Two words that can make my pet husky, Devil, hop and skip are ‘Let’s go’! He is a big time travel
buff! Very often, we take him on short and long vacations just to satiate his wanderlust. We had
many opportunities/excuses to travel, before Covid struck. I fondly remember our road trip to Kerala with
Devil to my sister’s house in Kottayam, Kerala, in late 2019. He was the happiest passenger on board
our i10. It gave me goosebumps when I watched him stick his head out of the car window and let the
wind blow his hair! We made short pitstops in-between, so Devil could stretch a bit, do his big/small
jobs, and bite into some treats that we had packed for him. Devil’s a wonderful travel companion. He
never complains about bad roads, inclement weather, sudden swerves, or steep hairpin bends. Every
turn is a source of joy for him. All he needed was to sit in the rear seat beside his buddy and brother,
my son Ethan, and his favorite bowl to drink water from when thirsty.
With the sound of laughter reverberating in the car, we finally reached my sister’s home. Kottayam
opened the doorway to an entirely different world for Devil. For a pet that has only seen the heat
and traffic-infested roads of Chennai, a river flowing in the backyard of my sister’s home was
fascinating. Here is where we saw him swim for the very first time. He was a natural in the water.
There was a stream flowing down a hillock, which resembled a mini waterfall. Devil had a great time
getting drenched under the waterfall. Another thing that surprised us about Devil during this trip
was how disciplined he was, even when left off-leash. We have always thought that we might not be
able to control him if he is not leashed, but he proved us wrong. Though his curiosity compelled him
to run to new places and spots, he always turned around to check if we were in his vicinity. He never
went where he could not see us.
From Kottayam, we took him to a hill station in Kerala. Devil thoroughly enjoyed the uphill drive. En-
route, a herd of elephants crossed our path. Devil looked at those majestic beings with
wonderment!
While the entire road trip to Kerala was very memorable and enjoyable for most part, it also made us realize that
this country needs more pet-friendly resorts, restaurants, and pet boarders. We also felt that more
tourist spots need to be thrown open to pets. Because most of these spots have a firm ‘no-pets’ rule,
one of us always had to stay with Devil in the car, while the rest of us visited the spot. Since pet
boarders are a rarity, there was nowhere we could leave Devil, so the rest of us could do all things
touristy. Though this was back in 2019, I don’t think much has changed now. The pandemic
particularly put a spade on all our travel plans. For two years, we could not take Devil anywhere. He
was denied even the simple pleasures of going on a walk in the park or a stroll in the beach. During
these times, I am sure Devil would have recalled his trip to Kerala, and the wonderful time he had
there.
Kottayam has become second home to Devil, and he is eager to go back there again. Now that the
Covid-imposed restrictions on travelling have also been lifted, we are also keen to take Devil out on
more trips. Who knows? Maybe the next time I talk to Petcation about one of Devil’s vacations, it
may be about his train ride to Ooty or plane ride to Singapore!
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