Why did the sannyasi Vijayananda become distressed and worried after arriving in Shirdi?

According to Chapter 31, the sannyasi Vijayananda became dejected and immersed in worry because of a conversation he had in Shirdi. While on his way to Mansarovar, he met Haridwar's Swami Somdevji. When Vijayananda asked about the journey, the Swami painted a grim picture, stating it was five hundred miles away, with heavy snow, and that outsiders face much hardship due to changing languages and fearful natives. Hearing this discouraging news directly from the Swami's mouth caused the sannyasi's mind to become distressed and his purpose to waver before he even had Sai Baba's darshan.