Red tape halts Mumbai man's around-the-world record bid

Vishnu Chapke on March 19, 2016, when he started his journey; (below) his parents

Vishnudas Chapke, 35, a former journalist from Mumbai, had set out in 2016 hoping to be the first Indian to travel around the world by road. He seems to have had no idea how tough it was going to be, because today that record stands to be abandoned. Chapke has found himself stuck in Costa Rica for the past 47 days, struggling to get a visa for Nicaragua, which is his next destination.

Chapke said the Nicaraguan visa will take six months to arrive, while his Costa Rica visa expires in the next two weeks. "I have been following up with the authorities for a month-and-a-half now. Unless I get help soon, I may have to compromise my record and take a flight to the next country or return to India," a dejected Chapke told mid-day. "If I had taken a US or European visa from India itself, I could have directly entered Nicaragua. Now, I have to take the long route," he said.

Chapke has a visa for El Salvador, his pit-stop after Nicaragua, but needs to pass through Nicaragua to get there, or he will have to fly there, defeating the purpose of his trip. Costa Rica is surrounded by Panama in the south, the Carribean Sea in the East, the Pacific Ocean in the West and Nicaragua in the north.

Chapke has already tweeted to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the local Indian embassy and even the Obama Foundation, but has got no response yet. He said the Mumbai Press Club has helped arrange for letters of recommendation from the state government and bureaucrats.

Vishnu Chapke's parents

Chapke said, "I was to complete this trip in two years but am running way behind schedule. With the current speed, I will not be able to complete this even in five more years."

Chapke said he has been volunteering at a hostel in Costa Rica to keep expenses down. "I help in the kitchen or with housekeeping for five hours a day in exchange for a bed," he stated in an email to mid-day.

He said, "India has a record for circumnavigation by sea by Captain Dilip Donde and Commodore Abhilash Tomy. The Navy women's team Tarini is trying to accomplishing the same feat. If I complete my journey, India will have a second record: circumnavigation by land," he said.

Vishnu Chapke planting a tree with Bolivia Environment Minister Carlos Rene

Flashback
Starting out: I set out on March 19, 2016 from Mumbai and reached Kolkata, from where I went to Myanmar, then Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China. All by land. I took my first flight from China to Australia, as there was no option. In Australia, I crossed from Perth to Sydney by road. I hitchhiked and stayed with local families. I did not pay a single dollar on travel. From Sydney, I came to Latin America and am now in Costa Rica.

Money: I started out with $1,000 (Rs 67,000) after pooling in all my savings. A few friends in Mumbai gave me some money. I sold my share of a small room in Mankhurd that I had bought with a friend. Last year, Tata Trust sponsored Rs 5 lakh.

Travel: I head to a major highway and hold a board in my hand with the name of the destination city. I usually get a lift in a few hours.

Accommodation: I usually put up a request on facebook, mentioning my destination and asking people if they have friends who could let me stay with them. I mostly end up getting a place to stay. If there is no response, I put up a request on the website workaway that has contacts of retreat centres, hostels, hotels and families who will host foreigners. The visitor has to work for five hours a day for five days in exchange for bed and breakfast. Food is a problem as I am vegetarian, but I manage with basic meals.

Troubles: My biggest mistake was to not get a US visa before I left from India. With a US visa, one can just walk into Latin American countries. I applied for a US visa in three countries but each time was told to get in from India. Praveen Pardeshi, additional chief secretary, Chief Minister's office, helped me get a visa interview, but it was not enough to get a visa.

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