataka before finally finding haven in the capital city of Maharashtra. The amazing couple suggests that this road trip of theirs was not the first long trip they have had before in their life.

Mr. Badri Baldawa had in the past driven all the way up to Badrinath from Mumbai and in an extraordinary trip had also hiked up to the base camp of Mt. Everest. Apart from this, the graceful couple has also driven across Iceland in 2015 and has made a 46-hour long non-stop road trip from Norway to the North Cape, just to make it in time to witness the longest night. Till now you may have noticed that the Baldawa’s are avid travelers as both boast a combined total of 110 visa stamps but according to the couple, this road trip was their favorite one.

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We have received overwhelming response and support to our “Peace is Possible”, “Road to London” trip.