– ODO: 7682 – 7825km
– Location: A Highway in Kerala, India
– Weather: 19-35 Clear and Hot
Today I met Chidam for the second time. Sleeping outside a store only 800 meters from the abandoned building I was sleeping in. He’s cycling from Mumbai to the southern most tip of the country. He has an amazing CV working for Maersk the shipping company. Another traveller switching the desk for the road.
Before I lost him in the back hills of Kerala he really helped me appreciate the country and this state. We ate together and he shared stories of work and life travelling the world. He also shed light on the mysterious Hindustani dude wagons I mentioned a few days back.
It turns out that there’s a god of bachelors in the Hindu religion. If I have time I’ll look it up and insert some more information here. And men from all over the country who are single head in vans, jeeps and bikes to the temple. No women allowed. That definitely explains the vibe.
Note: 7 March 2019: The got is Sabarimala and the male-only rule at its temples has come up with several travellers I’ve met along the road and seems to be in the Indian news often.