3 Incredible Travel Stories of 2013

Three travel stories shall be told in this one. Three incredible travel stories of some pretty remarkable people and a very tenacious stray dog.

2013 witnessed quite a few eye-raising events. Edward Snowden blew whistles, all hell broke loose in Syria and Miley Cyrus invented a dance move which reduced her Disney mentors to tears. But the last year also saw plenty of travel adventure, especially in India.

That is what we’re here to talk about. And yes, we’re starting with the dog.

A Stray Dog Cheats Death and Reaches Mount Everest

When Joanne Lefson rescued Rupee from a rubbish dump in Ladakh, little did she know that she had just found her trekking companion; a furry, tawny-coloured one.

The destination? Mount Everest.

An eight-month-old pup dying of dehydration and starvation when Joanne found him, Rupee made a sterling recovery to participate in a grueling ten-day trek up the world’s highest mountain.

Joanne Lefson, who had earlier globe-trotted with her previous dog Oscar, could not have found a better replacement in Rupee. Upon reaching the base camp in Everest, the furry little guy seemed eager for more adventure, playing with the snow and even trying to eat it.

Rupee is now officially registered as the first dog to ever reach the base camp of Mount Everest.

A Couple Goes on a Cross-Continental Road Trip

Most couples go on dates, watch a movie together or plan holidays with friends. Some, however, decide to take a road trip across 13 countries, covering 9650 miles in 96 days.

The quirky couple? Andrea and Chaitanya.

They are a little camera shy. But look at these photos from their trip!

From getting stuck in the rains on the European mainland to the countless visa struggles to singing ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ with the locals in Kazakhstan, Andrea and Chaitanya did it all. Starting from Bristol, UK they journeyed across Europe and Central Asia in a ’96 Jeep Cherokee with the objective to reach Delhi. Paperwork and lack of funds kept them from continuing their trip, but they haven’t given up. Parking the Jeep in Kyrgyztan, they have vowed to complete their journey this summer.

Despite the fact that they were offered two horses and a yurt in exchange for the car by the locals. No, seriously.

Couple Seeking 'Self-Discovery' Travels Across India

Here’s another couple with a zesty taste for adventure. Meet Rachel and Chris, another couple from UK who took a year-long travel across South Asia to ‘find themselves’, so to speak. This quest included catching fish with the locals in the South, inebriated Diwali games in Rajasthan and er, Tantric courses in Rishikesh among others.

Rachel’s writings expressing culture shock peppered with humorous anecdotes by Chris in their blog make for an enjoyable read, to be sure.

This year has been full of eventful news. We raged at the politicians, marveled at the athletes and laughed at/with the celebrities. Yet somewhere, under the radar, a few tempestuous travelers decided to stray off the beaten track.

And boy, they did it and how.