Earlier this year, when the world was still sane and normal,
over a random cup of tea, I had admitted to a Belgian girl that I chanced upon
and held a brief moment of random conversation that to my knowledge I have so
far been to 190 countries officially and 191 technically thereby leaving only 2
countries out of my influence. She had nearly choked and spluttered her tea and
with bulging eyes had posed how on earth I had managed to do that. At that
time, as I was in a bit of hurry, I had simply shrugged my shoulders and told
her that it just happened and left her to ponder. The last thing I remember was
that dreamy far out look in her blue eyes that told me that even if her human
flesh body was there her soul was by now spinning around the world. I never
thought of this conversation until today. And I quizzed myself how on earth did
I manage this? Here’s the very brief summary of the revelation. If I elaborate any
further then it would take the shape of a novel of at least a half million
words if not more.
This post is particularly meant for all those travel bug
people who want to explore the world and also for those who dream of traveling
but don’t begin their journey as they quickly figure out the obstacles they
need to overcome the first being the question of money. My own life is a
certain proof that if you have a dream, no matter how seemingly impossible and
unachievable yet you pursue it with single minded devotion then that dream is
bound to come true, even if not in totality, in parts surely.
Let’s begin with the facts. As per UN Charter there are 193
recognized sovereign states in the world, the latest member being South Sudan
that was accepted as a full member in 2011. Then there are Palestine and Kosovo
that are sort of sovereign states but not accepted by all the relevant UN
member nations therefore they hang in a kind of limbo. Vatican City behaves
like a nation with her own currency (till 2002) and despite being the
center of the Catholic world it isn’t a sovereign state, but for the sake of practicality
many consider it a nation. These three are termed as UN observer nations. Then
there are 49 dependencies who kind of enjoy an autonomous form of governance
yet are considered a part of their controling nations so in effect these
dependencies are like countries but not fully sovereign states. Prime examples
would be Greenland (Denmark), Svalbard (Norway), Gibraltar (UK), Falklands
(UK), Cook Isles (NZ), Hong Kong and Macau (China), etc. interesting to note is
that all these dependencies are majorly held by UK, France, US and Australia. Then
there are those confused nations who no one really knows what’s happening, at
times they are nations and at times they aren’t like Taiwan and Northern Cyprus
and finally the no man’s land which is both a continent and a nation perhaps
and it belongs to no one – Antarctica. And needless to say that all these are
scattered through the six continents plus one where there are only scientific stations
and some disputed claims by Argentina and Chile.
The above surely tells you how confusing the whole thing is
if you were to calculate where all you would go to self proclaim as a world
traveler. I have met people who have been to only three continents and less
than double digit countries (including their own) and say sagaciously that they
have seen the world. Once I had met an USA millionaire along with his wife in
SFO waiting to connect to a flight to Honduras where his wife boasted that her
husband is a true global traveler. On my request he counted off 18 countries
and three continents including North America in his 72 years of existence. I hadn’t
the heart to tell the poor man that I average more than that in my least traveled
year. When they asked me kindly as to how many countries I have traveled to I meekly
supplied that it was my first time out of India. Taking pity on my sorry self
they bought me a big bag of piping hot chocolate chip cookies and bid me
goodbye by saying something really wise – you must travel young man, there’s no
better form of education.
Returning to our main narrative let’s summarize: 193 UN
countries, 3 UN observers, 2 other states (Northern Cyprus and Taiwan) and 49
dependencies spread across 6 continents plus Antarctica. According to me to
apply the rule of third, you must visit at least one third of these places to
claim to be a global traveler. So at least 64 UN countries, 1 UN observer and
to make it easy at least 10 of the dependencies. I am sure you have many
questions by now so here’s something, the most difficult places to visit are
the ones that are most remote and least connected, primarily the Pacific Island
nations and the countries with very strict visa regime aka Burkina Faso
(believe it or not), Iraq, et al. It’s actually surprising that the countries with
most rigid visa regimes are the ones that are least visited by foreigners.
Global traveling is one aspect where your birth nation
matters a lot and if you were born in a nation with a blue chip passport then
half the battle is already won. Prime example US, UK, Singapore, Japan, any of
the Schengen States especially Germany, Switzerland, Finland, etc. On the other
side of the spectrum lies countries like Nepal, Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan and
even India that makes global travel a herculean task. So with an Indian passport
how on earth did I manage it? And here I must confess that luck and destiny has
paid a mega role but also because I never gave up on my dreams and was willing
to do anything within the letters of law to see the world. I have now consumed
13 passports and am currently into my 14th.
Out of the 193 UN countries, I haven’t been to Pakistan
(because they don’t give me visa) and North Korea (because I don’t want to go
there). I have been to Vatican, Palestine and Kosovo, Taiwan and Northern
Cyprus and to my estimate at least to half of the dependencies and of course
several times to Antarctica.
My first overseas trip was at 14, I am currently 56, so an
uninterrupted travel of 42 years given the time period I think that my
achievement is rather average. In my first trip out of India I visited France,
Paris being my first city, and I hated it and still do. Followed by Austria and
Switzerland that I simply fell in love with. My last trip as I write this, this
year in 2020 was to Chile, USA, and Turkey. In my first trip I had climbed in
the Alps, in my last trip I climbed in the Andes and Patagonia. And in between
these two I have climbed pretty much all that there is to climb on our planet except
of course that lies in Pakistan. Now whenever I visited a new country or
dependency or whatever one of my primary purposes was to climb to the highest
spot of that country. In that I have succeeded pretty much each time. Prime exceptions
being Brazil and Angola and few more. Through these countries I have met and
interacted with hundreds and thousands of people, many of them offering me
shelter food and companionship. Million moments of kindness and human
reflections that I can never repay. I am not in touch with most of them and I am
certain I will never cross my path with them again and traveling teaches us
simply to live in the moment and not cling on to anything that we come across
no matter how wonderful and amazing these experiences are. I think when you
learn to live out of your backpack and sleep under the stars and find a friend
in every corner of the world you realize how much you already possess and that
there’s no real need of materialistic possessions and there’s so much fun in
being free and footloose.
All I have done in my life is to seek new experiences and
priceless moments and memories that they ensue. Yes, I have fallen in love
countless times, I have yearned for a beautiful landscape or a melodious hug a
home even and many times have I felt the momentary pang of separation with the
knowledge that this is only once in a lifetime experience. I would never meet
this person again and I would never tread these paths again and never again
would I be privy to such happiness and merriment and joy yet the moment I have
emptied my cup I have found someone and something equally wonderful to fill my
cup again. That has been my biggest learning from my travels.
For me the knowledge is enough that perhaps there are many
right now around the world who are smiling or living their dreams because at
some point they had met a crazy footloose Indian with unbelievable tales of
adventure. And my belief that a smile shared is much more beneficial than all
the wealth in the world and believing in someone and making them belief in
themselves are more powerful than mere words has often been strengthened as I keep
receiving (even now when I shun any kind of public life) mails from complete
strangers from around the world as to how my words that they read or watched my
talks had changed their lives. As I give away all my materialistic possessions
one after another my life keeps getting fuller and fuller with happiness and
joy of living a life to the full. I know when I die I would be able to look
back at the road and say that yes it was a life worth living and I am glad that
I did it and given another opportunity would do it again.
World can be your oyster is simply an expression that means
that anything is possible and that the world is full of opportunities like
oysters and if you keep digging you will find many pearls in your life. Yet I believe
the pearls are metaphorical and they are not for you to keep in your pocket. They
are for you to look at, marvel at, derive immense joy from something so
beautiful and awe-inspiring and then let someone else discover that oyster and
pearl. Happiness only increases when you let it flow through you and share it
with others less fortunate. Find the oysters and then look for more while
guiding others where to find them and world will certainly be your oyster. As it
happened to me. But my journey is far from over and I will continue to look for
oysters and friends that I am yet to meet.
Bon voyage my friends, let the world be your oyster.
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