The Salted Days – Day Thirteen
Surat to Vanz | 15 January 2026
Last evening was completely out of line with the simplicity of a Dandi March. The ISPL cricket match between Majhi Mumbai and Hyderabad Falcon Risers turned out to be a nail-biter. We were seated in VVIP seats next to the players’ bunker, with flags to wave and food and snacks to eat. We cheered like there was no tomorrow. It was a boys’ day out after a gruelling 12 days and 350+ kilometres of walking.
We even saw ourselves on the big screen and felt like celebrities—for those couple of hours at least. And yes, I paid for this transgression.
I reached the room by 11 pm, completed my journalling, but the excitement of the game lingered. Sleep refused to come. I played a few games of online chess and finally drifted into a disturbed sleep.
Everything felt different—very different from the past many days. Two walkers sharing a room three times larger than the spaces where three of us had managed in Yatri Niwas accommodations. A bathroom as big as a one-BHK in Mumbai. A shower dispensing endless hot water. This wasn’t luxury; it was opulence. I enjoyed it—but sleep still troubled me. Good habits are so tough to maintain.
Morning, too, was different in every way. No roosters. No early risers. No chirping. No walker knocking on the bathroom door asking me to vacate the throne. Just a large mirror, a well-lit bathroom, and me. So I took it slow.
And that’s when philosophy struck.
I had carried those small toothpaste tubes one gets in overseas flight kits. Thinking they were small, I had packed two extra. As I squeezed the first tube, I realised I hadn’t even finished it yet. The same with the shaving foam and the razor—backup for backup. It dawned on me that I was carrying too much baggage, physically and psychologically.
We were ready by 6:30 am and were met by a contingent of NCC cadets holding handmade posters with motivational quotes. A simple tilak and puja followed, and we set off at 7:03 am. We could sense the sun rising, though we couldn’t yet see it.
The Commissioner of Police joined us with a large contingent of police staff, and the marching convoy stretched considerably. The police escort helped us navigate a city that had woken up with a vengeance after the Makar Sankranti holiday.
After about an hour and a half, we stopped for an extended tea and breakfast break at Manbhavan Hotel, Udhana. It was a so-called simple affair—samosa, khaman, jalebi, fafda, two types of halwa, Ghewar……even listing it makes me feel bad. And yes, tea.
Bidding farewell to our police friends, we headed to Dindoli, where we had what could truly be called a tea halt. Some of us still had the courage to eat thepla and banana. We continued along the main road. The city sprawled endlessly—heavy traffic, tall buildings—and our poor friend the sun was already halfway up the sky when we finally stepped out of city limits.
Fresh legs brought new conversations and newer ideas. Older, tired mouths got a bit of respite. At Kharvasa, we took a detour, leaving the highway. Fields interspersed with industrial buildings lined both sides of the road. Four hours and fifteen minutes later, we reached Vanz.
The reception was, as always, bright and enthusiastic. NCC cadets from Navsari welcomed us. Vanz has a large Yatri Niwas with 16 rooms. There were traditional yarn garlands and the lighting of the lamp. While all this was underway, a bright spark floated an idea—since we had reached early, why not walk a bit more?
The planning team was promptly beaten into submission. Google Maps was invoked—“Google Map Ma ki Jai” and she showed Popda village, 5 km away. Off we went. An hour later, we reached Popda, only to realise our vehicle would take another 10–15 minutes to arrive. The bright idea shone even brighter, and we ended up walking another half hour—nearly two extra kilometres. Seven kilometres added overall. A good strategy, since it would reduce tomorrow’s distance.
We finally climbed into the now-empty vehicle—our luggage having already been unloaded—and returned to the Yatri Niwas. A hot meal awaited us: dal, sweet potato sabzi, rice, roti, and salad. My stomach heaved a sigh of relief. But as the saying goes, “however crowded the King’s throne room, there is always space for the King to pass” and so I happily downed a large piece of gajak brought from Jaipur by one of our new walkers.
Back in the room, a cold shower followed, then an hour-long nap—interrupted by an announcement for hot tea. Planning for tomorrow’s walk, the daily stretching session, and our standard dinner followed, which was again followed by the King—this time Mysore Pak from Chennai.
Tomorrow’s walk promises to be fun. There are changes in stay location, new ideas to visit local places, and the unmistakable upbeat mood of the penultimate day of the walk is in the air.
25 km today - Good.
383 km overall - Fantastic.
Dandi just around the corner - Unbelievable.
We are nearly there.
Feeling great.
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