F our women, 24 countries, 70 days... that's what XPD 24/70 is all about. Wondering about the name? Here's the explanation: XPD is short for 'expedition' and 24/70 stands for 24 countries and 70 days.
Meenakshi Arvind, who is from Coimbatore but is now based in Dindigul, is the brain behind this expedition.
Her colleagues on this trip are Mookambika Rathinam from Pollachi, Priya Raheja from Mumbai and Ruckmani V. from Chennai. Different age groups, different backgrounds but united by their love for travel and adventure.
“I've been planning this trip for a while now,” says Meenakshi. “I did another road trip with a group of 15 earlier this year and got the confidence to go ahead with this one.” Then she took to social media to announce her plans. “And that's how I got to know about it,”says Mookambika. A common friend alerted her to Meenakshi's post and the team had begun to form. Next Priya came joined them but the original fourth member had to drop out due to personal issues. It was then that Ruckmani stepped into her shoes. “Actually around 30 women contacted me initially but, as they learnt about the logistics involved and the expenses, the number dwindled and we were left with the four of us,”says Meenakshi.
Priya – who describes herself as an advertising and marketing professional, single mom of 22 years and travel junkie – says that this trip was perfect to feed her “free spirit that craves adventure and doing something out of the ordinary.” Ruckmani has a similar view. “My son has a family of his own, my business has been delegated and this seemed like the perfect moment to dive into my passion and live purely for myself. I’ve always felt that the best way to explore a place is by road.”
The ladies will leave from Coimbatore on March 26 and travel through Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and cross the Indian border at Manipur. The Asian phase will see them travel through Myanmar, China, Krygyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. In Europe, they will visit Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and finally the United Kingdom. They will reach their final destination, London, on June 2.
Both Meenakshi and Mookambika agree that they didn't really need to make it 24 countries. “We could have done it in 15,” says Mookambika and Meenakshi adds, “We wanted to do more. As we explored options, it became 24 countries and 24,000 km. So we settled for that.” Mookambika picks up the thread. “And 70 days. Again we could have finished earlier but we chose the number for its significance. India completes 70 years of independence this year. Also you just needed to add a zero to 24/7 to make a catchy brand.”
Tata Motors is sponsoring their vehicle: the newly launched Tata Hexa. They will get the car in February and drive down to Coimbatore from Mumbai. “We're looking on that as our first practice trip,” laughs Meenakshi. What about repairs and breakdowns? “We all know about fixing flat tyres,” says Mookambika. Priya points out that they will undergo an intensive workshop when they pick up the car. The conversation now veers around to the cause they're promoting with this trip: literacy and quality education. Supported by the Rotary India Literacy Mission, the team will visit schools, meet women and talk about the importance of education. “All this will be arranged by the Rotary Clubs of the cities we're visiting,” confirms Meenakshi. “We will take some books and material to give away.”
As a final question, I ask about the pros and cons of travel. The common factor is being with like-minded people and exploring different landscapes. Ruckmani mentions meeting people and learning about different cultures. Priya describes a road trip as 'therapy by itself'. When it comes to the downside, each has a different take. For Meenakshi, it's living out of a suitcase and being away from family, though the latter is very supportive. Priya’s list has “road kill, bad weather, change in road rules across different countries and finally bingeing on snacks.”
