Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams.

AbhishekB86 · 14th June 2012, 22:34

Day 1 in Bombay :

They say a man is as good as his first impression. Don't we form opinions when we look at people? A man with a jhola and a beard can be easily labelled as a journalist or 'artistic type'. I'm the neat corporate type (don't go by the pictures, I do have a presentable self) my shoes are always polished because my hotel chain demands I look my best when meeting clients. My ties match my shirt and even though I have a lot of words I can't use here to describe my meetings I do actually have a smile plastered on my face. The hospitality industry demands it.

I was staying at a 5 star 'sister chain' and had a majorly discounted employee rate (which is still not affordable I must admit) This calls for utmost formality and good behavior when staying there. No you can't get drunk and tell the front desk to take you to your room. In fact if you're all drunk and super man like avoid getting fired by not coming back. It's that simple.

When availing such a facility from the company you ought to be well groomed. I was well groomed alright, I was wearing a t-shirt soaked in sweat. My car was full of an oreo here and an uncle chip wafer there and a granola bar wrapper somewhere.

I assure you of my hygiene I do dispose of things at fuel pumps or pit stops but one plastic bag was left which overturned while braking (Blame a crazy truck who I thought probably had power steering, you should have seen his 1926 model cut to my lane. It was incredible. GM should consult the maker maybe?)

So getting back to the point. After much judgement from the valet I proceeded to the lobby. I was to be assisted to my room by a man who explained me some things about the room. I didn't care I just wanted him to leave. So he did.

I wanted to sleep but my close friend and my girl friend wanted me out as soon as possible. We decided on dinner with the close friend and my girl friend would join me in a couple of hours.

I took a quick shower and I was asleep before you could count 3. I woke up after a couple of hours and my girl friend and I indulged in what I wanted to indulge in. Before you get any ideas, it was VADA PAV. Oh noes how I love it. Street food in Bombay does it get any better? Evening snack for 18 bucks. Two of them downed in four bites.

Next on my list was Bhel & Sev puri. My girl friend before dinner went on to comment that 'This will be your third dinner' with a poker face.

Well maybe but who can resist road side food? After the now disgusting granola bars I was munching on awesomess.

I went to a restaurant called Five spice. There are very few people who I find irritating, I'm a level headed and patient guy but some annoy me. The waiter on being asked what I could drink said 'Paani he pehle to'

So the over smart chap was summoned again 'Will the starter be a good idea considering your portions are huge?' he replies with another smug smile 'Shayad aapko risk nahi lena chahiye'

Anyway post dinner and a lots to catch up on each others' love and more importantly working life we decided it was time I head back to the hotel.

Now I must really admit I am surprised by how awesome the rickshaws are in Bombay. If I was living in Bombay and driving, I would hate them for their reckless driving but unlike Delhi I could get an auto from any street no matter how remote. And they all went by the meter. No excuses. Perfecto!

I checked on my car. It sure needed a wash. The question was where? I was told a mall in Malad did have the facilities. I delayed it for another day.

To be continued

faustus77 · 15th June 2012, 00:00

Abhishek
Hi
Thanks for your kind words.
Bombay Delhi Bombay was different.(oct/nov 2010)
Bombay Leh Bombay was in Aug/Sep 2011.
Just packed up and left after dilly dallying.Since all my driving trips are by myself dont have to depend on any second thoghts.
It was just the route that HVK saar had given me upto Pathankot.
From there I followed somebody else and drove over the Ranjit Saagar dam,bypassed Jammu and drove to Patnitop and onwards to Srinagar.After Srinagar a straight road to Leh.You cant get lost.
Regards
PS.Just read your preceding post.Look forward to more.

AbhishekB86 · 15th June 2012, 00:15

Hi Sir,

Maybe it sounds a little too much but after all the information you've provided must say you are amazing beyond doubt.
I would love to read the details of the Bombay-Leh-Bombay drive.
I would love to cover this stretch in my beat hopefully somewhere in the future.
How was the Beat? Was group clearance an issue on any of the rough patches?
I would really appreciate it if you could share the details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by faustus77

Abhishek
Hi
Thanks for your kind words.
Bombay Delhi Bombay was different.(oct/nov 2010)
Bombay Leh Bombay was in Aug/Sep 2011.
Just packed up and left after dilly dallying.Since all my driving trips are by myself dont have to depend on any second thoghts.
It was just the route that HVK saar had given me upto Pathankot.
From there I followed somebody else and drove over the Ranjit Saagar dam,bypassed Jammu and drove to Patnitop and onwards to Srinagar.After Srinagar a straight road to Leh.You cant get lost.
Regards
PS.Just read your preceding post.Look forward to more.

ranjitp1 · 15th June 2012, 15:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Attachment 940864

Lovely narration.Glad you enjoyed your drive.I particularly loved the above picture.Lovely.Well like they all say,being in love is always a crazy experience-experience speaking

Did you land up at the Malad 5 Spice?The portions there are really humongous,they do have a dessert in there which is mind boggling,something with a cake and an ice cream served together.Thats a very interesting dish.

OT:So do we get to come to you for interesting rates at hotels?

Was your drive back to Delhi a better experience?

AbhishekB86 · 15th June 2012, 19:48

Hey Ranjit thanks so much. I'm glad you know the experience. It comes about when you least expect it.

I was at the Malad 5 spice. I could have served another two people the portions were so huge. I feared going for the dessert as I thought I'd choke on all the food that there was, so decided to skip.

I'll make it a point to have it one day though. Seems like you go there often.

As a matter of fact, yes you can call me. I do help out my friends but this is not advisable at 9.45 pm when you're stuck on a highway

Please do PM me if you're ever going for a holiday. My clients are destination management companies who do help me out as and when I request them to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjitp1

Lovely narration.Glad you enjoyed your drive.I particularly loved the above picture.Lovely.Well like they all say,being in love is always a crazy experience-experience speaking

Did you land up at the Malad 5 Spice?The portions there are really humongous,they do have a dessert in there which is mind boggling,something with a cake and an ice cream served together.Thats a very interesting dish.

OT:So do we get to come to you for interesting rates at hotels?

Was your drive back to Delhi a better experience?

AbhishekB86 · 15th June 2012, 21:24

Day 2 in Bombay :

I woke up at a leisurely hour and went for the buffet breakfast. I ate and I ate. I could not move after the breakfast. I probably had 4 plates done all by myself.

My girl friend and I spent most of morning/afternoon by ourselves and we were meeting after a gap of couple of months. This was well worth it. It was quality time and I must admit we needed this. We decided to head out when the sun was a little forgiving.

We met up my close friend Esha and headed to Bandra. A place called the The Yoga House. Before you assume I'm a big fan of Baba Ramdev I suggest you go eat their potato with cheese. It was simply awesome. Cafe Moshe was next and a mocha with cheese cake was gulped within no time.

When two women meet up invariably the man is the victim. A lot of laughter at my expense. They ganged up and took my case very well. Ahem.

We proceeded to Carter road. We walked around and I noticed Bombay for what it really is. A woman is respected here and not stared at. Everyone is accepted (the hardliners exist I know) and no one is bothered about what the other person is doing. I usually have the aunty sitting next to me in the Delhi Metro staring at the angry birds causing carnage on my phone.

We ate some awesome shawarma's nearby and left for Goregaon. We had some delicious butter chicken at a Indian restaurant near Infinity, I can't seem to remember the name. Now we were to return to the hotel and I tried my hand at something random. I speak hindi well but I wanted to give it a shot so here was my one liner to the rickshaw.

"Boss Goregaon East chalne ka he?" Haha!

Day Three in Bombay :

My girlfriend left for Church gate and I was supposed to join her. Oh well well that would mean either shelling out major notes for a cab or the local. The local it is I decided. I was a little scared, I've heard aren't very kind while entering or stepping out of the locals.

I stood at the ticket counter and was excepting anything in the range of 20-25 bucks for the ticket till the man at the counter said it was 8 rupees.

Wot Wot Wot? I remember my friends telling me how expensive it would be to reach town by cab and here I would be at Church gate in 8 bucks?

I sprinted on the steps to ensure I don't miss the fast train. Indeed I sprinted a little too far and realized I left my platform entry behind. So I sprinted the other side now. So much so for being spirited. Don't ask I tend to get a little over excited when happy.

The Delhi Metro crowd pushes you into the Metro but in Bombay you are sorted out. Either you're fast or you're fast there's no option. I jumped in. I was told specifically to not occupy the first class. I ensured I did not.

I reached Church gate in one piece and we went to a very nice and comfortable book shop and cafe called Kitaab Khana. It had an imposing gentleman taking orders. Some cold coffee and conversations about our future and this that. Couple time you can call it.

Next on our agenda was Sterling. I once happened to order a chocolate sandwich at the vendor opposite to sterling and loved it a lot. In fact the last time I was in Bombay (had flown down) me and my friend walked around for hours. With so much nostalgia attached I didn't want to give it a miss. After walking around a bit we headed towards Colaba.

I really want to know why and really why do traffic lights exist in Bombay? There is no point painting the stop line if it has 6 rows of traffic ahead of it. I do not appreciate this about the city. Delhi folks respect the signal a lot more in comparison. Don't get me wrong but I noticed people crawl ahead to such an extent it can easily labelled as skipping a light. I would hate to drive in such a scenario.

Also I feel the rickshaws scare the cars here. It's almost as if they are imposing their presence like an SUV.

Anyway so we got back as I had evening friends with my college friends living in the city. We headed to a pub in Juhu(this one is near Four Seasons, straight from Prithvi theatre) there's a Cafe Coffee Day outside. We had an awesome time there reliving the college days. I took an auto and returned back to the hotel.

Day Four :

This was to be my last day in Bombay. Needless to say the woman in my life did not want us to venture out. So we spent a lot of quality time together. I managed to annoy her enough by going to the nearby Oberoi Mall for the car spa and the fuel pump . She was annoyed and it took a good amount of time dealing with the 'nothing forget it' phase. How to balance the car and the woman? Ofcourse there is more to 'nothing' and you're doomed if you 'forget it'. A tip (cause it worked) : Stay silent. No silly words uttered , no further punishment is the logic. Haha!

We went for dinner to Woodside Inn at Oshiwara. That's where the above food pictures come from. I came back and struck a deal with a gola dealer for 6 squares of ice. He asked for a lot of money but what the heck he could have managed 25 golas with that much ice so I gave in and my ice box was ready. Munchies and cold drinks were picked up from Food Bazaar.

Bombay - Delhi

WARNING : DO NOT CONSUME 2 CUPS OF COFFEE AND A BOTTLE OF WATER BEFORE YOU INTEND TO DRIVE. IT KILLS.

I intended to start at 7 but due to unfortunate delays had to postpone it to 9. I drove out of Goregaon east took a U-turn towards Ghodbunder and started driving. My things weren't in order. HV Sir's log was not in the passenger seat and the ice box was kept at an unreachable angle. I stopped at 9.15 and readjusted everything. I started again. Time was running out and I wanted to reach Udaipur before sun set. I drove on like a boss and played one of more adored playlists purely because of the beats. I wanted to maintain a good speed. I was fearing the Bharuch stretch and thought I should push on till after Bharuch and halt straight at Plazio resort for a snack. But my bladder was not in sync with my plans. I just had to go. I kept driving with a very stiff body. I found it funny but could not laugh. Every truck driving on the right frustrated me no end and I decided to honk dip and what not but to avoid changing lanes as much as I could.

I revised my plans and decided to go to Empress Mall instead. But hey whats that? WHAT? I just drove over the flyover at Empress mall. If there was a co-passenger I would have demanded a slap. I was doomed. I looked around the log in panic and saw Sugar and Spice not so far away. Every km crawled even though the car maintained a good speed. I finally reached Sugar and Spice and saw a HR registered vehicle occupants coming out. I seriously thought of making conversation but instead rushed to the loo. They disappeared when I returned. I went inside sugar and spice. What is it with this place? Noone came to take my order for ten minutes. Frankly speaking I felt a little out of place sitting alone with a restaurant occupied majorly by families. I assumed this would kill my time so I decided to get a take away Iced Tea.

I walked around for ten minutes got a little top of fuel and started for Plazio. The drive was great till the Bharuch sector. I got confused with the multiple turns marked for Ankleshwar. I had not calculated the log and my kms from the last toll so could not use it as a reference. I decided to take my chance and go straight instead of going through the town. I was approaching the bridge meant only for cars and was carefully scanning the sign boards. It kept pointing straight and I kept going straight, I changed lanes to the left one. MISTAKE. I was on the wrong bridge along with trucks blasting Kumar Sanu at loud volumes. An innova reversed and got back but it was too late for me I was waaay ahead. I was now making plans in my head. If I get stuck here I'll go watch a movie at Cinemax and crash at Landmark at Himmat Nagar. While I was making my plans suddenly the traffic started moving and I was out within 10 minutes. Thank goodness!

The drive till Plazio was smooth. The car was behaving smoothly again. I was wondering during my stay in Bombay if it would give me any trouble but it did not. It was awesome. The weather was forgiving and the sun wasn't as harsh. My girl friend had given me sun screen lotion. I assure you I applied none of it even though my right arm is now darker than my left. I was feeling wonderful and yet a part of my brain was worried about reaching Udaipur on time. I wasn't sure about going uphill till Udaipur in the dark and wanted to make it on time. The roads in Gujrat specially the bridges are meant to be dealt with carefully, you might see enough space between the truck and the merging bridge but there is no guarantee that the truck won't change lanes spotting something ahead. Even though I wanted to reach quickly but I thought reaching in one piece is much better. The highway was anyways empty and I reached Plazio by 3.30 pm covering some 400 odd kms.

I must say Plazio is a very nice place. They have a parking attendant who helps you park. They have these beautiful gardens and a play area for kids. They also have langoors with big tails. You must ensure there is no monkey behavior from your end. I was looking at one and it stared back before I provoked it any further I started looking the other way and walked away. A vegetable sandwich and coffee was munched on. If you smoke , it's best you smoke outside the resort near the parking. It's strictly a no smoking zone.

I started again and this time I noted the expressway was close. I decided this is where I can push my average speed and ensure I reach Udaipur as quickly as possible. But I encountered city traffic. The people though were maintaining good discipline (again) and I found my expressway mate. It was a RJ registered Ritz. So we dipped our way through traffic and the odd bus or truck on the right. There was also a 'L' on the road. Seriously? Here? WHAT ON EARTH!

The expressway is sweet. The board says speed and safety something to that effect. Well that's what it is. It is meant to be fast on and yet the expressway is very smooth. The two of us drove on and then came the left turn for the Himmat Nagar exit.

Bring on the pringles!! I drove behind a truck maintaining a speed of 40 and snacked with my eyes fixed on the road. A diet coke was consumed after the pringles were over. I like such roads.

I could feel the fatigue setting in so I slowed down to 70-80 and reached Himmat Nagar around 5.30. I decided this is how the rest of the journey shall be. Relaxed music and maintained speeds. No fooling around.

This was the most beautiful part of the journey. The drive to Udaipur. I loved it. I was so tempted to stop and observe nature. Isn't it weird you find comfort in that silence? With the sun setting and the rays hitting the small little hills all I wanted to do was to stand there in silence. I like Silence. When in Manipal, I used to love sitting by the river at end point feeling the breeze on my face. I rolled down the windows slowed down and loved every minute of the drive. The fatigue was gone and a sense of zen achieved. You go to work and come back battling evening and morning peak hour traffic. Life is a struggle from the morning till the day comes to an end. Don't we have deadlines beyond work too? Don't you expect yourself to be out of traffic within a certain time frame? And the fool behind you who honks is rushing too. You want your meal to be done on time, so you can spend some time doing things you like doing and then sleep on time to wake up on time. Even on Sundays, you don't want to waste your time doing nothing you want to be out there with someone or you want to watch a movie. Time is restriction and every journey has the clock ticking in your brain. You don't want to spend time doing nothing.

I was now 'free' of the restrictions. I was doing what I loved doing. Enjoying the drive. Knowing that this is not an everyday experience. My eyes were fixed on the road and not on the speedometer. I was enjoying the music and singing along. I let cars pass by when they came. No I did not want to catch up. You go ahead, I'll take my own sweet time.

Soon it was dark and I saw Sneh Resort on my left. I had asked my friend on a pit stop to call up Sneh and Kajri and find if they have rooms available. I did not want to venture into Udaipur and so I decided it was Sneh. What a terrible decision.

The hotel was well guarded. The owner was watching a serial. It was 8.20 pm. I saw a D-zire parked and assured myself I wasn't going to be the only one here. But I was. The car belonged to the owner. I soon checked into my room and ordered food. Dal and Roti. He was deeply disappointed and angry when he got to know I had plans to check out early morning. Saahib did not want to come at that hour I assumed so he insisted I paid for everything on the spot.

No wonder your resort is empty. Now go back and watch Saas Bahu and baby you fool.

I ate and kept my ice box near the air conditioner. I went in for a shower. Mistake. The water was taken from the Arabian sea. It was so salty I'm sure they saved on putting salt in the dal. My eyes were burning. But the room was clean. Nothing compared to Landmark at Himmat Nagar though which came at half the price and very sweet staff along with a decent room.

I slept off.

It was 5.15 am. I woke up and was out at 6. Babu ji was missing. Must have missed out on waking up because Ram Kapoor was trying to bail out Priya Kapoor on Sony I think.

I was out on the road and was soon on a 2 laned road where I finally found the exit. The drive till Bhilwara midway was annoying. There were a lot of trucks and they seemed to be tagging along like couples leaving absoultely no space to squeeze through.

I would maintain my speed for 5 minutes and then again encounter a truck. After giving dippers and honking and to no avail on going to left lane I would spot a tractor or a jeep or a camel or a biker driving on the right side. Highly frustrating.

I finally managed to reach the Bhilwara midway. I wanted to get a get air fill but the guy said he's busy cutting vegetables. Haha. I went into the restaurant and got myself another sandwich and tea. Yummy to the core.

I was back on the road after 25 minutes and was driving without stops because my average speed wasn't all that impressive thanks to the trucks. But I thought if I kept driving I would leave them behind. I did. This time a Diet coke and some rock and roll and the man is set. Going at a good speed I was reliving the entire drive and was proud of myself. I was already making plans to come back and to check more travelogues and maybe plan another road trip soon. My car was my super star. This little thing is a underestimated achiever I must say.

I kept along nicely and steadily and stuck to basic highway rules. I must say this time I was feeling extremely confident of my abilities as a highway commuter. Too early to speak maybe but this drive taught me a lot of lessons. The most important was patience.

I was soon on the Jaipur expressway and knew of the torture ahead so decided I would take a break soon. After being on the highway for a bit, I saw a CCD and decided to halt there. To my surprise while leaving the server requested me to drop him ahead because they ran out of milk. Wonder what the management would make out of it? Haha. I obliged and dropped the man ahead.

I kept going nicely and was at turn for Delhi at 12.30. I stopped again this time because I wanted to pick up a bottle of water. I knew the road ahead was rough but decided not to stop post this. My highway speed was now controlled and I was more watchful. A trillion diversions later my car was scraped from beneath after driving over a pothole. I felt really miserable. This was pathetic. I mean for the journey to conclude with such a disgusting highway was a shame. Anyway I slowed down further and found traffic but not bad enough as it is post 5 pm. I was in Gurgaon at 4.40 and Delhi at 5.15 pm.

I did not have time to think. I really did not think about it till I woke up the next morning. Alas, all I have to say is that this journey would not have been complete without the genius of HV Kumar sir and Ranjit and more importantly Team BHP. You guys, all of you, do you know what you've done? You've made me realize there's no such thing as boundaries. We restrict ourselves. The world is there for us to grab and every limit can be pushed.

Thank you!

faustus77 · 15th June 2012, 21:27

Abhishek
Hi
Ground clearance of Beat is a bit low and except for 3/4 hits between Mammar and Sonamarg where the road was washed away.In fact I had to spend a night at Mammar because traffic was not allowed.Nothing serious as I was able to go to Leh.On my return had the car checked/washed at Srinagar and at Pathankot.
Remember I was alone.
The Zojila pass was closed and I had to take the road above that pass which was really pathetic.Nearing the end there was a sharp steep turn and at that place I lost my nerve,stopped and got out of my car.Didnt know what to do as I was alone.Somehow I gathered up courage and drove on,some hits.
When going from Leh to Mulbekh the road through Lamayuru was closed and I had to take the twisty Jalebee pass above it,roughly 20+ kms of absolutely deserted road.I turned back and then spotted 2 cabs going towards Mulbekh and I followed them as long as I could.They soon outpaced me and i was all alone on that high road.Frightening experience.
Regards
PS I did not install a sump guard or anything

Maverick5490 · 16th June 2012, 09:08

Hi Abhishek,

That was an awesome straight from the heart driving experience! Congratulations on your achievement and wish you many more ahead with your lady.

P.S. You eat a lot!

ADI_77 · 16th June 2012, 13:18

Great writeup & detailing, enjoyed every bit reading it, as others have mentioned we have a budding writer here. The trip back must have been more exciting.

AbhishekB86 · 16th June 2012, 18:44

Thank you so much for the details Sir. You sure had once in a life time experience. Makes me jealous. Haha. I wish I could get leave as of now and try this out. Takes a lot of courage to be first one to do this. Kudos to you. You lost your nerve and did it anyway, I wonder if I would have attempted it at all. Cheers to your attitude and spirit. Like I've said before a true inspiration.

Quote:

Originally Posted by faustus77

Abhishek
Hi
Ground clearance of Beat is a bit low and except for 3/4 hits between Mammar and Sonamarg where the road was washed away.In fact I had to spend a night at Mammar because traffic was not allowed.Nothing serious as I was able to go to Leh.On my return had the car checked/washed at Srinagar and at Pathankot.
Remember I was alone.
The Zojila pass was closed and I had to take the road above that pass which was really pathetic.Nearing the end there was a sharp steep turn and at that place I lost my nerve,stopped and got out of my car.Didnt know what to do as I was alone.Somehow I gathered up courage and drove on,some hits.
When going from Leh to Mulbekh the road through Lamayuru was closed and I had to take the twisty Jalebee pass above it,roughly 20+ kms of absolutely deserted road.I turned back and then spotted 2 cabs going towards Mulbekh and I followed them as long as I could.They soon outpaced me and i was all alone on that high road.Frightening experience.
Regards
PS I did not install a sump guard or anything

Maverick I'd like to blame the lady for all the cafe ideas. I am guilty but I'll blame her anyway. Trust me women are responsible for everything.
P.S : I'm in denial. Women are awesome!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

Hi Abhishek,

That was an awesome straight from the heart driving experience! Congratulations on your achievement and wish you many more ahead with your lady.

P.S. You eat a lot!

Thanks Adi. A lot of lines with no pictures is sure a lot to read. I'd like to tell you that you're a patient man. I would have never read my own travelogue if I was someone else

The trip back was super exciting. Now I want to do this again and now. Sigh wish we were all born millionaires and didn't have to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADI_77

Great writeup & detailing, enjoyed every bit reading it, as others have mentioned we have a budding writer here. The trip back must have been more exciting.

S@ndy · 16th June 2012, 19:37

Hello Abhishek!

I read your entire travelogue and really, I liked the style of your writing. You must be determined to go from delhi to mumbai in a Chevy beat!

Next time on my trip to srinagar, I'll surely take the initiative to go there in my EON!

Very nice and comprehensive Travelogue written!
Keep revvin'
S@ndy

AbhishekB86 · 16th June 2012, 20:13

Hello Sandy!

Thank you for the sweet comments. Well if you think I was determined to do this in a Beat try scrolling up where a gentleman has done Leh in the same car.

The car performed brilliantly.

Do not underestimate the hatchbacks, If I was you I would actually think about Srinagar in a EON. Why not? I'm waiting for the Srinagar travelogue mind you. Hurry up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by S@ndy

Hello Abhishek!

I read your entire travelogue and really, I liked the style of your writing. You must be determined to go from delhi to mumbai in a Chevy beat!

Next time on my trip to srinagar, I'll surely take the initiative to go there in my EON!

Very nice and comprehensive Travelogue written!
Keep revvin'
S@ndy

S@ndy · 16th June 2012, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Hello Sandy!

Thank you for the sweet comments. Well if you think I was determined to do this in a Beat try scrolling up where a gentleman has done Leh in the same car.

The car performed brilliantly.

Do not underestimate the hatchbacks, If I was you I would actually think about Srinagar in a EON. Why not? I'm waiting for the Srinagar travelogue mind you. Hurry up.

Yaa sure Abhishek, I'm planning to go srinagar on either end of june or beginning of july.I will surely write a travelogue and I most probably will try to go by EON and surely, I'll not underestimate hatches anymore!

Regards
S@ndy

faustus77 · 16th June 2012, 23:27

Abhishek
Hi
Since I am now retired spending a few days extra did not matter.
Kept repeating to myself the adline
"darr ke aage jeet hai".
Just drive very safe and look for other's mistakes

S@ndy
Hi
Amritsar to Srinagar is not at all a problem as far as the quality of roads are concerned.Only after Sonamarg do the road become bad.
Regards

Off Roadie · 17th June 2012, 02:17

Lovely write up. Congratulations Abhishek. Job well done. Can feel the soul in your writing.
Wishing you the very best for all your subsequent trips.
There will always be a lot of discouragement but this is 'The' forum to come to for guidance.
I am limited by my cellphone at the moment but there is a travelogue about two men and a baby covering various forest reserves in a Tata Safari.
Book Mark it for future reference if you intend to graduate to that stage.
I know I have =)

14th June 2012, 22:34	#16
AbhishekB86 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New Delhi Posts: 331 Thanked: 377 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Day 1 in Bombay : They say a man is as good as his first impression. Don't we form opinions when we look at people? A man with a jhola and a beard can be easily labelled as a journalist or 'artistic type'. I'm the neat corporate type (don't go by the pictures, I do have a presentable self) my shoes are always polished because my hotel chain demands I look my best when meeting clients. My ties match my shirt and even though I have a lot of words I can't use here to describe my meetings I do actually have a smile plastered on my face. The hospitality industry demands it. I was staying at a 5 star 'sister chain' and had a majorly discounted employee rate (which is still not affordable I must admit) This calls for utmost formality and good behavior when staying there. No you can't get drunk and tell the front desk to take you to your room. In fact if you're all drunk and super man like avoid getting fired by not coming back. It's that simple. When availing such a facility from the company you ought to be well groomed. I was well groomed alright, I was wearing a t-shirt soaked in sweat. My car was full of an oreo here and an uncle chip wafer there and a granola bar wrapper somewhere. I assure you of my hygiene I do dispose of things at fuel pumps or pit stops but one plastic bag was left which overturned while braking (Blame a crazy truck who I thought probably had power steering, you should have seen his 1926 model cut to my lane. It was incredible. GM should consult the maker maybe?) So getting back to the point. After much judgement from the valet I proceeded to the lobby. I was to be assisted to my room by a man who explained me some things about the room. I didn't care I just wanted him to leave. So he did. I wanted to sleep but my close friend and my girl friend wanted me out as soon as possible. We decided on dinner with the close friend and my girl friend would join me in a couple of hours. I took a quick shower and I was asleep before you could count 3. I woke up after a couple of hours and my girl friend and I indulged in what I wanted to indulge in. Before you get any ideas, it was VADA PAV. Oh noes how I love it. Street food in Bombay does it get any better? Evening snack for 18 bucks. Two of them downed in four bites. Next on my list was Bhel & Sev puri. My girl friend before dinner went on to comment that 'This will be your third dinner' with a poker face. Well maybe but who can resist road side food? After the now disgusting granola bars I was munching on awesomess. I went to a restaurant called Five spice. There are very few people who I find irritating, I'm a level headed and patient guy but some annoy me. The waiter on being asked what I could drink said 'Paani he pehle to' So the over smart chap was summoned again 'Will the starter be a good idea considering your portions are huge?' he replies with another smug smile 'Shayad aapko risk nahi lena chahiye' Anyway post dinner and a lots to catch up on each others' love and more importantly working life we decided it was time I head back to the hotel. Now I must really admit I am surprised by how awesome the rickshaws are in Bombay. If I was living in Bombay and driving, I would hate them for their reckless driving but unlike Delhi I could get an auto from any street no matter how remote. And they all went by the meter. No excuses. Perfecto! I checked on my car. It sure needed a wash. The question was where? I was told a mall in Malad did have the facilities. I delayed it for another day. To be continued
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15th June 2012, 00:00	#17
faustus77 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: mumbai Posts: 450 Thanked: 188 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Abhishek Hi Thanks for your kind words. Bombay Delhi Bombay was different.(oct/nov 2010) Bombay Leh Bombay was in Aug/Sep 2011. Just packed up and left after dilly dallying.Since all my driving trips are by myself dont have to depend on any second thoghts. It was just the route that HVK saar had given me upto Pathankot. From there I followed somebody else and drove over the Ranjit Saagar dam,bypassed Jammu and drove to Patnitop and onwards to Srinagar.After Srinagar a straight road to Leh.You cant get lost. Regards PS.Just read your preceding post.Look forward to more. Last edited by faustus77 : 15th June 2012 at 00:03. Reason: Added PS
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15th June 2012, 21:24	#21
AbhishekB86 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: New Delhi Posts: 331 Thanked: 377 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Day 2 in Bombay : I woke up at a leisurely hour and went for the buffet breakfast. I ate and I ate. I could not move after the breakfast. I probably had 4 plates done all by myself. My girl friend and I spent most of morning/afternoon by ourselves and we were meeting after a gap of couple of months. This was well worth it. It was quality time and I must admit we needed this. We decided to head out when the sun was a little forgiving. We met up my close friend Esha and headed to Bandra. A place called the The Yoga House. Before you assume I'm a big fan of Baba Ramdev I suggest you go eat their potato with cheese. It was simply awesome. Cafe Moshe was next and a mocha with cheese cake was gulped within no time. When two women meet up invariably the man is the victim. A lot of laughter at my expense. They ganged up and took my case very well. Ahem. We proceeded to Carter road. We walked around and I noticed Bombay for what it really is. A woman is respected here and not stared at. Everyone is accepted (the hardliners exist I know) and no one is bothered about what the other person is doing. I usually have the aunty sitting next to me in the Delhi Metro staring at the angry birds causing carnage on my phone. We ate some awesome shawarma's nearby and left for Goregaon. We had some delicious butter chicken at a Indian restaurant near Infinity, I can't seem to remember the name. Now we were to return to the hotel and I tried my hand at something random. I speak hindi well but I wanted to give it a shot so here was my one liner to the rickshaw. "Boss Goregaon East chalne ka he?" Haha! Day Three in Bombay : My girlfriend left for Church gate and I was supposed to join her. Oh well well that would mean either shelling out major notes for a cab or the local. The local it is I decided. I was a little scared, I've heard aren't very kind while entering or stepping out of the locals. I stood at the ticket counter and was excepting anything in the range of 20-25 bucks for the ticket till the man at the counter said it was 8 rupees. Wot Wot Wot? I remember my friends telling me how expensive it would be to reach town by cab and here I would be at Church gate in 8 bucks? I sprinted on the steps to ensure I don't miss the fast train. Indeed I sprinted a little too far and realized I left my platform entry behind. So I sprinted the other side now. So much so for being spirited. Don't ask I tend to get a little over excited when happy. The Delhi Metro crowd pushes you into the Metro but in Bombay you are sorted out. Either you're fast or you're fast there's no option. I jumped in. I was told specifically to not occupy the first class. I ensured I did not. I reached Church gate in one piece and we went to a very nice and comfortable book shop and cafe called Kitaab Khana. It had an imposing gentleman taking orders. Some cold coffee and conversations about our future and this that. Couple time you can call it. Next on our agenda was Sterling. I once happened to order a chocolate sandwich at the vendor opposite to sterling and loved it a lot. In fact the last time I was in Bombay (had flown down) me and my friend walked around for hours. With so much nostalgia attached I didn't want to give it a miss. After walking around a bit we headed towards Colaba. I really want to know why and really why do traffic lights exist in Bombay? There is no point painting the stop line if it has 6 rows of traffic ahead of it. I do not appreciate this about the city. Delhi folks respect the signal a lot more in comparison. Don't get me wrong but I noticed people crawl ahead to such an extent it can easily labelled as skipping a light. I would hate to drive in such a scenario. Also I feel the rickshaws scare the cars here. It's almost as if they are imposing their presence like an SUV. Anyway so we got back as I had evening friends with my college friends living in the city. We headed to a pub in Juhu(this one is near Four Seasons, straight from Prithvi theatre) there's a Cafe Coffee Day outside. We had an awesome time there reliving the college days. I took an auto and returned back to the hotel. Day Four : This was to be my last day in Bombay. Needless to say the woman in my life did not want us to venture out. So we spent a lot of quality time together. I managed to annoy her enough by going to the nearby Oberoi Mall for the car spa and the fuel pump . She was annoyed and it took a good amount of time dealing with the 'nothing forget it' phase. How to balance the car and the woman? Ofcourse there is more to 'nothing' and you're doomed if you 'forget it'. A tip (cause it worked) : Stay silent. No silly words uttered , no further punishment is the logic. Haha! We went for dinner to Woodside Inn at Oshiwara. That's where the above food pictures come from. I came back and struck a deal with a gola dealer for 6 squares of ice. He asked for a lot of money but what the heck he could have managed 25 golas with that much ice so I gave in and my ice box was ready. Munchies and cold drinks were picked up from Food Bazaar. Bombay - Delhi WARNING : DO NOT CONSUME 2 CUPS OF COFFEE AND A BOTTLE OF WATER BEFORE YOU INTEND TO DRIVE. IT KILLS. I intended to start at 7 but due to unfortunate delays had to postpone it to 9. I drove out of Goregaon east took a U-turn towards Ghodbunder and started driving. My things weren't in order. HV Sir's log was not in the passenger seat and the ice box was kept at an unreachable angle. I stopped at 9.15 and readjusted everything. I started again. Time was running out and I wanted to reach Udaipur before sun set. I drove on like a boss and played one of more adored playlists purely because of the beats. I wanted to maintain a good speed. I was fearing the Bharuch stretch and thought I should push on till after Bharuch and halt straight at Plazio resort for a snack. But my bladder was not in sync with my plans. I just had to go. I kept driving with a very stiff body. I found it funny but could not laugh. Every truck driving on the right frustrated me no end and I decided to honk dip and what not but to avoid changing lanes as much as I could. I revised my plans and decided to go to Empress Mall instead. But hey whats that? WHAT? I just drove over the flyover at Empress mall. If there was a co-passenger I would have demanded a slap. I was doomed. I looked around the log in panic and saw Sugar and Spice not so far away. Every km crawled even though the car maintained a good speed. I finally reached Sugar and Spice and saw a HR registered vehicle occupants coming out. I seriously thought of making conversation but instead rushed to the loo. They disappeared when I returned. I went inside sugar and spice. What is it with this place? Noone came to take my order for ten minutes. Frankly speaking I felt a little out of place sitting alone with a restaurant occupied majorly by families. I assumed this would kill my time so I decided to get a take away Iced Tea. I walked around for ten minutes got a little top of fuel and started for Plazio. The drive was great till the Bharuch sector. I got confused with the multiple turns marked for Ankleshwar. I had not calculated the log and my kms from the last toll so could not use it as a reference. I decided to take my chance and go straight instead of going through the town. I was approaching the bridge meant only for cars and was carefully scanning the sign boards. It kept pointing straight and I kept going straight, I changed lanes to the left one. MISTAKE. I was on the wrong bridge along with trucks blasting Kumar Sanu at loud volumes. An innova reversed and got back but it was too late for me I was waaay ahead. I was now making plans in my head. If I get stuck here I'll go watch a movie at Cinemax and crash at Landmark at Himmat Nagar. While I was making my plans suddenly the traffic started moving and I was out within 10 minutes. Thank goodness! The drive till Plazio was smooth. The car was behaving smoothly again. I was wondering during my stay in Bombay if it would give me any trouble but it did not. It was awesome. The weather was forgiving and the sun wasn't as harsh. My girl friend had given me sun screen lotion. I assure you I applied none of it even though my right arm is now darker than my left. I was feeling wonderful and yet a part of my brain was worried about reaching Udaipur on time. I wasn't sure about going uphill till Udaipur in the dark and wanted to make it on time. The roads in Gujrat specially the bridges are meant to be dealt with carefully, you might see enough space between the truck and the merging bridge but there is no guarantee that the truck won't change lanes spotting something ahead. Even though I wanted to reach quickly but I thought reaching in one piece is much better. The highway was anyways empty and I reached Plazio by 3.30 pm covering some 400 odd kms. I must say Plazio is a very nice place. They have a parking attendant who helps you park. They have these beautiful gardens and a play area for kids. They also have langoors with big tails. You must ensure there is no monkey behavior from your end. I was looking at one and it stared back before I provoked it any further I started looking the other way and walked away. A vegetable sandwich and coffee was munched on. If you smoke , it's best you smoke outside the resort near the parking. It's strictly a no smoking zone. I started again and this time I noted the expressway was close. I decided this is where I can push my average speed and ensure I reach Udaipur as quickly as possible. But I encountered city traffic. The people though were maintaining good discipline (again) and I found my expressway mate. It was a RJ registered Ritz. So we dipped our way through traffic and the odd bus or truck on the right. There was also a 'L' on the road. Seriously? Here? WHAT ON EARTH! The expressway is sweet. The board says speed and safety something to that effect. Well that's what it is. It is meant to be fast on and yet the expressway is very smooth. The two of us drove on and then came the left turn for the Himmat Nagar exit. Bring on the pringles!! I drove behind a truck maintaining a speed of 40 and snacked with my eyes fixed on the road. A diet coke was consumed after the pringles were over. I like such roads. I could feel the fatigue setting in so I slowed down to 70-80 and reached Himmat Nagar around 5.30. I decided this is how the rest of the journey shall be. Relaxed music and maintained speeds. No fooling around. This was the most beautiful part of the journey. The drive to Udaipur. I loved it. I was so tempted to stop and observe nature. Isn't it weird you find comfort in that silence? With the sun setting and the rays hitting the small little hills all I wanted to do was to stand there in silence. I like Silence. When in Manipal, I used to love sitting by the river at end point feeling the breeze on my face. I rolled down the windows slowed down and loved every minute of the drive. The fatigue was gone and a sense of zen achieved. You go to work and come back battling evening and morning peak hour traffic. Life is a struggle from the morning till the day comes to an end. Don't we have deadlines beyond work too? Don't you expect yourself to be out of traffic within a certain time frame? And the fool behind you who honks is rushing too. You want your meal to be done on time, so you can spend some time doing things you like doing and then sleep on time to wake up on time. Even on Sundays, you don't want to waste your time doing nothing you want to be out there with someone or you want to watch a movie. Time is restriction and every journey has the clock ticking in your brain. You don't want to spend time doing nothing. I was now 'free' of the restrictions. I was doing what I loved doing. Enjoying the drive. Knowing that this is not an everyday experience. My eyes were fixed on the road and not on the speedometer. I was enjoying the music and singing along. I let cars pass by when they came. No I did not want to catch up. You go ahead, I'll take my own sweet time. Soon it was dark and I saw Sneh Resort on my left. I had asked my friend on a pit stop to call up Sneh and Kajri and find if they have rooms available. I did not want to venture into Udaipur and so I decided it was Sneh. What a terrible decision. The hotel was well guarded. The owner was watching a serial. It was 8.20 pm. I saw a D-zire parked and assured myself I wasn't going to be the only one here. But I was. The car belonged to the owner. I soon checked into my room and ordered food. Dal and Roti. He was deeply disappointed and angry when he got to know I had plans to check out early morning. Saahib did not want to come at that hour I assumed so he insisted I paid for everything on the spot. No wonder your resort is empty. Now go back and watch Saas Bahu and baby you fool. I ate and kept my ice box near the air conditioner. I went in for a shower. Mistake. The water was taken from the Arabian sea. It was so salty I'm sure they saved on putting salt in the dal. My eyes were burning. But the room was clean. Nothing compared to Landmark at Himmat Nagar though which came at half the price and very sweet staff along with a decent room. I slept off. It was 5.15 am. I woke up and was out at 6. Babu ji was missing. Must have missed out on waking up because Ram Kapoor was trying to bail out Priya Kapoor on Sony I think. I was out on the road and was soon on a 2 laned road where I finally found the exit. The drive till Bhilwara midway was annoying. There were a lot of trucks and they seemed to be tagging along like couples leaving absoultely no space to squeeze through. I would maintain my speed for 5 minutes and then again encounter a truck. After giving dippers and honking and to no avail on going to left lane I would spot a tractor or a jeep or a camel or a biker driving on the right side. Highly frustrating. I finally managed to reach the Bhilwara midway. I wanted to get a get air fill but the guy said he's busy cutting vegetables. Haha. I went into the restaurant and got myself another sandwich and tea. Yummy to the core. I was back on the road after 25 minutes and was driving without stops because my average speed wasn't all that impressive thanks to the trucks. But I thought if I kept driving I would leave them behind. I did. This time a Diet coke and some rock and roll and the man is set. Going at a good speed I was reliving the entire drive and was proud of myself. I was already making plans to come back and to check more travelogues and maybe plan another road trip soon. My car was my super star. This little thing is a underestimated achiever I must say. I kept along nicely and steadily and stuck to basic highway rules. I must say this time I was feeling extremely confident of my abilities as a highway commuter. Too early to speak maybe but this drive taught me a lot of lessons. The most important was patience. I was soon on the Jaipur expressway and knew of the torture ahead so decided I would take a break soon. After being on the highway for a bit, I saw a CCD and decided to halt there. To my surprise while leaving the server requested me to drop him ahead because they ran out of milk. Wonder what the management would make out of it? Haha. I obliged and dropped the man ahead. I kept going nicely and was at turn for Delhi at 12.30. I stopped again this time because I wanted to pick up a bottle of water. I knew the road ahead was rough but decided not to stop post this. My highway speed was now controlled and I was more watchful. A trillion diversions later my car was scraped from beneath after driving over a pothole. I felt really miserable. This was pathetic. I mean for the journey to conclude with such a disgusting highway was a shame. Anyway I slowed down further and found traffic but not bad enough as it is post 5 pm. I was in Gurgaon at 4.40 and Delhi at 5.15 pm. I did not have time to think. I really did not think about it till I woke up the next morning. Alas, all I have to say is that this journey would not have been complete without the genius of HV Kumar sir and Ranjit and more importantly Team BHP. You guys, all of you, do you know what you've done? You've made me realize there's no such thing as boundaries. We restrict ourselves. The world is there for us to grab and every limit can be pushed. Thank you!
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15th June 2012, 21:27	#22
faustus77 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: mumbai Posts: 450 Thanked: 188 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Abhishek Hi Ground clearance of Beat is a bit low and except for 3/4 hits between Mammar and Sonamarg where the road was washed away.In fact I had to spend a night at Mammar because traffic was not allowed.Nothing serious as I was able to go to Leh.On my return had the car checked/washed at Srinagar and at Pathankot. Remember I was alone. The Zojila pass was closed and I had to take the road above that pass which was really pathetic.Nearing the end there was a sharp steep turn and at that place I lost my nerve,stopped and got out of my car.Didnt know what to do as I was alone.Somehow I gathered up courage and drove on,some hits. When going from Leh to Mulbekh the road through Lamayuru was closed and I had to take the twisty Jalebee pass above it,roughly 20+ kms of absolutely deserted road.I turned back and then spotted 2 cabs going towards Mulbekh and I followed them as long as I could.They soon outpaced me and i was all alone on that high road.Frightening experience. Regards PS I did not install a sump guard or anything Last edited by faustus77 : 15th June 2012 at 21:29.
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16th June 2012, 09:08	#23
Maverick5490 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Thane Posts: 1,464 Thanked: 1,818 Times View My Garage	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Hi Abhishek, That was an awesome straight from the heart driving experience! Congratulations on your achievement and wish you many more ahead with your lady. P.S. You eat a lot!
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16th June 2012, 13:18	#24
ADI_77 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 125 Thanked: 148 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Great writeup & detailing, enjoyed every bit reading it, as others have mentioned we have a budding writer here. The trip back must have been more exciting.
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16th June 2012, 19:37	#26
S@ndy BHPian Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Amritsar/PB 02 Posts: 219 Thanked: 252 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Hello Abhishek! I read your entire travelogue and really, I liked the style of your writing. You must be determined to go from delhi to mumbai in a Chevy beat! Next time on my trip to srinagar, I'll surely take the initiative to go there in my EON! Very nice and comprehensive Travelogue written! Keep revvin' S@ndy
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16th June 2012, 23:27	#29
faustus77 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: mumbai Posts: 450 Thanked: 188 Times	Re: Delhi - Bombay - Delhi - Chevrolet Beat and a bag full of dreams. Abhishek Hi Since I am now retired spending a few days extra did not matter. Kept repeating to myself the adline "darr ke aage jeet hai". Just drive very safe and look for other's mistakes S@ndy Hi Amritsar to Srinagar is not at all a problem as far as the quality of roads are concerned.Only after Sonamarg do the road become bad. Regards
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17th June 2012, 02:17	#30
Off Roadie BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 280 Thanked: 127 Times	Lovely write up. Congratulations Abhishek. Job well done. Can feel the soul in your writing. Wishing you the very best for all your subsequent trips. There will always be a lot of discouragement but this is 'The' forum to come to for guidance. I am limited by my cellphone at the moment but there is a travelogue about two men and a baby covering various forest reserves in a Tata Safari. Book Mark it for future reference if you intend to graduate to that stage. I know I have =)
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