of returning anytime soon, travelling across continents with bare minimum to support themselves I came across the story of Ben and Marie which had to be told to inspire and motivate young people that ‘it could be done’ . That dreams are yours and that they can be achieved if you really want to achieve them. 

Here you find a few of the excerpts of my interview with Benjamin, a 29 year old German National with specialty in child psychology and Marie a 22 year old Romanian National with a degree in film editing. They spend good part of their life travelling across the world as a global citizen and gathering a host of knowledge on what really life is!

How did it start?

Marie: We started to travel from September. We actually wanted to travel much earlier but I had to finish my studies. So he (referring to Ben) moved to Romania for me and waited for a year. 

Ben: During my studies I had taken a year’s break and I hitchhiked already from Europe to Indonesia. So I already had the experience of travelling. But during the time I could not make it to Pakistan or India. So I always knew I would be coming back. I told Marie so much about Asia that we decided to that direction.

What is your mode for travelling? How was the start?

Ben:- We started by bicycle. We travelled Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran by bicycle .This was the beginning of our travel .This was the only part which was really set because we knew that we wanted. We had to visit Iran, as it was always my favorite travelling country. I have been there twice before. Thereafter from Iran you can go North towards Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan which was impossible at the time due to freezing mid of winter temperatures. Other option we had was to go to Pakistan but we could not get the visa. So we gambled and took a boat from Iran to United Arab Emirates, Dubai. We went to Oman as well. We searched these places to find any kind of boat to take us to India.

So how did you reach India?

Ben: Not by boat. Us and some other people with same idea enquired around in six different harbors, 24 shipping agents and no Cargo agencies was willing to taking people anymore. In past it was possible. They use to say yes if you were a helping hand onboard but now it’s no more. Moreover flights are so cheap now. So from Muscat, Oman we flew in to Cochin.

Marie. Our philosophy was to avoid flight but we had to break it once.

When people go out they carry some security like contact numbers, known people. The first thing that comes to mind is the supposed dangers of travelling in the unknown. So what was the mind set?  

Ben: We travel together like that; you need to a certain level of trust into each other. I have to trust her for all that we do it together she can do it alone and she thinks same about me I hope. We know many female travelers who travelled alone. She travelled alone. 

Marie: So I am experienced and I know how to handle situation but he has a valid point of trust. Trust each other but also trust people. 

Ben: Most people perceive the idea of travelling something quite dangerous to do. When you go to the countries you never been like Iran, Pakistan such countries. They always feel such dangerous thing  to do  and they are something difficult that every corner waiting for you but we found its really not true. Most people they die in household like electrical shocks and in car accident in their home countries. So when you’re on the road it’s the same danger  is facing you, just something are bit more difficult. But at the same time when you are stranger on a place we feel people are more helpful .When you perceive somebody was not from a place you usually count on people that get any, this is how we found this place now by asking 4-5 people on the street. 

So how did you land from Cochin to Shillong?

Marie: So we decided to fly to south since the climate was alright. Then we slowly went north towards Bangalore where had a friend.

Ben: We know our general direction has to be North East because the next country we have to go now is Myanmar there is no other way out of India overland. You can go to Tibet which is costly. So we did not want to do that and the only over land journey possible now was eastward to Myanmar. So we went to West Bengal. We had a great time in Kolkata. We met a guy German traveller he told us about this magical place in Meghalaya. It was a Nongriat close to Cherrapunjee. He said that he has been there more than 10 times in India and that this is his favourite place. He told us about the big butterflies flying there and crystal clear waterpools..

Marie: But before we got in Nongriat we actually had to stop in Shillong for 1 night where we eventually ended up staying for three nights. We really like Shillong as well.

Ben:  We took Shillong to be just like another random city but a city that has flair. One thing that makes it great is this idea of having of a pedestrian area at Police Bazaar market area, you can see everybody walking in the evening, everybody’s having a good time. This really put Shillong above other cities .

Marie: The street music is amazing we really can interact with people. There is no car to bother you.  Actually many people came forward who said I play guitar too and lets play together. We actually met some great people from music university of Shillong and we spend amazing time with them.

How was your stay at Nongriat?

Ben: We pitched the tent above the roof of the old guest house and slept under the stars. The noise of the insects, birds at night, perfect air and the temperature was perfect at night, it was great.

When you travel the general conception is that a lot of money is needed. So how do you balance that?

We prove otherwise. At first I think we could say it is really interesting. Our budget for everyday is Rs 600 for both of us which includes everything like transportation, accommodation and food. Actually in all the countries we have been it was possible for us. You know India is famous as cheap destination you can eat for a cheap rate and you can find cheap place to stay but even in Oman which is an enxpensive country we managed. We changed our approach. We never prepared our accommodation. We did couch-surfing. We were campaigning even in the cities. We pitched our tent in the park and food yes we are not on the holidays we cannot go to the restaurant every evening, what did we do? We were cooking ourselves just like the locals, going to market buying rice and vegetables cooking something for us.

What is your source of revenue?

Basically there are two source we are having like one is the saving we have. I was working as a counselor in Romania before and we saved some money and we sold our stuff. I had a like big auto kalaba where you can stay which we sold. So it’s like we have a base funding but in the end it’s the music that helps. I play guitar as well but she is the good musician. It’s mostly her.

Marie: So we earn money on the road. This way we know that we don’t have a certain amount of money and when its finished we go back. We can just earn on the road. 

Ben: And it works surprisingly well. Asia as whole continent where street music is not popular. In many countries people have never seen somebody playing music in the street for money, but it was incredible in some countries  she made more money than Europe. The highlight was probably Iran. You know there what she was doing was some kind of revolution. She was playing on the street as a woman in the Islamic republic and there were girls coming to her kissing her saying ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ for what she was doing. 

Did you face any trouble from the authority? Especially Iran is Iran.

Ben: Yes sometimes. But Iran is a country where everybody is just like your friend, except those people who are much close to the government. So when you are on the street everybody is there to help you, especially if you are a foreigner. They treated you as their guest 

Marie: We had only once a problem. I mean usually the police man would say just go to the another place please .They use to first ask what are you doing? 

Ben: Our big advantage was we could speak Farsie, Persian language. We usually talk to them to make them our friends. And then we explain them why we are travelling? We love Iran so much; we like to play music for the Iranian people. They just ask us  to make sure that it does not get crowded as that could be a problem. 

Marie: Even in Shillong some policeman coming 2 to 3 times in two different  days and they said politely that it is getting too crowded and we were blocking the road. Then I stopped.  So now after playing two to three songs I stop so people move away because I don’t want to create any problem and I can completely understand. In Iran our passport got taken once. 

What was the story? 

Marie: Till now we don’t know exactly. But we were in a hostel and when we arrived the guy said in the reception that police was here and please leave your passports as they will take them. And we left the passport and in one hour they came and took the passports.

Ben: They refused to talk to us and they just took our passport and we didn’t have any chance to explain ourselves .They said tomorrow is holiday so come day after tomorrow to the police station and talk and take the passport 

What happened then?

Ben: We got a bit nuts ,very much many things were going on in our head. Was it because of the music. We also had been in a place of Iran where foreign were not supposed to go like the Afghanistan, Pakistan and border area unknowingly though. So we got into many military check points. We thought people they might think that we are having some strange things in mind. They might think that we came here to spy or may be IS. We thought for two days. But when we went to the police station there was a smiling younger policeman who spoke good English and said “sorry guys you know we had to do this. Some people reported you were to organize some party and it was a Islamic celebration the next day.” Then we explained that we are only playing music in the street and that too we ask whether we are allowed to play or not?.

How many languages do you know how to speak, do you pick language on the road?

Not in India because there are so many languages. Usually we really make an effort when we enter new countries, we have our own booklet and we have to talk to the local and learn 5 to 6 new words and at the end we have a list. But people here can really speak amazing English. Also in Kerela they speak really well.

Before I could always see ourselves having a nice vagabond life, travelling the world and enjoying ourselves. I became much more sensitive to all  the issues that I have seen in this world. Now, I see the problems, I understand  the backgrounds of problems and stronger and stronger I have urge  inside myself and I think Marie start feeling the same. We cannot only observe  thing  we must work on things like we are responsible we are in the fortunate position that we have seen so  many things, we must do something with this knowledge  and spread it and do our part with the skill we are having, me  as  a teacher I have the obvious skill like if I ever  back into education I will not work in the state school anymore where I just teach stupid state curricula. I want to help children  understand this world we are living in is so precious.