Hugo Gill, an Irish national living in Australia and Kalyan Prasad Emmandi, from Vizag employed in Dubai, are both on a motorcycle voyage to the North Eastern states of India and Kashmir to explore the various cultures and life styles of our pluralistic country.
The Irish and Indian nationals who are friends decided to make the voyage jointly as a symbol of friendship. Riding on Royal Enfield bullets supplied by Mama-Miaa bike rentals the two left for Gauhati in Assam on Saturday morning from the city fully equipped with tents and cooking paraphernalia on a 30 day journey which would take them through the heartland of north eastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Nepal and also Kashmir. Hugo says that he is excited about the adventure which would give them an opportunity to explore and taste the cultures of the region. Being in an accountant by profession, this trip traversing through mountains and valleys and multiple states will provide an off beat experience, he felt.
This is Hugo's second expedition. His first one was a solo expedition a couple of years ago by motorcycle to Europe touching England, France, Switzerland and other countries in the beautiful continent.
It was a 12 day trip which changed his perception of life from a self centred position to a society centred one. Kalyan earlier had embarked on a motor cycle tour from Visakhapatnam to Kanyakumari inspired by the book ‘The Motorcycle Diaries' by Marxist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara. It was 2,200 km trip which took him through the southern states of India. “I had been dreaming about the trip for four years. The aim is to experience different cultures and to spread the message of peace and brotherhood. Hugo and I had actually conceived the idea when we were doing business studies in Ireland and playing cricket for the Clontarf Cricket Club. Hugo was my club mate and he had an admiration for India, a multi-cultural and multi-linguistic country”, Kalyan said.
The two-member team will live in tents and cook their own food during their eight-state blitzkrieg.
They will interact with people and also visit universities and talk to students and also rural folk to celebrate the unity and cultural diversities of people. Kalyan is planning to write a book after his return from the 30 day trip and share his experiences and adventures with the general public.
