[sudev]

Nice traveler's tale.

One thing which I see constantly popping up on the forum is that many people (which included you Hari till now) "afraid" to undertake log drives. Why is that? I have found in my innumerable trips locals extremely helpful and ready to share knowledge about local things and places to see.

A little OT but may be we can use this forum to develop a "no go" list?

[Meer]

Hi Hari,

The travelogue is excellent and the photographs you have taken are awesome. What camera are you using buddy? Also, the photographs are very apt representing key milestones in your journey. I would remember to do this when I venture out as I generally speed from one destination to another without soaking in the route.

Your description is egging me to plan a trip to G'pule and Mahabaleshwar soon.

Keep writing,

Cheers,
Meer

[Lukeskywalker]

One thing which I see constantly popping up on the forum is that many people (which included you Hari till now) "afraid" to undertake log drives.

Good observation there Sudev, but with all due respect, there is a first time for everything, it is not "fright" that one experiences, it is just our personal endurance, in my case I would prefer driving a maximum of say about 500 kms in a day to truly enjoy the drive and the holiday, anything longer, I would be doing injustice to my family who have accompanied me solely to have a good time and not spend the entire day sitting in a car while I burn up the miles.

About locals being helpful, I too have found out that it is the locals who have a vast knowledge about off beat places and they are a treasure trove of information.
Just my opinion.
Regards,
Hari.

[Rudra Sen]

Lovely experience there Hari. But tell me, you don't like to stay at home or what?? I see you traveling all the time..

[Lukeskywalker]

What camera are you using buddy?

I use a Sony DSC H2.

But tell me, you don't like to stay at home or what?? I see you traveling all the time..

Well, fortunately or unfortunately both my better half and I are born travel bugs, I would prefer staying at home and mind my business, but she keeps getting 'stressed' out at work and hence needs a 'break' constantly.

[goandude]

Hari,
Great pictures. ever think of going pro?
In spite of you halting to take these pics, you have done amazing times. What were your average speeds? not cruising speeds which you have mentioned as 100 - 110. Any repair work on the chitradurga haveri stretch?
Looking forward to your distance time sheet
GD

[snaronikar]

So...this was cooking during last week. Was wondering why I received an SMS all of a sudden to do this Ganapatipule trip and where on earth did you get to know about this place.

Good write and nice pics.

[BomBatt]

I too was surprised to see your SMS.

Seems like entire coastal Maharashtra along with western ghats up to Pune has lot of excellent tourist places. I would really like to do a long drive on these places.

Hari, excellent trip you did there. I liked those Shiridiwala Saibaba and Jhansi ki rani on mobile phone pics.

And those Davangere benne dose... brought back memories of my college days. Also Davangere is very famous for menasinakai bhajji (mirchi bhajji) mandakki. Next time if you happen to be in this place in the evening, just dont miss the menasinakai

[Lukeskywalker]

Also Davangere is very famous for menasinakai bhajji (mirchi bhajji) mandakki. Next time if you happen to be in this place in the evening, just dont miss the menasinakai

Thanks Deepak, in fact started my schooling in Davangere, and I did ask my wife's colleague about the bhajjis, but we were too full to try anymore local cuisine, any foolhardy attempts would have resulted in the 'Deepak @ CCD' effect .

[roamingrao]

Good trip you did there and topped it with excellent photographs !

I guess nothing would be more fulfilling than enjoying a long drive, stopping enroute and taking photographs to share it with us !

Congrats and thanks. Looking forward to more from you !

[mclaren1885]

Nice travelogue Hari!

So, next breakfast meet to Davangere is it ? You should have tried the bajji's & mirchi's @ Davangere. Along with "churmuri" (puffed rice) they make a deadly combo.

So where you off to next?

[Lukeskywalker]

So where you off to next?

Guess I'm done for 2008, unless you organise one more mega meet before new year, that would be a nice way of ending this year.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

Guess I'm done for 2008, unless you organise one more mega meet before new year, that would be a nice way of ending this year.

I doubt anyone would want to do another trip this month. We might go to K Gudi 2nd week of Jan. Shall be starting a thread on that soon.

[Sidz]

Nice choice of pics & words in your travelogue!!

Your Chevy is more than suitable to handle these long drives with ease. Hence, I am not sure why you were worried earlier about this trip.

Anyways, alls well that ends well!

Looking forward to your future travels

[Walterdee]

Hi,

You just helped us make up our minds. The wife and I were planning a drive from Kochi to Goa, but your Ganapatipule narrative makes us change our plans. We will now drive Kochi- Tirunelveli, we still need to figure out whether we do Bangalore or Mysore, then to Goa. We were then thinking of taking the Belgavi-Kolhapur road to Pune, but will go up the coast to Ganapatipule and then retrace your route to Pune, Ahmadnagar and then on to Aurangabad.

We plan to use our 2000 model Gypsy King which hasn't been used in a while. We will be checking it out for a week in Kerala, but any tips on what I should look out for would be most welcome.

Great going Hari (sorry, your sign-in name doesn't work any more, since everyone here seems to know you personally) Look forward to your route-distance chart.

If you guys are now planning to hire a bus (since the number of people who want to do what Hari did seems to be increasing) can we put our two bits in for two seats?
Walter