The end of a long drive. If we could sum up the last eleven days using words about the wonderful experiences we had, the people we met etc. we would. We did what we did with the understanding that we would try and bring stories that caught our attention or something that was unique about the place that we could talk about, as long as we felt strongly about it.

A better way to sum up everything we did and experienced.

Since this is our last blog entry before we pack up and head back to Mumbai, we decided it would be the right time to thank everyone involved. Our followers, who dedicated a lot of their time in signing up and commenting on our blogs- both good and bad- We would have loved to reply but just didn’t find the time. The camera crew that followed us- they were non-intrusive and seemed to be in sync with ours ways of working. The 10 couples we met, especially the ones who spent a lot of time encouraging us and kept us going on this journey. Finally, Team Mitsubishi and the organizers who basically gave us the freedom to follow the road as well as our hearts. 

Radhika and Bharath
One Foot WIld.

I saw Durgaprasad leaning over on his table, eyes completely glued to the print he was working on. A drypoint. I was completely bowled over by his work. Dark and moody, It was almost exactly an opposite from the person who was grinning sheepishly at me, while I stood there like a gushing fan.

That was the only just the first department in the MS Baroda University we had gone into. From print making to painting to ceramics to sculpture, it was all out there. The raw energy and creativity of these young artists spread out all over the walls, corners and niches. Speaking to them I realised that I have missed interacting with artists that are out there trying to grasp onto what will become their style, just like I am.

With a history of about 58 years, MS Baroda University holds an unbeatable record with the kind of artists it has produced over the past 5 decades. There are some who made it big and some who probably vanished without a trace. Shelly Jyoti,  Nasreen Mohamedi, Vivan Sundram, Dhruva Mistry, Chintan Upadhaya, Indrapramit Roy and several others who have significantly contributed to contemporary art in India are all associated with the Baroda university.

In 2007, a student of the university was attacked while exhibiting his work for the faculty as a final year thesis display. The attack eventually led to the suspension of the dean and the return of the student to his native town in AP.

Where should we draw the line when it comes to expressing ourselves?  Why should any form of articulation (especially when it is not harmful to anyone) be taboo? My generation seems to be torn between tradition and breaking away into a more independent cosmopolitan way of thought. With an ever-growing need to find a place in this world, I hope our society becomes a little more open-minded when it comes to our artists.

As I walked out of the university with these thoughts in my head, I hoped that Durgaprasad would find a way to continue expressing himself.

Trivia: Drypoint is an engraving method in which the art work to be printed is scratched directly into a copperplate (and also acrylic sheet) with a sharply pointed instrument.

Why write about the Cedia? As we come towards the end of our journey and we look back at all the places we visited, all the distance we covered, all the time spent on the highway, we realized the one thing that connects all the dots is the car.

It has become such an essential part of our daily routine for the last ten days that when this is over, we most likely will be waking up in the morning and looking to get into a white Cedia with the graphic Radhika and Bharath written on the side.
This fantastic car has been as important to the journey as our beloved Lonely Planet, all the places we’ve visited, all the people we’ve met and every hotel we’ve stayed at.

The Cedia is by far the most debated topic on our blog. However one looks at it, the car had got its fair share of publicity on our blog by its very absence. We didn’t write about the car earlier because we couldn’t comment on a car that we had barely driven. Now that we have covered 3000+ km I feel we have some vague idea as to what the car is about.

I remember my first thoughts as I entered the vehicle in Mumbai. As we were flagged off I was hoping I didn’t run over the press photographers. That would have been a disaster. My second thought was how comfortable the car was and before we had gone a couple kilometers Radhika was fast asleep. Definitely comfortable.

As we followed our route.. Ahem!..As we attempted to follow our route, there were things that we loved about the car. It was easy to drive and fun. It didn’t seem hassled in the city or on the highway. The main reason for this was the engine and gearbox combination which seemed to match perfectly. We really did enjoy using the GPS which is pretty accurate. Yes-We got lost in Madhya Pradesh but in some of those places even the locals were lost.

The highway, especially the four lane expressways, is where we had the most fun with the car. I know the whole event is called The Great Driving Challenge but it really wasn’t a challenge. We drove through Madhya Pradesh where the soya farmers were waiting for rain. We drove through Khajuraho and Varanasi where the only thing that kept us alive was the climate control air conditioner in the car. Varanasi gave us a real taste of how maneuverable the car was with its chaotic traffic and narrow roads.

We experienced the brilliance of the expressways all the way from Agra, and we even drove through heavy rain. We took the car on-road, off-road, and every road in between and it emerged without a scratch. The ground clearance is obviously good. Is there any wonder that we like the car?
Our list of grouses- The GPS input speed is slow and takes some getting used to. Though we didn’t really feel the need for it, parking sensors would be nice on the already loaded list.

At the end of this journey we’ll miss the car. It’s been comfortable, exceeded our expectations and we’ll miss the open road. Our tribute. 

Dylan and I have traveled together since I was 13. Growing up with him meant understanding that music was not about the voice; it was the soul behind the voice. Being on the road alone with him meant a conversation between him and me. He spoke and I listened. I still do.
But then again, music and driving go together like hand in glove. It is an essential part of being on the road. Music is what seeps into your thoughts and changes the way you think. The long stretch of road sometimes calls for a voice that keeps you company. He taught me to find myself on the road. With the road sometimes bleaker than I would have liked, he made me realize, in his words “All I can do is be me, whoever that is.”
I grew up and left Dylan behind…I made other friends but I always kept coming back to him. The past 15 days would not have meant as much without him sitting next to me, crooning in my ear.

Some on my playlist:
1) Bob Dylan: Anything from him but for now I’ll say: One more cup of coffee.
2) Nina Simone: Gin House Blues
3) Eric Clapton: Alberta
4) Counting Crows: A long December, Live
5) Led Zep: Black Dog
6) Floyd: Comfortably numb
7) U2: So cruel
8) B B king:  The thrill is gone
9) Deep Purple: Soldier of Fortune
10) CCR: Proud Mary
11) Dave Brubeck:  Take five
12) Janis Joplin: Me and Bobby McGee
13) Etta James: Somethings got a hold of me