A journey across many seas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fifty-two-year-old Alain Bonnassieux from France is an extensive traveller who has travelled more than 50 countries. The globetrotter was in the city to explore the culture and food of the place. "I first travelled to Léon, a small village located south-west of France. This was when I was seven years old," Alain said.

Alain completed his graduation in law and masters in MBA from USA. "After my studies, I worked as a travel agent in Morocco and also worked in hotels. The first part of my life was dedicated to making a living," said Alain.

By the age of 40, he had dedicated his life to travel. Alain said he walked 12,000 kilometres across the Mediterranean in two years, a trip he started in 2007. He journeyed across Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and ended his journey at the river Nile. "Morocco is a developing nation. Only a few people own vehicles there. They depend mostly on cycle which is how I received the opportunity to interact with people and learn their culture. In Spain, however, everything was different. People were very busy. Travelling through Turkey was indeed wonderful," he said.

Alain is travelling to India for the third time and has so far visited Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and also Varanasi. "I visited India for the first time in the year 2011. I love the way Indians interact and the traditions they follow. Indians have a deep spirituality. The friends I made during my last journey beckoned me to visit again," Alain said.

He does not stay at hotels and prefers to find shelter among the locals where he learns cooking native food. " I have been a hotel manager for many years giving me first-hand knowledge of how non-interactive a hotel life would be. I have been using Couchsurfing (hospitality and social networking service) for ten years. This has proved useful in helping me interact with the locals as well as helps me travel low-budget," he said.

According to Alain, people should slow down while they travel. Breathe, take time to feel, sit down and watch people. "Do not travel solely to take pictures. Travel to find your inner soul. I paint pictures rather than click photos. I gift it to the people who offer me stay or to those who make me feel special during the journey," he said.

Life as he sees it
Alain dedicated his life to travel at the age of 40. Some of the countries he has travelled so far include Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt among others. He is travelling to India for the third time and has so far visited Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Kerala, Tamilnadu and also Varanasi.