Human species could evolve to the stage it is now because of its wandering habit. Interbreeding and adaptation helped the cause. It is a continuous journey in search of a better life and living condition. But because religions appeared to guide and control community life with an emphasis on an afterlife, there was the need for pilgrimage. So from the dispersal of homo sapiens across continents to expedition of discoverers of land across seas and oceans, from a pilgrimage to modern trekking, humans have amply demonstrated their roving trait all along.
However, when no vehicle was crafted and even if some came into being but could not be introduced because of infrastructure, people had no option but to walk. Life in general was confined to a limited geographical area and only the more adventurous made their forays from their known surroundings. There was no paved road but still people needed to travel long distances for trade and pilgrimage. They used animals to gain some pace and ease in travelling. Horses, mules, donkeys and camels were used for travelling purposes. The caravans proceeded towards their destinations defying many odds including dacoits or robbers on their way. But not all could afford the luxury of getting the service of animals and hence they relied solely on their two legs.
Albeit non-motorised, boats which were gradually elevated to ships made travelling faster and easier. Even oars and rudders could help gain a speed for boats or ships of the earlier times to facilitate people's mobility and trade. But then arrived the sail that provided extra pace to boats and ships carrying passengers or goods. The sailing boats are now a rarity but 60-70 years ago, colourful sails hoisted on boats made quite a picturesque scene on rivers. That was also the time when canals served as the arteries of rivers and helped local grocers and other small traders to carry their goods and commodities from wholesale market (known as mokam) or to nearby markets by boats.
In rural areas, roads were not at all paved, if there was one, it went under water in the monsoon. Boats were the only mode of transportation in large parts of this deltaic land. Every family in the flooded area used to have a small boat to visit even neighbours' homes let alone those of relatives in another village. In a worse flooding year, their kitchens got separated from the main homes with knee-deep or chest-deep water flowing in between. Villagers made a bamboo bridge (shako) to frequent the kitchen for cooking and taking their meals. Family boats had to be deposited into ponds or other water bodies in the lean season so that this useful transport did not develop cracks under the burning sun of high summer.
The summer months arrived with soaring temperature and travelling during the time was arduous. Yet people chose dawn or early morning to set on their travels in case they had to cover long distances and start the return journey in the afternoon to avoid blistering temperature and sunshine. When on a pilgrimage, the affluent people could take advantage of oxen or horse carts but there were others who would trek languidly in a group but certainly not like the modern trekkers who take difficult terrains only after they have received training and their expedition is backed by a travelling package including guides.
No wonder, tourism in its modern sense waited decades to develop. To villagers, paying visits to relatives' homes was the common outing. Apart from exceptional souls longing for other worldly experiences, few did embark on missions of mental journeys. Yet there were troubadours who had little earthly concerns with no families or if they had, did not hesitate to leave everything behind to chart territories unknown to them. In fact, it was a search for the meaning of life that drove them from one place, including holy sites, to another. Most of their journeys were within the vast expanse of human soul rather than the courses they covered.
Today's tourism, thanks to organised management, has thrived on all-round facilities provided by modern transports, infrastructure, living quarters, apparatuses required to observe things from close quarters or from above in cable cars or paragliders. There are a whole range of other facilities beyond imagination available on luxury liners, yachts etc. These are fairytales for common people but tourism has flourished at its most luxurious and lavish proportion in order to satisfy the world's richest class of people.
While such material comfort and sensual pleasures are the objectives the rich clients seek, the troubadours of yester years were after spiritual experiences of their souls. There lies the difference of human quests and the modern civilisation's overriding preference remains for earthly happiness ---in fact cheaper and shallow experiences of life. The ultimate question is how this human journey will end up.
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