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Don’t Ask Any Old Bloke for Directions AT the ripe age of 43, P.G. Tenzing decides to leave the Indian Administrative Service for an idea that he was living for almost a decade to travel, to wander alone on Indian roads for a year.
Without a concrete plan, Tenzing decides to travel around India on an Enfield Thunderbird, the 350cc king of the road, to see his hair grow without combing them, watch sunshine and sunset from sea level and from the heights of the Himalayas. Getting his face burnt and toes wet, sweating and shivering, crying and cowering and above all laughing is what Tenzing opts to experience, leaving behind what he called the vicious in-fighting that went on inside every government that he had ever served. Meeting with "mad people" was the most important part of his journey. Wild, unwashed and vacant-eyed people fascinated him. What do they think about? How do their minds work? Are they really the lucky ones? Are they cosmically more connected? These questions often passed his thoughts and soon he realises on his journey that he is more respectful of these people and acknowledge their presence with a difference. Passing them on the road he often felt the need to bow slightly, thinking that he might be passing by an evolved soul. Tenzing’s belief on "death as an aspect of life", which he felt that most cultures did not encourage talking about, grows stronger while he travels across India and he becomes more comfortable in accepting the fact death happens and also develops an understanding that life is after all a journey to death and the next life. His views on life and death, friendship and love are informed by a dark humour and his conviction that everything revolves around the sacred bond that humans share with each other and with the universe is inspiring. This book reveals how constant movement can become addictive and when the constant traveller is deprived of it, he tends to miss the chance encountered with those highly individualistic characters on the road, who, at one point showed him the right direction and also guided him not to ask any old bloke for directions. This book inspires you to live your dreams, instead of just dreaming them and then also cautions you that nothing comes without taking a risk.
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This book is about
Tenzing’s journey across 25, 320 km, starting from Kerala across
Tamil Nadu and up the east coast to Sikkim and Assam, then through
Nepal to Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, back to Sikkim and through the
middle of the country to Kerala again.