VING Lee and I departed Lucknow for the last 300+ km stretch to Agra. Exciting times indeed. We selected a town called Makanpur, some 110km away, as the night stopover since it appeared to be rather built up on Google Maps.

We rode till it got dark and were still about 35km from Makanpur when we stopped for a rest. It was freezing since we are at the height of winter in northern India currently. Temperatures drop swiftly as soon as the sun disappears from sight and the wind chill is quite something to endure.

Cycling in foggy pitch darkness also raise safety concerns as the trucks and buses can get quite impatient and reckless. I have, on at least three occasions, missed being run over by these large speeding vehicles by mere inches.

We decided to push on until we got to Makanpur despite the cold winds, since we thought there would be accommodation available there. Along the way, we were stopped by a police patrol car. It was cold and stopping wasn’t helping the shivers. Three officers alighted and turned out they merely wanted a selfie with us, which is a common occurrence with the locals in India, before letting us off.

We finally got close to Makanpur but the road leading to this ‘big’ town seemed to indicate we were very much in a rural area. We pedalled on towards town and to our horror, the place looked nothing like what we had in mind.

It was spartan and looked desolate. Basically, a village and with no hotels in sight. We checked Google again and decided we made a mistake with our choice for a night stop. We just stood by the side of the road, freezing, and started weighing options. Next town was quite far and it was already 10pm, very late by village standards and there was no one to be seen in this sleepy town.

Then out of nowhere two nondescript men walked past us and we stopped them to ask if there were any hotels around. To our astonishment one of them pointed to the building beside us and said his friend owns the only hotel in town.

It looked nothing like a hotel with its roller shutter down. The man then called the owner on his mobile and said he was on his way. We were relieved but even then weren’t sure if we wanted to stay there, much as we needed shelter.

“You can stay but no luxury” said the man in his limited English as we waited for the owner to show up, to which I replied “No problem”. We introduced ourselves and I asked for his name.

“I am Nizam”, he replied. “Ahh, you’re Muslim?” I asked. He looked pleasantly surprised and said yes. “Where from country?” Nizam enquired, to which I replied “Malaysia”.

“You Muslim?” he asked. “No I am not, but my country has many Muslims”, I added.

“Yes yes, and this is Muslim village”, he volunteered, to which I smiled and nodded.

The hotel owner arrived on his motorcycle and looked at us with apprehension, probably wondering what on earth are two foreigners doing in the little village and looking for a place to stay.

He didn’t look too welcoming either as the two men explained the circumstances to him. We agreed on the price for the room and he pulled up the roller shutter to reveal a ground floor which was lit by a lone light bulb. It looked like it was being renovated. Bags of cement were stacked high and building tools were all over the place.

“You keep bicycle here”, he instructed. By now, we just wanted to leave because we had no idea what to expect next. I mean, what’s the room going to look like?

True enough, the room wasn’t exactly The Hilton by any stretch of the imagination, but we were too cold and tired to say no.

It had a bed, a side cupboard and a toilet which I reluctantly used. In a way, I was glad there was no hot water because that meant I didn’t have to use the shower. I handed the owner my passport and enquired his name.

“I am Nihal”, was the reply and he proceeded to read the name on my passport. Amazingly he pronounced my Chinese name correctly. He left with my passport, which he said he would return the next morning. We closed the door and started unpacking our things when suddenly we heard someone calling out my name.

“David! David!” We weren’t sure if I was the intended person so we stayed quiet.

“David! Where are you?” the voice hollered again, so I opened the door and there was Nizam.

“Here take, this for you. You are hungry and there is no food outside”, he said as he shoved something wrapped in newspaper onto my hands. It was warm and smelt fresh. Inside were a couple of newly made potato prata.

I was speechless yet deeply moved by this gesture from a complete stranger in a small agricultural village somewhere foreign.

“Eat, eat!”, said Nizam before taking his leave. Ving and I were left in bemusement at what just happened.

The next morning, the village was fogged over as we prepared to make our way.

Nihal came by to return my passport. A few villagers gathered to have a closer look at us and our bikes. We obliged Nihal with some photos and the obligatory selfies. We asked for general directions back to the highway and he tried to explain. We understood him and shook hands to say goodbye.

“Wait, wait. I will be back two minutes. You please wait, ok?” What now, we wondered, but said alright.

Nihal came back with his motorcycle and asked us to follow him as he was going to guide us to the highway. That was very kind, we thought. We rode around the corner of the hotel and Nihal asked if we would like some tea first.

Yes, that would be nice, we replied, and he took us to a nearby chai stall where he bought us tea and biscuits. We exchanged contacts and sent each other friend requests on Facebook.

By now, the entire village was inside and outside the tea shop marvelling at two foreigners passing through their little village. Nihal then decided we should head off and escorted us to the highway.

The spanking new Lucknow – Agra Highway isn’t exactly opened to the public yet although a few vehicles have been using it, including our bicycles. Nihal brought us to the bottom of the highway as there were no roads that would lead us back on it.

There was a slope with a 45° incline to climb in order to get on the highway. I looked at it and asked if that was the only way and he said yes. I told him our bikes are very heavy, and it would not be physically possible for us to manage that.

“Yes can. With me, don’t worry,” he laughed and together with his friend pushed, first mine and then Ving’s bike up the slope. I couldn’t even climb the slope without slipping backwards, it was that steep. We got to the top and said our goodbyes, but not before another round of photos and selfies.

As we rode down the foggy highway, I couldn’t help but reflect on our good fortune. I felt a sense of overwhelming joy inside knowing that there is still a lot of love left in this world. At a time when there is much conflict, anger and hatred the world over, we were given a display of genuine kindness and dare I say, friendship. I could have sworn my eyes were moist when I rode up to Ving and asked how he felt.

“That was the best experience we’ve had in India,” he exclaimed. I couldn’t agree more.

In a tiny Muslim village where humans and animals lived together, two stranded travellers were given shelter and showered with warmth and compassion by total strangers who went out of their ways to do for us what they didn’t have to.

It really does not get much better than that, and having the privilege to experience it is, in a word, priceless.

Seven Wunders arrived at Taj Mahal on Christmas Day. The first of seven wonders surmounted, leaving behind a trail of memories and experiences neither of us will forget in a hurry.

It has been an amazing journey getting to Agra and this particular memory will stand out and be cherished for as long as I live.

Nihal and I are now connected on Facebook and on the very day we laid eyes on the majestic Taj, he telephoned us to find out where we were and if we were fine. I shared the good news with him.

May your festivities be filled with love, peace and joy. Happy new year to everyone.

You may follow our journey on Facebook and Instagram (SevenWunders) for daily updates or simply read about it right here on The Malaysian Insight.

Do support our cause in creating more awareness and raising funds towards childhood cancer support on behalf of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM). – December 28, 2017.

* David Wu is riding a bicyle around the world with Ving Lee to raise awareness for children with cancer. The Malaysian Insight is the media partner for the Seven Wunders initiative.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.