This book is dedicated to the traveller who is stranded in a place away from home.

The germ of the idea to put my thoughts on paper originated after a conversation with my cousin, Neil D'souza who encouraged me to record my experiences for posterity.

What started as an article gradually evolved into a book – sometimes even taking me back to my childhood memories in Mangalore.

Under normal circumstances; a journey from Mangalore to Auckland is nothing out of the ordinary. However, throw in the dynamics of the Corona Virus and the myriad of challenges it creates and you have a travel that is fraught with anxious moments. There were times when I visualised Sisyphus rolling an immense boulder uphill but there was always a glimmer of hope.

This is my first attempt at writing a book and it narrates my stay in the City of Mangalore, my onward travel from Mangalore to Auckland and my mandatory fourteen day quarantine that I had to undergo due to requirements of the Government of New Zealand.