Dear women, find a travel buddy within yourself

CHENNAI: Rotary Club Madras organised a dialogue with travellers Vasundara Devi Gohil and Rohini Chandramohan, titled ‘A girl with a backpack’. The talk, held at Hyatt Regency on Tuesday, revolved around Vasundara’s solo South-American trip. The main idea of the event was to inspire more people, especially women, to travel, and liberate one’s mind.

Friends since college, Rohini shared some of their memories and expressed how surprised she was, when she heard that Vaas (as she calls her) took up travelling as one of her interests. “In college, even though she was the organiser, we never thought she would leave Chennai. She was always a happy-go-lucky girl who takes life as it comes. But now, we all wish we were as brave like she is,” smiled Rohini.

Vasundara is the perfect example of being spontaneous. “I was 37 and I woke up one day at my Mumbai apartment and felt like life was becoming monotonous. I wanted to get away from my comfort zone. And that is why I decided to travel to South America. I was a complete stranger to that place —  be it the culture, geography or the language, everything was new. A complete definition of ‘being far’,” shared Vasundara.

Rohini triggered a lot of relevant questions regarding the budget, safety, the perception of family towards the idea and how it is related to the way Indian women are raised.” I decided to spend three months exploring the continent and didn’t book my return tickets because then I could just come back anytime if I didn’t like the place. But I ended up staying there for five months. South America embraced me with its mystic beauty. I had to come back because I had exhausted my budget,” added Vasundara.

During the conversation, she also shared safety tips and her experience in each country. “I stayed in hostels and dorms. I travelled by buses and carts. It was difficult but thrilling. The best thing to do for safety while travelling alone in strange terrains is to talk to people/fellow travellers and make friends. Another thing is to keep your fellow travellers updated about your day’s plan so that they can come looking for you if you are lost,” explained the explorer.

The scariest part of the trip was when she had to cross the Argentina-Bolivia border. “It was 4 am and the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch dark and I had to walk 2.5 km to reach the border and cross to Bolivia. Thankfully, I had a group with me,” she said.

Vasundara believes that Chennai women are the most sheltered in India and said that it will take a lot of courage to venture out on their own.