When it comes to travelling, globe-trotting elderly couple Vijayan and Mohana is a cut above the rest. Their journeys are folklore of sorts as they sell tea to fund their dream of travelling the world. Through mainstream and social media, this elderly duo's fame has reached far and wide. And now a visit to the couple's tea stall at Kochi in Kerala is on the bucketlist of many backpackers.
Recently, UAE's star social media couple and bloggers Khalid and Salama met the husband-wife duo and later posted their experience on social media, and many Keralites commented on the post.
Wonderstruck by their zeal for work and travelling, Khalid told a leading Gulf newspaper about his experience of meeting Vijayan and Mohana. "Their love and respect for each other is something exemplary. We came here to see people who uphold the values of Kerala culture," the UAE couple noted.
Vijayan said that he was happy that Khalid and Salama, who were like his siblings, came to meet him and his wife. What Vijayan loved the most in Dubai was their tea, and he said that it was tea that connected both India and the UAE. "We travelled close to 24 countries but the UAE felt like a home," added Vijayan.
Khalid reportedly said that Kerala was also like a home and they were happy to get a warm welcome in the state. The UAE couple came to Kerala to shoot the beauty of 'god's own country' and showcase it to whole world through social media.
Vijayan and Mohana are touching 70 years of age and have been married for 45 years. Both were bitten by the travel bug quite early in their lives and they are realizing their dream of travelling across the world with great determination even at this age.
The couple does all the work at the tea stall as there are no helpers. The shop serves tea and snacks and an amount of Rs 300 is set aside daily to meet the future travelling expenses. Sometimes they are forced to avail loans, and after returning from a tour, they repay the loan by working hard at the tea stall. This is the couple's travel funda. Nearly 300 to 350 people visit Sree Balaji Coffee House daily to have tea.