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Old 21st July 2015, 16:22   #1
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Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Hello BHPians,

I have been wanting to post a travelogue since a long time. After having transitioned from a student to a working man now, I think it is about time I took an attempt. Needless to say, I might not be able to match the standards set down by most of the other posts on this thread, but this is an honest attempt.

So this is a trip that was planned to be much shorter but turned out the way it did. All we knew for certain was that we are starting from Ranchi and will eventually return to Ranchi.

THE ROUTE

Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-1.1.png

Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-1.2.png

THE CHARACTERS

Four friends from NIT Rourkela days, all part of the Institute's racing team at BAJA SAE India held at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh every year. Here is a brief bio of everyone.

Jatin Agrawal
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-2.1.jpg
Jatin is a Mechanical Engineer from NIT Rourkela, currently working with TATA Steel in Bokaro. He is a passionate automobile junkie and long trip addict. A manager so efficient and responsible that you could trust him with not only your own life, but also your entire family and rest in peace that he will never disappoint. He is an ardent fan of Lewis Hamilton.

Nishan Das
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-2.2.jpg
This plump, happy-go-lucky Mechanical Engineer from NIT Rourkela is a former employee of Caterpillar Inc. and currently a participant of the Executive MBA course at ISB Mohali. Best known for his appetite for food and love for travel, Nishan can find his way in any unknown territory and can be trusted to lead you to safety from any sticky situation.

Sourav Anand Sethi
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-2.3.jpg
This no nonsense Electrical engineer from NIT Rourkela currently works with Coal India Limited and can be a nightmare for many. A real grease monkey and an epitome of jugaad, he can make any machine work. With an obsession for vehicular safety, he is a treat to be with. The devil’s advocate of any planning process, he will always ensure everything goes smoothly.

Srinit Das
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-2.4.jpg
An Electronics engineer by degree, an MBA graduate by chance, a sportsman by hobby, a race driver by passion, and a junkyard bug by skill, Srinit just loves to spend time munching miles, constructing stuff, and eating whenever he has time. He can spend days altogether driving or riding through anything and everything irrespective of how good or bad the destination is.

THE RIDE

Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi 2014 model
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-3.1.jpg
This car shod with 185 mm rubber and powered by an 83 bhp motor is a real darling. With comfortable interiors and pleasant music system, it is ready to suit your every mood. Get behind the wheel and it will never complain when you are pushing it hard or ambling around in traffic. A trusted companion indeed.

THE STORY

It all started with, "Let's drive to Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, and if possible, cover Jaipur as well."
We all were set to meet at Ranchi. Me and Nishan by train from Bhubaneswar, Jatin from Bokaro, and Sourav from Phusro.

02 APRIL 2015 - DAY 1 - RANCHI TO ALLAHABAD

Tapaswini express reached Hatia station at 11:55 AM. Jatin was there to recieve me and Nishan. The rendezvous point with Sourav was at Saini dhaba in Ramgarh on the Ranchi-Barhi road. Sourav had been gracious enough to order food for us so we wouldn't have to wait to satiate our raving hunger. After a quick catching up and a delicious lunch highlighted by the fabulous dal lasuni, we started on the much awaited trip.

The idea was to go to Varanasi and stay on for the night. Visit the place and witness the Sandhya Aarti before moving on to Allahabad. Nishan was very excited to see the iconic medieval Grand Trunk road or GT road buit by Sher Shah Suri. We touched upon the GT road at Barhi and Nishan made a dramatic show of his mock disappointment at the unremarkable nature of the "Grand Trunk road built by Sher Shah Suri in the 16th century". For trivia, this route has existed since the Mauryan Empire (3rd Century BC) and was know was the Uttarapatha (road to north) that connected south Asia to Central Asia.

The first leg of the trip was filled with a lot of loud talk, the sound of old friends catching up after a fairly long time. A few odd photographs later, we started discussing what our itinerary would actually be. We decided that rather than wasting a whole day in Varanasi, we can reach Allahabad for the night and move on, leaving Varanasi to be covered on the way back. So Sourav and Nishan started browsing for budget hotels to stay in for the night at Allahabad. We ran into a big traffic jam some 50 km before Varanasi that set us back by an hour or so. We escaped by a longish detour through the country roads and hit the track to Varanasi. A simple dinner followed. We headed to Allahabad and reached our hotel at 11:45 PM, planned an early jaunt to the Triveni Sangam (Confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) and retired to bed.

03 APRIL 2015 - DAY 2 - ALLAHABAD TO GWALIOR

Early in the morning, we went to see the Triveni Sangam. Since it was summer time, the banks were deep and arid. A quick walk near the river and we got ourselves a boat to take us to the point of amalgamation of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna (The Saraswati has dried up since ancient times and is imaginary). One could clearly distinguish the colour of the water from both rivers. A lot of people descend into the waist deep water to take a dip in the holy rivers.

Sunrise over Ganga:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.2.1.jpg

Triveni Sangam:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.2.2.jpg

Somewhere in the corner of our vision, we could see a river surface cleaning machine in operation. Narendra Modi's Clean Ganga Mission in its nascent stages perhaps. A delicious breakfast later, we reached our hotel and figured out what to do next. Reaching Agra late in the evening would be useless anyway. "Let's go to Gwalior", someone said. Professor Google was consulted and we decided to catch the light and sound show at the Gwalior fort. I got behind the wheel and we drove off. Some real bad traffic inside Allahabad city. We exited the GT road at Etawah to catch the highway to Gwalior. Google maps led us into their daily market at peak hours. Half an hour later, we were making slow progress on the broken roads of Uttar Pradesh countryside. Soon we reached the Chambal River, which acts as the border between Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP). A slow ride across the broken bridge and one can feel smooth tarmac replacing the bone rattling path, that huge is the difference in the road quality in a matter of 200 meters. Google maps once again led us into a built up market inside Bhind.

We reached Gwalior at around 7 pm, just in time to catch the first show of the light and sound programme. On our way up to the fort, we encountered narrow bylanes that cannot accommodate a bike if a car comes in, courtesy Google maps of course. A frustrating drive and a long scratch on the left front door later, we reached the fort and bought tickets worth Rs.75 each. The show was a good one and the night view of the city was panoramic. We checked in to a low cost hotel for the night. The plan was to start early for Agra.

04 APRIL 2015 - DAY 3 - GWALIOR TO AGRA TO JAIPUR

We left for Agra at 7:30 AM. Jatin took the wheel and we crossed through a brief patch of Rajasthan on the way. Jatin's Marwari ancestry got him to nostlgia mode as we took in Rajasthan's countryside. We reached Agra at 9:30 AM and got straight down to business - The Taj Mahal. The parking is 2 km away from the entrance. One can either walk, take an electric powered auto-rickshaw or take a horse drawn Tonga. Fossil fuel run vehicles are not allowed near the 17th century marble structure. We decided to walk. Upon reaching halfway, we discovered that tickets are available only at the parking. So Jatin and Sourav walked back and fetched tickets and hired a Tonga who charge something between Rs.100 and Rs.150 for the 2 km ride. People who do not want to take off their shoes can buy white shoe covers at Rs.10.

And so we saw the Taj. The iconic view through the Mughal archway was the first glimpse. The way into the mausoleum where Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are buried was very crowded. Lots of photographs and two hours later, we were at the parking bidding adieu to Sourav, who had to get back to office early.

The Taj Mahal:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.1.jpg

We decided to skip the Agra fort as too many forts awaited us at Jaipur. Next up was Mathura. The most exciting prospect of it was the Yamuna Express Highway. It was sleek and beautiful, the only downside being concrete roads that offer less grip than tarmac.

Yamuna Expressway - Agra to Mathura:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.2.jpg

Going through crowded Mathura streets, we reached Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. We took help of a local guy who took us right to the temple gate. The shrine was closed that day due to Surya Grahan (solar eclipse). Hindu customs do not allow worship during Grahan. We stocked up with famous Mathura Peda (a sweet made from milk and ghee), had a simple lunch along with lassi, and set off for Jaipur. A Skoda Laura maintained a fast and steady pace for us to follow. Some good speeds saw us reach Jaipur quite early. We bypassed the city to reach Chokhi Dhani, a theme based luxury resort, which depicts the Rajasthani customs, cuisines, music, dance and arts in a lively and realistic atmosphere. One gets to ride bullock carts, camels, see magic shows, weild a sword at the akhada, get a nice maalish, and best of all, taste authentic Rajasthani food. All of it for prices ranging from Rs.600 to Rs.900 per person. One can also shop for many handicraft items at fair prices. Stuffed with awesome food and a nice experience, we retired to bed.

A shop at Chokhi Dhani:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.3.jpg

Rajasthani Dance:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.4.jpg

The Akhada:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.5.jpg

Dinner in Chokhi Dhani:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.3.6.jpg

05 APRIL 2015 - DAY 4 - JAIPUR TO JODHPUR

I got behind the wheel for the day. The agenda was to explore Jaipur. Jal Mahal was first. It was closed for whatever reasons unknown to us. We headed up to Amber fort. It was beautiful to say the least. A quick breakfast and a short hike up the slopes and we were inside the fort. One can also enjoy an elephant ride to the fort. It is expensive though. The Jaigarh fort is the more combat oriented fort adjacent to the Amber fort. It lacks the grandeur and intricacies of Amber fort, but it is higher up and more strategic for military defence, and offers a great spectacle as well. Next we went to the Hawa Mahal area. As the name suggests, the place is quite airy and feels cool - a summer palace for the royalty.

The Jal Mahal:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.4.1.jpg

Amber Fort:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.4.3.jpg

Inside Amber Fort:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.4.4.jpg

The view of Amber Fort standing in front of Jaigarh Fort:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.4.5.jpg

Suddenly it came to us, "Let's visit Jaisalmer". Having come so far, it would be a shame not to see the desert. Nishan had to be back in Bhubaneswar by 8th April morning. So we booked his flight from Delhi to Bhubaneswar and proceeded for some shopping. We found a good wholesale shop and loaded the car boot with sarees, dress pieces, etc. Once done, we wasted no time in heading towards Jodhpur, our night halt. The roads were just too good. We were constantly doing good speeds. We booked beds at Zostel Jodhpur and were hungry as the day wore on. In a bid to take a shortcut, Nishan led us well into the interior village roads. After crossing through few villages, we touched upon a single lane road flanked by agricultural fields on both sides. If we were to experience pitch darkness, all it would take is switching off the headlight. What's more, even Google Maps had no idea of the existence of that route. 80 km later, we emerged on the main highway and reached Jodhpur, safe and sound. Zostel is a great place for backpackers. Comfortable lodging at Rs.400 per night. It also offers good food and an opportunity to talk to fellow travellers from all over the world.

06 APRIL 2015 - DAY 5 - JODHPUR TO JAISALMER

We started our drive to Jaisalmer in the morning. Had a heavy breakfast of poori sabzi for only Rs.15 per head. The road from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is really pristine - buttersmooth and consistent. As the drive wore on, vegetation started dissapearing steadily to make way for camels and large windmills.

Road from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.1.jpg

Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.2.jpg

A brief photoshoot at a milestone later, we reached Jaisalmer at 12:30 PM. Sahara Travels near the Jaisalmer fort is a decent agent to book a desert safari. They charge Rs.1500 per head for a one night stay in the desert - transport, dinner, and breakfast included. The package also includes a long camel ride, and a desert jeep safari. We went to a restaurant nearby for lunch. Nishan got a very upset stomach, probably from the poori sabzi earlier in the morning. Jatin went out to buy traditional Rajasthani shoes, and that was when a heavy sandstorm hit Jaisalmer. All power was gone, and it became dark as dusk. One couldn't have seen 3 feet ahead. It lasted only 15 minutes but the amount of sand and dirt was apalling. So we left for the desert at around 3:30 PM, driving our own car, even though travel was arranged in jeep. Five others were with us, all of them from different parts of Europe and residing in the US. On the way, we visited an 18th century abandoned village complete with broken stone houses and an derelict temple, giving the place a haunted look. It also has a story around it with all common elements such as a lustful king, a beautiful village girl and all that turmoil that lead to all inhabitants abandoning it overnight.

Abandoned 18th Century village near Kanoi:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.3.jpg

Next up was a small pond which never dried up. It was a great source of water for around 10 villages nearby. Finally, we parked out car at a village called Kanoi and boarded our respective camels.

Camel pickup point at Kanoi:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.5.jpg

An hour long swingy ride later, we reached our camping spot in the middle of sand dunes, where we went bersek racing each other on the slopes. We had tea, snacks and clicked lots of photographs till it went dark. The evening was spent chitchatting with our fellow travellers and singing random songs. The dinner cooked on the campfire was really delicious. All the long travel and late nights brought a good night's sleep and well needed rest for the long return journey that lay ahead. Nights in the desert can be really cold. It is best to be prepared for it.

Into the sands on camel back:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.6.jpg

After a hike through the dunes:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.8.jpg

Racing up the slopes:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.9.jpg

The desert camp:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.5.10.jpg

07 APRIL 2015 - DAY 6 - JAISALMER TO DIBIYAPUR

We started from the desert at 6:15 AM by jeep, collected our car from Kanoi and headed back. The idea was to get Nishan to Delhi airport for his early morning flight the next day. We planned the trip back to Ranchi in three phases - Jaisalmer to Delhi, Delhi to Varanasi, and Varanasi to Ranchi. We stopped at Zostel Jodhpur to freshen up and had a big brunch. The good roads took us to Jaipur by 4:30 PM or so. Here we decided to drop Nishan at the Jaipur railway station so he could take a train to Delhi. The result of this arrangement was that we set sights on cutting the return trip to two days instead if three. Jatin took on driving and we left Jaipur at 5:30 PM. The trip was quite uneventful and we reached Agra at around 9:00 PM, had dinner at Pizza Hut and continued on for Dibiyapur. Accommodation for the night was arranged at the GAIL guest house by our friend Upasana. We reached Dibiyapur via Auraiya at 1:00 AM. The trip meter for the return journey read 1180 km, the distance covered in 18 hours including a brunch break, a one hour break at Jaipur and a dinner break. It was a day well spent indeed.

The long return journey starts:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.6.1.jpg

Camels in the wild:
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.6.2.jpg

08 APRIL 2015 - DAY 7 - DIBIYAPUR TO RANCHI

The target for the day was to reach Ranchi by 8:00 PM so I can catch the Garib Rath Express back to Bhubaneswar. After a brief tour of the GAIL campus, the two of us started off on what was possibly the final leg. I was driving. We had a small snack at Fatehpur and stocked up on eatables and water. We didn't want to lose valuable time for such small niggles. I continued driving till Varanasi without any incident whatsoever. The distance was covered very swiftly owing to less traffic and fabulous bypass roads at Kanpur and Varanasi. Jatin took the wheel after Varanasi and we had ample time to reach Ranchi. He maintained the pace nevertheless. After we exited the GT road at Barhi, the traffic beefed up a bit and Jatin started showing early signs of tiredness for the first time in the entire trip. He drove very carefully till we reached Hatia station with only 10 minutes to spare for the train. I boarded the Garib Rath express without a ticket (got one issued from the TTE of course) and headed off to Bhubaneswar while Jatin drove off to Bokaro.

IN RETROSPECT

7 days and 4461 km later, we were all back to our respective routine. This was a trip unlike any, happily munching away the miles without really missing out the fun about the places we went to. The road infrastructure in our country has come a long way to make such a trip possible. Jatin's Swift ZXi has my salute for enduring the distance, the heat and most importantly, two insanely persistent drivers always pushing for more distance in less time. The joy of pulling off a haphazard trip such as this cannot be explained. If only we had more time, who knows we might have ended up going to Amritsar from Jaisalmer and even beyond into the Himalayas. Varanasi was the first plan to begin with, but got skipped eventually. What we also missed out were Agra fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Ajmer and the Mehrangarh fort. Well, there is always a next time. I expect our next trip to be even more strenuous and may we all cover greater distances.

Last edited by GTO : 24th July 2015 at 22:24. Reason: PM coming up
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Old 23rd July 2015, 12:14   #2
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 23rd July 2015, 15:39   #3
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Lovely write up Srinit. Enjoyed every bit of it. It must have been very hot in Rajasthan. Hope you had no major issues with it. Try posting some more pictures. Rajasthan is very beautiful and hope next time you visit the Udaipur / Mt. Abu Belt. It is a completely different landscape to cherish.
How did the car do? can you share some details regarding fuel & toll expenditure and road conditions on various stretches of road you took.
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Old 23rd July 2015, 17:30   #4
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Good and succinctly put up log! Last December I was at Jaisalmer on a cycling trip conducted by YHAI. And we went to the ghost village along with few other places covering 150kms approximately over the course of 3 days. This brought back nice memories!!
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Old 24th July 2015, 00:05   #5
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Quote:
Originally Posted by r.praveen View Post
Good and succinctly put up log! Last December I was at Jaisalmer on a cycling trip conducted by YHAI. And we went to the ghost village along with few other places covering 150 kms approximately over the course of 3 days. This brought back nice memories!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShankarG View Post
Lovely write up Srinit. Enjoyed every bit of it.
Thanks Praveen and Shankar. It was a memorable trip. Our next trip is already being planned. This time, an almost complete circuit of the Indian Peninsular starting from Bhubaneswar, is on the cards - the eastern coast, then the western coast till Mumbai perhaps, and back again to Bhubaneswar. We haven't fully decided yet. And in all probability, even if we decide something, the actual trip, i am sure, will be quite different.

Quote:
It must have been very hot in Rajasthan. Hope you had no major issues with it.
Yes it was pretty hot. But Rajasthan wasn't any hotter than UP or MP. And we didn't seem to bother at all. Never posed any serious issue.

Quote:
How did the car do? can you share some details regarding fuel & toll expenditure and road conditions on various stretches of road you took.
The car was a real darling. It never complained once, even when we were doing high speeds at 40 degrees ambient temperature. The best part about Swift ZXi that I like is the handling, it is crisp and precise. Add to that, Swift is a light car in its segment. So precise handling even at 120 kmph. Of course, the 185 mm tyres in ZXi and ZDi models as opposed to the 165 mm tyres in other models, were a great boost.

The road from Ranchi till Barhi was good.
The GT Road from Barhi till Allahabad was not so good. Lots of construction work going on, many flyovers being built. But the entire stretch would be a treat after, let's say, some 3 years or so, once all of it is built.

The roads improve a great deal after Allahabad. Once you cross 25 km long Kanpur bypass, the roads are flawless till Etawah. In UP, other than the GT Road, all other roads are real bad. Etawah to Bhind, for example, is almost touching off road quality.

But the real fun starts in Rajasthan. It has the best roads in the country I would say - at least the Delhi to Jaisalmer stretch. Flawless is the word. The consistency would surprise you.

Total petrol expense was Rs. 19,550, for 4461 km.
Toll expense was Rs. 2,890 for 42 toll booths on the way, both sides.

Here is the bunch of toll receipts (42 in number)
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-img20150410wa0015.jpg

I cant give the exact break up. But roughly Rs. 600 was for Jharkhand and Rajasthan put together and rest Rs. 2,300 was entirely in Uttar Pradesh. The highest toll for the least favourable roads.

Quote:
Try posting some more pictures. Rajasthan is very beautiful and hope next time you visit the Udaipur / Mt. Abu Belt. It is a completely different landscape to cherish.
I have been to Mt. Abu, Udaipur, Jodhpur belt on my old Thunderbird 350, when I was studying in Ahmedabad. It is a real good belt. Especially the long winding curves on the NH-8 before Udaipur. The Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur is one of the best in the country. Even Dark Knight Rises was shot there . I never really got to write about those trips. The Jaisalmer one is my first ever travelogue. Hope to cover all of them eventually.

Here are some more pictures

River Ganga, Allahabad
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-2.jpg

On the Yamuna Expressway
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-4.jpg

Akhada at Chokhi Dhani, Jaipur
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-5.jpg

Amber Fort, Jaipur
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-6.jpg

Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-8.jpg

View from Amber Fort
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-9.jpg

Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-10.jpg

Amber Fort viewed from Jaigarh Fort
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-13.jpg

Wanted to go to Amritsar. This was the inspiration
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-14.jpg

Milestone achieved... Literally
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-15.jpg

The Marwari guy poses with his Topi
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-17.jpg

The 4X4 Dune Basher
Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!-18.jpg

Last edited by Aditya : 24th July 2015 at 13:02. Reason: Reference to speeding
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Old 24th July 2015, 00:50   #6
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Well written. Amazing photographs. Awesome travelogue !

A week long trip, close to 4500KM on the odo, traversing the East-West expanse, good ol' college buddies, the 'great' Maruti Swift in your hands, sumptuous food along the journey - You have mixed all the 'ingredients' very well to come with this fantastic journey. Wish you many more kilometres of happiness !
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Old 24th July 2015, 14:40   #7
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Nice travelogue Srinit; enjoyed reading through. Thanks for sharing!

Like dreamliner mentioned, your trip had all the ingredients for a fun, memorable journey - friends, car, road trip, awesome food...what more could you as for.
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Old 28th July 2015, 13:11   #8
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Nice travelogue Srinit coupled with nice pictures.

What is the current road condition of Kanpur -> Allahabad -> varanasi stretch of NH2.
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Old 28th July 2015, 15:47   #9
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

That is one gem of a driving experience Srinit. I am sure that with all the elements of fun clubbed together it would have also been a great memoir for you and your old friends.

After taking delivery of my car, I had to drive from Jamshedpur to Dharamsala and I drove till Varanasi on day two of delivery with only two stops in between; one for the hearty brunch and one for the evening tea. I can personally relate to your description of the NH-2.

I wish you many more happy kilometers on the national highways of our country.
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Old 29th July 2015, 00:18   #10
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Baddychat View Post
Nice travelogue Srinit coupled with nice pictures.

What is the current road condition of Kanpur -> Allahabad -> varanasi stretch of NH2.
Thanks Baddychat
Both kanpur and allahabad have beautiful bypass roads. Neatly done and with a sky high toll amount to keep out too much traffic. You are in for a rough ride if u choose not to take the toll roads. They are not too bad, but pale in comparision to the bypass. The overall road is good if u dont encounter a traffic jam.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cruising_rapid View Post
That is one gem of a driving experience Srinit. I am sure that with all the elements of fun clubbed together it would have also been a great memoir for you and your old friends.

After taking delivery of my car, I had to drive from Jamshedpur to Dharamsala and I drove till Varanasi on day two of delivery with only two stops in between; one for the hearty brunch and one for the evening tea. I can personally relate to your description of the NH-2.

I wish you many more happy kilometers on the national highways of our country.
Thanks cruising_rapid
I m sure u must have enjoyed it every bit. But shouldn't the new engine be run in before u undertake such a long journey? Like, long hours at constant RPMs is not good for a new engine. And how did u manage the oil change at 1000 kms?
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Old 29th July 2015, 13:45   #11
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Excellent writeup Srinit. I went to Rajasthan (hired vehicle) last year and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of roads and the changing vistas in each circuit. Waiting for your next travelogue (The Himalayas)
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Old 31st July 2015, 12:37   #12
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Next time in Jaisalmer, do drive down to Tanot. Its an amazing experience driving through the dunes with virtually no one around.
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Old 2nd August 2015, 15:31   #13
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Quote:
Originally Posted by srinitdas View Post
I m sure u must have enjoyed it every bit. But shouldn't the new engine be run in before u undertake such a long journey? Like, long hours at constant RPMs is not good for a new engine. And how did u manage the oil change at 1000 kms?
I didn't had a choice at that time, had to drive. For the initial 800-900 KMS, I resisted my urge and kept it below 2000 RPM and then started to push it beyond that. Skoda doesn't recommend oil change at 1000 KMS, in fact oil change is recommended only at first servicing.
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Old 1st December 2019, 01:35   #14
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Re: Ranchi to Jaisalmer...and lots of things in between!

Nice write up srinit !! I enjoyed reading it and going through the old memories :
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