It's always good when you get a chance to step out in between a work trip and get to know some snippets of the city, and the people around.

BHPian vb-saan recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

November and December were pretty busy months for me with work travels to Japan and Germany. Two weeks in Tokyo was pretty intense, but the trip to Hamburg, Germany (end Nov – early Dec) was a bit more relaxed. All my previous visits to Europe were in Summer, and this was the first time I got to experience European winter and the famed Christmas markets. This is more of a photolog compilation of a weekend walk around in Hamburg, and the nearby town of Lüneburg.

Landed in Hamburg around late morning. It was a 13 hour long flight from Singapore to Frankfurt and another one hour from Frankfurt to Hamburg (with two two-hour layover).

The airport taxi was a Tesla Model Y:

Hamburg is known to be temperamental when it comes to the weather. And the scene outside the hotel was just that. The temperature was around 6°C

After checking in, soon stepped out of the hotel for a short stroll, and to get some lunch. The gloomy sky theme continued

Got back to the hotel, attended a couple of meetings (over Teams), and then stepped out again around early evening. It was already dark by then. Tokyo in the previous weeks was cold but Hamburg winter was on a different level.

The nearest train station had this steep stairway

First sight of Christmas decorations

The Rathaus (Hamburg City Hall) at a distance

I stopped by a small Christmas market next to Saint Peter’s church, spent some time savouring some delicious bratwurst, and chit chat with some local Hamburgers. The community spirit and camaraderie in Europe is pretty awesome. You just share a table with a bunch of strangers, and have some nice conversations on food, culture and everything.

More Christmas decorations

Brick/Brown is the shade of the city

The next day was a Friday, it was my first time in our Hamburg office, and the day was full of meetings. One of my colleagues (and a good friend) managed to get a ticket for a Bundesliga game. He’s a staunch supporter of FC St. Pauli. Though the team sits in the bottom half of the table, the atmosphere was just electric. Absolutely enjoyed my first time watching a football game live in the stadium.

And guess I brought some luck for the team – St. Pauli won comfortably and it was the first time they scored a Bundesliga goal at home this season.

Continue reading BHPian vb-saan's travelogue for more insights and information.

Uncle, why do you ride? Because we can. I am 46 years old. My friend is a shade over fifty. We get this question quite often. Maybe its the unshaven grey or the many lines on our sun-burnt faces.

BHPian bblost recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Uncle, Why are you doing this?

A question that occasionally pops up from young boys, when they see a grizzly man on a bike ride.

Maybe its the unshaven grey or the many lines on our sun-burnt faces. The callouses on our palms and some scars from past falls.

So read on to get to the answer to this question...

The ride had no plans. Just a general direction.

We started from Hyderabad.

Went thru Andra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Odissa, Jharkand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.

Hotels were booked using either online portals or just directly approaching the hotel receptions.

14-Dec-2024: Jagdalpur, Chattisgarh.

We decided on getting into Chattisgarh. I turned to our friend, RavenAvi for Info. He helped out with the route and building our confidence.

Following his advice we chose the slightly longer but safer route via Khammam.

Viju and I caught up at Lakdi-Ka-Pul. It was quite early in the morning. The road till Suryapet is very familiar to me. It went by in a breeze. From here till Khammam, the road was awesome with very little traffic.

Traffic increased and the road narrowed up between Khammam and Badrachalam.

Most of the roads once we entered Chattisgarh were decent but there was no mobile network at all.

Both Airtel and Jio were out of coverage. The locals had mobiles that were working but our mobiles refused to get registered on the network.

Also there are hardly any tea shops on this route.

We reached Jagdalpur by late evening. Then started looking out for hotels. But a VIP visit had most hotels filled up.

We finally found a place but it was after rejecting two other hotels. Always check the bathrooms before you book the room. One hotel in particular was like a crime scene.

• Distance: 580 kms
• Route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oThuuMy68Qs73BXi9
• Hotel: Hotel Laxmi Palace.
• Cost: 1,970

The room was in the ground floor. The bathroom had a functional geyser. It was grossly overpriced but we had no other decent options.

15-Dec-2024: Durg

We went to Chitrakoot falls.

Its very beautiful and quite clean. Chattisgarh is a very clean state. The roads are much cleaner and civic sense is nice.

Mobile network is very patchy and you cannot depend on it being available everywhere.

So its important to carry cash as UPI payments will not always work. Roads are a mix of good and bad.

What the citizens have in civic sense, they lack in traffic sense.

• Distance: 300+
• Route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5mozEiE8MASxyeQ78
• Hotel: Surya Palace near the Railway Station
• Cost: 1080

Very decent room and good parking space for the bikes.

Continue reading BHPian bblosts's travelogue for more insights and information.

To successfully and happily trek high altitude mountains the situation demands your own body to be in a good shape if not better. You need to tune your body and soul for endurance, to face uncertainties, harsh weather and to sustain with low oxygen!

BHPian red_hot_punto recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Strong will, resolve, commitment, health, fitness, favourable situation and full support from the family is a must to turn your dreams into a reality. If any one of this is a miss then for sure it's guaranteed that dream would remain just a dream, nothing else!

We, a group of friends, scaled 12,500 ft high beautiful Kedarkanta Peak located near Sankri, a hamlet situated at an altitude of 1950 m above sea level in Mori Tehsil, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India. It's part of the Govind Balabh Pant Wildlife Sanctuary and provides a 360 degree view of the Himalayan mountain ranges at the summit! To put it in perspective, it's less than half of Mount Everest whose peak touches a staggering 29,000ft, the highest of all mountains!

Though we did accomplish this life changing feat in the beginning of winter during 7th to 12th of Dec 2023, just the thought of making it happen had creeped our mind dating back by atleast few years at the coffee table in our office. I also had a desktop wallpaper with a tent pitched in the middle of nowhere facing the evening sky, reminding me again and again that the time is not eternal, atleast for us, poor living beings, to act now!

But the "act now" never materialised. Family life and events, responsibilities, professional commitments, you name it all. The time passed by days, months and years. Nothing fell in place among our friends circle. What started as uneasiness in failing to do the Himalayan trek, was finally turning into desperation.

Was trekking in the Himalayas was just a part of bucket list for me? Or did I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of routine life? Or was it to enjoy spending time in the mountains just like enjoying somewhere else? Yes, it was all of this but more importantly for me it was an opportunity to have a first hand experience in knowing the place which many of our past seers and saints considered it as the altar for performing Tapas and Sadhana, Moksha being the ultimate goal! I considered it as sacred as a temple, as comforting as the lap of the mother, as divine as the Lord himself! It's the abode of Lord Mahadeva of Kedarnath & Kailash, Lord Vishnu of Badarinaath and the source of holy Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Brahmaputra & many other rivers that nourish entire Northern India.

Come what may, I had firmly resolved to trek in the Himalayas before the end of 2023. The green signal was given by my family and I shortlisted September end slot from well known trekking company - "IndiaHikes". I had spent numerous days reading different trekking trails and experiences from their informative site. They have carved themselves a niche in the trekking community for their well organized guided treks with proper care given towards the trek teams. IndiaHikes also indulges in pre-trek preparations for the ones enrolled via setting fitness goals, guiding on what needs to be packed and how to keep it light.

I wanted to experience it along with my friends so that in the future we can bring these treasured memories back to life as and when we wish and to cherish. So as a last ditch effort, sent out the shortlisted detailed plan to my inner friend circles. As a coincidence, few of my friends were also thinking of the same, but in December as against what I had planned in September. For me it never mattered whether it was September or December, what was more important was trekking with friends which even I had looked for. Finally the time has arrived to witness the divine beauty of the majestic Himalayas!

Embracing the divine!

Brief itinerary of 8 days went as below:

• Day 1 | Bengaluru - Dehradun | Flight
• Day 2 | Dehradun - Kotagaon base camp | Drive
• Day 3 | Kotagaon - Khujaai campsite | Trek
• Day 4 | Khujaai - Bhuja Dhadi | Trek
• Day 5 | Bhuja Dhadi - Kedarkantha Summit - Khujaai | Trek
• Day 6 | Khujaai - Kotagaon base camp | Trek
• Day 7 | Kotagaon - Dehradun - Haridwar | Drive
• Day 8 | Haridwar - Rishikesh - Dehradun - Bengaluru | Drive/Flight

The plan and the preparation:

When you decide to go on a trip by car or a bike, road worthiness of the machine takes higher priority over everything else to prevent any breakdowns. One's own physical fitness takes a back seat.

But to successfully and happily trek high altitude mountains the situation demands your own body to be in a good shape if not better. You need to tune your body and soul for endurance, to face uncertainties, harsh weather and to sustain with low oxygen!

Booking our 6 days slot Kedarkantha Trek with IndiaHikes(IH) proved to be a great decision. The trekking itself is for 4 days and 2 days makes up for travel to and fro from basecamp, Kotagaon and Dehradun. And additional 2 days you need to count to reach Dehradun and back to Bengaluru. So in total it was 8 days of schedule. There was clear instructions to follow specific exercises. Especially to run and cover atleast 5 kms under 30 mins was the minimum criteria, 3-4 times a week and the screenshot of this accomplishment had to be uploaded to their portal before they would agree to consider you as part of the bigger trek team. Though there was no way for them to verify if the data shared were genuine, the training plan adviced to us helped a lot to gain confidence and get trek-ready. IndiaHikes also has exhaustive information on their portal like ways to prepare physically, light backpacking, food options and many others that you name it. Though the difficulty level was Easy Moderate, we realised during our trek how the genuine preparation literally paid off! The level Easy Moderate actually has to be understood from the point of view of a healthy and strong person, for the unprepared it is Difficult! On top of it one should be mentally and physically prepared to be out in the open away from the comfort of four walls, neither room heater nor warm bed. One should have trust in their own self, mind you, you will be out in the Himalayas!

Their belief in Green Trails is what impressed me a lot - reusable water bottles, steel lunch boxes to get the hot healthy food served at camps, plastic garbage collection pouch for use on the trails, no tissues or wet wipes, hot vegetarian meals from local sources, strict no to maggies and saw dust for cleaning up after poop! Everything was carefully identified to keep the trails green and clean. A big shout out for this great and sustainable initiative! Only if other trekking companies followed this, would keep our mountains devoid of all types of pollution. IH even provides trekking gears for rent at a nominal fees to keep the trekking expenses light on the pocket - trek pole, steel lunch boxes, padded jackets, trek shoes and many more. One needs to book them in advance well before the start of the trek, not at the base camp.

With preparations of two months coming to an end with our fitness approved by IH, now it was the show time!

The base camp for Kedarkantha trek is a small hamlet by name Kotagaon, roughly 200 kms away from the state capital Dehradun of Uttarakhand. Direct flight was booked from Bengaluru to Dehradun on 6th of Dec and a Tempo Traveller was arranged by IH the next day to take us to the base camp.

Golden rays of dawn kissing the peaks - View from Kotagaon Base Camp!

Day 1 | 6th Dec, 2023 | Direct flight from Bengaluru to Dehradun | Altitude loss: 3,020 ft to 2,300 ft

We had booked a direct flight from Bengaluru to Dehradun via Indigo airlines that would take 3 hours and costing approx 8200/- INR. The flight was on time and we landed at the time of dusk. The city sits in the valley surrounded by mountains and forests. Interestingly Dehradun is on a lower altitude vis a vis Bengaluru which we were never aware of! The booking for a night stay was done at Nomads, opp to Grand Legacy Hotel. It's a cheaper option with hostel kind of setup with multiple bunkers for sleep in different rooms and lockers for keeping items safe with hot water facility for shower. It's most sought after amongst trekkers community and even recommended by IH. Rooms and rest rooms were clean without food option but one can find many outside. The weather here matches that of our Namma Bengaluru.

Had our dinner outside that included hot and spicy parathas and kulhad chai to end our day one.

The flight details

We @ Bengaluru Airport ready to join the rest with BIG !!

Fast forward into the future!(The same We expanding to 6 @ campsite, with 2 more joining from DD)

The flight

Dehradun, part of UDAAN!

Dehradun Airport with Localisation!

Nomads House, Bunkstay Hotel and Cafe

Location:https://maps.app.goo.gl/EA7sL4AX1uB2pNNw9

Route that we would be taking tomorrow

IndiaHikes Kotagaon base camp, zoom in and you can see the revered Char Dhams just around

Day 2 | 7th Dec, 2023 | Dehradun to IndiaHikes base camp, Kotagaon | Road | 200 Kms - 10-11hrs | Altitude gain: 2,300 ft to 6,455 ft/1967 mts

This would be the day of our last bath as we set to hit the roads of Himalayas and trek in the mountains, the next would be after a gap of 4 days. Even the post poop clean-up has to managed with dry tissue papers, not with water!

The josh was high & we woke up early, had tea outside, got ready and were at the pickup point by 6:30 am to join along with other amazing trekkers, taking the count of the trek team to 25. This would be the gang to live with for the next 6 days, as we had thought and it included an Yeti too! We started soon after with ever increasing altitude.

The route to the base camp passes through scenic Mussoorie, Kempty Falls, Naugaon, Purola with holy river Yamuna accompanying all along. Stopped at Kempty Falls area for breakfast by 9 am, but had move ahead without visiting the falls due to time constraints. Instead spent some time at river Yamuna further up and indulged in some photo shoot. After a heavy and tasty lunch on the way around 2 pm finally reached IndiaHikes base camp, Kotagaon by 5:30 pm.

We were warmly welcomed with high tea and beautiful mountain ranges all around with Sun sliding behind creating the perfect effect.
The trek team in itself was very vibrant comprising of trekkers from different geographical locations - Mumbai, West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Punjab, Karnataka with various backgrounds - students, doctors, air force, businessman and we software professionals. We were given a Briefing session from the trek lead Shubhankar and guides Kanhaiya ji and DK with a list of Do's and Don'ts plus self introduction of each one us, the trekkers. There were clear instructions and a behavioral boundary was drawn. It was also clearly conveyed to each one of us to inform them immediately in case of any uneasiness related to one's own health. IH has a policy of allowing the trekkers to again participate in the same trek free of cost backed by their Trek Again Philosophy coined by it's founder Arjun Majumdar! So for any health or safety reasons if one has to turn back, there was always a second chance to climb it back at the time of their own choice.

It was time to collect the gears that we had booked and make sure they are perfect fit for next 4 days. The weather was chillingly cold and the thermals proved to be useful. We were served with hot and healthy dinner that pushed us to doze off immediately.

Early morning high tea, can't wait for the Sun to turn up

Get, set, go!

Scenic terrace farming on the hill slopes

Maa Yamuna accompanying us all along

Pine forest range

Yamuna

Small villages nestled between the mountains

Pristine Yamuna waters

Stone duck with a beak formation, quenching it's thirst

Gushing Himalayan stream from the top with a small adjoining temple

Iron bridge crossing

Inside the iron bridge

Panoramic view from breakfast point, Kempty Falls

The Himalayas Metamorphic Rock, specifically Gneiss

The boys

Deliciously hot lunch tossed with a beautiful background!

Forest cover

Miniscule Sumo making its way through Gigantic Himalayas

Sky canvassed with different spectrum of the light

Shades of green at the banks of Yamuna

Development or Destruction? Hydro Power Project

Pine with a Shine

Road to our dreams

Fire in the mountains

IndiaHikes base camp, Kotagaon at 6455 ft, base for Bali pass, Har Ki Dun - Rulnsara Tal, Kedarkantha & Phulara Ridge treks

Mount Swargarohini as seen from the base camp

Strategically located dining area

Ready for the Briefing session

Chai pe Charcha

Continue reading BHPian redhotpunto's travelogue for more insights and information.

Important thing to note while visiting Shani Shingnapur is that lot of people on bikes will approach you by driving next to your car and asking you to stop for taking their services

BHPian Sa!lor recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Happy New Year to Everyone, this is my first Travelogue on the forum so please excuse me for any mistakes made.
Also as I have clicked very less photos of my trip I will upload the best ones that I have which mostly are of Sunset's only

Background :

Every year during New year we just celebrate at home due to every place being overcrowded but this year decided to welcome New Year by seeking blessings of our Kuldev and Kuldevi with Parents and then relaxing at Goa after the New year celebration and the crowd had left from Goa.

Plan was to visit Shirdi - Jejuri - Akkalkot - Tuljapur and Mahalaxmi temple ( Kolhapur ) with parents and then parents will return Vadodara, me and wifey will continue our road trip to Goa.

The vehicle decided was our Thar 3 door, luggage had to be packed and planned properly due to limited availability of space but with 4 duffle bags we managed the luggage for 4 people.
As my parents had to attend a family emergency at Pune at the last minute they decided to travel till Pune by train and then reach Shirdi where we will be meeting them directly.

So with the plan ready and bookings done in advance, we commenced our New Year road trip on 30th December.

Day 1 ( 30th Dec 2024 ) : Vadodara to Shirdi, Distance - 433 kms.

As parents were already in Shirdi, myself and wifey started from Vadodara at 6.30 am via NE4 till Bharuch and joined NH48 from Ankleshwar till Navsari, from Navsari took the road via Saputara to Shirdi.
Took a brunch stop for us and a refuelling stop for Thar at Saputara. The road to Saputara was excellent with some diversions on NH48.
From Saputara took the road via Pimplegaon to Shirdi.
Saputara to Pimplegaon road is very well laid and smooth but from Pimplegaon till Shirdi roads are a mix of good to bad.
Reached Shirdi at 3.30pm, met parents at the hotel and checked-in, the rest of the day was just for relaxing.

Hotel : Sai Miracle - Good hotel very near to the temple, also has amazing food.

Day 2 ( 31st Dec 2024 ): Shirdi to Jejuri via Shani Shingnapur, Distance - 243 kms.

As we had already taken darshan pass online for 8am at Shirdi Sai Baba temple, we reached Gate No.6 as mentioned on our pass at 7.30am and were glad to see not much of the rush for Paid pass darshan.

Reached the main temple complex within 10 mins and completed the darshan of Sai Baba by 8.15am.
Checked out from our hotel and reached Shani Shingnapur by 11am, roads from Shirdi to Shani Shingnapur are decent.
After completing darshan we proceeded towards Jejuri which is our Kuldev for starting our New Year with the blessings of Lord Khandoba.
Reached Jejuri by 4pm, roads till Jejuri were in good condition.

Hotel : Belsare yatri niwas, clean and comfortable accommodation near the temple.

Important thing to note while visiting Shani Shingnapur is that lot of people on bikes will approach you by driving next to your car and asking you to stop for taking their services, do not stop for them just tell them politely that you are a frequent visitor and you will manage darshan yourself. For parking do not follow anyone who stops you on the road, there is a parking lot just near the main temple entrance, park your vehicle only in that parking area. People will block your way and they will not let you reach the parking area run by the government they will ask you to park in their own private parking after which they will ask you to buy things from the shops just tell them you know the parking area and you will park only there.

Day 3 ( 1st Jan 2025 ) : Jejuri to Akkalkot and Tuljapur, Distance - 347 kms

As our pooja was booked for 5am at Jejuri, we all got ready by 4.30am and started our climb to Lord Khandoba's temple, we reached the temple by 5.15am and our pooja was completed by 7.30am due to lot of rush as people were lining up from 5am for darshan being New Year.

We checked out of our accommodation at 9am and proceeded towards Akkalkot Swami Samarth temple, on reaching Akkalkot at 1.30pm we were surprised to see the temple crowded as it was a weekday and we had expected darshan to be completed within 1 hour but on asking around we were told it will take about 4-5 hours, we already had our pooja booked at Tuljapur temple for 7pm for which we had to reach Tuljapur at 5.30pm so we had to take darshan at Akkalkot only from outside as it was impossible to reach inside the temple complex and than make it to Tuljapur on time.

Reached Tuljapur at 3.30pm, check-in to the hotel and just went for a nap as we all were up since 4am and very tired.
We freshened up and reached our Guruji's place by 5.30pm from where he took us to the pooja line and we performed the pooja by 8pm after which we came to the hotel room and went for an early night's sleep.

Hotel : Darshan executive, neat and clean hotel near the temple.

Day 4 ( 2nd Jan 2025 ) : Tuljapur to Kolhapur, Distance - 283 kms

As my parents were to return back to Vadodara from Miraj we decided to book a night stay at Kolhapur and also take darshan at Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur. Checked-out from Tuljapur at 9am and reached Kolhapur at 2pm.

Checked-in to our Airbnb at Kolhapur and decided to go for darshan straightaway as it was noon time and we expected less crowd at Mahalaxmi temple.

Reached the temple by 3pm and got in the queue which took about 1 hour, completed darshan by 4pm. Mother and wifey wanted to do some shopping at Kolhapur so after completing the shopping came back to our Airbnb and rested for a few hours.

My parents had booked tickets for the train from Kolhapur to Miraj and then Miraj to Vadodara.

Went to drop them off at Kolhapur railway station for their train, returned back to Airbnb and just went to sleep as the next day had to leave for Goa.

Airbnb : Lakeview apartment, Great place to stay with view of Rankala lake and just 10 mins drive from Mahalaxmi temple.

Day 5 ( 3rd Jan 2025 ) : Kolhapur to Anjuna beach, Goa, Distance - 195 kms

We had divided our Goa plan in two parts, North Goa for Sundowner and Club and South Goa just to laze and chill.

As it was going to be a relaxed trip to Goa we decided to leave our Airbnb in Kolhapur at leisure so check-out around 9.30am from Kolhapur and reached our hotel near Anjuna beach at 2.30pm

Route taken : Kolhapur - Nipani - Ajra - Amboli - Banda - Anjuna.

I took Amboli ghat while going to Goa and Anuskura ghat while returning back from Goa and from my experience I found the Amboli ghat route much better for driving as well as road conditions compared to Anuskura Ghat.

After resting for a few hours in our hotel we decided to head towards Anjuna beach and enjoy the sunset from a beach shack called Cafe Antonio, a good shack to see the sunset but as with all other beach shacks prices are very high.

Some photos of Sunset from Anjuna beach:

Hotel at Anjuna : Granpa's Inn Bougainville hotel, Beautiful hotel with spacious room and lot of greenery along with a well maintained swimming pool, staff is courteous and serves with smile.

Day 6 ( 4th Jan 2025 ) : Anjuna and Vagator beach

After relaxing and taking a rest on the previous day, today we decided to go for a Sundowner after which we planned to go for a beach Nightclub.

For morning brunch we went to a place called Artjuna in Anjuna , the place has amazing vibes and aesthetics and if you prefer Vegan and Gluten free meals which my wife follows as a part of her treatment diet you will get a lot of great options to choose from.

For Sundowner we went to Olive Bar and Kitchen near Vagator beach as we wanted to enjoy sunset from a cliff and the place has one of the best Views from Vagator along with great service and food.

After Sundowner we came back to our hotel, changed clothes and went to a beach club at Anjuna called Gypsea. It is a good beach club with amazing lights setting, DJ is very good, fire and aerial performances are spectacular but due to less crowds even on a weekend we could not enjoy dancing as very few people went to the dance floor.

Some photos of Sundowner:

Day 7 ( 5th Jan 2025 ) : Anjuna to Varca

We checked-out from our hotel in Anjuna at around 10.30am and reached the hotel in Varca by 12.30am, we faced traffic congestion on the highway due to ongoing flyover work between North and South Goa.

Today was a leisure day and as our hotel in Varca was a beach hotel having a backdoor of the property opening directly on the serene and peaceful Varca beach we just decided to spend the entire day at the beach.

After coming from the beaches of North Goa, Varca beach felt so calming, I went to take a dip in the Sea and just sat on the white sand beach watching a beautiful sunset.
For dinner we decided to go to Roger's on Benaulim beach, the food was very good and special mention to their desserts they were amazing.

Hotel at Varca : Majestic Beach Comforts, Very Good hotel with private access door leading to Varca beach, they have options of rooms as well as wooden cottages.

Day 8 ( 6th Jan 2025 ) : Varca to Cabo De Rama.

While searching for things to do in Goa on a YouTube channel I came across this place called Cabo De Rama, even after visiting Goa for 4 times previously, this was first time I got to know about this place near Agonda beach so decided to check it out as the videos and photos of sunset from the cliff looked amazing.

We also came across a vegan and vegetarian restaurant at Agonda called Zest and my wife was happy to again get a variety of options to choose from so had our lunch at Zest and then went to Cabo De Rama.

Cabo De Rama is a fort which is now in ruins but the fort offers some of the most spectacular views we have ever seen in Goa, there is a pebble beach as well after a climb down from fort but as it was already sunset time and we wanted to be at the sunset view point to enjoy the sunset se decided to give pebble beach a skip and headed towards the sunset point.

I would like to mention that the photos and videos you will see on social media don't really do justice to the experience which you will get watching a sunset from Cabo De Rama viewpoint, only frustrating thing we came across at the viewpoint is people do not care a bit about preserving nature with plastic and garbage being thrown everywhere it really saddens to see such a beautiful location being litter by garbage but do not let that hamper the surreal sunset you will get to experience.

Some points to note if you are visiting Cabo De Rama:

• At the entrance to the fort you have to register with security and closing time is 6pm so you have to come out from the fort before 6pm.
• Access to pebble beach is steep and not recommended with small kids.
• Cabo De Rama fort and Cabo De Rama viewpoint are at different places, you can't see the sunset from the fort as you have to come out before sunset.
• Reach Cabo De Rama sunset viewpoint by 5.30pm to get the best spot before it gets crowded and all good spots are taken, the earlier the better.

Some pictures from Cabo De Rama sunset viewpoint and from fort :

Day 9 ( 7th Jan 2025 ) : Varca to Vadodara via Nashik with night stop at Jejuri, Distance till Jejuri - 451 kms.

This route via Nashik was decided to avoid the traffic at Pune and to bypass Chakan.

Today was the start of our return journey to Vadodara and as I was driving everyday, keeping in mind fatigue, we decided to drive only till mid-way and take a night halt at Jejuri as we already know a good accommodation at Jejuri.
We had a relaxed start at 10.30 from Varca and took the Varca - Kharepatan - Anuskura Ghat - Satara - Jejuri route and reached Jejuri at 9.30pm with accomodation booked in advance had dinner and just went to sleep as next day had a long drive again.
Roads till Satara were good but from Satara to Jejuri being a single lane road and oncoming traffic with a high beam made driving a bit challenging.

Hotel : Belsare Yatri Niwas, Jejuri

Day 10 ( 8th Jan 2025 ) : Jejuri to Vadodara via Nashik and Saputara, Distance - 629 kms.

We were up by 7am and well rested so decided to start our remaining journey as the earliest, checked-out at 8am and took Jejuri - Ranjhangaon - Nashik - Saputara - Vadodara route.

Roads are in good condition except entering and exiting Nashik we faced a lot of traffic and some broken roads.

We could have bypassed Nashik but we wanted to have Misal pav at famous Grape embassy and zatka misal due to which we took the decision of entering Nashik which set us back by almost 3 hours including the lunch stop at Grape embassy, we felt the delay and stop was worth it as the Misal pav was delicious and Jalebi was mouthwatering.
With lunch done we left Nashik at 3pm and only stopped at Saputara around 5pm for refuelling and buying some strawberries as well as onions near Saputara.
It was a non stop drive from Saputara to Vadodara and reached home by 10.30pm and called it a day after 10 days of amazing road trip the excitement of the journey was over and tiredness was catching up.

I have tried to mention everything in as much details as possible, if anyone has any questions or queries feel free to comment and I will be happy to guide in whatever way I can.

Hope you all enjoy the Travelogue

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

On our Bangalore – Orissa – Bangalore trip we covered close to 3385 Kilometers and in the next 3 days we covered another 1,225 to make it 4,610 Kilometers in a span of 12 days.

BHPian Carradio_ewan recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

8-Day, 3385- Kilometre Adventure: A road trip from Bangalore to Orissa covering Guntur, Vizag, Bhubaneswar, Gopalpur, and Vijayawada!

I feel Christmas always casts its enchanting spell across the globe, transforming the world into a chilly wonderland of celebrations. At home, we dive into the joy of decking the halls with festive decorations, letting Christmas music fill the air, and indulging in heartwarming holiday movies. This magical season always brings the delightful belief that Santa Claus will grace us with his merry presence, ushering in a time of gifts, plum cakes, and cherished family gatherings.

However, a twist came when we realized that my grandpa wasn't enjoying driving the Honda Amaze. Despite its modern features and convenience, the Amaze lacked the power and solidity of his Fiats and other European cars he had owned over the years. To him, the Honda felt like a compromise, a mere vehicle rather than a true driving experience. Appa regretted the decision made for him, now believing that a VW Polo DSG would have been a better fit for Grandpa's spirited driving style. Yet, the idea of buying from the used car market made him hesitant, adding complexity to an already intricate situation.

Appa and Grandpa share a deep bond over their love for cars. Their conversations often ignite with excitement as they delve into the latest automotive launches, sharing memories of past road trips and dreaming of future adventures. This passion for cars is a legacy that has passed down to me, continuing our family's tradition of being petrol heads.

Their discussions are not just about cars but about the connection and pride they feel when behind the wheel. It's about the shared thrill of acceleration, the admiration for sleek designs, and the appreciation for engineering marvels. These moments strengthen our family ties, making every road trip more than just a journey, but an adventure filled with laughter, stories, and the joy of discovery.

In the end, it wasn't just about choosing the right car; it was about celebrating our shared love for the open road and the freedom it brings. It was about creating memories that would last a lifetime, bound by our mutual appreciation for the art of driving.

Finally, after much deliberation and meticulous planning, the route and hotels for our trip were decided as follows:

Day 1 – Drive from Bangalore (Home) to Guntur

Date of travel: 21st Dec 2024

Hotel booked: Welcome Hotel by ITC

The drive from Bangalore to Guntur was smooth, thanks to the good roads with few challenges. There were frequent tolls and plenty of fuel stations along the way, making our trip easier. One memorable moment was when we stopped to refuel and had a little adventure of our own.

Overall, this leg of our journey was filled with laughter, storytelling, and the excitement of exploring new places. The anticipation of what lay ahead kept us all in high spirits as we continued our road trip adventure.

ITC Hotel lobby

Day 2 – Guntur to Visakhapatnam

Date: 22 Dec 2024

Hotel booked: Keys by Lemon tree

We traversed through the bustling cities of Vijayawada, Eluru, and Rajamahendravaram. On our way we stopped at Garuda food court on NH 16 for a tea break, the place was clean and had good food options. Our lunch stop was at food Pyramid Rajanagaram Bypass Murari. These two places were good for quick breaks on the way.

We reached Visakhapatnam by around 7:30 pm and our first destination was the iconic INS Kurusura Submarine Museum, which we planned to visit in the evening before continuing our explorations the next day.

Securing a hotel in Visakhapatnam proved to be challenging, and despite our efforts until the last moment, we struggled to find suitable accommodations. Although we considered Dolphin Hotel, we ultimately chose Keys by Lemon Tree, banking on the brand's reputation and our positive past experiences. However, this stay turned out to be a horrible ordeal sort-of like buying a salvage auction car.

Keys by Lemon Tree, a budget business hotel, fell short of our expectations. Though it offered half board, the nonsmoking rooms reeked of cigarette smoke, the rooms were cramped, and the washrooms were neither clean nor well-stocked with essentials. The limited buffet spread and horrible seating at the restaurant, crowded with meetings, further marred our experience. The quality of the food was mediocre at best. I would give it 3 stars. Despite the lacklustre accommodations, our spirits remained high as we looked forward to the adventures and discoveries awaiting us in Visakhapatnam.

Day 3- Sightseeing at Visakhapatnam.

Date 23 Dec 2024

Thotlakonda should be visited late in the day ( 5:30 is the closing time), and we had a good silent experience accompanied by the cool breeze - a must-visit for explorers. Overall, we would recommend Vizag to anyone who would like to enjoy a vacation slowly and peacefully.

Day 4 – Vizag to Bhubaneswar

Date: 24 Dec 2024

Hotel booked: Lyfe Bhubaneswar

It was Christmas Eve, and my grandparents wanted to attend the Christmas eve mass, so we went to a nearby church just a few streets away. We experienced a beautiful multilingual Holy Mass and retired to bed by 2:00 AM.

Day 5 –

25th Dec 2024

Sightseeing at Bhubaneswar

The hotel's lobby was a spectacle of holiday cheer, adorned with twinkling lights, vibrant ornaments, and a towering Christmas tree. The gentle hum of Christmas carols played in the background, creating a serene ambiance. Accompanied by a light drizzle outside the restaurant, it felt as though we were in a winter wonderland. This picturesque setting was complemented by the faint scent of pine and cinnamon, wafting through the air. We indulged in a hearty breakfast, with the rain softly tapping on the windows, creating a soothing symphony. The feast included traditional holiday favorites. This enchanting morning served as a perfect prelude to our day of exploration and adventure.

Day 6 –

26th December 2024

Hotel booked: Pramod Land Ends – Radisson

Day 7 –

27th December 2024

Hotel booked: Grand GRT Vijayawada

Day 8

28th December 2024

On our Bangalore – Orissa – Bangalore trip we covered close to 3385 Kilometers and in the next 3 days we covered another 1225 to make it 4610 Kilometers in a span of 12 days. We closed the year and opened the year on ROAD, happy to crunch more miles.

Continue reading BHPian Carradio_ewan's travelogue for more insights and information.

I was on a brilliant stretch of road and I was holding a good speed and all of a sudden I see an unmarked speed breaker clubbed with potholes bigger than some manholes.

BHPian Aakash recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

PROLOGUE
Sometime during July 2024

"Maa, S (school friend of 10 years) is getting married in November, so I might leave this place early instead of December."
"You really want to prepone this, Beta?"
"I'm anyways done with Canada maa. I feel I'm wasting time here. Might as well come down early and not experience the stupid winter here."
"Theeke Beta. Plan well and let us know what you do."
"Sure Maa. Also, the wedding is in Delhi. Or Haryana. I don't know the details yet."
"So you'll be booking flights for that as well, and I assume a few days before the whole events?"
"Actually, I was thinking of driving to Delhi."
"WHAT?!"
_______________

That's how my conversation with my mother went during the planning phase. I was in Canada during 2022-2024, where I studied for one year and was working in a factory as a shipper and receiver, forklift operations. Essentially a blue collar job which paid well, had benefits, and a good scope for corporate ascension. But breaking into the job market seemed difficult and I figured I would be better off leaving Canada and heading to some other country and try my luck there. At this point, I had made enough money for a 23 year old and had fulfilled every teenage dream there was to fulfill. Watches, clothes, sneakers, booze, renting fast cars and roadtrips in them, et all.

But I needed a break.

I decided to book a one way ticket back to Mumbai and thought it was time to start saying my goodbyes to my folks in London. It was a good two years but it's time to move on.

Meanwhile, I was preparing for my road trip. Asked my sister to order some accessories for the car. Specifically a mobile holder, charging unit, magnetic window shades, lumbar support memory foam cushion, neck cushion, jumper cables, puncture repair kit, portable air pump, and most important of them all, a bluetooth aux adapter which worked flawlessly.

Meanwhile, I asked my father to get the car to the service center and get it fully serviced, top up any fluids if necessary, replace any parts if needed. The following day, father got a service tech to look into the car and while the car was fine and everything was running as expected, the rear drum assembly was fully replaced. Why so?

Turns out the service tech found out that the rear drum break was completly gone. The picture shown was a screenshot from the video where the service tech shows how the grip was supposed to be attached and not detached as shown. So, the whole assembly was replaced. There's only much you could do to a 11 year old car with drum breaks and no ABS.

And now the wait begins. I was counting days to move back to India and get this trip going. I was a bit nervous but I was confident that I can manage a highway trip up north. It's all highways anyways. What could go wrong?

November 5, 2024

Decided to drive one last time to the airport in my friend's RAM. It started to hit me that this might be the last time I would be driving in Ontario. Atleast for a long while. The whole journey from London to Mississauga Airport, my friend and I were just talking about the last two years, reminiscing and feeling pretty heavy in the feels.

Reached Pearson International, and it was a very sad farewell. I'm not the type to feel emotional but it was a beautiful end to two years. The only way to go is forward and that's what I asked myself to do. Cleared my security, baggage and proceeded to board the longest flight of my life.

I'll miss Canada. More than the place, it will always be the people I'll miss.

I reach back home and the first thing I do, is take the car out. I forgot to introduce my 11 year old baby. Everyone, meet HumbleBee. A 2013 Hyundai i10, with barely 26000 Kms on the odometer. The reason for it's low odo is my parents, mainly my father, because he doesn't take the car out much due to traffic and the hard clutch. Being a senior citizen and the car being negligibly small also added to the paranoia of driving this car in the city, so all it ran was the occasional shopping runs and service runs. It looked like the car was just waiting for the right trip to stretch it's legs with the recent service that was just done on the car.

I'll never get over the old design language which Hyundai was known for but again it's purely subjective. Anyways, it has been a little more than 2 years since I drove stick so it took me a while to get accustomed to the stick shift this car had but a drive along the JNPT route helped my muscle memory kick back in.

Drove to Pune to meet the sister and came back the same day to see how the car handled highway speeds and cross winds. I mean it could, but the engine will make it evident that it doesn't like being pushed too much. Well, I just need to hold the car at 110 KMPH to extract good mileage and not break any highway speed limits.

Ladies and lads, we're back in business.
_______________

D-Day
November 12, 2024

"Beta, you can still take the flight."
"Maa..."
"The highways are not safe beta, it scares me in the city itself, your (cousin) brother only survived his car accident due to sheer will of God. The other 3 people with him didn't survive, including your Uncle."
"I promise I'll stop when I'm tired and promise to book a room wherever I am sleepy"
"Okay, don't overspeed and take breaks whenever you can and call me every 2 hours alright?"
"Done. Now I need to pack and start heading out."
"When are you leaving?"
"It's 12 PM right now. I'll leave when I can after wrapping up my work."
_______________

Ever since I landed, I've been running helter skelter to get things done. Bank work, fast tag activation, packing for a 2 week trip, getting my clothes tailored and what not and finally was able to wrap everything up and head out of Navi Mumbai by 7 PM. All I carried was 2 bottles of water, and one litre of cold black coffee to keep me awake incase I start feeling drowsy.

I set some basic rules to follow. I figured I love myself too much and I didn't want this trip to be the end of me. I still need to buy that RSV4 and Daytona when my wallet permits.

1) Keep the engine under 3500 RPM if I intend to get any mileage
2) Defensive driving is my go to method of driving and I shouldn't stray
3) Upshift at 2500 RPM to get the right amount of torque
4) Refuel the car when the fuel gauge reaches it's last two bars. Don't trust the digital fuel gauge.
5) Engine braking to be used when you are in an emergency. I can't recall how many times this rule ended up saving my car
6) Hydrate and piss liberally.
7) Stretch and relax when I can. I'm 6 foot tall and slightly built so the car would be a bit cramped. This could count as the most important rule which would help me complete this trip without any body aches.

The first leg of the journey was Navi Mumbai to Surat to my friend 'S' place in Surat. Though it shows only 305 Kms, Google Maps was telling me it would take me 7 hours to reach Surat. Well, this is India, and I knew I was leaving at the worst time possible but I had to be in Surat before 7 AM the following day because I was to join 'S' and drive togther to Delhi with him and his family in his Ertiga and me in my i10.

I follow google map and reach the dreaded Thane-Ghodbunder Stretch. God help me but that stretch frustrated the living daylights out of me. I consider myself a patient man (due to endless anger management sessions) but that stretch was a true test to my resilience and I was cursing and repeatedly muttering under my breath trying to calm myself and keep myself alert. Never leaving during rush hour ever again.

Somehow crawled my way to Vasai Creek and the whole construction dust was flying all over the place. Trucks, high Beams, people trying to sell themselves, some random running people and the worst of roads awaited me. Although I had upgraded my headlamps to 110/90W bulbs, it was of no use because of the dust and oncoming high beams. My felts like it was being blasted by glaring lasers but still managed to soilder on. It was around 12 AM when I stopped to grab some dinner closer to the MH - GUJ border.

IIRC, towards the beginning of Vapi, the roads started to smoothen out and that was my indication that I've entered Gujarat. Sure it's mostly 2 lane roads with no street lights but atleast in some stretches there were dividers with high bushes which blocked up the high beams of the opposing traffic. The roads were pretty smooth and I was able to hold a good 80 - 90 KMPH consistently.

But good times don't last long.

I was on a brilliant stretch of road and I was holding a good speed and all of a sudden I see an unmarked speedbreaker clubbed with potholes bigger than some manholes. Panic breaking, tires screeching, trying to downshift quick so that engine breaking might come to aid, all while looking back to see if someone would ram me from the back. I couldn't help but jump that speedbreaker. My car shook and flew for a moment and one of the idols I had on my dash just flew from it's place onto the floor. My bottles on the passenger seat fell, my damn phone flew off the holder and fell towards me, it was a moment where I knew my car had taken a beating of a lifetime. I was already ready to accept that there would be some kind of damage to the tires and the rim so I slowed down to the side and got my phone to check the tires and rims.

To my utter surprise, not a single puncture or sign of rim damage. I took a sip of water, thanked my lucky stars and started driving towards Surat. The roads kept surprising me but I was prepared this time.

305 KMS and 8 hours later, I reached my friend's place by 3 AM and he was there to receive me. Parked my car outside his apartment, went in and freshened up, my eyes were bloodshot and tired but seeing my buddy after 2 years was something else. We chatted and caught up with our lives and were just joking about how we went from grade 9 benchmates to now his marriage.

Fast forward to 7 AM, some warm paranthe, and many more introductions later, we both made our way down to start loading up his Ertiga. My buddy had the carrier which could accommodate the bags after they were tied up and we proceeded to tie up his luggage and again, waiting for his family to come down. At this point, my buddy's watchman saw my car all dusty and filthy from the trip that he just went in and cleaned my car up.

Finally his family made it down and we started our journey. The destination for today was Kota, Rajasthan. Hotel bookings were to be made whenever we made it to Kota.

At this point, I should point out dear readers that I was awake for more than 20 hours, out of which I was driving for 9 hours. Sure I was not tired with all the adrenaline, but majorly the drive so far was during the night and now that we have day break, the sun is in full force and I was ever so thankful for my sunglasses which helped quite a bit.

Exiting Surat was like trying to dodge and weave people, cows, and two wheeled motorists, and we managed to get pass the horrible traffic and get on NH 48, past Bharuch and started maintaining a good speed. My buddy and I were following the same route while we were occasionally calling to make sure that we weren't far ahead or back, as we maintained a gap of maybe 1 or 2 kms because most of the time he and I were side by side.

Now. I need to mention that my buddy has a CNG powered Ertiga, which was his preferred method of fuel. And since he was completely packed and with luggage up top, he was getting close to 200 Kms to a full tank of gas and he was stopping quite often as compared to me who was getting atleast 400 KMS with two bars left (and 500 kms with just 1 bar left). And since he was on CNG, the entire family had to disembark to refuel. So during those times, I slowed down to 90 KMPH to allow him to catch up.

Knowing that he had slowed down to fill CNG, I continued ahead while maintaining a decent speed and reached Halol, near the Narmada Canal. Decided I'll use this opportunity to stop, stretch my legs and take a few pictures, because I had time.

Now, I've stayed here for a good 20 minutes and there was no sign of my buddy. Rang him up and we compared KMs and realised that I somehow teleported 70 Kms ahead. Maybe I went to far but in my defense, S told me that he had to wait 45 mins to fill up his tank and I in all my 'cruising ability' had somehow sped my way over 70 Kms. So I started to drive real slow as my fuel was getting down to 3 bars and I was sure I would be stopping for fuel in the next 100 kms.

Found a petrol bunk with shade and updated my location to S and had him come over and take a lunch break. His mum packed a delicious meal and off we go again after stopping by for 45 minutes. The heat was killing me and I could say that I was starting to feel fatigued. My eyes had started burning up because of the heat and lack of sleep, only to realise I was up for more than 26 hours and counting. Black coffee was my saving grace.

Still my energy and zest to drive wasn't letting my fatigue rule the rest of the drive. Because things were about to get interesting. After a while, we saw the map leading to a straight stretch of road, which was interestingly named NE-4, which I had not heard of previously. Leading the way, I climbed up the connecting bridge only to see the most empty highway of my life, specifically called as the Delhi - Mumbai Expressway.

What an absoute beauty of a highway. 4 lanes on each side, speed cameras all along, which restricted the speed to 120 KMPH, and smooth with some pleasant views of nature during certain stretches. But soon, the roads started to feel too empty, my lack of sleep should be blamed as the very road which I was praising to be a beauty, got me feeling bored and l for once couldn't wait to see some traffic ahead, as it felt like me and my buddy were the only people on this beautiful stretch of expressway. Still we soldiered on and took the next exit to Kota, by the time which, I was starting to get hungry.

Google map threw a googly at us, when we put the location to a hotel which was close to the city but only had negligible distance from the expressway and that saw us go through a very secluded village whose roads were as wide as the Ertiga. It was dark, we were tired, and I couldn't wait to hit the sack as I was done with the day so far.

Found a dhaba where I gobbled down 3 paneer paranthas. Big mistake. Now I just wasn't tired, I was lethargic as well. At last, we reached the hotel, checked in, where I took a shower, watched some news and just passed out.

DAY 1: KILOMETERS DRIVEN: 990 KMS
TOTAL UPTIME : 33 HOURS
TOTAL DRIVE TIME : 22 HOURS APPROX

DAY 2
NOVEMBER 13, 2024

We weren't in a hurry so we woke up close to 9 AM, and this was the most blissful sleep I had in a while. After freshening up, we decided to have some kachori from the nearby kachoriwaala and decided to move towards Delhi.

While passing through Rajasthan, there were no scarcity of beautiful views. Sure it was a rural and the roads were smooth, but I was having fun and again, I somehow manged to surpass my buddy and was some 15 Kms ahead. I managed to ping him my location and stopped to have some water and take a scenic piss.

Kilometres went by and I made it to the toll gate leading to the Delhi - Mumbai Expressway, decided to stop, take another piss and update my buddy while I waited and clicked a picture to send it back home.

The sun was burning my face off but again it felt good to hydrate and stretch my legs.

Eventually, my buddy caught up and he stopped by to stretch and we updated our destination in Delhi to his place. A good chat and we we're back on the road, not a km above the prescribed speed limit.

One thing we noticed is, although the expressway is ready, the amenities were not completely up and running. There were only few stops with functioning restaurants and fuel bunks. Yes, the one's which were running were supplying everything from food to fuel but a cautionary word of advice to all Bhpians would be to not try your luck with fuel stops as it could work against you as the exits would take you to some bunks which are still at 90% completion and not fully functional. And moreover, exiting the expressway would cost you a toll, which would again had to be paid when you re-enter the expressway. Found that out the hard way when I was searching for a fuel bunk and and went off the exit and came back up and had to pay INR 500/- for both those tolls.

We kept driving and just randomly overtaking and clicking pictures, while we encountered another toll plaza, where another vehicle up ahead reminded me that we are closing in on Delhi.

By evening, we entered Delhi, and I could already feeling the air being heavy. I do smoke, and Delhi felt like you could be a smoker without being a smoker. And then I was stuck in the notorious Gurugram traffic leading to Delhi, while my buddy took another route and made it to his place 30 minutes before I did and I was greeted by this legend.

DAY 2- KILOMETERS DRIVEN : 460 KM
TOTAL UPTIME : 12 HOURS
TOTAL DRIVE TIME : 9 HOURS

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

A few days in Delhi, setting up things for the wedding, we were ready to drive off to Hansi in Haryana, which was the venue of the wedding and we left comfortably after lunch, which was considered to be a good decision but the smog on the road made visibility a royal pain in the butt, with reduced speed and worsening air quality. We somehow made it to Hansi, which was 140 kms away but it took us a good 4 hours to make the distance.

Hansi was dirty, dusty and the people were hostile. We parked our vehicles right besides a normal parts store, and in no way were we blocking the store, yet the store keeper was creating a ruckus and my buddy being a local had to use his tone and authority to shut the local up, who thought he could pick a fight and smooch some money just because we were from Maharashtra.

Fast forward to the next day, I decided to give my car to the washing station at 9 AM in the morning and brought it back to the hotel to finish off some work. By 11 AM, the car was dusty and dirty again. Figured there is no point in cleaning our cars here, we let the cars be dirty.

KILOMETERS DRIVEN : 140 KM
TOTAL DRIVE TIME : 4 HOURS

THE SURPRISE

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

The wedding was done on the 22nd but the rituals were going on until 24th. And I decided that if I left Haryana on the 23rd, I could probably make it to Mumbai by the 25th, just in time for my mother's birthday. It's been two years since I haven't celebrated her birthday and I though why not surprise her and still get to be home early.

So I packed up my things, said my goodbyes, left Hansi by 5 PM, on the longest drive in India so far. I was up for a good 7 hours before starting the drive and I was sure that this would be a marathon when it comes to driving the car. So I began.

I drove without a break other than a fuel stop until 12 AM, until which I had to take a break because I forgot to renew my yearly YouTube Premium subscription. And surprisingly, I realised that I had driven 7 hours without any music to keep my focus up. Borrowed my friends Spotify account (much thanks to her) and continued to drive like a ghost possessed.

This was the last picture I took, before I parked beside this toll, took a 4 hour nap, somewhere close to Udaipur at 4:20 AM

KILOMETERS DRIVEN : 750 APPROX
TOTAL UPTIME : 18.5 HOURS
TOTAL DRIVE TIME : 9 HOURS

THE FINAL LEG

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

I woke up by 8 AM, freshened up, started driving again, and didn't stop unless I required food, fuel or a stretch break. Reached Gujarat and mistook a turn and google took me through the city, where the cops stopped me and started complaining about not having an HSRP plate. While I tried to explain that this car is 11 years old and this would take time, it fell on deaf ears as they were making excuses that a car cannot travel with ordinary plates. I figured they were just looking for a handout so just played their game and moved on.

The frustrating Vasai creek area arrived, broken roads, dusty trucks and on hell of a potholed half built road later, I made it to Navi Mumbai and crashed at my friends place where she was ready with some beer and some chicken fried rice at 12:30 AM. What else does a man need but beer, chicken and good company?

• KILOMETERS DRIVEN : 750 APPROX
• TOTAL UPTIME : 16.5 HOURS
• TOTAL DRIVE TIME : 12 HOURS

THE SURPRISE:

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Picked a cake, ordered some biriyani, and got both of them to my house barely 15 KM from my friends place to mine. My parents were of the knowledge that I would only be back by 28th. But I had informed my sister I was pulling this off. So the surprise was a good one. And it was worth the drive.

To conclude, would i do a trip like this again? Yes. Under the same circumstances? I hope not. Would I encourage anyone to do this stupidity of not sleeping and driving? Absolutely not if you love yourself. Was it worth driving all this way, completely solo? Yes for the lore.

I should've taken a flight. It would be what anyone would've told me. But again, where's the fun in that?

• HIGHEST FUEL ECONOMY DELIVERED : 18.65 KMPL
• LOWEST FUEL ECONOMY DELIVERED : 11.75 KMPL

FIN

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information

Both the museums are small, and one does not require more than an hour to complete both the places.

BHPian Aiel recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Due to my son’s classes, we only had a one-day break for Diwali, and so, we had to shelf any long travel plans. We decided to visit Mysuru, and though the initial plan was to visit Ranganathittu, we decided to try out the Sand Art Museum, and the Seashell Museum (as we have visited Ranaganathittu, quite a few times recently) on a weekday.

We left Bannerghatta Road around 9AM, and after a normal drive on the Expressway, we reached the Sand Art Museum (https://maps.app.goo.gl/XVwVBHuZhMpmdwz48) by around 11:30AM. It was a small place, but the sculptures were quite intricate, and the kids and the rest of the family were quite amazed at the effort and skill required to create & maintain the sculptures.
Some pics from the Museum are as follows:

After some shopping in some stores around the Museum and some refreshments (lime soda & some great buttermilk) from the store beside the Museum, we headed to the Seashell Museum (located diagonally opposite the Sand Art Museum) (https://maps.app.goo.gl/cxFp9LBQbY3qF5xg6).

A sculpture of Krishna & Arjuna:

An assortment of sea creatures including a mermaid.

A vintage car:

Disney Characters & some Christmas themed sculptures

A sculpture of Durga Devi

A sculpture of the Dasara Mysore procession and a King:

Celebrating Yoga Day:

After some shopping in some stores around the Museum and some refreshments (lime soda & some great buttermilk) from the store beside the Museum, we headed to the Sea Shell Museum (located diagonally opposite the Sand Art Museum) (https://maps.app.goo.gl/cxFp9LBQbY3qF5xg6).

Similar to the Sand Art Museum, this place also had a lot of intricate creations made from shells, ranging from penguin & turtle colonies, bouquets, gods/goddesses, temples, Ganesh idols, Taj Mahal, and St. Philomena's Cathedral, though the self-praise of the creator of the same went a little too over-board. Some pics are as follows:

Some Gods/religious figures:

Kaliya Mardanam:

Dashavatharam:

Some religious locations:

Flower arrangements made of shells:

A few other sculptures/lamps made from shells:

Penguin & turtle colonies:

A flower arrangement made from garlic peels:

A flower arrangement made from peanut shells:

A flower arrangement made from pista shells:

Both the museums are small, and one does not require more than an hour to complete both the places.

After the museum visits, we headed to Poojary’s Fish Land, where we stuffed ourselves with fish & squid. We then headed back home, reaching back by around 4:30PM.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The landscapes and wildlife in Valparai in this season, in December, are just amazing.

BHPian Dr.AD recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Last month (December 2024), we did a drive to Valparai, Tamil Nadu, primarily to see the landscapes and wildlife amidst tea plantations there. This was a "friends and family" drive, done together with my friends @robimahanta and @justwheels, each of us driving our own Thar 4x4. Thus we had three families in three Thars going together for this drive. This drive and the theme was the idea of @robimahanta, and thanks to him for this well planned and well executed drive.

We stayed at a beautiful bungalow called "Sheikalmudi Bungalows by Tahr Trails". It is an old tea estate bungalow with three rooms - perfect for our group of three families. Of course, although quite old, the bungalow is very well maintained and brought up to the modern standards, and offers a very comfortable stay experience.

The scenic bungalow that we stayed at:

The bungalow is located in a scenic and secluded place atop a small hill, surrounded by other hills and acres and acres of tea plantation. The hospitality of the staff led by the property manager and owner of the "Tahr Trails" brand, Lingesh was first class, and the food served was absolutely delicious. Fresh, hot and authentic local food. We loved it. Overall we had a great time there!

The only note of caution would be that since the bungalow is located deep inside a tea estate, the last 3km or so of the road to the bungalow is a typical estate road - a combination of unpaved trails and some old paved but broken down tarmac. It helped us that we were driving Thars on this road, but for low slung sedans, this road will prove to be a challenge. Nothing that can not be managed in a sedan, but it will certainly require a lot of care and patience to drive a sedan here.

The landscapes and wildlife in Valparai in this season, in December, are just amazing. We were so engrossed in enjoying those scenes that we forgot to take any car pictures at all. I did not get even a single photo of all three Thars together. Somehow managed just this photo of my own Thar, "Dusty", there in the tea plantations.

Dusty in the tea plantation

Lingesh was a great host; he is an expert in the nature and wildlife in this area, and knows the entire hills like the back of his hand. He was also gracious enough to be our local guide and drove us around in his old Jeep - sort of like a private Safari - and showed us the landscapes and the wildlife in Valparai. Truly a great experience.

The lovely old Jeep that was our Safari vehicle there:

With this introduction out of the way, let me get to the main agenda - the landscapes and wildlife photographs, in the next posts.

Landscapes from Valparai

While being driven around on the hills full of tea plantations, in that lovely old Jeep, tracking the wildlife (more on that in the next post), I managed to click a few landscape photographs there.

Jeep trails within the tea estate:

Worker in the scenic tea gardens:

Red tractor on the tea garden roads:

Views of the "Lower Sholayar" reservoir:

Bright green tea and colorful evening skies:

Late evening mist over the Sholayar reservoir:

Moonrise over the tea gardens:

Morning light:

A sole red tree:

Morning light and shadows:

Evening light on the top of the hill full of tea plantations:

Finally, my favorite photo of the trip, sunset over the tea plantations:

Continue reading BHPian Dr.AD's travelogue for more insights and information.

My Versys made me do something which I thought was beyond my motorcycling skill.

BHPian anshumandun recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Do we buy cars/motorcycles to go places? Or do we go places because we have a vehicle in the garage that should be taking us places?

In my case, it was the Versys 650 in the garage that was just dying to take me across India and to the roof of the world: The Himalayas! I could not say "NO" so there we were, on the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway as she warmed up galloping 550 kms with a grin on her face. She was happier than usual as she had her previous year's Leh road trip friends for company: Mean Green and Matt Black.

Next morning, as she tore across the Maharashtra highway with her torquey mid-range, I just sat cocooned in utmost comfort and in awe of her best asset: Suspension. The Showa Separate Functions Forks setup on the Versys is just outstanding!

And then came MP, where we were reminded that nothing in life is free, not even sitting without purpose.

Finally, the marathon day arrived. I tried to tell her that we'll take it easy but she had a different plan. Jhansi came and went. Gwalior came and went. Agra came and went. Delhi came and I said "Enough"! But the Agra Expressway had unleashed her inner monster that made her unstoppable and she broke her record of 1000 kms plus in a single day and we ended up in Chandigarh.

2500 kms away from home, now the actual trip began. Dark, Windy, Rain and Thunderstorm: a perfect welcome to the Himalayas.

After spending the night in Narkanda, we rode to Chitkul amidst scenic snow-capped mountains. Hailing from Bangalore, she was not used to the bitter cold of the mountains and the night took a toll on her. Frozen water on the wiring shorted some connections and her horns went blaring in the middle of the night and woke up everyone in the tents. I had to crawl out in freezing temperatures and pull-off the horn wiring connections to calm her down.

The mountains mesmerized us as we rode through Pooh, Nako, Tabo, Pin Valley, Dhankar, Hikkim, Langza and Kaza. It was the magic of the place that took our bond to a different level and I felt 'one with the machine' and I think she felt the same.

And then it happened! Fork seal oil leak and that too one day before the Kaza-Manali ride. With no doctor in town with skills to help her out, I had no option but to trust her to make it through.

The D day arrived. The 10 hours of 200 kms off-roading threw everything possible at us: snow walls, melting glaciers, slush, innumerable water-crossings, falling stones. Finally, we entered Manali by evening and I've never felt happier to see a tar road in my life.

In hindsight, I would never have attempted this ride had I known what I was getting into. But I am so grateful that this ride happened to us because this day has been etched in our memory forever. My Versys made me do something which I thought was beyond my motorcycling skill.

As they say, you retire at your peak. I felt like this was the peak for me. And so we decided to part ways. I hope she has moved on because I have not. I will find a replacement soon because she was just a machine, but with a SOUL

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It was quite a good museum which, unlike many others, did focus on the work by their styling partners and proudly presented them too.

BHPian 14000rpm recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Excerpt from my Summer '24 Italian Roadtrip as precursor.

Quote from BHPian 14000rpm:

Day 15. Milan
...The Original original plan included a half day visit to the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese area of Milan and hence I choose a hotel in that vicinity. With a day short, we took it easy and started the day late with the Alfa Museum being the only agenda. Finally I was having my agenda finding a place. Or so I thought. My Italian Colleague, who has lived in Milan all her life, called me and suggested some other shopping destinations near Arese. I started to see my agenda quickly collapsing. My 8 yr old daughter is usually the swing voter in the family. Fortunately she likes cars. Unfortunately, Like the mom, she likes Shopping more than cars.

I was forced to drive past the Alfa Museum to the shopping center..

After being so close yet so far to the Alfa Romeo Museum last time around, I had decided to make some time during my next work trip to Milan. Got lucky that a 3 day work trip came up in November- sooner than I thought.

Although I finished my meetings on Day 2, I took my return flight towards EoD of day 3 just so I didn't have to rush through the time I had for myself.

Had breakfast, checked out and Uber'd my way to Museo Storico Alfa Romeo.

Different folk have different Halo cars in their memory that connects them to certain Brands. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione happens to be one of my all time favorites just for the way it looks. Simply Gorgeous. The closest I had some to seeing one in-person was in the Motorworld Center in Munich. Being aware that the Alfa Museum had one, I just had to go there and spent some time ogling at it.

Alfa did not hide their masterpiece deep inside to find after a Labyrinth of halls like a IKEA center. No No. They put their pride and joy right up front at the entrance.
My joy knew no bounds. Spent a lot of time appreciating every single line. Best part, this was even before buying a ticket to the Museum !

1 of 10 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Racing Edition engineered by Sauber.

..and then, the Museum.

1953 750 Competizione.

1960 Giulietta Sprint

1959 Giulietta Spider

Alfa's Aero engines.

1954 AR51 made for the Army inspired by Jeep.

The main floor focusing on the best hits of the past.

1910 A.L.F.A 24 HP. The first car from the brand.

1911 A.L.F.A 15 HP Corsa.

1925 RL Super Sport

1931 6C 1750 Gran Sport designed by Zagato.

1932 8C 2300 Corto Mille Miglia.

1935 6C 2300 B

1947 6C 2500 Sport

1950 Alfa Romeo 1900

1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint

1955 Giulietta

1962 2600 Sprint

1962 Giulia

Continue reading BHPian 14000rpm's review for more insights and information.