On Location

A writer by profession,and an inveterate adventure junkie,Sidhu has been trawling across the Indian sub-continent,Europe,South Africa,North America and South East Asia over the years. But one of her favourite trips was her rather inexpensive journey across Europe about five years back. “I hadn’t planned an extensive trip when I left India,” she says,talking of how she landed in Germany at her aunt’s place,with lots of time and little money to spare. While she was looking for cheap travel options,she chanced upon a carpool network,the Mitfahrzentrale,which would transport her across continents. “That too at almost the cost of a dozen beers,” she grins.

A German government initiative,this organized car pool facility has car owners registering with the official website,and putting in their contact and destination details,and number of seats available on the ride. The fare is arrived at by dividing the cost of fuel by the number of passengers. “I signed up and before I knew it I was driving all across Europe,” says Sidhu,who spent four months making her way through Germany,Scandinavia,the Netherlands,Hungary,Austria and France,followed by some time off in London before returning back. “There was so much to take in during the journey that I would jot down notes along the way,” says Sidhu. The travelogue was born out of those notes,and is peppered with interesting anecdotes and reflections. “It’s a light,fun read about Europe and my first-hand account of being a woman traveller on the road. It’s definitely not chick-lit,” she grins.

Despite authors like Bill Bryson making a success of travel writings internationally,in India,it’s still a genre that’s largely unexplored. Sidhu says she means to continue to work her way through it further. “I have been exploring Himachal Pradesh of late. My next book will hopefully come from there,” she says.