DRIVOBLOG® |Maiden Drive with HVK (too tempestuous to be Telecasted LIVE!)

trrk · 28th January 2010, 12:19

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Tirthankar looked a bit weary but HVK, in full josh, his sprightly, bright self.

The former had a busy day on the 26th whereas the latter took time off for the next day's driving stint.

n.devdath · 28th January 2010, 16:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by trrk

Hi,
The former had a busy day on the 26th whereas the latter took time off for the next day's driving stint.

Yeah, heard you guys had a pretty big meet at TVM. 12 cars I guess....

btirthankar · 28th January 2010, 17:46

As the 6001 Kms and 6 States Journey with HVK ends a little while ago in Mumbai,
planting a few teasers titles of the backlogs:

1. Going Benanas in TVM
2. TVM-TBHP Meet
3. Hidden Heaven: Munnar
4. More Literary Stuff
5. Backlog of replies to responses

And watch out for the next thread as my journey branches off from here and takes me next where the roads yonder.

Nutty Nair · 28th January 2010, 19:20

Aha! Eagerly waiting for the rest of the log. It was a pleasure meeting & chatting with you. I had already had one mini meet (if it can be called so) with HVK the previous time he was here, but its always a pleasure talking to him. His level of knowledge is just amazing. Btw wanted to compliment you on your "shaahi" footwear but forgot to. Nice! Also waiting for your perspective of Tvm city & T-Bhp meet. Here's to more power to you.

Surprise · 28th January 2010, 19:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Took NH7 all the way - Salem at 230 pm, Madurai at 5 pm, but from Tirunelveli we got slowed down by heavy evening traffic and we could reach Trivandrum only at 940 pm, 1 hour slower on the Madurai-TVM stretch.

Madurai - TVM is 550 kms approximately, which has been covered in 7hrs. You claim that to be one hour slower, which means covering in 6hrs that translates to an average speed of 90+ kms

. Its really surprising that you do such averages on REAL LONG Drives...that really requires real passion, great concentration & sound health.

Hats off to you. BT-Eagerly waiting for your Munnar logs

hvkumar · 29th January 2010, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Had a quick meet with HVK and Tirthankar last night around 1:00AM at the NICE road-Mysore Road intersection.
Tirthankar looked a bit weary but HVK, in full josh, his sprightly, bright self.

They took off for Mumbai and must be near Pune now if my estimates are correct.

The Absobrute's odo read 225000kms as far as I remember.

Dev, thanks a great deal taking time off and meeting at the unearthy hour so far away from home. The meeting was quite a refresher and gained lots of insights into MP roads from your experience there. We had a good drive thereon and reached Bombay at 330 pm, a little slower than usual but in good time. Took a 15-minute break somewhere en route

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

Madurai - TVM is 550 kms approximately, which has been covered in 7hrs. You claim that to be one hour slower, which means covering in 6hrs that translates to an average speed of 90+ kms

. Its really surprising that you do such averages on REAL LONG Drives...that really requires real passion, great concentration & sound health.

Hats off to you. BT-Eagerly waiting for your Munnar logs

No, Madurai-TVM is only 300 kms and I used to do it in 4 hours even in the old 2-lane road. Despite the 4 laned road now, we got clobbered by peak evening traffic in the so-called "old" Tirunelveli bypass, heavy traffic till Nagercoil and the usual sedate pace from Nagercoil onwards.
Madurai-Tirunelveli, 450 pm/635 pm, 144 kms
Tirunelveli-Nagercoil, 635 pm/756 pm, 81 kms
Nagercoil-Trivandrum, 756 pm/940 pm, 68 kms

sbraj · 29th January 2010, 11:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Madurai-Tirunelveli, 450 pm/635 pm, 144 kms
Tirunelveli-Nagercoil, 635 pm/756 pm, 81 kms
Nagercoil-Trivandrum, 756 pm/940 pm, 68 kms

HVK Sir,
How do you manage to keep track of odo & timings during the drives? I use the old fashioned way of paper and pen with help of others in the car. Does your GPS have a print facility or interface to PC so that one can print the time, odo and location? Which brand is the GPS?

hvkumar · 29th January 2010, 12:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbraj

HVK Sir,
How do you manage to keep track of odo & timings during the drives? I use the old fashioned way of paper and pen with help of others in the car. Does your GPS have a print facility or interface to PC so that one can print the time, odo and location? Which brand is the GPS?

My co-pax notes down Place Name, GPS coordinate, Odo, Time and any other useful info (such as turn offs, Petrol Pump, Hotels, etc), If I am driving alone or the co-pax are asleep, I write down myself - on the move. I download teh route profile and POIs from my Garmin GPS device every night during trips (else its gets overwritten thanks to low memory). Catalogue the POIs later.

trrk · 29th January 2010, 17:03

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Yeah, heard you guys had a pretty big meet at TVM. 12 cars I guess....

Nine if I am not mistaken. HVK did not come fo the drive. So eight cars went for the drive and one car joined at the dam site.

If you have not seen it already and if you have time you can read from teh following post onwards:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...ml#post1700520

hvkumar · 30th January 2010, 00:02

To continue with my version of the drive, focussing on the road part of it.

To refresh your memory, on Jan 17, we had reached the town of Chhatarpur en route Kajuraho. The delay occasioned by the seizure of the car by the cops and heavy fog compelled us to halt short of Kajuraho that night at Chhatarpur.

Chhatarpur-Kajuraho-Rookad

This was a leisurely late start that morning - 715 am - and the skies were clear. We took a left turn at Bamita and were in Kajuraho, 57 kms and 1 hour later.

We had originally planned a full day halt at Kajuraho, primarily to stay overnight to see the sound-and-light show, but we changed our mind and decided to do a quick tour of the temples in the morning and leave as quickly as possible. In any case, neither of us were heritage freaks or excited enough to sit and sketch the lurid sculptures on the temple walls.

Starting from the Western Group of temples, we continued to cover the Eastern and Southern over the next 3.30 hours, but not before having an excellent meal of poori bhaajis/aloo parathas/tea. Kajuraho is a small place where the farthest place is 3 kms away and we covered all the temples before we left at 12 noon. Needless to say, thanks to the toourist inflow, facilities are excellent, the place is truly an oasis in the dense jungles and desolation around it.

Tirthankar had this idea that we stay overnight at a jungle camp in Pench WLS, although left to myself I would have driven non-stop to Hyderabad, our next destination. The route to Pench goes first via Panna WLS. Remember, Panna is also where the first diamonds were mined in India, but now it is a WLS and nearby are attractions such as Pandav Falls (which we did not visit). Panna itself has 2-3 nice jungle camps. The roads through Panna were good.

This road we are in leads to Satna and Rewa en route Varanasi, but we took a right turn at Yellapanna and went via some astonishly great roads - and fantastic jungles with soem ghat sections - directly via Amanganj to Katni. These roads are superfast although in one section the road was a 1-laner which meant that you had to go onto the road shoulders to give way to an oncoming vehicle. I would not be comfortable driving this road at night. There are absolutely no facilities barring an occasional petrol pump.

Chhatarpur-Kajuraho, 57 kms, 1 hr, 715 am/815 am
In and around Kajuraho, 9 kms, 3,45 hrs,
Kajuraho-Katni, 165 kms, 1200 noon/240 pm

Katni is where you join the NH7, the longest highway in India which starts from Varanasi and ends in Kanyakumari. This is one of India's usy highways with lots of North-South traffic going this way, mostly long-distance trucks, which means there are lots of dhaabas and petrol stations, although I would still hesitate to say it is private car-friendly (hardly any hotels, etc).

The NH7 was smooth and fast most of the way. Jabalpur is also bypassed. At Laknadon, NH7 merges into what will be the North-South Corridor (coming from Agra via Gwalior, Sagar), and we are now driving on some beautiful 4-lane roads. 4-laning is complete in MP except in teh forest sections after Seoni where, I believe, the forest-cutting permissions are nopt receioved yet.

Seoni bypass is terrible but I guess it saves some time.

We halt at 720 pm at the excellent MPTDC Bison Retreat jungle camp on teh highway, at Rookad, which is 20 kms from the end of the Seoni bypass and around 25 kms short of the MH border. The jungle camp is situated in Pench WLS, and despite the busy highway passing by, is rich in wild life, including the big cats (Yes, Pench WLS is a Tiger reserve). This unexpected break meant the discovery of a nice place to halt on a long drive on this long highway. The night was terribly cold - the 2-5 Cs - and it was a relief to get off early next morning at 510 am.

Katni-Jabalpur, 88 kms, 1.40 hrs, 240 pm/420 pm
Jabalpur-Rookad, 193 kms, 3.00 hrs, 420 pm/720 pm

krish3 · 30th January 2010, 08:55

What a trip as usual!!!

I'm amazed at the average speed you maintain even at tough sectors. I'm sorry if I missed it, how's the road condition between Bangalore-Trivandrum route? How much of 2 lane is still pending?

hvkumar · 30th January 2010, 09:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by krish3

What a trip as usual!!!

I'm amazed at the average speed you maintain even at tough sectors. I'm sorry if I missed it, how's the road condition between Bangalore-Trivandrum route? How much of 2 lane is still pending?

I try to maintain a cruising speed of 120 kmph as far as possible, which is feasible in most Indian roads, except when you are passing populated areas (especially when there are no bypasses). I get an advantage primarily because I do not stop for food breaks, only for refuelling and toilet. All the sectors during this trip, including the long ones like Bombay-Gwalior, Hyderabad-Trivandrum and Trivandrum-Bombay (just 1 food break) were driven without any breaks whatsoever.

I am getting onto the Hyderabad-Trivandrum sector where I will discuss teh road conditions.

LongDrive lover · 30th January 2010, 10:41

Thanks sir, for giving precise details of that route. I wish to take that for an upcoming trip to Hyderabad in coming April-May.

hvkumar · 30th January 2010, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by LongDrive lover

Thanks sir, for giving precise details of that route. I wish to take that for an upcoming trip to Hyderabad in coming April-May.

I will soon upload my log book of the trip - currently in hand-written format, should take a week or so to get it rewritten and uploaded.

ashwinsid · 30th January 2010, 12:58

@ HVK sir, tweeted (twitter-@ashwinsid) your post on the SUV seize attempt thing. I never knew cops were so blatant. It enrages me. Its like if someone has shortage of food, they take away yours, someone has no wife, they........ This is bad. I feel sorry for people without any 'connections'. Bad. Bad.

28th January 2010, 17:46	#93
btirthankar BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Some Moving Vehicle Posts: 816 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	As the 6001 Kms and 6 States Journey with HVK ends a little while ago in Mumbai, planting a few teasers titles of the backlogs: 1. Going Benanas in TVM 2. TVM-TBHP Meet 3. Hidden Heaven: Munnar 4. More Literary Stuff 5. Backlog of replies to responses And watch out for the next thread as my journey branches off from here and takes me next where the roads yonder. Last edited by btirthankar : 28th January 2010 at 17:47. Reason: spelling
	() Thanks

28th January 2010, 19:20	#94
Nutty Nair BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Trivandrum, Kerala Posts: 284 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	Aha! Eagerly waiting for the rest of the log. It was a pleasure meeting & chatting with you. I had already had one mini meet (if it can be called so) with HVK the previous time he was here, but its always a pleasure talking to him. His level of knowledge is just amazing. Btw wanted to compliment you on your "shaahi" footwear but forgot to. Nice! Also waiting for your perspective of Tvm city & T-Bhp meet. Here's to more power to you. Last edited by Nutty Nair : 28th January 2010 at 19:22.
	() Thanks

30th January 2010, 00:02	#100
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	Bombay-Gwalior-Kajuraho-Hyderabad-Trivandrum Drive, Jan 2010: Chhatarpur-Kajuraho-Roo To continue with my version of the drive, focussing on the road part of it. To refresh your memory, on Jan 17, we had reached the town of Chhatarpur en route Kajuraho. The delay occasioned by the seizure of the car by the cops and heavy fog compelled us to halt short of Kajuraho that night at Chhatarpur. Chhatarpur-Kajuraho-Rookad This was a leisurely late start that morning - 715 am - and the skies were clear. We took a left turn at Bamita and were in Kajuraho, 57 kms and 1 hour later. We had originally planned a full day halt at Kajuraho, primarily to stay overnight to see the sound-and-light show, but we changed our mind and decided to do a quick tour of the temples in the morning and leave as quickly as possible. In any case, neither of us were heritage freaks or excited enough to sit and sketch the lurid sculptures on the temple walls. Starting from the Western Group of temples, we continued to cover the Eastern and Southern over the next 3.30 hours, but not before having an excellent meal of poori bhaajis/aloo parathas/tea. Kajuraho is a small place where the farthest place is 3 kms away and we covered all the temples before we left at 12 noon. Needless to say, thanks to the toourist inflow, facilities are excellent, the place is truly an oasis in the dense jungles and desolation around it. Tirthankar had this idea that we stay overnight at a jungle camp in Pench WLS, although left to myself I would have driven non-stop to Hyderabad, our next destination. The route to Pench goes first via Panna WLS. Remember, Panna is also where the first diamonds were mined in India, but now it is a WLS and nearby are attractions such as Pandav Falls (which we did not visit). Panna itself has 2-3 nice jungle camps. The roads through Panna were good. This road we are in leads to Satna and Rewa en route Varanasi, but we took a right turn at Yellapanna and went via some astonishly great roads - and fantastic jungles with soem ghat sections - directly via Amanganj to Katni. These roads are superfast although in one section the road was a 1-laner which meant that you had to go onto the road shoulders to give way to an oncoming vehicle. I would not be comfortable driving this road at night. There are absolutely no facilities barring an occasional petrol pump. Chhatarpur-Kajuraho, 57 kms, 1 hr, 715 am/815 am In and around Kajuraho, 9 kms, 3,45 hrs, Kajuraho-Katni, 165 kms, 1200 noon/240 pm Katni is where you join the NH7, the longest highway in India which starts from Varanasi and ends in Kanyakumari. This is one of India's usy highways with lots of North-South traffic going this way, mostly long-distance trucks, which means there are lots of dhaabas and petrol stations, although I would still hesitate to say it is private car-friendly (hardly any hotels, etc). The NH7 was smooth and fast most of the way. Jabalpur is also bypassed. At Laknadon, NH7 merges into what will be the North-South Corridor (coming from Agra via Gwalior, Sagar), and we are now driving on some beautiful 4-lane roads. 4-laning is complete in MP except in teh forest sections after Seoni where, I believe, the forest-cutting permissions are nopt receioved yet. Seoni bypass is terrible but I guess it saves some time. We halt at 720 pm at the excellent MPTDC Bison Retreat jungle camp on teh highway, at Rookad, which is 20 kms from the end of the Seoni bypass and around 25 kms short of the MH border. The jungle camp is situated in Pench WLS, and despite the busy highway passing by, is rich in wild life, including the big cats (Yes, Pench WLS is a Tiger reserve). This unexpected break meant the discovery of a nice place to halt on a long drive on this long highway. The night was terribly cold - the 2-5 Cs - and it was a relief to get off early next morning at 510 am. Katni-Jabalpur, 88 kms, 1.40 hrs, 240 pm/420 pm Jabalpur-Rookad, 193 kms, 3.00 hrs, 420 pm/720 pm
	() Thanks

30th January 2010, 08:55	#101
krish3 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cochin/Bangalore Posts: 758 Thanked: 191 Times	What a trip as usual!!! I'm amazed at the average speed you maintain even at tough sectors. I'm sorry if I missed it, how's the road condition between Bangalore-Trivandrum route? How much of 2 lane is still pending?
	() Thanks

30th January 2010, 10:41	#103
LongDrive lover BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Lucknow Posts: 782 Thanked: 114 Times	Thanks sir, for giving precise details of that route. I wish to take that for an upcoming trip to Hyderabad in coming April-May. Last edited by Dippy : 30th January 2010 at 14:09. Reason: Avoid quoting entire long posts in your replies. Thanks.
	() Thanks

30th January 2010, 12:58	#105
ashwinsid BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 181 Thanked: 34 Times	@ HVK sir, tweeted (twitter-@ashwinsid) your post on the SUV seize attempt thing. I never knew cops were so blatant. It enrages me. Its like if someone has shortage of food, they take away yours, someone has no wife, they........ This is bad. I feel sorry for people without any 'connections'. Bad. Bad.
	() Thanks