20th April 2010, 16:47
| #31 |
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20th April 2010, 16:55
| #32 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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| Return Trip - Day 1 With the convocation done with, and the sad dinner that followed, and totally ruined the evening, the few of us whose folks hadn't come down (or rather were told not to come down  ) trotted back to our hostel. Sat down for a while and gossiped, then I realised that I better sleep as, of the three of us on the return trip, one guy was down with fever, so would not drive yesterday, and the other guy would return late as his parents had come. Thus, I would be doing most of the driving, and so hit the bed by 11:30. Got up at 7 and woke the others up. People were more or less awake, a few hadn't slept, a few woke up, coz we were leaving. Since, we were leaving the hostel for good, it was taking a lot of time, and i didn't hurry anybody. After one final pic for the last time in front of the hostel, the ritz rolled out of IIM Calcutta's gates for the last time around 8AM. Traffic in behala was not much and by 8:30 we reached Vidyasagar Setu. Kept going straight after that, and soon realised that all the boards just said delhi, nothing about balasore or kharagpur. At the next toll booth asked the guy, and as we had thought we were on the wrong way. Had to go back 15kms, we missed a turn or something. I still don't know what happened. Anyway, by 9am we were on the right track and speeding down on the roads. The others two were mostly sleeping, and I pushed the ritz to 130KM/h on few stretches, it felt quite normal and stable. The border was again quite easy, as the trucks park on the side, and cars just go in the middle lane. As balasore and the single lane roads were about to start we again came across a road block. A villager was run-over by a lorry or something. This just happened and it would take an hour atleast. Luckily, I know oriya, so managed to go into Balasore and hit the GQ later after crossing the whole town. We kept munching stuff on the way, and thought we'll have a late lunch in BBSR. By about 3PM we entered BBSR, and since we did not where to go as most eateries would close, headed to the coffee day beside marrion. Ate and went to my grandparents place. I drove the whole journey and was quite proud of myself.  Napped for a while, spent time with my grand parents. Had an early dinner and went to bed by 11. there aren't many pics of this stage as like i said, the other two were mostly sleeping. The 4th guy who had come on the hyd- kol leg, went to darjeeling for a mountaineering camp, which helped me as my luggage and speakers fit in the car easily. |
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20th April 2010, 17:01
| #33 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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20th April 2010, 17:14
| #34 |
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20th April 2010, 18:00
| #35 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pune-Bangalore
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20th April 2010, 18:40
| #36 | ||
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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After the first 1000km we were getting around 16km/l, it would have been more had we stuck to 80-90km/h but we were mostly around 100-110km/h. In the city the car is giving me 14-15km/l All this is with A/C on 90% of the time. Quote:
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20th April 2010, 19:47
| #37 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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| Return Trip - Day 2 Started around 7:45 AM from my grand parents place in BBSR. The plan was to go upto Rajamhundry, and not just Vizag , as that would mean lesser travel on the final day, and since the road between Vizag and Rajamhundry was brilliant, it was quite an easy ask. Also, this meant that we would get to see the mighty godavari Hit the NH, and while still in BBSR, alongwith traffic and college buses, we see this weird site of an autorickshaw, with brilliant slogans stickered all around, driven by a bunch of three foreginers, with their luggage tied on top. All were KL registered, and it boggles me to think, how in this heat they travelled our dusty, dangerous highways in nothing but an autorickshaw, which in my opinion was the most unsuitable thing for an highway. We were to see two more of such rickshaws near the Chilka ghat. We cover the distance to balugaon quickly, as its 4 lane till there. I took over once the two lane patches started, we knew what to expect this time, so it was better. Got caught in a couple of level crossings (it always happens), but I just took it in a positive way, and sat and took pics of the approaching train. After couple of hours of potholed roads, we entered AP around 11:30AM. There wasnt that much of a jam, but it was quite chaotic. Went on the old highway for a bit, through Icchapuram, before hitting the GQ, in order to avoid the line of trucks. Sped onto Vizag then, and around 1:30PM after crossing most of Vizag, stopped to eat lunch at a small takeaway kind off place. The food was cold, but quite tasty, despite that. Started by 2:30 and expected to reach Rajamhundry in 3 hours max. Entered Rajamhundry by around 5, and entered the city to find our hotel. The idiot we spoke to in the phone told us the room rent, and other details but very conveniently forgot to mention that the name has changed. So while we were looking for some lodge, it was now called 'La Hospin'. Anyway, found the hotel soon. Lot of construction work was going on, but out room on one corner was good, and gave a brilliant view of the godavari, see the pics. After freshening up, my friend and I walked down to the river bank, took a few pics, and walked around, enjoying the nice breeze blowing. Came back and had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, tasty but very SPICY. The other two were watching IPL, while i just crashed and slept by 11 in anticipation of the final day, and reaching home.  The stickers on the foreigner's auto  Another one  Luggage tied on top. Such a high CG it must have  He has alternate career opportunities now  Broken roads on the Chilka ghat  Locomotive Breath  Huge tyres. Spec's anyone?  Narrow bridge at Icchapuram, truck had to wait for us to cross  A.P - the roads are back  Cabin.  Godavari - view from our room  Bridge - train crossing  Bridge at night - train crossing  |
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20th April 2010, 20:02
| #38 |
| Team-BHP Support   | Man ! Very nice - Very Nice ! Hope you did not get lost in Highways of east. There was one more TL ( I forget the handle, of the buddy who wrote) where he forgot the NH he was supposed to take and ended up in the Naxal area road for the night ! Plus that was his first drive in a new Punto with his better half ! Also where is your convo-cap on the drive? You are supposed to drive with your cap all the way home ! Maiden drive of a post graduate ... coming home! |
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20th April 2010, 20:37
| #39 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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Our convo-caps were all stashed in the back seat. We should have utilized the extra headroom and worn it, but like I previously said, it was small for me, and due to the fact that it was tight, I began getting headaches after wearing it for more than 15mins. | |
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21st April 2010, 00:31
| #40 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
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21st April 2010, 02:20
| #41 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bhubaneswar
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21st April 2010, 07:32
| #42 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon
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|  Loving you write up but just wanted to point two things:Regarding running in of engine: It is important to keep the revs in moderate zone. More important is not to let them fall too low!! The engine labours at low RPM's and can develop piston slap if too much of load is put. Queue jumping. It is one of the most common irresponsible behaviour by people all over India. When the trucks are already parked in queue waiting for the railway crossing to open why do all cars and buses pile up on the right lane? Same happens on the opposite side. Result chaos when the gates open and wasted time for every one.  The same is again the situation again before entering BBSR Last edited by sudev : 21st April 2010 at 07:43. |
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21st April 2010, 10:56
| #43 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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About the queue jumping, yes, it's a menace, and I should not have done it, but this leg was the only two times that I did it; stood in the line of trucks during the return trip. Light was fading, and I wanted to minimize the night driving part, as my parents had told me not do drive at night, and the stock head lamps of the Ritz are very poor. Lame excuse I know, but was pretty apprehensive about the night driving part and hence the jump. | |
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21st April 2010, 11:11
| #44 |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon
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21st April 2010, 11:39
| #45 | |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hyderabad
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I diligently stop at all signals even if the road is empty, come to Hyderabad and you will understand what I mean. It's scary at times, as people expect you to move, and I have to keep looking back so that nobody rams into me. | |
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