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Old 6th July 2010, 17:05   #106
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TaureanBull View Post
How long is the bridge BTW?


The railway line seems to be single. IMO when you travel in train, one can not see the land. Is that right? Must be an awesome feeling.
The road bridge - water edge to edge - is 2.9 kms long.
(as per my log book).

Dhanushkodi - was the end of the railway line earlier (now ends in Rameswaram) - and was an important rail terminus (I have read a railway timetable of 1960), with ship connections to Sri Lanka (Ceylon then). In 1964, a cyclone and tsunami washed away the entire town, including a train. If you go to Dhanushkodi today, you can see the abandoned rail station, church, hospital, etc.
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Old 6th July 2010, 17:19   #107
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hvkumar View Post
The road bridge - water edge to edge - is 2.9 kms long.
(as per my log book).

Dhanushkodi - was the end of the railway line earlier (now ends in Rameswaram) - and was an important rail terminus (I have read a railway timetable of 1960), with ship connections to Sri Lanka (Ceylon then). In 1964, a cyclone and tsunami washed away the entire town, including a train. If you go to Dhanushkodi today, you can see the abandoned rail station, church, hospital, etc.
So, it is confirmed, those bridges are approx 3 km long.
Yes sir, our local guide told this history as moved on to Dhanuskodai.
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Old 6th July 2010, 17:30   #108
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Day 7: Rameswaram Photos continue..

Ram Padam and Views of Rameswaram from its top
Attached Thumbnails
We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05435.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05436.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05442.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05443.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05445.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05447.jpg  

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Old 6th July 2010, 17:39   #109
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hvkumar View Post
The road bridge - water edge to edge - is 2.9 kms long.
(as per my log book).

Dhanushkodi - was the end of the railway line earlier (now ends in Rameswaram) - and was an important rail terminus (I have read a railway timetable of 1960), with ship connections to Sri Lanka (Ceylon then). In 1964, a cyclone and tsunami washed away the entire town, including a train. If you go to Dhanushkodi today, you can see the abandoned rail station, church, hospital, etc.
HVK sir, Just heard about you till now. But now I know why people swear by your name in this forum. May be sometime you can educate us on how you maintain the log book. I used to keep the record of the distances, but never kept them properly because I would think that possibly I would never travel that route again.
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Old 6th July 2010, 17:44   #110
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Day 7: Rameswaram continues..

Dhanuskodai
Photos

They cover Views of sea/beach; 4-wheel drive vehicles that go deep into end of Dhanuskodai; hamlets on beach side, etc..

PS: How funny, I reduced an already reduced pic no. 3 in this post! Sorry pic for making you look so small!
Attached Thumbnails
We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05470.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05472.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05523.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05524.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05525.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05527.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05528.jpg  

We dreamt it, we did it - Our 20 days family road trip to South in Black Tigress-dsc05530.jpg  


Last edited by LongDrive lover : 6th July 2010 at 17:59.
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Old 6th July 2010, 17:56   #111
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TaureanBull View Post
HVK sir, Just heard about you till now. But now I know why people swear by your name in this forum. May be sometime you can educate us on how you maintain the log book. I used to keep the record of the distances, but never kept them properly because I would think that possibly I would never travel that route again.
TB bro, this is the difference between us and the King! Living encyclopedia, he is. His logbooks are as detailed, but precise, as his remarks on this forum! No redundancy, but also no lack of info what is needed.

Here is one example: During our previous journey to Adilabad, I and my colleague were getting confused in Nagpur city. This is the common problem with newbies like us! Though, he has clearly told me, 'NH7 passes thru Nagpur city straight, no need to turn anywhere, and no need to take confusing outer ring road'. Now, why should anyone be confused, but, still, habitually, after being there in city, and getting signals and roundabouts every other km, we started getting lil apprehensive as whether we are proceeding in right direction or not! So at one point we asked locals, they said, go straight. Didn't we already knew it! Then I also asked my colleague to turn pages of King's log book that I was carrying in printed form. My colleague turned pages and got to the Nagpur city area, and bingo those impt side remarks! There were items written like Multiplex building right side, Elevated road, like that! And we saw those landmarks soon!

So with those log books, you are never on a road first time! It comes out like that, but, only if we are careful about reading those logs .
He's been the inspiration for me.
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Old 6th July 2010, 18:13   #112
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I have more basic question?

HVK sir, When you drive continuously, who does the log book?

Meanwhile LDL, did you visit any temple on near Ramnad? There are some which are very good.
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Old 6th July 2010, 19:06   #113
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
I have more basic question?

HVK sir, When you drive continuously, who does the log book?

Meanwhile LDL, did you visit any temple on near Ramnad? There are some which are very good.
I had the same query from HVK sir. It can not be memory that you write down these finer points after the days drive. or Is it behind every successful man there is a.....?

@LDL : Nice pics. I would like to know about that tall tower. Is it a TV tower? What about these blue and yellow vehicles?
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Old 6th July 2010, 19:28   #114
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Hi kumar ji

i think it is time you teach people how to fish rather than giving them fish
(= teach them how to keep logs or share your methods)

for the benefit of others: (HVK hope you don't mind, i shairng this)
----------------------------------------------------------------
HVK has a camera mounted behind his windscreen which stores video in a memory stick along with the words that have been spoken. the camera memory allows him to store upto 8 hours (minimum) of journey time at a stretch.

more HVK seems to build upon the information base regularly from his own trip as well as the trip done by others. i have seen him asking questions in most of the threads about the roadconditions and he seems to maintail the latest view of the road conditions for all the major roads in India.

this is a huge effort (for HVK) and of help to others (here on the forum).
his miracle is his work to keep uptodate about these details. He seems to know devil is in the details.

He has several admirers (including me) for his this skill as well as his prompt replies to any questions in the thread or by PM.

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Old 6th July 2010, 20:45   #115
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Thanks for all the good words, honoured.

I have been maintaining log books since my mobiking days and have log books of every road journey I have made in the last 24 years (since 1986). That is a lot of log books - some 4 dairies - but since the year 2000, I have been entering them in excel files.

I jot down odo, time, place name, landmarks, other road instructions in a small scribbling pad/ note book. If I have company, that is their punishment, but if I am alone, I write down myself as I go past the place. I have used simple criteria like jotting down every place which has 10-20 buildings/Petrol Pump/SBI branch. In remote regions - say, North East - I note down every minute detail, including petrol pumps, hotels, etc. Since I also carry a Garmin GPS device (since the year 2004), I record the route and also punch in points of interest as I drive along.

After I come back home, i process all this data, polish it wit more details and punch it in excel and Google Earth/ Map Source files.

I also share my data with Map My India, who use it to update their own databases and hopefully, make their Navigators better.

For the last 2 years, I also have the car camera, which means I have video footage of every minute of my highway drives! The North East 2009 drive is some 18GB data and the Ladakh 2009 drive is some 15GB data!!!

All my log books are not in excel format, but whichever one is - all since the Year 2000 - are available in the following link:
Pages - hvkumar | Google Groups

I still refer my old dairies for certain routes I have visited long ago.

I also track expenses and the cost of petrol, hotels, etc a few years ago will be comical. My mobike days, I used to pay Rs 7 per litre of petrol. My 12-day mobike drive to North East India (12 days, including Bhutan) cost me just Rs 6000.

I am lucky that friends like you share lots of info on their drives, which helps me update my own database and keep tabs on current road conditions, facilities, etc.

Nowadays, thanks to Tirthankar Basu, there is also a "HV Kumar - Fan, Forum & Message Board" group on Face Book, where we all track Indian highways, routes and drives.

Over the years, I have also amassed a huge library of maps and guides. BTW, every bill and kuchcha log of my earliest drives are still with me.


Sorry, LDL, for hijacking your thread!
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Old 6th July 2010, 20:55   #116
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Dear HVK

You can add another fan ot your existing fan-club.

Fantastic job guruji and I will definitely be picking your brains when I visit India this year and start planning my trips around South India.

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Old 6th July 2010, 21:02   #117
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That very tall tower we see in the pics - was wondering what it was during my visit, but while going to Rama Padam we have to cross it. Then learned it is actually a DD transmission tower!
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Old 6th July 2010, 21:59   #118
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HVK sir, I can still think of a camera. But painstakingly taking all the details in a scrap book while driving, stopping at locations to actually do that, is indeed a commendable effort! Even Garmin Logs are some thing which I use as many others in this forum and also create Waypoints/POIs.

But the log books that you maintain is something no one else can do!
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Old 6th July 2010, 22:14   #119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
H a scrap book while driving, stopping at locations to actually do that,
I don't stop for that, I write them on the move (except in my mobiking days)
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Old 6th July 2010, 22:39   #120
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@HVK sir,

What a treasure at the google groups. I have joined the group. I am yet to see a person more immaculate and dedicated than you. Hats off.
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