The Open Roads

My Travel Journey

                                

The Himalayan bus journey from Manali to Leh, Kashmir

 Hello! I am Deva Prasath grew up in a small town Maduranthakam on the outskirts of Chennai. I didn't take my first solo trip until I was 26, and I always wonder why I haven’t done it before! I was always a daydreamer, a strong desire for a life full of adventure, and wanted to go faraway places to establish a connection with nature and people.

After my post-graduation in Biotechnology, I worked as a project associate in a food research project in Chennai for two years. I used to be a workaholic, doing molecular biology experiments in the lab. After my project got over in August 2016, I decided it's time to pack the things and hit the road for an adventure to reflect on the solitude between man and nature.

My style of traveling

I love to travel slowly and prefer to stay in one place for a longer time to have a better connection with people. I came across amazing cultural exchange programs WWOOF, it links the volunteers who are passionate about farming and healthy living, with organic farmers to promote cultural and educational experiences. As a volunteer, we can live along with the host helping with daily tasks on the farm and experience life as a farmer and WORKAWAY (similar to WWOOF, but it has different types of help needed like farming, animal care, building, teaching, charity work, help with eco-project, language practice...) which let me work for a few hours in exchange for food and accommodation in remote villages in India and Nepal.

These programs were perfect for me to connect my passion for farming, to live and work amidst nature, to help the people on my way, and keep moving to different places. It is not only a way to travel on a low budget and longer, but also a way of maintaining a simple lifestyle and building a closer relationship with locals and it gives me a sense of meaning by helping in whatever way I can.

My travel stop has always been for a minimum of 4-6 weeks in one place. So that I get enough time to understand the local culture, food habits, to exchange ideas, smiles, and stories. Agriculture was my major subject in my under graduation and it has helped me in sharing my little knowledge of farming with locals and I tried to learn indigenous farming practices.

 “ To get out of Closed-Circle of Life and See the world by myself ”

Where I have traveled so far?

With my passion for farming and outdoors, I was so thrilled to step out of my comfort zone to start the new chapter of my life. I started off on a farm in Wayanad, Kerala. I helped with coffee, cardamom, pepper harvesting, and livestock management. I learned how to make orthodox green tea (handmade), how to make the cold-pressed virgin coconut oil, and how to extract the essential oil from green tea leaves.

WWOOFing in Kerala- Hand Harvesting ripe coffee cherries in Green Gardens, Wayanad.

To the North-East Indian States...

I then took a 65 hours long train journey from Chennai to Dibrugarh, Assam to work in tea farms in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. I learned the production method of Assam Tea from a passionate, nature conservative organic tea farmer in his World first Elephant-friendly tea farm in the Indo-Bhutan border. It is one of the few places in the world, where tea grows in plains and its unique climate conditions give brisk, strong, and malty character to the tea.

65 hours long train journey from Chennai to Assam 

From there I went to the nearby state of Meghalaya, the " adobe of clouds" to work in a Pineapple farm where I lived without the electricity, mobile network for a few weeks in a small bamboo hut in the middle of a jungle. I saw the awe-inspiring living root bridges in Cherapunji (one of the wettest places in the earth) made up of living roots of Ficus Elastica (rubber fig tree). Local Khasi tribals trained the secondary roots of this tree into the strong living root bridges, locally known as Jing kieng jri, to cross water streams and rivers.

A Double Decker living root bridge in Nongriat, Cherapunji, Meghalaya

I heard from the locals in Meghalaya, there is a beautiful village, where they used to communicate with just sounds and I thought I should explore this place to experience this unique ancient tradition, which I never heard before. Konthong, a tiny hamlet amidst the lush green forests of East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, where people communicate with each other through the whistles, instead of calling out their names. A Mother composes a unique lullaby, is kind of tune, inspired by natural sounds to call out to her child. Once she gets pregnant, she starts thinking of the tune, after the new baby is born, it comes naturally from the mother’s heart. It expresses her happiness and love for the child and it is locally called “ jingrwai lawbei”. 

After reading Dr.Viser meyasetsu samyu, an extraordinary story, from an indigenous community in a small village to professorship to the appearances before the United Nations. His powerful story is full of pain, struggle, fight for the rights, simple joy, and forgiveness for others. I went to his animal farm in Nagaland for volunteering and I witnessed the amazing Hornbill birds. Like the millions of refugees around the world, he knows what it's like to flee from violent conflict. Read more about his story in his book " A Naga Odyssey: Viser's long way home ".

From there I went to Tuichawng, Mizoram to teach science, mathematics to underprivileged students of Class X in a school located deep inside the forest. I received beautifully handwritten letters from students and send-off by the students and teachers, which were an emotionally rewarding experience in my life and I ended up staying in this school for one year.

WORKAWAY in India- Teaching mathematics to Class X students of Mahabodhi School in Tuichawng village in Mizoram.

Beautifully handwritten letters from students of Mahabodhi School in Mizoram, India

With the lovely students of Mahabodhi school in Tuichawng, Mizoram

To the Himalayas …

And to the tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim to work in a permaculture farm and learned how to prepare the bio-pesticide and bio-fertilizers from locally available plants.

From there I entered Eastern Nepal to help in a kiwi farm, amid in a dense natural forest in Ilam. I learned the grafting techniques of kiwi plants. I helped with the vegetable nursery maintenance and planting trees. This is an evolving community-based farm project producing kiwis, shitake mushrooms, ground apples, and organic vegetables. The farm host took me to the Nepali wedding in a village and it was a rich cultural experience and he helped me to go for a solo trek to Sandakpur to see the breathtaking views of the third highest mountain in the world, Mt.Kangchenjunga.

Cheerful kids in Ilam, Nepal

And then to work in a farming project in Nagarkot, Kathmandu and then I went to Katike, rural mountain hamlet in Sindhu pal chok, Nepal to live and work along with the sherpas in a community-based fruit orchard (Apples, Strawberry, Peach, Pepinomelon, Passion fruit, Almond, Ginkgo biloba, Chestnut...). I met extraordinary people living a simple life in the mountains, who are so humble, compassionate and they showed unconditional love to me. Their love, hospitality, and kindness will remain in me forever and felt like I got a Sherpa family.

WORKAWAY in Nepal- Working with Strawberry plants in Sindhu Palchowk.

Then I traveled to Nalma, a traditional village, near Pokhara to work on permaculture garden overlooking the Mt. Annapurna range to learn more about permaculture. Living with the lovely host family, eating farm-fresh natural food, meeting the super friendly locals, and playing with the beautiful kids was an incredible experience.

Hanging wooden bridge to cross the small river during my solo hike in Langtang trek in Melamchi Ghyang, Nepal

And I entered back to India to help in a farm with the Organization called Green peoples (The Goat Village, Nag Tibba), they are working towards the reverse migration of farmers in Uttarakhand.

Then I went to Dharmashala to work on a family-based farm and I traveled to the remote Himalayan regions in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh to work in an Eco farm (growing Apple, Apricot fruit trees, Vegetables through natural farming and Vernacular Architecture) in a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and very soon, far away dreams are not really far away to me. Here I experienced sustainable living with natural farming and helped with eco-construction.

And my last stop was Leh, Kashmir, I stayed with the ladaki family and helped with their homestay activities and their vegetable garden. People living in high altitude mountains are nature dependent, peace-loving communities and I was overwhelmed by their warm hospitality.

WWOOFing in an apple orchard in Himachal Pradesh, India

Couchsurfing: Staying with the locals.

 Wherever I go always found a home away from home, stayed mostly with a host family. In some places, the farm host helped me to move from one place to another. While I am traveling to different places, I did couch surfing to stay with the locals and it was good to meet the like-minded people. One memorable moment was, as a solo backpacker I was facing difficulty in getting the entry permit to Bhutan, to preserve its culture and traditions, they adopted a"high value- low volume" policy towards tourism. Through my Couchsurfing host in Thimphu, who helped me to find another solo traveler and it makes the process easier. His simple act of kindness made my Bhutan trip so memorable.

Paro Taktsang (Tiger's Nest Monastery) scared Himalayan Buddhist Monastery in Paro, Bhutan

I experienced the extreme level of kindness from Bhutanese, I traveled during their National Day period, so all the hotels and homestays are booked in advance. I have nowhere to stay and the locals in Paro, Haa Valley have invited me to their home and gave food and shelter for a few days. It's the people you meet in the journey makes the travel rich, giving long-lasting memories. I speak only Tamil and English; I do not know the other regional languages. With the help of the internet was able to translate the basic sentences and words, somehow it made things a little easier. Most of the time I used the sign, universal language smile to interact with the locals.

Life lessons learned from the indigenous tribes of North-East India: 

Working and living with the different indigenous tribes (Bodo's in Assam, Khasi's in Meghalaya, Angami Nagas in Nagaland, Chakma's in Mizoram, Adi in Arunachal Pradesh and Lepcha's in Sikkim) in the remote mountain villages gave me an insight into their unique culture, simple way of life and the joy of being simple. There were learning’s during the travel which was not taught in my conventional education. Finding soul connections with the local people was the most memorable moment in my journey.

During my travel to Mizoram and Nagaland, I saw the shops without shopkeepers. Wonder how it could be possible in this world, people rarely trust each other. Asked the locals, they told me, the farmers will keep their vegetables, fruits, herbs with the price tag along with it, and keep a money box in the shops. Those who pass by can choose what they want and put the money into the box. No one will steal away the money or farm products. I was so amazed by the trust and faith in humanity, and the hospitality of people living there. 

A Shop without the shopkeepers in Nagaland.

A Price tag kept along with the farm-fresh vegetables in the shop without the shop keepers in Nagaland.

Money Box 

The simple life in the mountains:

People reflected love and peace in their eyes and living happily with what they have in life. Their smiles hide the everyday struggles they are facing. I found it intriguing how people were self-content with limited resources and simple things. I was so emotional at some time to receive love and affection from strangers. Along with farming, I learned forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and much more. Far away from the chaos and greedy souls, in a small remote village in the mountains, the art of living is taken seriously. I felt the freshness in the air and purity in the hearts. The simple lifestyle changed my priorities in life, I realized about what matters in life. At the end of the day, my eyes saw new things and heartfelt new emotions.

Living in harmony with Nature in a rural mountain village in Ilam, Nepal

At the start of my adventure, I had a plan to return back home after a few months of traveling, but in the middle of the journey, I felt like I found my freedom and happiness in going to faraway places to live, work with different communities and help the people in whatever way I can. I choose to follow my heart and decided to continue my solo backpacking. During my 3-year long journey, I saw, experienced, and lived the simple way of life filled with compassion, kindness in the mountains and lived happily more than ever I had before.  It has been a life-changing experience so far. I learned to live with less and had long-lasting memories.

Thanks for reading!!

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