After 9 yrs and exactly 100,000 kms of loyal unwavering service it was time to retire the XYLO. With a heavy heart we entered the market looking for a worthy replacement. The XYLO was always a big car for a couple so we decided to go in for a smaller compact SUV narrowing down to the DDIS 1.3 ZDI+ Brezza primarily due the mileage figures...yeah, we couldn't overlook the promised 24.3kmpl fuel efficiency number and took the plunge.
So with the new car in hand I was itching to stretch its legs on a longish highway drive. So with 850kms on the ODO we preponed the first service to match with Thanksgiving holidays (yes we have US holidays in India...sue me
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The new ride!
The tallest statue in the world had just been unveiled and given the condition of the roads in Gujrat sounded like a good first drive for a new car. But we had 4 days in hand so decided to hop down to the Little Rann to spend a night in the wilderness.
So, nothing much to do as the first service had just been done. Tanked up and started out from Mumbai at around 5am. Traffic was sparse and I could even use the cruise control on the brezza (locked at 90kmph) for upto 15-20 mins at a stretch after crossing the state border into Gujrat.
Android Auto helps pair Google maps into the display and it directed me to turn off the highway near Ankleshwar and put us onto a state highway with was not at par with other roads in Gujrat. Patches of really horrible roads paired with butter smooth new tarmac greeted us for almost 50kms till we joined the main highway towards Kevadiya which branches out from Baroda.
The First View
This is Humongous to say the least - really massive and well structured. We walked around the place and then took the elevator to the Viewing Gallery.
Let the pics do the talking.
and thats my better half looking tiny
Had bought "express" tickets worth 1000 bucks each online; while they saved us the trouble of standing in the queue for the elevator for around 30-45 mins, they are not worth much at any other point.
The viewing gallery though well placed is nothing to rave about as the views are obstructed first by the huge iron grills of the main statue and then by some poorly placed railings which further the agony by pushing us further away from the views.
Jail with a View
The view after some physical jugglery!
The museum too is just some information and videos with poor audio running 24*7 without any structured information, could have been much better.
Lastly, the food - just 3 shops have been opened with a Subway on the way. For a place that claims 10,000 footfalls a day its really under equipped.
The additional attractions include a Valley of Flowers - essentially a flower garden with a few species of flowering plants thrown in for good measure; additional patches of flower beds are being added. And then the Sardar Sarovar Dam - should go in the monsoon when they release water. As of now, nothing.
Bhajiyas made by Prison inmates...YUM!!
From the Valley of flowers parking point we can take our own car for a spin around the narmada canal for a few more viewing points of the Dam, the drive is good!
Narmada Tent city - swiss tents for those who wanna spend a night here.
Coming back to the statue we waited till 6.45pm for the laser show and this was the best part of the trip as yet! The sunset also afforded some good views.
Very very well done, informative.. finally something good, really good!
Started from Kevadiya around 7.30pm and decided to take a break ahead of Ahemdabad on the highway towards Zainabad which was our next destination. Somehow Google aunty decided to take us on the old highway from Baroda to Ahemdabad which was just as good as the expressway if not better. Found a neat hotel on the highway near Sanand and after a quick dinner crashed for the night!
LROK Tomorrow