[Samurai]

Originally Posted by MX6

It rained last night in Pune at my place. That gives a lot of cheer. And I'm closely following up with the rains in Udupi because it is 48 hours hence that the rains strike Pune!
SO Samurai's news brings me more cheer.

I drove 3 hours today in continuous rain on my way to Bangalore. My mom called me now and told me that it has rained whole day without break in my native town. So, monsoon is definitely in.

[harishnayak]

Good going SST..where are you right now. Waiting for more details on the mileage etc..

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by harishnayak

Good going SST..where are you right now. Waiting for more details on the mileage etc..

Right now, we're in Manipal, and would be driving down to Madikeri later this morning. Mileage - not looked at closely yet, but definitely between 11 & 12 km/l. Distance covered as yet after departure from Delhi (including local trips) is approximately 2900 km.

[harishnayak]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Right now, we're in Manipal, and would be driving down to Madikeri later this morning. Mileage - not looked at closely yet, but definitely between 11 & 12 km/l. Distance covered as yet after departure from Delhi (including local trips) is approximately 2900 km.

Thats kool. I'm sure you're in Madikeri as i'm writing this. I did visit Madikeri in 99 soon after my graduation as i used to study in Mangalore and had a friend from Madikeri.

Nice place with lots of greenery. Looking forward for lot of pictures from there.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by harishnayak

I'm sure you're in Madikeri as i'm writing this.

Nice place with lots of greenery. Looking forward for lot of pictures from there.

@ Harish: Yes we are indeed in Madikeri - arrived here from Manipal @ 3pm after a 5-hour drive. It's raining a little less here as compared to Manipal.

The hotel we are staying in - the East End - is a non-veg foodie's paradise. Keema dosa for lunch and chilli chicken for dinner - maybe mutton cutlets for breakfast...

Pics are in plenty but difficult to upload - loads of them from the trip, but taking too much time to upload via datacard. Guess it'll be another 10 days before I can organize and upload them when I'm back home.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

@ Harish: Yes we are indeed in Madikeri - arrived here from Manipal @ 3pm after a 5-hour drive. It's raining a little less here as compared to Manipal.

The hotel we are staying in - the East End - is a non-veg foodie's paradise. Keema dosa for lunch and chilli chicken for dinner - maybe mutton cutlets for breakfast...

Pics are in plenty but difficult to upload - loads of them from the trip, but taking too much time to upload via datacard. Guess it'll be another 10 days before I can organize and upload them when I'm back home.

Doc seems you are having a fantastic time. Try the udupi food too. I think hotel vegland too is very famous. Did you try the Gobi Manchurian ? its spicy and different. We had a lot when we were at Udupi, Malpe Beach.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by v&v

Doc seems you are having a fantastic time. Try the udupi food too. I think hotel vegland too is very famous. Did you try the Gobi Manchurian ? its spicy and different. We had a lot when we were at Udupi, Malpe Beach.

When in Udupi, one should not miss out the batata vada and goli baje of Diana restaurant.
When in Mangalore - it is Ideal Icecream all the way!

So SST. You are in a place which I consider the second most beautiful I've ever visited amongst all the places I've been to in India! Waiting eagerly for more.

[arindamray]

Bade good bye to SS and family at 11:15 pm at KRPuram flyover.

GPS directed him from Mysore Road to Outer Ring Road and he lost some time.

Plans a overnight drive to stop at Vizag tomorrow.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by arindamray

Bade good bye to SS and family at 11:15 pm at KRPuram flyover.

GPS directed him from Mysore Road to Outer Ring Road and he lost some time.

Plans a overnight drive to stop at Vizag tomorrow.

Thank you so much, Arindam, for helping us out at Bangalore. We reached Vizag today at 4:45 PM, 25 hours after our departure from Madikeri at 3:50 PM yesterday (1400 km). Most of the route to Tirupati (except the last 50 km, which is smoooooth and w-i-d-e single-lane) is single lane with lot of construction work going on - with spillover of construction material on to the functional carriageway. Couldn't average better than 45 km/h upto Nayudupeta on NH5, after which it was a smooth drive (except a jam in Vijayawada where we were stuck for about 50 minutes).

Incidentally, the fuel we picked up from the pump you guided us to, was really good. Combined with slower speeds on the stretch from B'lore to NH5 via Chittoor, Tirupati & Nayudupeta, we averaged 13.51 km/l - the best average on any tankful yet on this trip.

And special thanks go to adc for strongly recommending the APTDC hotel overlooking Rushikonda beach in Vizag, where we've checked in for tonight - we'd have missed this glorious place otherwise.

[v&v]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Thank you so much, Arindam, for helping us out at Bangalore. We reached Vizag today at 4:45 PM, 25 hours after our departure from Madikeri at 3:50 PM yesterday (1400 km). Most of the route to Tirupati (except the last 50 km, which is smoooooth and w-i-d-e single-lane) is single lane with lot of construction work going on - with spillover of construction material on to the functional carriageway. Couldn't average better than 45 km/h upto Nayudupeta on NH5, after which it was a smooth drive (except a jam in Vijayawada where we were stuck for about 50 minutes).

Incidentally, the fuel we picked up from the pump you guided us to, was really good. Combined with slower speeds on the stretch from B'lore to NH5 via Chittoor, Tirupati & Nayudupeta, we averaged 13.51 km/l - the best average on any tankful yet on this trip.

And special thanks go to adc for strongly recommending the APTDC hotel overlooking Rushikonda beach in Vizag, where we've checked in for tonight - we'd have missed this glorious place otherwise.

WOW 25 hrs non stop driving ! wasnt it tiring ? How is the family coping up the such continuous long drives ?
My last trip to mumbai, 14 hrs continuous drive kids started shouting for breaks.

have a safe journey ahead too.

[arindamray]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Thank you so much, Arindam, for helping us out at Bangalore. We reached Vizag today at 4:45 PM, 25 hours after our departure from Madikeri at 3:50 PM yesterday (1400 km). Most of the route to Tirupati (except the last 50 km, which is smoooooth and w-i-d-e single-lane) is single lane with lot of construction work going on - with spillover of construction material on to the functional carriageway. Couldn't average better than 45 km/h upto Nayudupeta on NH5, after which it was a smooth drive (except a jam in Vijayawada where we were stuck for about 50 minutes).

Looks like via Chennai would be a better option now-a-days.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Incidentally, the fuel we picked up from the pump you guided us to, was really good. Combined with slower speeds on the stretch from B'lore to NH5 via Chittoor, Tirupati & Nayudupeta, we averaged 13.51 km/l - the best average on any tankful yet on this trip.

That's the best petrol pump I have filled in fuel too in Bangalore. It was on my route to office earlier, was regular there. If I am not mistaken, it's a COCO outlet.

[SS-Traveller]

Reached Kolkata at 11:30 PM (left Vizag at 7 AM - stopped for lunch at Bhubaneshwar, left around 3:20 PM). Humongous traffic jam at Kolaghat bridge (1 hour), then another one before Uluberia, where we got away with about 25 min. lost - managed to request some trucks to move and give me space, then jumped over the median on 4WD.

And the NH5 in Odisha is the pits, compared to all the other roads we travelled on, in the last 5600 km. Over 150 km of incomplete expressway, with innumerable diversions. (And no, the WB-OR border police did not stop me for money! My lucky day...)

Originally Posted by v&v

How is the family coping up the such continuous long drives ?

Well, sleeping in the car is second nature for my daughter. And when else do we get such undivided family time, both quality and quantity-wise?

Originally Posted by arindamray

Looks like via Chennai would be a better option now-a-days.

Can't say, but the part of NH4 we travelled on also seemed incomplete.

[Sutripta]

^^^^^
Instead of relaxing (food and 'adda') like a true Bong, you are at the keyboard!

Welcome back.

Thought Kolaghat jams had stopped. Going to KGP tomorrow. Lets see.

Sutripta

[harishnayak]

So where's the next pit stop?? Also don't you need to get your hawk serviced as you've crossed the 5000 mark?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Sutripta

^^^^^
Instead of relaxing (food and 'adda') like a true Bong, you are at the keyboard!

Welcome back.

Thought Kolaghat jams had stopped. Going to KGP tomorrow. Lets see.

Sutripta

Thank you Sutripta-da.

Originally Posted by harishnayak

So where's the next pit stop?? Also don't you need to get your hawk serviced as you've crossed the 5000 mark?

Next stop - home in Delhi! Service being taken care of.