Tambov - He hopes to meet his idol Argentinian Lionel Messi.
Published: Tue 19 Jun 2018, 5:36 PM
Last updated: Wed 20 Jun 2018, 8:59 PM
Meet Indian national, part-time Mathematics teacher Clifin Francis. He's going to be one among the thousand football fans at the group stage C France vs Denmark football match on Tuesday, June 26 at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. However, no one else in the stadium would've experienced a journey like his.
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Francis has cycled over 4,000km on his bicycle to make-true his life-long dream of attending a FIFA World Cup match. He began his journey from Sharjah, took a ferry to Bandar Abbas in Iran, and has been cycling to Moscow since early March.
"I'm not very good with dates," admits Francis in a phone conversation with Khaleej Times as he broke his journey in Tambov, Russia. He crossed Iran and Azerbaijan on cycle and was initially meant to cycle through Georgia as well; however, his visa was rejected at the border. "That was one of the toughest parts of my journey. It made me very sad I wasn't allowed into Georgia. I notice that people everywhere are nice, but governments not so much," he said.
He said, "I have another five days, 450km more, to get to Moscow - and I am beyond excited." The Aleppy-native flew down from Kochi to Dubai. "Initially, I wanted to make the entire journey from India, but I faced challenged getting visas to Pakistan and crossing the border. So, I decided to fly to Dubai," he added. A budget traveller, Francis has not spent more than $1,000 on the entire trip. The solo rider has made hundreds of new friends along the way, including several other long-distance cyclists.
The journey so far
Francis is a freelance Mathematics teacher and provides students coaching to write aptitude exams such as GMAT, CAT, SATs, etc. He saved money for months before embarking on this journey. Long-distance backpacking, camping, and couch surfing are not new to Francis. He also uses a long-distance cyclists app called 'Warm Showers' "A few years ago, I quit my full-time job as an engineer in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and spent a year travelling. I believe a traveller must always begin his journey in India," he said.
He spent six months in India, crossed over to Myanmar and then went on to see Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. "I worked in these places as well. I volunteered in schools in Dharmashala, Himachal Pradhesh. They provided me with free accommodation and food. I also hitchhiked a lot. I think you should either have money or time to travel. I have a lot of time," he laughed. Speaking about his current journey, he said, "When I got stranded at the Azerbaijan- Georgia border, I was with a German cyclist friend. I was with him for five days, and we were supposed to go to Tbilisi together. When I got stranded, he gave me his sim card, and that helped me a lot with connectivity."
This resulted in Francis having to return to Azerbaijan and cycle back to the Russia-Azerbaijan border. "I finally entered Russia on June 5. I made the best of the time though, I stayed in Baku for ten days, and I made more friends and experienced the local culture," he explained.
Francis has learnt that people everywhere are very lovely, welcoming, and pleasant. He didn't inform his family that he was riding through Iran in the fear they would worry for his life. However, he admits he's had a wonderful time in Iran, as the landscape is beautiful and the people have been welcoming. "Several families hosted me for free, and I made a lot of friends. I would camp outside magnificent mosques because I felt safe and there was always plenty of fresh, clean water, and access to clean toilets," he added.
FIFA dream
Since he is on a budget, watching the World Cup finals is out of the question. "I have the budget only to buy one ticket for a Group stages match, and I spent 100 dollars on it," he said. He hopes to meet his idol Argentinian Lionel Messi. "I would love it if he were to sign my bicycle," he said. Francis has managed to learn to read Russian phrases as well.
"Sometimes I feel like an angel on the road, spreading happiness, waving at people and seeing them smile. I believe people everywhere are nice, everyone has a good heart, and you need to reach out to them." An amateur cyclist, Francis only carried a tent, sleeping bag, a few things to repair his cycle, and a few changes of clothes.
Francis's next big dream is to write a book about his travels and support India for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. "I want to cycle from India to Myanmar - Thailand - Laos - China - Mongolia - Russia and take a boat to Japan. I need to work hard if I have to do that, and I want to document it well. I want people to see my experience and see the happiness I am feeling," he explained. Francis cycles for five hours every day and would stay in a city or a village if he liked it. "All you need is a good place to pitch your tent and happiness," he signed off.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
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