For them, globe-trotting is not an unaffordable luxury but a way of life well attainable with a little planning.
Known as the tea-seller couple, 70-year-old Vijayan and his 69-year-old wife Mohana, married nearly half-a-century ago, has visited 25 countries in the last 12 years.
And now they have chosen to share tales from all those memorable journeys in the book Chaaya Vittu Vijayanteyum Mohanayudeyum Loka Sancharangal , which is set to hit the stands later this month.
“We couldn't cover all the countries in the book but had to drop a few,” said Mr. Vijayan with a tinge of disappointment.
The idea of a book took root in the couple three years ago when they were invited to an event of a travel publication. Since writing was not their forte, having given up education quite early, they have chosen to get it written by someone else.
“The content for the book was narrated to the author in around 15 sessions spread over two months during which I shared the many sights etched in my memory about those journeys,” said Mr. Vijayan.
“The book is almost ready, just the photographs need to be sourced. We are looking at publishing it by month end,” said V.C. Thomas, publisher of the book. The book running into 149 pages will be priced at ₹199. The couple had been back from a trip to Australia and New Zealand only in November and have now chosen to take a break before planning the next trip.
Since they started their globe-trotting spree in 2007, the couple has been saving ₹300 a day from the proceeds of their tea shop near Salim Rajan Road.
That along with the contributions from benevolent people helped them undertake their dream journeys.
But now they have run up a debt of around ₹4 lakh and are determined to clear it. However, that does not mean that they have given up on their penchant for travelling.
Once those debts are cleared, they would be setting out yet again, with a trip to East European block firmly in their radar.
