May 07, 2022
A man toured across 28 states of India in 278 days on a budget of INR 12,000 after COVID-19 hit his business, Hindustan Times reported.
Visal Vishwanath took to Instagram to share his experience. He wrote, “LIFE... The best gift I have ever got.”
“Past 9 months I was living another life, which I had never thought or experienced. Pitching my tent or sleeping at any place where ever I got. Having fruits most of the time. Travelling through public transport or hitchhiking. Each day and moment was a new life for me," he added.
Visal moved to Bengaluru quite some time ago. He started his journey nine months ago on July 26 and used several modes of transportation, from walking on the road and hitchhiking to buses and trains.
The adventurous 32-year-old sometimes used tents to sleep.
“The places I visited, the people I met, the mountains I climbed, the roads I walked through, the food I had, each moment took me to different kinds of emotions and feelings. Physically or mentally when I was low, just a simple smile gave me the energy to take the next step. Now, when am remembering all these it just makes me sad that I won't be able to go back again with the same feeling I felt when I did it the first time,” Visal said in his post.
Visal first reached Guwahati after which he journey to Arunachal Pradesh. He faced obstacles due to the lockdowns.
He was stopped at state borders while the second wave of the virus was raging.
Having interacted with various cultures, he said he learned in his trip more than what he learned in 32 years.
Since he had left with only INR 12,000, his primary options were walking and hitchhiking.
"Anyone can travel. But how that should be, that you have to decide. I was always asked, why you are travelling like this and what are you going to get from this? Now I can say I lived a life. I don't need anything more than that. The moments which I experienced are mine forever," said Visal.