Two explorers are on a tour to pass on the universal message of peace from the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, and to promote the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, that will be hosted by South Africa in June 2010.
Two South Africans of Indian origin, Ayob Yusuf Vawda and Abdool Samath Samath, who left South Africa an year ago on July 28, 2008 on a rare journey to China (through India) by car, reached New Delhi today. Over the year they have travelled close to 50,000 km, taking the route along the East coast of Africa through Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, and then into the Middle East, through Jordan and Syria. Then they turned northwards to Turkey, Georgia and Armenia, and then eastwards from Iran and Pakistan to India. Later they would be moving to China, which is their final destination.
Being in India for the first time, the duo is quite excited. ?Our ancestral history gives more impetus and significance to the entire year-long tour,? they said. ?We will now tour India, specifically to our respective ancestral villages, which are in Gujarat and Bihar,? they added. These two modern day explorers, who have travelled half way around the world by road in dangerous and difficult conditions, will be using a similar route to drive back to South Africa, where the entire journey started, just in time for the 2010 World Cup.