Dr Prabir Kumar Mitra and his wife from King's Lynn travelled more than 17 thousand miles in their endeavour
It took the couple more than 100 days, crossing 20 international borders in their pick-up truck, to arrive in India.
The pair say the journey was 'inspired by the ancient Silk Road', the route took them from Norfolk through Europe, Central Asia, China, Tibet and Nepal before they finally reached Kolkata.
Dr Mitra, who specialises in diabetes, used the expedition to spread simple diabetes awareness wherever possible, speaking to people along the route and sharing translated information in different countries.
Supported by the Rotary Club of King’s Lynn, the couple also helped raise funds towards a dialysis unit at The Hope Hospital in Kolkata, that serves underprivileged people and a large diabetic population.
Dr Mitra says, “Even if we could help only a small number of people along the way, we felt it was worth doing.
"I had printed a simple take-home message in twenty different languages, and that became incredibly handy when discussing diabetes awareness with local people in different countries.
"The journey gave us an opportunity to carry that message across borders, and that mattered deeply to us.”
His wife, Sanjukta, a secondary school maths teacher in King’s Lynn, adds, "It was not just long in distance, but full of unexpected tests — border closures, difficult roads, poor health at times, and natural calamities that forced us to change plans again and again.
“In this day and age, when intolerance, hostility and war dominate so much of what we hear, we found immeasurable kindness in all shapes and forms throughout our journey.”
When they finally reached India, they were welcomed home by family and celebration.
What a remarkable achievement!