[vredesbyrd]

Disclaimer
This is my first ever thread since becoming a member.
Kindly be patient and bear with me as I was never known for my writing or oration skills.
Criticism is welcomed with open arms.
But beware. This is thread going to be a long one.

Prologue
The last proper vacation road trip I had was in November 2019 (Coorg) which was both planned and executed poorly.
Coincidentally, it was my first trip where I owned a car and drove it myself.

2019 and 2020 were pretty much quite the miserable years in my life. Left my job at Bangalore, partly due to some internal conflicts and partly due to medical leave being denied for an upcoming surgery.
Moved back to Lucknow unemployed and lugging around a dying 2010 Skoda Superb. Things were quite for quiet a while. Though I didn't like the silence but it was peaceful.
Come 2021, my wounds from the surgery are healed and have landed a new job that's more aligned my interests and that too in a very good firm.
The ageing Superb is replaced by a simpler but nearly sparkling new 2018 Vento. Had to take off plastic cover from rear seats and instrument cluster, that new.

While grand plans have been on the back burner for quite some time, nothing came to bear fruit so far. That was until September, when I mustered the courage to speak to my manager.
Lo and behold. Plans get pushed back by one week but no matter. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.
So, a Nikon D600 is bought to replace the ageing D5100 and the capable but super thirsty Fujifilm XT100. The latter barely had any choice of lenses. What was available was extremely expensive.
The D600 always has been a bucket list item to get a full frame DSLR. Now was the time to jump the gun.

A bit of time was spent planning what to pack and how.
Full list of gear for photos and videos:
1. Nikon D600 + 18-55mm, 70-300mm, 50mm (yes I know that first two lenses are wrongly enough DX lenses and I am using an FX body)
2. iPhone 12 Mini
3. LG V30S

A complete mess:


Getting somewhere:


Parallelly, Seraph (my Vento) had undergone engine guard installation and some work post a serious underbody scrape in September.
Seeing the upcoming trip, a full inspection was done. Day before departure, the tank gobbled up 33 liters of diesel and Liqui Moly protein shake.
Tires were checked and filled up to 35 psi using the Tusa air pump.

Enough chit-chat, let's hit the road, shall we?

[vredesbyrd]

Day 1: Lucknow to Bareilly
Distance: 248km
Expected Time: 5 hours 30 min
Actual Time: 6 hours 10 min

Woah! Woah! Woah! I get it. 248km is too little for one day. But bear with me.
My mother is a long time diabetic patient (well, so am I but I've just been suffering for the past decade).
Hence, decision was taken to break the journey into two halves. Wait, I haven't told you where we are headed, right? Hold on.

Leg 1: Lucknow to Bareilly
Leg 2: Bareilly to Marchula



See that red circle? I'll come to that later.

Got up early at 4:30am, completed all basic chores and had a bath with warm water. We had packed beforehand so leisurely had tea and biscuits and wasted time till it was 6am.
Started off by 6:30am sharp and didn't look back. The journey was quite uneventful other than the usual unruly traffic and dangerous two wheelers.

Stopped somewhere around 8:00am just outside Lucknow. The sun shone bright and the air was getting from cool to warm.



We had packed breakfast beforehand. Hence stopped again at 8:30am just outside Hardoi. The sun was now getting from warm to worse.
Had breakfast but also, Kullad waali chai (Tea in earthen cups).
Absolutely delightful ginger and cardamom tea. Had my mouth watering at freshly fried bread pakodas.
But as a bhpian, I have to control my right foot. Similarly, as a diabetic, I have to rein in my tongue.
Nice shopkeepers though. Did end up buying food from them on the return journey and not just tea.



Smooth sailing and a bunch of dirt tracks that would put leh to shame for the rest of the way up until Katra. Yes, it is the red circle in the map image.

It is a double railway crossing with a flyover being constructed to prevent mass jams which is why were are stuck here.
70% of LCVs had gone into the oncoming lane thinking that the correct one was blocked. Hence more confusion.
After about 40 minutes of waiting, bickering with other drivers and blasting Chevelle with windows rolled down and then incessant coughing due to dust particles, we managed to cross the crossing.
At a lively pace of 5-12 km/h.

The roads near Bareilly are incredible and remind me of the highways back in Gujarat/Tamil Nadu

Absolute max chill in D7 just under 80 km/h on lovey tarmac:



But the momentary cruising was interrupted with google maps asking me to take a left into Bareilly.

Nice B-roads but a ton of traffic:



Here's a summary video of this leg of the journey with really cool synthwave music:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--jSHE02Jzs

The iPhone takes epic videos. Your only enemies are limited storage and battery.

Location for day's halt: Hotel Gala Galaxy
Father wanted to book a place in the Army Cantt since some old friends and juniors are still posted in the city.
Mother and I decided otherwise.
Gala Galaxy: Decent 3-star with excellent food and terrible washrooms.
Pick if you want good food, good sleep and are not bothered by minor inconveniences.

Took a small stroll around the area. Nothing to look at:



So far if I've managed to retain your attention, then I'm proud.
Day 2 begins in the next post.

[vredesbyrd]

Day 2: Bareilly to Marchula

Distance: 201km
Expected Time: 4 hours 30 min
Actual Time: A lot more, I guess? Did not bother keeping track but an approximation of about 7 hours

The goal was simple.
Start early to beat the traffic.
Stop at Rautela Hut Garden Dhaba.
Find out all about "Black Momos".
Stop at Corbett Falls and do a Long Exposure with your shiny new ND filter.
Drink Redbull because you're about to Pikes Peak it (since Agumbe was a tutorial level)

Did not bother to take any photos up until Rautela Hut. However, videos at the end of this post will satiate you. There are some interesting routes.

The road conditions are mostly secure with the Rautela Hut stretch being both amazing a little rough after Bazpur. Watch the video.

Managed to hit Rautela Hut in decent time. Turns out the momos are made out of purple water chestnut flour, hence the colour.
Packed with taste. Try mixing the red chutney and mayo.
Here's a sample image from google maps. Vegetarian only. This shouldn't bother half the people (didn't bother me):



Not hard to miss the establishment. A very chic looking hut:





A nice miniature fountain with a tasty Endeavour butt in the background:



Menu for the day:



With a filled stomach, we flagged off towards Corbett Falls.

A video of the run till here. Last 50 or so km had interesting roads and scenery:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XveKuWlXnSI

I applaud you for being able to sit through my appalling first thread.
Continued in the next post.

[vredesbyrd]

Day 2 Part 2: Corbett Falls and Desi Pikes Peak

Managed to reach Corbett Falls by afternoon.
There is a very short 2km trail section and boy did it make me happy.
Added the jungle planet (Mire) music from Battlezone II to set up the ambience:

https://youtu.be/RBRJbKM_k8w

There was a small water drain so I decided to do a warm-up:



There was a car park at the end of the trail. From there onwards, only on foot.
Parents gave up on the waterfall but told me to go ahead. So I did.

The area is lush:



Came across a small bridge. Here, each person was taking about 300-500 pictures of themselves on the bridge. They care not if you want to cross it.

Coincidentally, decided to set up and waited for the crowd to scatter out but they just wouldn't. The setup:



The result:



I bet you've been waiting for this one:



Why getting an ND filter was worth it:





Wrapped up the Corbett Falls affair and set off towards Marchula.

Bio break:



This route is challenging, especially for slow and pathetic first-timers like me.
Plenty of terrain and elevation change. Road assortment basket:
1. Fast sweeping corners
2. Narrow straights
3. Tight and technical sections
4. Hairpins
5. Water crossings
6. Jungle crossings
7. No roads
8. Fast straights with suspension-breaking suicidal dips

I'll let the videos do the talking:

Such incredible roads but the occasional unmotorable patch would play spoilsport:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjxsfrdgQwY

Hard climb in rain up to the resort. To be honest, would absolutely hammer it on this route as if it were pikes peak.
However, the traffic almost never gives way to me and the road conditions would end up tyre punctures, bent rims and suspension damage.
But a man can dream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PF7DDkyT6U

Finally after a literal uphill battle, reached Saalvan Resort at Marchula.
Was instantly greeted with morose weather. Well, anything beats hot and humid weather.
Even this:





Don't be afraid of the dark if you have a tripod and/or can pull off 6400 ISO with ease:





To be continued in the following posts

[vredesbyrd]

Day 3 & 4 Part 1: Stuck at Marchula

Let me open up with a poem and a picture:

It rained cats and dogs,
The roads were broken,
The nullahs were flooded,
No network, no power, not even water,
All because of too much water,
Alas, no cats or dogs in sight,
Near or afar,
Oh the irony,
And it rained cats and dogs



As the poem suggests. Stuck here till the weather got better.
Monday went along slowly and peacefully with gurgling from the river:



Some wildlife at the start of the footbridge:



Possible landslide but didn't seem very fresh. Surely wasn't there in 2014:



People tried to escape while the rain mellowed a bit.
Some made it across, some had to return for a day:





Spent all day at the balcony because there was absolutely nothing to do.
Perhaps this is the first time I've shown my ugly mug:



As the raindance grew more and more fierce, a MONKE (as suggested by Master Oogway) took shelter:



Bonus Oogway reference:



But wait, there's more!
See you in the next post!

[vredesbyrd]

Day 3 & 4 Part 2: Let there be light at Marchula

By Monday night (Day 3), we were getting reports from the resort staff that, come Tuesday, we would actually see some light.
Nothing in the morning. A cold and dead start. But as the clock ticked by, Mike Shinoda had something to say:

I have a dream of a scene between the green hills
Clouds pull away and the sunlight's revealed
People don't talk about keeping it real
It's understood that they actually will



The ambience made for some really 2006 S.T.A.L.K.E.R-esque bloomy gloomy photos:



As sunlight shines, the D600 finally rears it's head and shows the incredible dynamic range it actually possesses. What a machine!
The distant settlement finally shone in light:











With the sun going down, it kept getting better and better:









It kept getting better and better:





Until clouds ruined everything:



Ugh, too many photos you might say. But at least could capture a bit of Milky Way for the first time in my life
Anyway, let's go to Ranikhet tomorrow.

[vredesbyrd]

Day 5: Ranikhet for 70 whole minutes

Let me get it out of the way first.
We've made multiple trips to Ranikhet and the Kumaon Regimental Center over the years.
The only purpose of this trip was to have a nice drive on the twisties and get some Bal Mithai since this entire trip is a first for us where I have been driving

The Reward:
(Note: Image is for reference only)



The Journey:



The trip mostly comprises of videos (only like 30-40% of the way because having my heart in my mouth all the time tends to make me forget about recording videos).
Videos are also the reason this thread took so long, thanks to busy work schedule and Sony Vegas Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro not extracting the full potential of R5 3600 and RX5700XT rig.
Most video editing software is rubbish these days, it seems. Also, did I mention that I am lazy?

I thought that road conditions would be acceptable because google maps showed very few slow regions. But boy was I wrong.
The roads were horrible, especially as they had just been cleared of landslides. It does offer some breathtaking views, though.
But it did not stop me (a novice) or a lot of Superbs and A4s from driving through mud, rocks and generally terrible roads.

I'll let the video and the photos speak for themselves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvk21CnXk_g&t=678s

Met this extremely soft and squishy boy while taking pictures.
I didn't want to let him go. He felt the same.











All we did was buy Bal Mithai and have piping hot cutlets and cold coffee at Hotel Parwati Inn. Amazing cutlets.
Rooms seem quite decent and prices are extremely low while the rating is acceptable. Will consider staying here the next time.

Parwati Inn parking:





On the way back:



Decided to follow this funny looking thing (Tempo Traveller). I've been calling these things F-Lingu since childhood.
I have no idea about where that name came from or what the meaning even is but for me F-Lingu = Force Motors Tempo Traveller.
This one belonged to Banaras (UP65) and was going pretty fast for it's size.
Decided that I'd stick with it and it was a very refreshing exercise.
It didn't matter to me which car in the world was faster or handled better.
At this moment, this was the best road I could ask for and this was the best car in the world. Nothing else mattered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOsUF8FmGSg

By the time we reached Chimta Khal, it was getting dark really fast. It gets dark faster in the hills as the sunlight angle and horizon visibility is quite different from the boring flats.
Realizing that the resort is not too far away, decided to slow down and have a relaxed drive, trying to enjoy the LED headlights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-CWXalM1ZI

Got back and was greeted with blazing hot pakodas and tea.
Quite an eventful day

But wait. You saw it coming from a mile away, right?
Yes, there's more but it's mostly macro photography. On to the next post

[vredesbyrd]

Day 6: Macro and General Photography at Marchula

I know I've been dragging this out for far too long (this is the 8th post).
The trip to Rankhet was exhausting so the next day was spent lazing around at the resort garden.

Here are my spoils of war:

Little angry one perched on top of a Tata Sky dish



Spiderweb. I hope you can see it



Eh, some flower. Who cares



Jhoola



Hairy ants



Flower



Roly Poly Snoot Boy



Fluffy Boy



Moss on a brick



Suspended droplets 1



Suspended droplets 2



I think this will suffice and I should end the travelogue within the next post.
It feels like I am going overboard. The first BRD (Business Requirement Document) I ever made was half of this.

If you have bothered yourself to scroll so far down as to reach here. You have my apologies and my respect!

[vredesbyrd]

Day 7 & 8 : Up and Out (actually Down and Out)

Let me kick off with a few leftovers from the previous day:

It was calm and peaceful with cold winds



Wish I was carrying a lens hood but standing between the lights and the camera helps too



The night sky with a 50mm



The outdoors dinner hall



The kind of picture bengalis carry around and then talk about books, coffee and stuff



Finally, the day arrives. We're packed and we're ready to go back.
I would miss this place. No network, no power and often no water.
What a bliss it was.

Early morning gave me chills



Packed and tracked



The return journey was not quite remarkable but it was okay.The footage looks different as the iPhone was full.
LG V30 was put to video duty. Here's some of it:

https://youtu.be/7obISKr4wWI

On our way back, we camped at Hotel Sobti Continental.
Very nice and clean rooms. Well-managed too.
However, if you stay here, there are two things that you must order:

1. Matki Gosht
2. Fried Ice Cream

Began the painstaking journey towards Lucknow the next day and managed to reach before 4pm





This was the first family outing we've had in ears. Especially the first where I've driven on my own, the entire way.
I hope this has been a decent one for my first ever attempt at writing a travelogue and I've poached your attention so far.
On a high note, I'd like to end this travelogue with a small poem:

I want to fly but have not a single wing
All I have is four wheels which bind me to the ground
Where grip is lost, adventure is found
Give me the right drivetrain and I'll make it sing

P.S. Bonus anime overpowered protagonist picture:



Drive hard, people. Drive safe but drive hard!

[Rudra Sen]

Mod note: Thread moved from Assembly line to Travelogues. Thanks for sharing.

[Blacktop]

Looks like an extremely relaxed vacation. A good thing to do at times. Very nice pictures.

[MadSnapper]

Great pictures, sirji! I know you might have put in some efforts to conceal your car's entire number plate but one seems to have escaped your vigil... Just FYI

[playingpossum]

Originally Posted by vredesbyrd

Nice B-roads but a ton of traffic:

Attachment 2226000

Wondering what this is on your dash? Dashcam? Looks interesting.

[vredesbyrd]

Originally Posted by Blacktop

Looks like an extremely relaxed vacation. A good thing to do at times. Very nice pictures.

Thanks! It was very relaxing, indeed. Especially the no network bit.

Originally Posted by MadSnapper

Great pictures, sirji! but one seems to have escaped your vigil... Just FYI

Haha, thank you for bringing that to my notice. But privacy is shot down anyway because of the watermark. I think no point hiding the plates anymore.

Originally Posted by playingpossum

Wondering what this is on your dash? Dashcam? Looks interesting.

That's an OBDII based digital speedometer with a broken stand (hence shoved behind that plastic flap). This gets my NFS game on.

[MadSnapper]

Haha, thank you for bringing that to my notice. But privacy is shot down anyway because of the watermark. I think no point hiding the plates anymore.

So true!!