Annakutty Simon is no ordinary great-grandmother. In fact, the 95-year-old lady from Kerala leads a rather extraordinary life travelling across the world, all by herself!
Clad in her traditional attire right down to wearing thoda in her ears, the woman, who has 20 great-grandchildren, started travelling to foreign locales at the ripe young age of 75.
Since that maiden trip in 1997 to Germany, Annakutty has been to France, UAE and Israel.
Even though she is only conversant in Malayalam and has studied only till lower primary school, she says that she has never faced a language barrier in her life. Speaking to The News Minute she says, “Wherever I go, I speak only Malayalam as I know just that. Still I have never had any major communication problem abroad. Those whom I ask my doubts in Malayalam clear them in their language, but by God’s grace I get my answers.”
And while officials are wary of approving her visas now owing to her advanced age, she claims that she is in the pinnacle of health with no discernible problems like diabetes or cholesterol. And she wants to continue travelling because it’s her passion and she feels young at heart.
Apart from travelling, Annakutty, who was widowed 50 years ago, is a true matriarch of her family, looking after their farms and fields. She is also an experienced midwife. One of her grandchildren spoke to the website and said that she also is the “chief cook” in the family’s kitchen.
For now, as she dreams of heading to Calvary, a site that is immediately outside the walls of Jerusalem, it doesn’t look like she is slowing down any time soon.
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