[Gansan]

During long drives,I switch off the AC and down the windows for about 10 minutes from time to time. An alternative is to take a small break periodically,get out of the car and leave the windows slightly open at that time.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Now that's a shame - you own an Ikon. You need to let the tyres scream atleast once during the ghats.



Nothing to do with climate control. O2 levels won't deplete if you select "external air circulation". But you need somebody sitting next to you preferably to switch On/Off the external air circulation button - because it lets truck/bus smoke also inside the car.

I've crossed the stage of tyre scream times atleast 5 - 6 years back. Let your bundle of joy arrive. Let's see whether you let the tyres scream.

Aargee has answered the other part.

Originally Posted by aargee

I think he's talking about drowsiness due to lack of good amount fresh air circulation for long time. As you rightly said, the external air circulation helps not only in letting in smoke, but also lets in little amount of air. And the worst part is, if the pungent smell of exhaust gets inside the car, it keeps circulating until you down the window.

Yeah. And what's worse is the dry cold air irritated my nose and throat as well.

Originally Posted by Gansan

During long drives,I switch off the AC and down the windows for about 10 minutes from time to time. An alternative is to take a small break periodically,get out of the car and leave the windows slightly open at that time.

Same here. I take a break once every 2 hours or 200 kms which ever is earlier. Need to take my daughter off the car seat and let her jump around you see.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MX6

Same here. I take a break once every 2 hours or 200 kms which ever is earlier. Need to take my daughter off the car seat and let her jump around you see.

I very strongly agree with you.
When we were driving back from Coorg towards Hosur, we never took a break until we were about 100 Kms to Bangalore & my Son was like crazy for no reason & everyone started yelling at him. I stopped the car got him out & my cousins & we were playing with a cricket ball for about 10-15 minutes & then started our journey. Trust me, he was quiet after that & fell asleep after sometime. Every journey teaches me something new.

[addyhemmige]

Finally, I have come to this page. After all the reading (each & every page), I really should applaud you for the way you have gone on with this travelogue.

Absolutely love it. 5 from my side

PS: How long should we wait till you continue?

[sbraj]

Originally Posted by aargee

I stopped the car got him out & my cousins & we were playing with a cricket ball for about 10-15 minutes & then started our journey. Trust me, he was quiet after that & fell asleep after sometime.

Playing? Hmmm, interesting. My son would have wanted to keep playing there. It would have been a task to get him back to the car. Anyway, I will try this next time.

[addyhemmige]

Originally Posted by MX6

Spot on.
The renowned herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker, calls Agumbe as the Capital of King Cobra (Ophiophagus Hannah)!

I remember seeing a programme ages back in Nat Geo where someone travelled the west coast of India for almost 52 days searching for the biggest king cobra. He spotted on in the forests of Someshwara. His life long wish was to kiss the snake on its hood.
He did that on TV, on an 18 ft King Cobra and happily returned back to his country.

I believe that programme was on Discovery. IIRC, he travels in an Ambassador car. Although he shows the rainforests of Agumbe, the snake he kissed was in Pilikula nature park, Mangalore. It was in no way in the wild.

Btw, you could have visited ARRS (Agumbe Rainforest Research Station) while you passed Agumbe. This is field research station and it was established by Romulus Whitaker to study the King Cobra. The resident research officer there is Mr. Gowrishankar.

I have had the privilege of visiting ARRS once and I was shown a presentation on King Cobras & they explained the activities of ARRS in detail. It was a very good experience for me. I'm sure you would have loved it.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by sbraj

Playing? Hmmm, interesting. My son would have wanted to keep playing there. It would have been a task to get him back to the car. Anyway, I will try this next time.

Well, this guy is hard to be separated from vehicles & I guess that's the reason.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by aargee

I very strongly agree with you.
When we were driving back from Coorg towards Hosur, we never took a break until we were about 100 Kms to Bangalore & my Son was like crazy for no reason & everyone started yelling at him. I stopped the car got him out & my cousins & we were playing with a cricket ball for about 10-15 minutes & then started our journey. Trust me, he was quiet after that & fell asleep after sometime. Every journey teaches me something new.

That's bad that everyone starts yelling at your son who was like crazy. Kids go crazier when yelled. You did great by pulling over and giving him physical activity he enjoys. Good one there!

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

Finally, I have come to this page. After all the reading (each & every page), I really should applaud you for the way you have gone on with this travelogue.

Absolutely love it. 5 from my side

PS: How long should we wait till you continue?

Thanks Addy. Thanks. And sorry for the long wait. Let me wind it up quick this time. The ugly thing called work has me worked up off late.

Originally Posted by sbraj

Playing? Hmmm, interesting. My son would have wanted to keep playing there. It would have been a task to get him back to the car. Anyway, I will try this next time.

Well, sbraj. Kids don't hold on to one thing for ever. They get bored. So keep playing till he gets bored/ tired. Then try to channelise their energy and attention back on the trip. Initially it's tough. But persistance pays!

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

I believe that programme was on Discovery. IIRC, he travels in an Ambassador car. Although he shows the rainforests of Agumbe, the snake he kissed was in Pilikula nature park, Mangalore. It was in no way in the wild.

Btw, you could have visited ARRS (Agumbe Rainforest Research Station) while you passed Agumbe. This is field research station and it was established by Romulus Whitaker to study the King Cobra. The resident research officer there is Mr. Gowrishankar.

I have had the privilege of visiting ARRS once and I was shown a presentation on King Cobras & they explained the activities of ARRS in detail. It was a very good experience for me. I'm sure you would have loved it.

Well, I remember seeing him spot on in the wild near Someshwara. He did go around in an ambassador car though. He pulled out snakes from beaches in kerala as well! I saw this while I was in UK and used to watch nat geo more often. Hence I thought I saw this in Nat Geo. But in my memory, I do recollect that he saw the king cobra and kissed it on the hood in the wild in someshwara ghats.
I was with all my family. No one shares my passion for the snakes. I'll go to the ARRS separately.

Originally Posted by aargee

Well, this guy is hard to be separated from vehicles & I guess that's the reason.

Guess so. Difficult to separate anyone from their vehicle!

[MX6]

I brought her home on a test drive. I had to get the approval of my daughter to finalise. The drive was damn smooth. It was a second hand ikon. When my daughter saw the car her eyes lit up. I carried her near and she started tapping the car with one tiny hand. I bought the car the next day.
My car's first day at home.


We decided to go on a short test drive. Soon I put her in the car seat. The weather was salubrious. My wife quickly packed her food and medicines in case of emergency. Once we drove to Swargate, I declared. We'll go to Sinhagad. Enroute we stopped at khadakvasla damn so that she can have her food in the car. While my parents were enjoying the view of khadakvasla lake, We removed the seat belt, turned the car seat by 90 degrees and mixed up her food. Ragi with milk.

Sinhagad was very crowded that day. But my daughter coped well in that great drive on those winding roads climbing up. No. we didn't use A/c. We avoid a/c as much as possible. so I reached almost the top. There was a huge crowd and a traffic jam. With most of the vehicles hogging the road, I decided to take a U-turn in that small gap. My Ikon handled damn well. There was a moron sardar who kept honking wildly in that traffic jam and I wanted to give him a piece of my mind after a 20 min of wild honking. But thought it's not worth. The Moron Sardar (in the swift) even made angry gestures which I could notice on my rear view mirror. I stopped the car. He got down. His father got down and tried to control him. Seems a case of young age boiling blood syndrome. The sardar was lanky, thin and hardly 19 or 20. My normally sedate and timid father passed a stinging comment. Looks like drumstick and has attitude of a chilly. I burst out laughing. I found a place where I can pull over so that the sardar could go ahead. We stopped for some photos.


Sometimes I wonder. With so much of beauty around, why are people blind? Why are people so angry behind a wheel? Doesn't it defeat the whole purpose of going on an outing? How can one not lose his heart to such wonderful views? My daughter was giggling loud looking all around and loved the wind on her face. She was damn excited and kept making noises all along.


We had a late lunch around 3 pm once we got off the ghat sections. Don't remember the restaurant name. It had a rivulet flowing. After lunch we let her laze around and showed her cows and buffaloes in the wild.


We reached home late in the evening. My wife managed in that ghat section without throwing up. My daughter had a riot of a time. She managed the long trip to sinhagad beautifully. She didn't complain in her car seat. She ate well and slept well. She enjoyed the travel. She was fresh as a daisy when we reached home. I thanked god for helping pass the travel gene from my great grandfather,to my grandma, to my mother, to me and now to my daughter. It was then I came across T-BHP. Once my membership got approved, I did a quick solo drive to udupi in 2 days. Up and down from pune. To ensure the second hand car can hold on greater trips. On Oct 4th, when I reached pune from udupi, I logged in to T-BHP and started looking at other logs. The plan for this Tirunelveli trip was born!
Soon I was taking my daughter every weekend to some place to sensitize her with a long drive.

Concluding part: photos of things I bought and checklist and plans.

[SmartCat]

That's an used ikon? Who put that ribbon on the bonnet then?

[laluks]

Finally read through in one go!
Waiting for the next trip

[khoj]

Hi laluks, Collage culture seems to have retained its effect even after all these years.

@MX6,

The best bit how your daughter approved of the Ikon. and also the photo of her with her Great Grandmother.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by smartcat

That's an used ikon? Who put that ribbon on the bonnet then?

The dealer. He put up the ribbon. I didn't remove till the title transfer was done and got all the papers. I still treasure that ribbon. Not thrown away.

Originally Posted by laluks

Finally read through in one go!
Waiting for the next trip

Shortly the mother of all treks will start. till then take a look at teaser pics I've put up in SanjayKauls france trip. I have a couple more posts to this thread. Photos of all my kid's baggage!

Originally Posted by khoj

Hi laluks, Collage culture seems to have retained its effect even after all these years.

@MX6,

The best bit how your daughter approved of the Ikon. and also the photo of her with her Great Grandmother.

There's another photo of her with her other great grandma (my grandma). Since my daughter was not wearing anything, she's forbidden me from putting that up here.
And yes. I didn't realise I'll run in to you in the thane meet. That gives me 24 days to finish pending logs.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by MX6

Shortly the mother of all treks will start. till then take a look at teaser pics I've put up in SanjayKauls france trip. I have a couple more posts to this thread. Photos of all my kid's baggage!

Domestic or Overseas? On second thoughts let it be surprise!

Seen the snaps from France, you are one lucky guy.

There's another photo of her with her other great grandma (my grandma). Since my daughter was not wearing anything, she's forbidden me from putting that up here.

I understand but why don't you use photoshop and dress her up. Then it will be complete set like "Sone pe Suhaaga".

And yes. I didn't realise I'll run in to you in the thane meet. That gives me 24 days to finish pending logs.

Heh..heh, yes time to put nose to the grindstone. Now do not chicken out.

Originally Posted by khoj

Hi laluks, Collage culture seems to have retained its effect even after all these years.

@laluks, This is getting better and better. Somebody STOP ME!!

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MX6

It was a second hand ikon

Originally Posted by smartcat

That's an used ikon? Who put that ribbon on the bonnet then?

Guess it was from a used car dealer to have put the ribbon; like Jains car shoppe markets - buy a brand new used car

Originally Posted by MX6

I found a place where I can pull over so that the sardar could go ahead.

Nice little tip to me

Originally Posted by MX6

Doesn't it defeat the whole purpose of going on an outing?

Exactly, my Wifey's points 2-3 years back when I used to drive like the lean Sardar.

PS - You stayed past midnight & kept posting these is it?