[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Teasers -

[/ATTACH]

Originally Posted by robimahanta

It was a wonderful experience meeting so many TBHPians during the meet. Kudos to RSudarsanan, Jayanth(Diesel_convert), KarthikK for organizing it. The attention to detail was just outstanding.

My baby Tsi on the beach

[/ATTACH]

Some fantastic pictures there and awesome write up.

Robi, your TSi is gleaming and is sure to be the envy of anyone's eye!

I couldn't attend the drive as I was caught up with work.
Rather, I am still not out of the loop I got caught back then.
Still away from home

Keep similar ventures coming and keep the spirit high.
A huge round of applause to RSUDARSANAN sir for organising and executing this to precision.

[anand.babu]

Originally Posted by shimshumara

(Disclaimer: Incase I have missed somebody, do let me know)

Of course, you missed me .

[Dr.AD]

As most others have said, this was truly an amazing drive! Thank you very much to RSUDARSANAN for making this happen. As others have said, the planning and execution by RSUDARSANAN was just phenomenal. Many thanks to Diesel_Convert, and KarthikK as well! It was really the planning as well as great coordination among all of you that made this drive happen!

It was great meeting so many bhpians. I certainly made some new friends! Thank you everyone for the great time!

And finally, many thanks to the mods who drove some 70 odd kilometers to meet us and give us the surprise gift! It was really a very nice gesture. I am still proudly showing around "the gift" to friends and colleagues.

You guys have posted some superb pictures here. I was shooting around mostly with the camera in my mobile, and hence, do not have pictures of quality comparable to what has been posted here. But nevertheless, I thought I should share a few pictures of my own anyways. So here we go.


1. Under grey skies, we have the first regroup - the breakfast at Kamat. Of course, the Indica (taxi) was not part of our meet.





2. The scenic (although potholed) portion of the drive before we reached Virajpet:





3. A fellow bhpian in my ORVM:





4. Trying to capture the "fog lighted" convoy in my IRVM (note: both this and the above shots were taken after parking the car safely for a moment, and not while driving; safety first! )





5. Regardless of the broken road, this section was scenic and incredibly fun to drive! Overall, in our entire drive, we faced only about some 30km or so of bad roads like this one. The rest of the roads were just superb!





6 & 7. Our rides parked outside "Kanaka Beach House" where we stayed:







8. The morning rays on the trees; time to take the rides out for what would turn about to be a fabulous day of driving on the beach, some butter-smooth roads, some beautiful ghats, and finally, an unforgettable night drive with the convoy!





9. The most unique view in my ORVMs so far; look, we are on the beach!





10 & 11. Making a splash! Another unique experience for both me and my car!







12. Catching up with rest of the convoy on the beach:





13. A policeman wondering about what is going on:





14. The various members of the convoy scattered around on the beach:





15. Some locals (and other tourists as well) could not hide their amusement and curiosity seeing so many cars together on the beach:





16. The cars start moving around - the formation for the group photo begins:





17 & 18. The formation in progress, with Robi's "hit hatch" just about to join the gang:







19. The formation is almost complete:





20. While this was all going on, in the background, some of us trying to restart the Bolero which unfortunately refused to start (and a local ice-cream vendor watching in amusement):





21-24. Some more shots of the formation, trying to capture as many cars as possible in different frames:











25. After having pushed the Bolero out of the water, efforts going on to get it started:





26: Our convoy stuck in a minor traffic jam on our way to Thalassery:





27: Finally, at the end of this incredible journey, returned home at about 2:30AM; and next morning I saw this layer of hardened sand on my car (which of course, was promptly and professionally cleaned at 3M in HSR Layout):





Overall, what an incredible experience! Thanks again to all of you - the planners, the executioners, and the enthusiastic participants!

Now eagerly looking forward to the next drive! Goa, anyone?

Thanks,
-AD

[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by Dr.AD

15. Some locals (and other tourists as well) could not hide their amusement and curiosity seeing so many cars together on the beach:

other tourists? You mean the person in blue jeans and shirt with a camera bag? Thats ME

Lovely pictures, friends. It was wonderful to meet you at all the 'City of Looms and Lores'. Hope you all liked my hometown.
Full credits to Ravi Sir for such meticulous planning and organization and due credits to Kartik, Jayant and everyone in the group for the perfect execution of his plans!!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

other tourists? You mean the person in blue jeans and shirt with a camera bag? Thats ME

Hahah. Sandeep, no, I did not call you "other tourists". Of course I recognized your photo. But I was referring to the boy on the bicycle, and I vaguely remembered some other tourists in a couple of cars there who were amused by us. Anyways, sorry for the confusion.

By the way, thanks a lot Sandeep for showing us around and taking care of us there. It was great meeting you and talking to you.

[RSUDARSANAN]

Some "popcorn" between Karthik's intermissions:

One of the dream stretches



Entering Ambatty Greens



Karthik confessed that at lunch he wielded a plate not his camera so posting my lunch captures











Hunger pangs doused, it's all smiles



Trooping out to resume the drive



A parting click of the manicured landscape

[KarthikK]

(Continued...)

Our white Punto was the last one to reach the convoy which was waiting at the next regroup point - the turnoff at Srirangapatna towards Hunsur (bypassing Mysore). I managed to get some snaps of the cars as we all regrouped and departed. mohanKV's car took the lead at this point with robimahanta closely behind. We were leading the others cars up until the coffee break stop at Cafe County, Hunsur.

The lineup at the regroup point at Srirangapatna bridge





brraj's remapped Polo GT TDI



anand.babu's black esteem



ratsharm's mighty Bolero



shimshumara getting shots of the convoy



praveen.balan with his Pete'd Octavia, accompanied by Dean



Captain RSudarsanan leading the pack out of the stop point



Nikhil in his Fiesta 1.6



CrAzY DrIvEr in his Punto 90HP



CalypsoGT in his Polo GT TDI



Diesel_convert in the Rapid



Akshay_S in his Fiesta



procrj in his WagonR



Closely followed by Dass in his DZire



Shimshumara has his handle on the windshield of his i10



Robimahanta and his hot hatch souped up Polo GT TSI



mohanKV and rohittunga in the other white Punto 90HP



On the road leading to Hunsur, there were some nice views to keep the passengers glued to the windows







Some rash bus drivers were still not respecting the convoy's size. Look at the arrogant overtaking move in spite of 20+ cars closing in on the opposite lane



By roughly 10.30 AM, robi's car and ours reached the next stop - Cafe County after Hunsur (the purple board to the left of this picture)



I stood at the fork just before the coffee joint so that members didn't get confused at the fork. It was a hot morning!


(to be continued...)

[tilt]

Originally Posted by RSUDARSANAN

Prologue:

Where do I begin
To tell the story of how enchanting a drive can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the exhilaration a drive brings to me
Where do I start

A drive fills my heart with very special things
With angels' songs , with wild imaginings
A drive fills my soul with so much love
That everywhere I go I'm never lonely
With a drive, who could be lonely
I reach for the steering-it's always there

How long does it last
Can a drive be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know I'll need another drive till the stars all burn away
And the tarmac is always there


Apologies to Andy Williams
Words-smith: yours truly

Ravi, everyone here has complimented you on your organisational skills and the great trip you planned and executed etc.

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on a great interpretation of the lyrics of the theme from "Love Story". I bet all the participants here are either too young to have even heard of the movie or Andy Williams; or are of the right age but have never been exposed to the movie or the song.

When I come back to India and buy a car, maybe I can be part of some of your drives.

Cheers man,

Kumar

[RSUDARSANAN]

More "popcorn":

Post lunch drive took us past a pretty water body



and a church



before we swung alongside the Arabian sea



Tea at Kanaka Beach House



The snazzy tea set up at Asokam Beach resort



The Asokam



A click of Pranav Beach resort



Balcony views from Kanaka

[RSUDARSANAN]

"popcorn" is addictive.

Our resorts, overlooked the Payyambalam beach. Separating the two was a lovely palmlined promenade running all along the coastline.
After tea, scrambled over the rocks and stepped on to soft sands of Payambalam beach.

Some fun in the surf:

Family moments


Solitary too


Beach banter, the team on the rocks, literally


and continued to rock


The evening party in session


and fireworks too


10th anniversary celebration indeed


Dinner is served

[shetty_rohan]

I had clicked these photos(except mine) during the introduction session

[RSUDARSANAN]

Originally Posted by shetty_rohan

I had clicked these photos(except mine) during the introduction session

Candid camera cameos, indeed !!

[calypsoGT]

Its time i added a few more memories to this album. They might not be something you would like to look upon, but would like to share them anyway. Wanted to thank the other members for their company and would like to see all of them in the upcoming ventures.

It was a great pleasure riding with you. Keep on rolling.

[raajks]

As a family we await the moment when an overnighter is planned by Ravi Sudarsan,
We absolutely love his detailed planning and his meticulous attention to detail.

Feeling inspired by Ravi, I planned to upgrade the wheels to MRF ZLOs, 205 55 R15. The intent was to have a blast and enjoy ever ounce of the drivable tarmac.

Thanks to Nikhil for making this recommendation and taking excellent care of me, all the way from Delhi.

I have been christened as a “brat” by Ravi, to honor the title we started a little late and possibly elevated Ravi's heart rate as he was taking the morning check-in attendance only to find us missing

The lethal combination, a Polo GT TDi + the Drift King or Dirt King as called by my spouse.



As we reached Mc Donalds, I realized my engine oil and the coolant had reached its minimum level.
Thanks to brraj for stepping in and helping me out with the engine oil and coolant, the car was back to its famed glory.

The GT TDi had also found a partner in crime, My buddy and my kid’s hero - Praveen Balan’s peted Skoda Octovia



We had an absolute blast driving through the twisties, It was a drive to cherish.
After a few pitstops and some spirited driving, we arrived at the Kanaka beach resort.
A beautiful experience, with an endless symphony from the sea that is accessible from the resort.
A creative’s dream.

After parking the steeds,




we head to soak in the view




I just could nt contain my excitement


We gave in to the calling of the sea






The next morning, our mallu uncles were just exiting their hangover


There was a sense of being blessed


Managed to steal a picture perfect moment as a family


We then get ready to rumble,



We headed on to our drive-in beach as I did some progressive drifts, catching the slide, letting it go and dancing with the sea.
It was bliss, a cherished moment.

As time flew, it was time to pause for a group capture




It was time to return to the maddening routine of life, the solace however was the winding roads accompanied by some spirited convoy driving by Praveen balan, Jayant (Diesel convert) & Karthik.

In closing,

Ravi, awesome planning and love your meticulous attention to detail
Jayant & Karthik, you guys shouldered your responsibilities so well. Amazing commitment.

Praveen Balan, thanks for the company

Nikhil & Anna, Akshay, Ratsham & family, brraj, satya,raj.barcode, dean,robi, shetty_rohan,calypsoGT,kilo_alpha,abrinale,dr.inte l - We are an awesome group guys, you folks made it special.

Ajmat and Vidyut, love the souvenirs from team-bhp

Thanks to team-bhp for getting a fine set of people together.

What's next:
As my B16's get ready for my Polo GT TDi, We are so looking forward for another overnighter from the Master Planner!

[KarthikK]

(continued...)

One by one, all ours cars rolled into the parking lot at Cafe County, off Hunsur.



Being a hot day, many of us just opted for something cold to sip on. While some members spent some time chit-chatting inside,



The others were chit-chatting outside. That's crazy Driver and his better half, with mohanKV.



And this was cmiuc with raj.barcode and _chikku. The person on the extreme left wasn't a member as far as I know.



By roughly 11 AM, we departed from Cafe County and proceeded further on our route towards the lunch stop, Ambatti greens resort off Bittangala (Virajpet). There was a deviation we had to take via a narrower albeit more scenic highway. There was a regroup at this turnoff to ensure members don't overshoot the turn.



RS sir discussing the next plan of action



procrj: "Baap re! what a huge lineup!"



Hot hatches with the king of hot hatches (robi's Polo GTI)



The heavyweights lined up at the front



Akshay's official entry to Shaadi.com



Soon the cars departed after everyone had arrived at the turnoff.



The roads were in shambles for quite a distance and the convoy couldn't keep up pace. We were stuck somewhere in the middle of the convoy.



But we had praveen.Balan and ratsharm for company in our ORVM mirrors.





The ghat roads were completely deserted. The scenery also changed to more winding and steep tarmac while the quality somewhat improved a bit as we were nearing Virajpet.





We reached Ambatti greens at around 1.30-2 PM if I can recollect correctly. After a sumptuous coorgie cuisine lunch buffet at Ambatti, we set out for Kannur. I haven't taken any snaps of the lunch at Ambatti, those pictures have been covered by RSudarsanan sir in one of his earlier posts.


By roughly 4.30 PM, we were almost at Kannur. Sandsun7 was a local boy here. He had come to guide us to our resorts through motorable routes not known to Google maps. There was a short regroup session at a fuel bunk where some members chose to tank up, while the others just waited for RS sir to fix some tyre woes on his 320D's rear tyre.


Sandsun7: where on earth were you guys? I've been waiting for you all since ages



RS: the rear tyre seems to be losing pressure.



Sandsun7: never mind sir. Just backup here and refill air for the time being. I'll take you to a bigger tyre repair centre if the problem persists



Rohittunga, praveen.balan and raajks in serious discussion



Abirnale even had his name printed on a T-shirt!



RS sir was almost done with the tyre pressure checks



The other members were winding up their discussions too



And getting ready to leave



Sandsun7 trying to read a secret letter. What's that?? *winks*



Leading a huge convoy through crowded traffic-infested roads was a herculean task. We lost a few members, but they used google maps or asked localites to find their view to Payyambalam beach road, where all our resorts were located. I was with sandsun7 for this stretch just to free him from receiving members' calls while driving. Some snaps as we cut through the city and approached the beach:



Kannur beach, here we come



The Payyambalam beach road had a lot of resorts on the beachside. The beauty of staying opposite this beach was the sheer proximity to the water. Just 10 metres away from the resort gates and we could hit the sand and water, literally!



Sandsun7 and I guided most of the following members to the gates of their respective resorts, then I was dropped at Asokam beach resort, where I was supposed to be put up. One board peeped out of the thick hedge



Crossing the road was all that was left to be done. Looking right..


(To be continued...)