33 year-old British journalist Vanessa Able trashed every myth about a lone foreign woman travelling across India when she traversed the world's 'scariest' roads in a tiny Tata Nano. Her experiences have been documented in the quirky www.nanodiaries.com. She tells SOWMYA RAJARAM she'll be back in India this October, to take her Nano up to Rajasthan

Why India, and why in a Nano?
I used to come backpacking here when I was a student in the '90s, and I don't think there's anywhere quite like it in the world. So on January 25 2010, one day after my 33rd birthday, I became the proud owner of Abhilasha, a canary yellow, LX model of the Tata Nano. With four doors, no trunk, a button-sized steering wheel to go with the button-sized tyres, a rear-mounted 64 c, 2-cylinder engine and a maximum speed of about 90 kmph, it's hardly every boy's dream racer.

What better steed, I thought, than this highly symbolic mascot of a country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world?


Vanessa and her willing posers, a neighbourhood Sunday cricket team
in Mumbai

India is notorious, especially in the eyes of the 'first world', for its bad roads and unsafe environment. Was this a concern?
Yes, it occurred to me before

I left. But I was pleasantly surprised by the state of most of the roads, especially those within the Golden Quadrilateral. There were times when highways suddenly disintegrated into dirt tracks, but anyone who plunges into driving in India realises that it's actually quite easy to integrate yourself.

It requires more alertness and concentration than driving in the West, but I found it exhilarating. I encountered nothing but respectful friendliness from almost everyone I met.