Kerala: Wife to fulfil globetrotter husband's pending wish to visit Japan

After having visited 26 countries, tea-seller turned globetrotter couple Vijayan and Mohana from Kochi were planning their next trip to Japan when Vijayan died of a cardiac arrest in November 2021.

But now Mohana, who is 70, is gearing up to fulfil her husband's wish. She will be going on a 15-day tour to Japan from March 22 with her daughter Mohana and family.

The couple have been eking out a living from a tea-shop, Balaji cafe in Kochi. By reserving a portion from their small savings for travel, they started their foreign trips in 2007.

As the couple received much fame for their frequent foreign trips with their small earnings, some travel firms even made them brand ambassadors and sponsored some of their trips. The couple's last trip was in September 2021 to Russia.

Vijayan's son-in-law Muraleedhara told DH that if Covid had not hit their tour plans, Vijayan could have visited Japan also. After visiting Australia and New Zealand in 2019 November, they could not travel for nearly two years owing to Covid, he said.

Many celebrities had also supported the couple for their globetrotting interest. Ahead of the couple's last trip to Russia, Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyaz had also visited them.