[acroback]

Wow, what a travelogue Sir.
Hats off to your meticulous planning and patience.

I am thinking if my Ritz VXI can take me to Leh with 4 onboard .

Congrats on a trip of the lifetime.

[Chevy_lover]

What a superb journey, Ravi Ji! Truly awe inspiring! I believe enough has been said about your pics! They are indeed wonderful! I loved your travelogue and I am looking forward to reading it once again!!!

By the way, what was the costliest item you purchased???

Originally Posted by acroback

I am thinking if my Ritz VXI can take me to Leh with 4 onboard.

Thanks, acroback. Your Ritz can easily do Leh trip. But, I suggest you to keep occupants to 2. Otherwise, your Ritz will have problem while climbing Zoji La.

Originally Posted by Chevy_lover

what was the costliest item you purchased?

Thanks, Chevy-lover. Two sarees cost Rs 3500 each.

[Sidhu bangalore]

One of the most beautiful and very informative, encouraging travelogue i have ever read.
What a superb journey...
Highly appreciated, truly inspiring and what not.
your photography skills are not less than any proffesional. I thoroughly enjoyed reading so much so that i have skipped an official meeting.Hats Off to you sir.
One thing i would like to say is through out the trip, you enjoyed your drive but how can your better half sit for such a long drive ?
My salute to the brave lady and what a story ...
God bless both of you. take care

Originally Posted by Sidhu bangalore

God bless both of you.

Thanks a lot, Sidhu bangalore, for the superlative appreciation and compliments. My wife used to enjoy the luxury of falling into sleep, every now and then, especially in the night, while I drove, except at the Zoji La stretch, when we were too terrified to sleep! But, she used to be awake and guard me and my Linea while I took power naps [except at Kargil IOC petrol pump, where we both slept from 3 am to 6 am with my Linea awake and taking care of herself with ACC at 20 deg C!].

[SwiftSD]

Just completed the entire travelogue in one go. It was a commendable task.

Don't have enough words of appreciation for you and your wife.
Thanks for sharing.

[gajadonga]

Was reading your travelogue from start to end in one go.
Fantastic endurance by both of you for taking up this trip.
Very good pictures and was amazed to read that you took continuous drive from Nagpur
to Amritsar and through some bad roads in the N-S corridor.

[nileshch]

J.Ravi, amazing travelogue that was!! Superb photos as well. I am speechless. Before this, I was thinking my sedan would not be able to survive the arduous journey to Leh if I were to make such a trip. Thanks for re-igniting a fresh desire. Gives me goose pimples just by the thought! I am going to do this one day.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

My wife used to enjoy the luxury of falling into sleep, every now and then, especially in the night, while I drove, except at the Zoji La stretch, when we were too terrified to sleep! But, she used to be awake and guard me and my Linea while I took power naps [except at Kargil IOC petrol pump, where we both slept from 3 am to 6 am with my Linea awake and taking care of herself with ACC at 20 deg C!].

All the bachelors reading this, that's the perfect life partner to have!

Originally Posted by SwiftSD

Just completed the entire travelogue in one go. It was a commendable task.

Thank you, SwiftSD, for kind words.

Originally Posted by gajadonga

Very good pictures and was amazed to read that you took continuous drive from Nagpur to Amritsar and through some bad roads in the N-S corridor.

Thanks, gajadonga. As I wanted to explore N-S Corridor, I preferred that route. But, I didn't know that it would be so frustrating and strenuous one. So, I returned via time-tested and much sought-after NH 8/4. Nagpur to Amritsar [1583.10 km] took 36.5 hours, while Chandigarh to Surat [1474 km] took only 26 hours!

Originally Posted by nileshch

Before this, I was thinking my sedan would not be able to survive the arduous journey to Leh if I were to make such a trip. Thanks for re-igniting a fresh desire.

Thanks, nileshch. I reiterate: any car, sedan or hatchback, could do Leh trip. You don't require AWD or SUV or MUV to do this trip. I am also of the opinion that all driving enthusiasts should do Leh trip at least once.

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

My MMI Lx130 navigator has them all. But, I have to download the logs and decode them!

At last, I converted all GPS log files stored in my MMI Lx130 navigator [wherever I had recorded] to KML format and downloaded them to my Google site. Now, after downloading a KML file, I am able to see the place/route covered on Google Earth. Here are the GPS logs in KML format.

[ranjithpd]

Ravi Sir, take a bow, its no mean feat that you have here and that's one wonderful travelogue, very meticulous.

Got patched on to your trip from your earlier thread(Cara Mia Fiat) and was following your updates there and then got latched on to your TL. What an amazing feat. 5 Starts all the way. I am not sure I can drive such log hours with just power naps or the way you have captured your MID, bills etc, the love for your cara mia... simply amazing.

OT: I could not post this earlier when I was reading your updates/TL, was a non member then, had even mentioned you in my reasons to join the team.

Originally Posted by ranjithpd

I am not sure I can drive such log hours with just power naps or the way you have captured your MID, bills etc, the love for your cara mia... simply amazing.

Thanks a lot for the superlative adjectives, compliments and appreciation, ranjithpd. I reiterate that if my Linea could do the Leh expedition, any car can do it and if I could drive it, anybody can drive it.

[ranjithpd]

Originally Posted by J.Ravi

I reiterate that if my Linea could do the Leh expedition, any car can do it and if I could drive it, anybody can drive it.

Sir, I have no doubt about the machine, having read about trips in Nanos and Altos, but my view was about the man, not the machine. Also, agree to your point that anybody can drive it, but when it comes to me, I am yet to test my endurance on marathon drives. Even, yesterday we(myself and TBhpian Rameshnanda) were contemplating if we could drive such long hours like you.

By the way, your chrome covers are quite good, seems cara mia is being pampered a lot, but well deserved I guess.

[rhenius]

Dear Ravi, Its been very long since I came on the forum, today I have spent the last 2 hours going through this mammoth journey done in the FTA Linea. Its awesome. Your travelogue skills are amazing, Thank you for taking all of us BHPians on the trip with you. Really felt so visual and exhilarating to read through the entire thread. Hats off to you and your wife for making it happen. There have been so many trips which I'd wanted to do in my Linea, but have managed only short (compared to you) ones to Pondicherry, Coimbatore, Kodaikanal and Bengaluru. Kudos to your driving skills and thank you for sharing your experience with us. Happy driving.

Originally Posted by rhenius

Dear Ravi, Its been very long since I came on the forum, today I have spent the last 2 hours going through this mammoth journey done in the FTA Linea.

Thanks a lot, rhenius, for showering with appreciation and compliments. All the credit must go to my Linea. I never felt tired even after driving for more than 1300 km! I love to do long trips with my Linea.