Around the world in 130 days?

FOUR PEOPLE on a mission. Project 2001. Three Thai and one Italian (the group is called Transasia 4 WD). Two cars. Hoping to do fifty-five thousand km around the world, some 43,000 km out of that, by road. All goes fine, until they land up in Chennai to have a taste of things that `happen only in India'.

The labour strike at the Port, has ensured that their cars are stuck in Container no.29 on a ship called Tiger Speed that arrived on May 8. ``We are just hoping that those concerned understand the importance of our mission and help us get our cars out of the containers,'' says Alvaro Frantini, the Italian, from the group of four.

They landed here in the first week of May, hired a Maruti Esteem and did some 1750 kilometres driving down the South of India. Bangalore, Kochi, Thekkady, Madurai were the stops. Back in Chennai, only to discover what a soup they are in now with the authorities telling them that it is another ship called Tiger Bridge that would first be unloaded.

``A delay of 3-4 days is okay. But a delay of a week to 10 days will be very difficult to make up considering we have to pass through 24 countries in 130 days,'' says a grim-looking Frantini. Meanwhile, the Taj Connemara that has put the group up, decided to help the group on its mission to promote travel and tourism, only to show them the door on Tuesday when the sponsorship deal expired.

``So far we have only good things to say about India in

spite of the labour strike. The Port authorities have been very nice to us as well. But if this gets delayed, it would endanger our whole trip and we might have to go back to Thailand,'' says Frantini. The foursome was recording all their experiences on video and putting it up on their site. (check out www.transasia4wd.com).

``We are planning to spread all culture. Because we are travelling by car, we are in direct contact with people,'' Frantini says. ``We recorded a Hindu festival recently,'' says Pongkrit Sakultalak, a Fine arts Instructor at Bangkok University. ``This trip has changed all what I thought of India. Earlier, we were afraid of India. But we find people here are kind,'' he adds. After this trip, nobody else would know as much as us, because you know culture, you know religion, you know about people. There were elephants in Thailand, very few people in Thailand know about it,'' says Pongkrit.

Any interesting anecdotes in the Indian lap of their journey? ``Accident,'' says Pongkrit instantly and laughs, ``Just kidding''. What he meant was that they had seen a car toppled over

by the highway. In India, they had been driving close to 650 kilometres a day. They have another 3000 km to cover in India when they drive through Bangalore, Hyderabad, Agra, Jaipur and then Lahore.

After Lahore, it would be Quetta, Teheran, Turkey, Greece, Southern part of Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway before they ferry to Iceland where they would wait for almost a week for the ship to hit North America, drive through the Alps, Chicago, LA and then take the ship to Brisbane, drive some 7000 kilometres across Australia before they complete the last lap of their trip, Singapore and Malaysia. ``Our routes are flexible. We have four more on stand-by in case anything happens to us during our trip, four people with proper visas and all papers required,'' says Frantini.

The trip took some eight months of planning. ``We are doing it for our country,'' says Pongkrit. The cars that the foursome are using for the trip are actually pick-up trucks-Ford Ranger and Toyota Tiger which are 2500 cc/3000 cc. A 130 days was a promise they made to the people of Thailand.

The mission has been jeopardised and Frantini and team can only look up to the new government to help them save their world tour. The team can be contacted through their agent Vijay Giribabu (8237734) or through Sonika Jain of Taj Connemara (8520123, Extn.1504). Will they find a saviour in the new government?

The four continue to wait.

By Sudhish Kamath

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