[dhanushmenon]

Oh Yes..Mr D is a lazy goose I say !!!
And I can’t emphasise it enough.

He has always been lazy.
I would say that Mr D personifies laziness and then elevates it to the next level.
So lazy, that I had to pen down my own ownership report.
Yeah, I know. I have kept the rifle loaded.

He probably read through my Autoboigraphy where I rudely admonished him for not rolling enough tarmac to my rubber :

That's probably when he took me to Coorg:
then to Goa: and many weekend destinations around Kochi which did not find a mention anywhere in this forum.
(After all, it is me who has to write. And how much time do you think a car gets?)


Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, I am Mr D’s XUV speaking.
“Again”, I should add.



Mr D doesn’t find it amusing to put fingers to a keyboard and bring up something which is of use to posterity.
So once again, I had to wrench out my “un imaginative”, engine oil slick, mechanical brain to wriggle out creativity on a thread!
That too a Team-Bhp travelogue!

The masters of travelogues in Team-BHP, I have a request:

Please bear my rickety literature skills
and do definitely crack the head of my master when you get a chance!

[dhanushmenon]

The news flows in...

Looks like even the bearers in Mr D’s office read through my complaints; and so bestowed him with a transfer to Vizag all out of nowhere.
It was on a lazy Sunday morning whilst pampering me with a shampoo wash that Mr D murmured about his impending transfer.
He wasn’t one bit happy about the preposition of getting relocated.

He liked the greenery of Kochi.
He liked the soft potable water, quaint green hill stations, the backwaters and the laid back villages of Mallu land.

I ain’t sure though, whether he liked the mayhem in those narrow roads or the pot holes which competed with craters of moon.
Not to forget the mutant mosquitoes who have now become part and parcel to all Kochi-ites.
Why am I reminded of a popular Mallu song?

“Why feeling sad buddy?
Mosquito “GOOD” buddy!!
Not only biting buddy, But also singing buddy”

Notwithstanding any of the deterrents mentioned above, Mr D did not like to nor wanted to move his posterior from the comforts of a settled down environment.
The bitter gourd shaped, brandy loving state had really cast a spell on him.
That morning, he drew a face longer than a cow; and not a single upward curvature crossed his lips.
I was thinking: “What the hell man? Get it out. Let’s wander another state now!!”

However, I was all gleeful inside; for “I AM NOW GONNA SEE NEW PLACES!! HURRAY!!!”



Pushed to the wall, atlast Mr D made his travel plans.
Now, he might be lazy to write down a travel report; but when it comes to the enthusiasm for travelling, he is one man I admire.
If you ask him to plan a journey, he would jump like a monkey for banana.
Plan A, Plan B and sometimes Plan C; replete with excel sheets and Lat Longs would flow hot on heels.
To be fair and square to him, he has not missed a single opportunity to see and explore new places, irrespective of place and time.

He always traveled with his lovely lady and two marvelous kids in trot.





Though the kids break all hell loose, griming my beige leather interiors; the innocence in their laughter and the glitter in their eyes make me forget everything.

I love those kids especially.
(I am sure that Mr D will sell me off to junk yard if I say that I love the lady )

[dhanushmenon]

The Journey statistics

As I had told you earlier, Mr D is a very enthusiastic traveler.
Mr D could’ve taken a flight with family to Vizag and freighted the car.
All expenses would’ve been paid by his company.
But Mr D followed his heart and chose to hit the road instead.
And I couldn’t thank him enough for that.

Mr D didn’t want to rush through the 1500 kms from Kochi to Vizag.
He wanted to do it as a holiday than a dash sprint.
So, the distance between Kochi and Visakhapatnam was conveniently covered in Eight days!!

The shortest route from Kochi to Vizag is only 1490 Kms.
The route planned by Mr D outlined 1919 Kms.
With nearby sight seeing diversions, it extended to 2028 Kms.

My tripmeter read 2465 Kms by the time we pulled into the parking slot in Vizag.
Well, quite self explanatory ain’t it?

The route was chosen and planned to cover greenery, mountains, waterfalls, rapids, hinterlands, highways and expressways.
All of them mangled up and refreshingly choreographed.



Kochi- Valparai- Sholayar- Top Slip- Coimbatore- Hoganekkal- Bangalore- Hyderabad- Vijaywada- Visakhapatnam.
There was a surprise detour near Vijayawada and million thanks to Distinguished Bhpian hvkumar for facilitating that.



Throughout the trip, there was no blazing through the Highway or racing against the clock
(Except the Bangalore- Hyderabad stretch, I should admit).
We started at a leisurely pace and stopped over at all places at will and to the heart's content.

Summary

Shortest distance Kochi- Vizag- 1490 Kms
Distance Planned - 2028 Kms
Distance covered - 2465 Kms
Total Fuel used - 160.75 Litres
Total Fuel expense - Rs 8809
Mileage - 15.334 Km/l
Cost/ Km - Rs 3.573631

Mr D was particularly happy with my fuel figures.
Considering that, much of the distance was covered in state highways or inland roads.

[dhanushmenon]

So, lets start the journey…

From now on, I will more or less try and keep quiet.
The snaps will mostly take on from here.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
I will only add a comment or two in between.

As such, I am tired of yapping all through.
After all, there’s a limit to how much a car can talk, right?



Enroute Valparai.
The Valley carpeted in green below and blue sky scattered with white whiffs of clouds above.
Breath taking!!!
There actually is some logic to Mr D’s reluctance to leave Kerala.
I understand him at times.
But at times I also shudder when I think of those mosquitoes, or the craters on the roads.





The most adorable kids who kept me company.
Notice the spidey-kid outfit of Junior ‘D’.
You could see him wearing the same dress in other travelogues of Mr D too.
That’s the junior’s favourite travel dress



Who said Spider man is only about webs?
Spider man is about trees too…
Taken within the Sholayar forest



Sholayar Dam, Catchment area.
That Moron Mr D exposed this snap too much.
Its ridiculous if I have to teach him how to take photographs too.





Wow!! The immediate future looks promising!!!



Another break.
C’mon Mr D, don’t stop so often.
I can’t wait to conquer those curves.



How many twisties can you count??



I wonder what the ancestors and descendants are grossly engaged at!!
One thing is sure.
The ancestor has got his eyes glued to something- Mobile phone!
SNATCH!!

[dhanushmenon]

Hoganekkal falls

Lat Long- 12.119233, 77.778354

The best way to reach Hoganekkal is to divert from Dharmapuri if you want to save time.
Else, If you want to follow the interior roads, Mr D would recommend that.
We also came most way through the six lane highway from Avinashi.

However, around 10 Kilometres short of Dharmapuri, Mr D took a deviation into a lone track which could hardly be called as a road.
What we saw later could not be explained with any amount of words.

The initial part was jarred and broken.
Later, the road graduated into a well laid single lane tarmac.
This road took us through the heart of a village.

The village was almost like as if it has been relegated from humanity and civilisation.
Huts made of mud (only Mud) were to be seen everywhere.
Rice grains were stacked up and hay stacks dotted the peripheries.
People gazed at us as if we were friends of Jaadu of Koi Mil Gaya fame

It is quite an experience for anyone venturing from the concrete jungles.
Life presented in RAW format.

No photographs though. We were busy taking in what we saw than stopping to digitalize it.

We subsequently reached Hoganekkal.
It was not the thick of monsoons and therefore, not much of flow in the falls.





Mr D and family took a coracle ride as I rested in the parking lot with monkeys giving nasty snarls and stares.
Goodness!!! Is it a sin to have good looks?



Mr D thinks he looks cool posing to be strong to lift a coracle all by himself.
We all know the truth right?







Round and round I go...



A dip in the splash



Wings spread... talons down



Fish fry at an island enroute.
Delectable I should say.



Man in the mirror...



Smile... Cos, life is beautiful.



Someone has a commanding view...





Monkey business!!

[dhanushmenon]

A Wineyard in Bangalore and glimpse of Bannerghatta

Sipping a cup of hot masala chai on a fogged out chilly morning, Mr D told me about the plans to visit a WIneyard and Bannerghatta.
I know Bannerghatta is of a well known territory in this forum.
So, I will just add two snaps; just so that it is represented in the travelogue penned by an XUV



Tenacious... Ain't it?



Spot the colour in my eye..



The wineyard had many peculiar ingredients to it.
The green winery growth, Wine making process, history of Wine…
And the drive was the most interesting of all.
It took us through dust laden village trails with small huts dotting either side of the road.
However, what which surprised us was that the interiors of these houses boasted of plush sofas and intricate detailing on pillars.





Reward for my day’s hard work…



Mr & Mrs D and their daughter



Sitting and play area of the restaurant in the wineyard.



The restaurant had a good ambience to it.
Wine barrels added a touch of spice to the class.



Well… Half full or half empty??
The ever so famous story

[dhanushmenon]

Through the innards of Andhra Pradesh

Much to the surprise of Mr D, Andhra turned out to be quite a lovely package.
It was much greener, beautiful and calmer than what Mr D had imagined.
The roads were good and wider too.
The place had a scenic beauty of its own.





We darted into the heartland of Andhra villages.
And this diversion was all thanks to Distinguished Bhpian hvkumar who facilitated wonderful memories.

















A typical hut which we saw on the hinterlands of Andhra Pradesh.
Notice that the pillars have also been made out of mud.
The presence of an electric post next to the house indicated that there might be electricity supply to the house.



The long winding country roads





Sunset over sea in the Eastern Coast??
Possible!!



From a local street market.







All in a day’s work.





Even when we entered the city of Vizag, Mr D was pretty impressed.
The administration did their best to keep the places clean.
But then, miscreants are everywhere and filth seeps out some place.
However, we could see sweepers all across cleaning the roads and surroundings.

If only the city was a bit less polluted.
That is the only bane of Vizag.
The roads at some places are jet black-
not due to the fresh laid tarmac; but due to the layers of coal/ sulphur or whatever it is, from the nearby industrial areas.
If you skid your bike some place, then you may as well forget being recognized even by your mom.

Notwithstanding, everything else about the city is good.
On many regards, better than Kochi too.
Mr D wouldn’t agree to it, I know.
He is hell bent on supporting the mutant mosquito land.
May sense prevail upon him sooner.

Cheers to vivacious Vizag- the city of Destiny!!

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing.

[prabhu789]

Wonderful travelogue and beautifully narrated by XUV. I like your sense of humor. Mr.D is lucky to have you . Pictures are excellent and each one of them is wallpaper material.

[ampere]

That was a real long haul Dhanush. The odo must literally running all over the place. How were the roads toward the coast as an aftermath of cyclone? Any impending damage? The GQ should have been good.

Nice snaps esp. the one where the kids are playing in water!

[fusionbang]

Nice write up Dhanush and amazing photography to complement the same. By the way I feel you are yet to contribute more to this thread, as I don't see it has covered the entire 8 days package. Hope I am right

[poised2drive]

That is one wonderful travelogue we have here and the kind of narration it had gives the midas touch ! Fabulous !
I just envy your travelling traits [ and your XUV's writing skills ] . I wish I had some.
And Visakhapatnam is one of the most beautiful cities in the country and yet it remained highly underrated and the place always skulked under the shadow of Hyderabad, thanks to the leaders and politicians of Andhra Pradesh.
This city was always at the receiving end of stepmother treatment due to the fact that all the political clout stayed around Vijayawada-Guntur area and administrative and political machinery lying in Hyderabad.
Sorry for going
Recent Hudhud cyclone has devastated Vizag and reports say almost 90 % of the vegetation is just leveled. So I sense you might not find the city as green as Kochi but I am sure you'll not really find any difference between the weather patterns or lifestyle.
I am sure you'd enjoy your stint there and do take your 'mean machine' to all those intriguing places lying around Visakhapatnam which still lie in their aboriginal state where you might end up in places that make you wonder whether you are at your 'Gods own Country' .

[dhanushmenon]

Sorry guys for the late reply.
Was in a non internet country for some days. The future days doesnt look much bright too.

Anyway, regardless of that, thanks for your kind words.
Shall update as and when I get time or when I come to internet benevolence.

Originally Posted by prabhu789

Wonderful travelogue and beautifully narrated by XUV. I like your sense of humor. Mr.D is lucky to have you . Pictures are excellent and each one of them is wallpaper material.

Thanks prabhu789. Glad that you liked the effort.
Shall prompt and coax Mr D to take the pen atleast from now on

Originally Posted by ampere

That was a real long haul Dhanush. The odo must literally running all over the place. How were the roads toward the coast as an aftermath of cyclone? Any impending damage? The GQ should have been good.

Thanks ampere.
Actually, the odo isn't much. Its around 18k or so in the last one year.
I, the XUV, is used only for long drives.
Mr D still feels pampered inside his red devil Figo for his office commute.

Him being out of station for more than four months in the last one year also did not help my odo readings. (Mr D however took me to Goa in one of his trips)

The roads are generally good ampere.
The damage of HUD-HUD was on the vegetation.
And boy, it is such a sorry sight for the greenery.
I saw many trees fallen, broken and some uprooted too.
Felt very sorry.

Originally Posted by fusionbang

By the way I feel you are yet to contribute more to this thread, as I don't see it has covered the entire 8 days package. Hope I am right

Thanks fusionbang.
You are right.
I wish I had got a bit more time to compile this travelogue.
I was actually on a run to get this compiled and reported to the mods before I ran out into the region of internet darkness.
So, I had to make good with whatever was available.
Sorry buddy.
I promise; I will make amends next time.

Originally Posted by poised2drive

That is one wonderful travelogue we have here and the kind of narration it had gives the midas touch ! Fabulous !
I just envy your travelling traits [ and your XUV's writing skills ] . I wish I had some.
And Visakhapatnam is one of the most beautiful cities in the country and yet it remained highly underrated and the place always skulked under the shadow of Hyderabad, thanks to the leaders and politicians of Andhra Pradesh. This city was always at the receiving end of stepmother treatment due to the fact that all the political clout stayed around Vijayawada-Guntur area and administrative and political machinery lying in Hyderabad.
Sorry for going

Thanks poised2drive for all those kind words.
I should admit that I have gone a few inches taller now

Sure, the vegetation of Vizag has taken a huge hit. And through vegetation, the ecology and atmosphere also took a toll.
It was evident during the few days of cold which we had to endure here.
Veterans of Vizag were telling us that they havent experienced so low temperatures in the decades they had been here.
Looks like it was all thanks to HUD-HUD

Also, I travelled to Limmasingi and what we saw there was all uprooted trees and vanquished forest.
Seems like it was nature's way of saying:
"Up Two Turns..."!!!, for all the injustice.

[manas_270]

Wonderful travelogue captured with some amazing photographs to make an awesome read.

Very well written Mr.D errr.. sorry Mr.D's XUV. BTW have you been named yet or is Mr.D still lazying around to give you a name? I know you hate your birth name XUV 5 oh oh & don't want to invite your wrath by calling you that. I think you have been left nameless from what I could see unless I missed a post.

You [Mr.D's XUV] have great writing skills to go along with the brawn looks & that's a rare thing to have. How often do we get others ride[Vehicle] to talk to us / show us what he has covered. We lesser privileged mortals own rides that talk/feedback only to us. They are very reserved you see

Keep continuing & putting on many more miles. I hope God gives you the power of telepathy to get into Mr.D's mind & give you a name first & do many more cross -country trips so that you can pen down oops sorry torque down such brilliant articles. If not telepathy, see if you can hire Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) from Inception to make it happen *wink wink*

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by manas_270

Wonderful travelogue captured with some amazing photographs to make an awesome read.

Very well written Mr.D errr.. sorry Mr.D's XUV. BTW have you been named yet or is Mr.D still lazying around to give you a name? I know you hate your birth name XUV 5 oh oh & don't want to invite your wrath by calling you that. I think you have been left nameless from what I could see unless I missed a post.

You [Mr.D's XUV] have great writing skills to go along with the brawn looks & that's a rare thing to have. How often do we get others ride[Vehicle] to talk to us / show us what he has covered. We lesser privileged mortals own rides that talk/feedback only to us. They are very reserved you see

Keep continuing & putting on many more miles. I hope God gives you the power of telepathy to get into Mr.D's mind & give you a name first & do many more cross -country trips so that you can pen down oops sorry torque down such brilliant articles. If not telepathy, see if you can hire Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) from Inception to make it happen *wink wink*

Thanks a lot Manas_270. Your words have been very kind and considering the perfect sentence formation in your reply, I think I should start taking tit bits from you.
What's your address?

As I had said on the outset, Mr D is a lazy bum.
He hasn't named me yet
Now, I have stopped complaining and have started to live with it.
After all, like SHakespeare said, "whats in a name?"
(Ofcourse, there's a lot in a name. Hell with Shakespeare!!
I said the above just to console myself)

Telepathy is a nice idea.
Let me try that and get Mr D to think on parallel lines.