Indian traveller in Oman as part of ambition to see all countries in world
MUSCAT: A traveller from India is currently in Oman, making it the 53rd country he has visited as part of his efforts to see every nation on the planet.
64-year-old Suresh Joseph, who hails from the state of Kerala in the south of the country, has since 2010 taken time to embark on driving tours in India, as well as dozens of other countries around the world.
He was first bitten by the travel bug in 1995, when he was a student of the London School of Economics in the UK, on sabbatical from his then-employers, Indian Railways.
“That is where the backpacking and driving bug bit me and I did a fair bit of it in Europe at the conclusion of scholastic work,” he recalled. “Strangely, my first drive abroad was also to London, where I drove to in 2014. The conclusion of that drive was at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Tavistock Square, London, which I used to walk by for a year when I was in London in 1995 and ’96.”
Joseph was first intrigued by Oman and its culture when Kochi Port in Kerala hosted the 2008 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. To raise awareness of the country’s culture and deep historical connection with the sea, Oman had installed at the race venue a restored sail ship that was once used to conduct trade with the coastal regions of northern Kerala.
“The rich heritage of interaction between Oman and Kerala was amply described in one of the plaques on the dhow,” he explained. “The intention to visit Oman is built on that. Everything happens in time and at its own pace – with so much travel in the past dozen years, I slotted the travel to Oman to coincide with my birthday this year.
“This visit is a birthday gift to myself,” he added. “As for the season, I believe that every country has something to offer at all times.
The low season may be a time to explore places without being jostled, and the rates for accommodation are normally quite affordable. What is constant though, is the hospitality of the people. Having read so much about the friendly Omanis, I am waiting to experience that.”
Joseph’s driving expeditions are referred to as “Record Drives”, a term that was coined rather accidentally, and one he is only too happy to talk about in some detail.
He has previously embarked on two legendary drives: one crisscrossing all of India, while visiting the four major Indian cities collectively referred to as the Golden Quadrilateral, and one all the way from India to London.
“After I got my first Limca Book of Records certificate for my All India drive in 2010-11, I decided to attempt a record drive between Leh and Kanyakumari,” he said. “I discussed the idea with Muthoot Group, Kochi and they readily agreed to sponsor the attempt, facilitate the log book entries along the route and brand the drive.
“The branded Maruti Swift had the decals, ‘Record Drive’ stuck on its side, and that was when the term was born. I have used it ever since, because most road trips thereafter have been to better old records or set new ones,” he added.