They call themselves ‘Team L.I.F.E.’ and they managed to drive 22,780 kilometres, through over 50 cities and 11 countries because they wanted to go to Paris.
Team L.I.F.E. comprised of –
Anand Baid, 38, a filmmaker, animation professional and educator at Native Puppets Animations.
Punita Baid, 37, a program manager at Native Puppets.
Yash Baid, 12, a grade 7 student and an avid football lover.
Dhriti Baid, 8, grade 3 student, aspiring foreign language expert.
Prior to the onset of the journey, many raised eyebrows wondering how we were going to pull-off such a long journey in a sedan and that too a 2WDTeam L.I.F.E.
Despite the concerns raised by people, they chose to go ahead in their Fiat Linea T-Jet.
Their decision made them witness the stunning landscapes and beauty that nature had to offer. They covered India, Nepal, Tibet-China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and France.
The car of their choice Fiat Linea T-Jet has a 1368cc 16 valve T-JET engine that churns out 114 PS of power at 5000 rpm and 207 Nm of torque at 2200 rpm.
The car took them through the scenic Silk Route, the Himalayan mountain range, climbed sand dunes in Western China and they experienced the splendid cultural practices of Central Asia. They also visited the world’s largest burning crater called Darvaza which has been burning for over 40 years now.
The list becomes even more impressive with places like the Caspian Sea in Iran, the Vatican City, Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Palace of Versailles and the Millau Viaduct bridge.
At first, it might have sounded like an overly-ambitious idea to take up a road-trip that is almost 23,000 kilometres long.
When Team L.I.F.E. looks back at those 111 days, the sense of pride and glory makes the trip worth it.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)