The Hindu : Front Page : Driving home a point

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 09, 2005

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Driving home a point

G. V. Ramana Rao

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT: Chaparala Babu Rao, psychiatrist in Birmingham (extreme right sitting), and his friend, Ralph Hall, being felicitated in Vijayawada. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

VIJAYAWADA: Driving home from one's workplace is a pleasure for anyone. For UK-based psychiatrist Chaparala Babu Rao, a native of Gudlavalleru village in Krishna district, it became an obsession. The very fact that the distance from his workplace in Birmingham to his home in Guddlavalleru is nearly 18,000 km and that he has to cross a dozen countries did not deter him the least.

The journey through some of the most politically disturbed countries and dangerous terrains had to be abandoned twice before. Travelling on road in a Toyota Land Cruiser with three adventurous colleagues, Dr Babu Rao took 56 days to reach Hyderabad. Travelling around a few places in the country, he reached his native village on December 7 and spent time with relatives.

Travelling across the English Channel on a ferry with his vehicle, Dr Babu Rao entered Europe near Antwerp in Belgium. His colleagues Ralph Hall, a Scotsman, El Gohari, an Egyptian, and Ashok Singh, a Bihari, all working in the same hospital, travelled through Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan and Pakistan entering India at Wagah.

Alexander's route

Addressing a gathering after being felicitated by Sumadhura Kala Niketan at the Lotus Food City on Wednesday, Dr Babu Rao said that he traced the route taken by Alexander The Great and visited Damascus in Syria and Petra in Jordan.

The hospital he worked for gave him three-month leave to embark on the adventure.

They did not face any problem in Western Europe where the roads and traffic systems were very organised. Their difficulties began after they entered East European countries where the roads were full of potholes. The towns were depressing with poverty and unemployment. Corruption was rampant and there was no safety with people posing as secret police trying to take advantage of them.

The roads in Turkey were treacherous. "Danger lurked in various forms in Syria and Jordan, but floating in the Dead Sea was a great fun," said Dr. Babu Rao.

Notwithstanding the politics and the corruption of the officials, people in all the countries were very warm and helpful, he recalled. He would return to Birmingham by air booking his vehicle in cargo.

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