This Kerala student hitchhiked his way to Nepal: Here’s how he made money
His parents provided half of the amount for this trip while Abin managed to earn the rest himself.
His parents provided half of the amount for this trip while Abin managed to earn the rest himself.
His parents provided half of the amount for this trip while Abin managed to earn the rest himself.
Kozhikode: Abin Babu, a Class 12 student at Savio Higher Secondary School, Devagiri, travelled solo to Nepal and Bhutan by hitching free rides on long-distance lorries, jeeps, and even two-wheelers. A native of Vellimadukunnu, Abin (17) covered 20 Indian states as well as neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan in 80 days. The most remarkable aspect of his hitchhiking trip is that Abin spent only Rs 28,000 for the entire trip. This also includes Rs 3000 that he spent purchasing an air ticket from Mumbai to Bengaluru just to fulfil his desire to enjoy an aeroplane ride.
He didn’t spend too much money on transportation and accommodation. Abin says that he spent the most on food. He set up tents at petrol stations and even on police station premises to save on accommodation expenses. Abin had also enjoyed a solo trip during the holidays the previous year. He travelled through nine Indian states in 50 days by spending just 30,000. It was this trip that gave Abin the confidence to travel to Nepal by spending less.
Abin started his trip on March 28, hitching a ride in a jeep that brought vegetables to the market in Palayalm from Wayanad. From Wayanad, he travelled to Bengaluru in a lorry. He covered Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Nepal, Varanasi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, New Delhi and Mumbai before returning to Kozhikode on June 19. The youngster is delighted that he could enjoy mesmerizing experiences without burning a hole in his pocket.
Abin Babu says that the adventurous trekking from the base camp of Mount Annapurna in Nepal, the tenth-highest mountain in the world, was the most amazing experience of this trip. When he ran out of money, he worked for two weeks at a resort in Himachal Pradesh to earn enough money for the remaining leg of the journey. Although he wished to go to Pakistan, he dropped the idea as the Indo–Pak conflict had escalated at the time.
Abin is the son of Injikkalveetil Babu Thomas and Lissy Babu. Augustine Babu is his brother. His parents provided half of the amount for this trip while Abin managed to earn the rest himself. He worked at an event management company on holidays to make money for his dream journey.