I do have 2 gps enabled phones. But no software to tag locations. If someone can suggest good software, I shall tag the way points, when i go again.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

A 5-series driving on the wrong side of the road with headlights on had to give way on the way back to Cochin later, scurrying away to the shoulder as we refused to move from our rightful side of the road.

On another note, we also got fined for speeding. Twice. Gimme another vehicle that will do all of the above within the hour.

In my book, that is 80% the reason for buying the Safari and compensates for all the niggles that people reportedly have, especially the neighbours, unclejis, bhaiyya et al.

Everytime I scare the living daylights out of auto and cab wallahs (even my wife has started doing that now); i feel glad to own this beast!

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

In my book, that is 80% the reason for buying the Safari and compensates for all the niggles that people reportedly have, especially the neighbours, unclejis, bhaiyya et al.

Everytime I scare the living daylights out of auto and cab wallahs (even my wife has started doing that now); i feel glad to own this beast!

Both of us seems to be having like minded authors!

[speedzak]

WOW! This thread has crossed 20thousand views now. My goodness!
Very big thanks to all bhpians for this overwhelming response to our DRIVE.

I'm yet to write some fine details from our drive. So, keep it up! :

[akroy]

Originally Posted by speedzak

I'm yet to write some fine details from our drive. So, keep it up! :

Zak, Bring them in fast. Eager to read them as well.

Abhi

[jack33]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

I do have 2 gps enabled phones. But no software to tag locations. If someone can suggest good software, I shall tag the way points, when i go again.

hi rippergeo,great to hear that you guys had a wonderful monsoon drive with lots of thunderstorms.You can try using Garmin QueGpsv2.1 for marking the waypoints.I'm using a Treo 650 with garmin GPS10,which is working perfectly.

[Veelubai]

Guys, looks like the excitement has kind of settled down now.

Steer - Thanks for the encouragement. It was really needed then.

Those who think the lancer is anemic, it isint that bad actually and morover its a 1,72,000kms ran Diesel car but still goes like a dream.Even that morning on my way to sarovaram I easily did 140 and 150km/hr a couple of times. Though the car is not revv friendly and Its best when you upshift early as revving is useless and also got of FE of 13-14km for the entire trip, I never had to refill in the entire trip which started from Thrissur and during the return journey the car ran for 200kms without coolant as there was some kind of leak I guess. Iam in love with the car and the car loves to zip around in town . Vichu will testifly this.

[suman]

Originally Posted by Veelubai

Those who think the lancer is anemic, it isint that bad and its a 1,72,000kms ran Diesel car but still goes like a dream.Even that morning on my way to sarovaram I easily did 140 and 150km/hr a couple of times.

My experience with a Diesel Lancer has been that it pulls like a locomotive when in overdrive - have been in one on the Greater Noida Expressway, coming back from Dadri, didn't realize that we were doing around 150 till I looked at the speedo. Wasn't very noisy either. Told the driver to slow down as I wasn't too sure of its stability at those speeds though.

[Veelubai]

yeah ! Tt pulls cleanly from 40km / hr on 5th gear.Though in the first couple of gears it is a bit sluggish. But if you are looking for outright power like the Crdi engines produce then the lancer is not for you and its a lot more stable than some other cars around.

[speedzak]

We reach Vagamon around 11.45am. It's now told to me that some guys haven't had breakfast so the need of a stop at some munchable place is a must. I look at the time again and I'm sure it's going to difficult. LUNCH, if planned now will be a good idea.

Anyway, I move on to Vagamon meadows and the lake nearby. This place is a must visit for anybody who loves greenery. Acres and acres of grasslands which ends near a very beautiful small lake. When we arrive there, we can see a bit of crowd and the rain is playing hide and seek. Not sure what to do, walk into the meadows and get drenched or ignore this piece of magnificent natural beauty and go on to catch something to bite into. I'm paused. Steer comes aside and suggests for a quick drive to SAJ Vagamon hideout for a brunch. We can do the meadows later when the rain is not in the radar.

Safari moves ahead. We follow. What we're welcomed with is some über ultra narrow road which hasn't seen any proper vehicles for some decades. Seems only Jeeps will wade it's way thru. But before all these thingys flash in my mind, Safari is gone and it's disappearing into the horizon. My god!
Potholes beg for mercy. Jeeps make way. Dirt and mud is welcomed by the plantations nearby. Rocks wait to turn into soil. Stones fly as tissue paper. It seems for sure that somebody is reclaiming his life.

I humbly follow the beast with my Toy. So does the other small cars. Keeping a fair good distance from the rocks flying off the tires of the thingy ahead. We reach a patch where rocks dominate the path and I see the Safari parked on top and everybody outside to see our pathetic condition. I carefully make my way up while my wife has her eye***** out of it's place. Then, I too stop, get out and look behind. There's a commotion happening down. Some cars are being parked on the side or so. Some are deciding whether to climb or not. We encourage then with both our hands in air and waving. Hip hip hurray! Hip hip hurray!

Bombatt takes up the courage and pushes his Spark up the rocks. But he doesn't get it right the first time. Some of us decide to walk down and help them and some joins us from below. Together, we manage to get the Sparky going. Wow! It's a capable vehicle man!
Same goes with Patchy's Palio. Then, all cars follow.

I jump into the Qualis and starts moving. Everybody follow. At a point Steer overtakes us all in a jiffy and becomes the navigator.
We reach Vagamon hideout where a small disappointing surprise was awaiting us.

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by speedzak

...We reach Vagamon hideout where a small disappointing surprise was awaiting us.

Speedzak on the roll here... seems like all of you guys have the 'writers' touch in you!

[speedzak]

Ever been to a resort in a well known tourist destination which has it's restaurant/kitchen closed due to bad road conditions?
Blistering Barnacles!!
That's exactly the answer we got at the gate of this very well known resort. Seems they better close/sell the whole resort rather than just the kitchen. A request to the manager was made as we were about 30 hungry scavengers. Lol!
Neeesh! Comes the answer. They've locked up the kitchen quite well it seems. I give some mouthfull so that atleast they can remove those useless boards announcing about this fantastic restaurant they had been operating once! GRRRRR!!!!

We have not much choices but take a U turn! And we precisely do that. We arrange Lunch at a known resort (Where we have been to, before) over the phone and I drive off leaving the convoy to make arrangements for that. I strictly advice everybody to stay behind at the meadows and take some good photography because the lunch will take a good 45 mins to 1 hour.

I reach Summer Sands, Drive in and meet up the manager who was very courteous and helpful this time (He didn't want something like last time). LOL!!!

[raghu.t.k]

I sat and completed all the 45 pages in one go right from around 11:00 doing nothing else. And some places was sitting and laughing my top off, at my desk. As some one said, it has all the elements of a blockbuster.

Now need to catch up on some of the official stuff....

[speedzak]

Time to put up some pics! Yes, SOME!


Bombatt's Spark braves it's way thru some very bad patches of roads.




CaliforniaKnight's Esteem. She is a gem of a car driven by a gem of a driver!




View from the SummerSands restaurant! Seen this before nay???? :


Now, let me remind you guys that this thread has become one of the most viewed threads in Team-Bhp meets' section. 20thousand plus views within a month! Keep it up guys! :

[srijit]

CaliKnight's car was fantastic. I think I have got vids of the strobes, albeit for a few seconds only. At night, it looks like the Knight Rider. Very Cool