{"id":4832,"date":"2025-01-26T21:44:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T15:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/blog\/"},"modified":"2025-01-27T18:29:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T12:44:53","slug":"lost-french-cyclists-find-warmth-in-india-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/stranded-cyclists-find-warmth-in-a-bareilly-village\/","title":{"rendered":"Waylaid French cyclists find kindness in Indian village on their way to Kathmandu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An unusual scene unfolded on a quiet Thursday night in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh, India. Two French tourists, Brian Jacques Gilbert and Sebastian Francois Gabriel, found themselves lost, cycling under the faint moonlight on an unfamiliar, deserted road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their journey from Delhi to Kathmandu had started with excitement and high spirits, according to a Press Trust of India report. Having landed in Delhi on January 7, the duo set out on an ambitious cross-border cycling expedition to Nepal. Their planned route would take them through Pilibhit and onward to Tanakpur, a border town near the Himalayas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as night fell, a ‘shortcut’ suggested by Google Maps diverted them to Baheri, a small town in the Bareilly district. Here, the roads were remote, signage sparse, and the terrain unfamiliar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycling in the darkness, the glow of their bike lights caught the attention of locals near the Churaili Dam. The villagers, unaccustomed to seeing foreigners in the area and unable to communicate due to the language barrier, grew curious and concerned. They approached the two cyclists, unsure of their intentions and worried about their safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the villagers later explained, ‘When we saw two foreigners cycling on a deserted road at 11 pm, we didn\u2019t understand what they were saying. To avoid any trouble, we decided to take them to the police,’\u201d the Indian news agency quoted a local as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The villagers escorted Gilbert and Gabriel to the nearby Churaili police outpost, where the situation began to unravel. Baheri Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh revealed, \u201cThey were trying to reach Nepal but were waylaid by Google Maps, which showed them a shortcut that instead led them to these remote roads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya personally addressed the matter. \u201cThe tourists were polite but visibly disoriented. We ensured they were given proper guidance and assistance,\u201d Arya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To provide the duo with a safe place to stay, the police arranged for them to spend the night at the home of the local village Pradhan (chief). The Pradhan\u2019s family warmly welcomed the unexpected guests, offering them a simple yet hearty meal of dal, rice, and fresh rotis. Although communication was limited, smiles, gestures, and tea bridged the gap, easing the travellers\u2019 anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By morning, the cyclists were rested and equipped with detailed directions from the police to prevent further detours. Under clearer skies, they prepared to resume their journey, reflecting on the kindness they had experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile it was scary to get lost at night, the villagers and police were incredibly kind,\u201d Gilbert told PTI. \u201cThis was unexpected but truly heartwarming. We\u2019ll never forget this experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the two pedalled away, the villagers gathered to wave them off, creating a poignant moment of connection between two very different worlds: a quiet rural hamlet in India and two adventurers chasing a dream across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gilbert and Gabriel, this unexpected stop was more than just a detour. It became a powerful reminder of travel’s unpredictability and the unforgettable connections that can transform a moment of uncertainty into a cherished memory. (With inputs from PTI)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Related Images:<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Frenchmen travelling from Delhi to Kathmandu lose their way and stray into a remote village in Bareilly, North India, after taking a shortcut suggested by Google Maps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"8850 Media","author_link":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/author\/usr_8850\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Lost-cyclists-300x163.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["News<\/a>"],"unlinked":["News<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago","modified":"Updated 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 26 \u091c\u0928\u0935\u0930\u0940 2025","modified":"Updated on 27 \u091c\u0928\u0935\u0930\u0940 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 26 \u091c\u0928\u0935\u0930\u0940 2025 21:44","modified":"Updated on 27 \u091c\u0928\u0935\u0930\u0940 2025 18:29"},"featured_img_caption":"[:en]An otherwise trusted navigator misleads the two French cyclists, leading to unexpected detours. Photos: UP Police via X<\/em>[:]","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4832"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4870,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4832\/revisions\/4870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}