[jithin23]

Disclaimer This travelogue is going to be a lengthy one and I hope I am considered a normal person! I could find some time on a weekend to finish this travelogue as I'm on constant travel almost every weekend due to my personal and social commitments. I have clicked only a few pics from these mammoth drives as I had a very simple phone and I like to keep my experiences raw and real as well as re-live them by narrating over here. Most of you might be familiar with the mods and the build I've done on my car, but I also like to put all the mods on the car to good use by driving it arund too

All work and no play makes Jithin a dull man, right! Well this man(yours truly) has been travelling like crazy for a long time but in 2022, The Red Dragon took him to places he had only written down on a piece of paper while graduating from College on a motorcycle was his dream. Such travels are still a dream for many and the Almighty has blessed me with good health and sufficient opportunities to explore the planet. Well, the place is almost the map of India. To top it off 80% of the drive was solo(Even if friends have accompanied me on this trip, I'll be the one behind the wheel and to speak as not all are familiar with Hindi). I've driven crazy distances and never felt fatigued despite the geographical changes and language barriers(I love too learn different languages as that is a major bridge for forging some really great bonds with people). Plus I was always inclined to Geography as a child and loved observing maps and atlases.

Of course, I have a few more states pending to visit and nobody has ever completed studying the entire syllabus for an exam right. So I wanted to leave out a few places so that I can travel those places with my future better half, else I'll be bored by saying I've seen almost all the places in India and she will give me a kicking as well . Plus when I travel abroad in the future I want to be in a position to tell that yes, I've been across India and I can understand the diversity it offers. To experience that diversity, there's nothing better than a road trip(rail too is fine) as it gives you the autonomy and flexibility to do whatever you want, wherever you want! The travelogues on team-bhp were partly an inspiration for me to do such drives, and I wanted to execute such drives on my own. I might remember only some of the places of stay or food as it has been more than a year since I returned from these trips.


Some of you might think why I'm not posting too much on Instagram or I could have been a youtuber. I want to enjoy the present and live in the moment at that place and not be carried away by curating videos(no offence to the Youtubers or Instagrammers) and there are many who do it as a means of living and I respect their choice. Like I mentioned earlier, I want my experiences to be read and I have documented this for my future reference. And of course, you folks are aware of the after effects of the place after one influencer goes to a particular place or restaurant for example. I believe in word of mouth experiences. Plus I do not refer much to any travel forum too so that I can get a proper feel of travelling on my own.

Some might even think after reading this travelogue, how on earth does this guy pull it off! I'll give a bit of a background for the same. In the year 2008( I was in class 7) and Volvo buses were the fad in Bangalore back then. I was supposed to watch a movie in Inox(this too was a fad back then) with my friends but for some reason my friends ditched the movie plan. I took a bus pass and started exploring the city bit by bit alone. Back then in one single day I travelled from Majestic to Kadugodi, then Majestic in the same Volvo. Again from Majestic to Nelamangala and back in the same bus and then from Majestic to Attibele to Silk Board to my locality near Kalyan Nagar. Full paisa vasool of that pass(I still remember it was 150 Rs for the Vajra day pass and that itself was pricey) as well as explored the then tourist spots such as Isckon and the likes and the rest is history! There are some more insane stories of mine but I think I'll keep that a secret(Take a guess: Varaanam Aayirram inspired scene, however I travelled within India itself during college days).


Moreover, what's the point of paying an EMI on the car when it's not put to use properly. I remember a saying as well: "The more miles a car is driven, its value depreciates but the experiences of that individual increase in value". Plus in my case, the car and experiences are immense. My parents have had no issues with my travel as long as I'm working and earning for myself, because I remember that my parents were like you're free to do whatever you want after you start earning and I started living my dream one by one as we never know what's in store for us the next day. We can earn money in several legal ways but the bonds with people and the memories are priceless, no amount of money can suffice that. My Travels might be a bit extreme on a short notice, my style of travel is a bit different and I do not click too many pics as well, as I always like to tell a story. Please read it with an open mind and perspective. I'm sharing my personal perspective and learnings from the trip over here, so kindly bear with the long hours of driving and jumping state by state. I love to drive so much because I felt connected with an automobile, I was deprived of driving, a lack of a car for the initial 4-5 years after I earned my license. I then decided, one day I will drive across the world in my own car and start with the home country first! My personal best has been 1200kms in 14 hours from Bangalore to Nagpur, 1000 kms in 11 hours(Bangalore-Shirdi).

I'm really grateful to all my friends, acquaintances, family and the Indian Army(at the borders) for helping me on such crazy drives! These drives are a testament and a token of gratitude to the travel, automobile community and Ford, you have given me a lot of firsts in my life! For making my life better right from my first flight to visit the factory(partly sponsored by Ford!) to my first relationship(the girl asked me out seeing my travel stories, now back to being happily single), my first job(I narrated how I got the First EcoSport and the cross country drive), my first car I sat in(A 1998 Ford Escort 1.8D), my first own car(My Red Dragon) and a lot more, especially great friends who are family within as well as outside the Bhpian community. Without which I would have still been without an identity and purpose in my life.

The Blue EcoSport has taken me to another country,(https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...-ecosport.html (An unplanned drive: Bangalore to Bhutan in an EcoSport)) the Red made me explore the country in detail. I'll focus more on the travels with the Red Dragon and I've split the Pan-India Drive into two parts:

Part 1. Bangalore - Leh- Bangalore (7,800 kms): This was during June-July 2022
Part 2. Bangalore - North East(Upto Tawang)- Bangalore(9,800 kms): This was during Oct-Nov 2022.

Almost all my road trips will have circuitous route so that there is some variety and thrill while travelling. I have condensed the information over here as much as possibe and I have left out explaining about places or things to do as many Bhpians or Google Ammayi have shared info on these. I'll be sharing only my experiences here.

P.S: Both were unplanned trips. I just empty my closet into the car's boot and off we go!

My OEM+ Steed without the shelby grill


Without further Ado, let's take off into this travelogue!

[jithin23]

Part 1: Getting Leh'd for the second time(this time by car from home)

Day 1: The Random Rush(21 June 2022)

Distance Driven: 1,087 km(Bangalore-Nagpur)
Time Taken: 15h 38m

After a hard day's work and meetings I was thinking I haven't driven much this year and I always wanted to drive to every place of the country and I was bored of the driving within South India, so I just emptied my closet into the car's boot and I set off on the highway with the compass pointing towards North on the Speedo. I usually carry a baseball bat, portable inverter(so that I can work from the car itself) tyre inflator and repair kit and a water can. Plus some muesli to snack up as I don't prefer processed snacks much.

Set off from home at midnight and reached Hyderabad by 7 am. Crashed in a friend's PG for a few hours to get some sleep and met a fellow EcoSport owner, had a sumptuous lunch(of course Biryani!) at pista house and I continued my journey towards Nagpur by 3.30 PM. The overall drive for this strech is uneventful, but I like the reserve forest stretch after Adilabad that feels like driving in a vast expanse of foliage. This was the first time I'm traversing beyond the Deccan Plateau by car and I cherished driving every single km of my drive. Energy levels were quite high and I used to take a break after every 150-200km or 2 hrs 30 min.

Booked a stay near Ganeshpeth in Nagpur and I called it a day by 10.30 and had completed some work till 12am(I was working in night shift during 2022). All I had thought was I'll reach Delhi and then let the steering decide the direction for me.

A few pics from Day 1

An average range of 800+kms tank to tank is impressive


Kashmir ain't that far away




I like the Adilabad stretch from Hyd-Nagpur




Stay at Nagpur


Distance for today


Day 2: Dilwalo Ki Dilli!(22/23 Jun 2022)

Distance Driven: 1,080 km(Nagpur-Delhi)
Time Taken: 16h 10m

Started off a bit late from Nagpur by 10am after having breakfast at Haldirams, buying the OG Nagpur orange for the trip and within no time I reach Pench National Park. What amazed me was the way the roads are built over a forest thereby ensuring hassle free movement of vehichles above and animals below the bridge. I was grinning ear to ear as the stretches were scenic though the region is arid. Was gunning the car down as though I'm driving on a track and the car was sticking to the road like a rail!


Nagpur Oranges


One of the several tank fills



Once you enter MP, the roads get even more deserted and weather getting hotter. By noon I was scouting for food options, so I zeroed in on Midway Treat by MP tourism as I'm skeptical to try random food joints on the highway as I'll be travelling for atleast 2 weeks. Had parathas and panner curry and then I set off further into the hinterlands and as the sun was setting in the horizon, I reached Jhansi and stopped for a quick kullhad chai plus sutta break(I quit smoking now as I write this travelogue). The dragon has been an amazing companion and I did not feel one bit tired despite driving crazy distances at crazy speeds. Attended a couple of meetings in the car itself and then I stopped at a Rajasthani Restaurant in Gwalior. Started by 10pm from Gwalior and reached Delhi by 3am via the Yamuna Expressway. The drive on the expressway was surreal and I hit some maddd speeds on that road. Reached a friend's place and slept for the day in Delhi.

A quick cladding wash


Bangalore to Delhi Stats



Day 3: Manali Madness

Distance Driven: 508 km(23/24 June 2022)
Time Taken: 16h 21m

We started off a bit late close to 11pm in order to avoid traffic at Delhi. I had taken my friend along too(though I was driving for the maximum amount of time) as he hadn't travelled much within the country. We stop at Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba for a sumptuous dinner(the usual Parantha and subzi when in North India). Post dinner, we sped past Chandigarh in a couple of hours and the cops had flagged me down for tint. I have sunshades and mild tint on the car so that the interiors remain cool, so I paid the fine to the cops and started ascending Himachal within 40-50 kms from Chandigarh.

Once you enter Himachal, it is all a touristy vibe upto Sissu. We were stopped by a harrier enroute after he saw me zipping past him. He enquired where I am from and he thought I was from Kerala(by my looks and my car). Most of them in the North have a perception that if a south Indian is travelling by car that means they're from Kerala, then I sit and tell them that I'm from Karnataka as my car has KA plates. We were driving slowly in the traffic and reached Manali for lunch and we stopped for the day.






As I decided that today was rest day, after some scouting we found a place to stay and I bought a jerry can(basically an old oil can) and a tow rope as I know that the terrain beyond Manali is unforgiving. After refreshing, we went to Hadimba temple and Mall road in Manali. That was the time I decided that will be my only visit/stay in Manali as it was too crowded even in June. However, the vintage Manali charm was missing.

In terms of food, Siddu(an XL sized momo) was really tasty and I liked the night vibe in some of the cafes in Manali.


One funny incident was my manager somehow got wind that I'm not in Bangalore(that year WFH was allowed and I made the best use of it by travelling every week!), called me up that night and he started stating some HR policy that you have to inform if you're out of Bangalore, I told him that VPN rule applies if you travel overseas and not within country as per the policy and I like to keep my personal interests away from my work and colleagues unless I vibe well with them. Then I sorted the work scene and he told me to apply leave and I asked him for a week's leave and he approved it immediately and I had to return back to Bangalore on the 8th day! Till then I used to work and attend meetings in the car or hotel wherever I stayed during my shift hours.

The stay at Manali
Attachment 2560246



Day 4 : Ascent towards Hanle
Distance Driven: 320 km(25 June 2022)
Time Taken: 12 hrs

We started driving towards Leh road and the traffic was at its peak till Tandi. I fueled up the car the previous night itself and filled the Jerry can too as I know that in Tandi there will be a huge line for fuel because from Tandi to Leh, there are no fuel pumps at all! Not even a bit of vegetation. Almost everyone wanted a pic at the Rohtang tunnel which further added to the time.
We stopped at a kutty restaurant for a quick snack and food stop and I didn't click too many pics at Suraj Tal either as it was too crowded. Felt almost like a jaathre(means a crowded market/mela in Kannada) there(even in Khardung La as well). Then we were gaining good pace and the topography was rapidly changing with a dip in weather. We quickly crossed Jispa by noon and the roads were literally a bliss to drive.

At Jispa


By evening we crossed the Gata loops as there was a truck which turned turtle while he was negotiating a turn. Plus Gata loops was fun to drive with a tuned car but perilous at the same time as there are no guard rails and one wrong move, you're gone! We also saw a toppled Ecosport too over there. We stopped for maggi and I had already downloaded offline maps, I was seeing for a place to crash for the night. We stopped near Tso Kar tents and surprisingly we had natural light till 7.30-8 ish in the evening in this part of the country. The Harrier gang split towards Leh and Me and my friend towards Tso Kar.

That frame!





Day 5: Failed attempt to Umling La and then to Leh
Distance Driven: 350 km(25 June 2022)
Time Taken: 14 hrs


We started early by around 5 am towards Hanle and after some mild off roading and stream crossings, we reached a place called Mahe(not the one in Kerala) and wrote the details of my car and my ID. I always carry my passport if I'm travelling across the tropic of cancer in my car as I might drift off to another country if I feel like. After Mahe, I missed noticing a gap in the road and my car got stuck in that gap. Luckily the car didn't slip off into the ditch nearby and there was a BRO truck filled with laboureres at the right time. I took their help and within 5 minutes we were back on the road again! We stopped at Nyoma for breakfast and to withdraw some money and I really loved the eerie silence and the the aura around this place that I was just gazing at the nature and mountains for half an hour straight. Post Nyoma, there is a check post at Loma and I did not have a permit. Then I convinced the army personnel and they let me go as they saw my car's plates. A few stretches were being patched but the roads were very well maintained. by 10 ish we reach Hanle and we spotted a few bikers and a UP16 Thar and asked them if they knew the route to Umling La. I went to the Hanle gompa and I was again sitting and viewing at the mountains(I wish the roads world over had a fuss free system like the European Union). By noon we decided to head towards Umling La I tried going through 3 routes but my car's tyres were giving up and battery was in its last stages. I tried photi la route and this was under construction after a few kms. I also tried going along with some bikers by crossing a ground type route but a GJ skoda owner was like this route isn't good and he had to turn back. Talk about worst luck :(. Then I also wanted to try via Loma as there was a longer route to Umling la, but that was even more dangerous and as I knew my car's condition plus a solo driver(my friend was barely 20, so I couldn't risk putting his life under risk too), I decided that I'll head to Leh and visit Hanle and Umling La next time. Moreover we didn't have any stay options too in Hanle as the places were full and I had only very limited cash in my wallet.

I thought this signboard was a sign of completing one of my bucketlists, but the list still remains on for a greater purpose


No man's land for kilometers and kilometers


Hanle Gompa in the background. Next time I'll stay and visit the observatory too







We drove towards Leh, after helping an Army gypsy and a truck as its axle had broken. Fortunately, the. jerry can came to use and I could fill up half tank of diesel in my car and continue towards Leh. At one of the Checkposts, I got lucky as one of the army personnel gave 2 packs of Juice and biscuits as he saw my car and me driving post dusk and by 10ish at night we reach Leh and stay for the night at Sponbo guest house. Its a simple guesthouse with home cooked food and car parking for 2 cars with a TT table. Wanted to explore Leh Market and stay for a day to rest.

A long drive to China Anyone?


Dragon gave itself and me a warning by the form of a weak battery by the ABS light glowing in ignition. Another few kms, we would have conquered Umling La. Must have been 18,000+ ft for sure


Sometimes its the journey not the destination we need to focus on

[jithin23]

Day 6 & 7 Getting Leh'd:

Distance Travelled: 120 kms(on 26 and 27 June 2022)

These 2 days were more laid back for us as I had planned for a day's rest on 26 June since we were on the move for a very long time. As I have already visited Nubra Valley and Pangong during my previous visit to Leh by motorcycle(Siachen is still pending) earlier. I wanted to only sleep and wash the car for this day. and a bit of exploring around by walking I like the food served in this part o the country (I don't remember the exact names of the dishes though). All I know is most of the items have noodles and soup along with a meat or egg. As our stay is close to Shanti stupa, we went in the evening to Shanti Stupa and clicked a few pics and noticed the transition in the horizon.

Stay at Leh


A view of Leh town


Shanti Stupa




June 27, We did the touristy things by visiting Sangam point, the Army memorial, Gurudwara Pathar Shaib and Khardung La post lunch. The same places I visited the previous time were choc a bloc with newbie drivers and tourist crowd everywhere. I felt Magnetic hill is a placebo and it is overrated. Now there is an ATV ride near magnetic hill. Didn't spend too much time in these places but the real shocker was Khardung La. The crowd was maddening that I felt that I was driving in Bangalore for a moment when I was climbing uphill at Khardung La.

In my previous visit to Leh, as there was too much snow, nobody was willing to ride from Leh to Khardung la and again I did a solo from Leh to Khardung La despite the snow and that was worth the ride despite mind numbing temperatures(-24 C) and the engine of the Standard 500 became cold in no time. Below is the pic


This time I hardly got space to park the Red dragon on Khardung La and I had to descend within 15 minutes. We descended down to Leh and bought some souvenirs from a shop I usually goto at Leh Market and came back to the stay for a good night's sleep after refuelling the tank and jerry can.

Now you understand why I mentioned Jaathre


Interestingly, the fuel price in Leh was the least(82 Rs/ Litre of Diesel).

At Taglang la. I love the cold winds, hence no sweater or jacket


Day 8: Quick run to Delhi
Distance Driven: 794 km(28 June 2022)
Time Taken: 15h 45m

We started at the wee hours(11.30 pm) in the morning and I drove throughout in the mountains. I was driving cautiously at the same time maintaining a good pace and we found the harrier boys again descending down. The jerry can proved to be useful again as the Harrier had run out of fuel. By 8.30 am we reach Manali and stop for food and bio break. Couldn't believe that I descended down so quickly, thought it was dangerous.

One of the few hotels open for the night


No soul was present on the road except for a few trucks


Now we had 2 surprises, Harrier didn't start as the DEF was empty and the owner didn't know about DPF until I told him and showed where DEF needs to be added. Second surprise was a puncture on 2 tyres and the Dragon didn't start. We were able to find out about the puncture quite early due to TPMS and it has saved me up in the mountains too once! I understood that the battery was dead and we had to push physically and start the car( thankfully my car was a MT with a mechanical handbrake. If it was an AT and with Electronic Park brake means I would have been stranded). Somehow I was filling air using my tyre inflator and found a puncture shop at Mandi. Got the tyres fixed and drove straight to Saluja Ford, Chandigarh to replace the battery. Reached the dealership by 2 pm. These guys were super quick and replaced the battery with buyback and monsoon offer and within an hour we were on the road to Delhi. The drive to Delhi was uneventful as there was a lot of traffic and I reached Delhi by 7pm.

A stream where we had stopped for breakfast and checking for a puncture shop


Manali-Delhi stats


Day 9: No Money, No Honey and No Internet(Delhi-Ahmedabad)
Distance Driven: 991 km(29 Jun 2022)
Time Taken: 18h 44m

Oh boy, this was the most adventurous day than the rest of the days during the trip. I heard that there was a murder which happened in Udaipur. Little did I know that that incident would have an impact throughout Rajasthan. I wanted to explore Rajasthan too but due to time constrains and security issues, no rooms were being allotted in RJ for the next couple of days. Luckily I filled up fuel and withdrew cash at Rewari. Started by 7.30 am from Delhi. Nothing was open in RJ on this particular day except for a few petrol pumps and dhabas.

Some temple in RJ


Red in the city of lakes


The mobile network and internet too was cut off completely throughout the state and I decided to drive Directly towards Ahmedabad. I was driving very judiciously till GJ as I did not want to risk being stranded without fuel. Only cash was the acceptable form of payment during this time. Though in the interim, I managed to sneak into Udaipur and I wanted a pic of my car near the Udaipur lake. The way the cities in RJ are and their rich history has a lot to learn from as I like history, art and culture as well! So as a compensation trip, I flew down to RJ in September and explored the whole state by hiring a car in Jaipur(wanted to Hire an EcoSport but it had no sync 3 and it was a BS6 one. Me and my crazyyy preferences :P).

Hasn't the sun set yet?


Here you go, sunset


Witnessed the sunset at Udaipur lake and then zipped to Ahmedabad and reached a hostel in Ahmedabad by 10.30 pm. When I crossed the GJ border, my car was strip searched by cops to see if I was carrying any alcohol. I was a solo traveller and the cops left me withihn 5 minutes as soon as they saw my car documents and my ID proof adn they were like "Sir, why did you travel alone all the way? Are you too rich?". My response was:" Driving across every nook and corner of the country is dream and I'm fulfilling that from whatever savings I had accumulated". and I moved. As the hygiene of the hostel was questionable, I booked a hotel room nearby and stayed for the night in Ahmedabad.

One state is filled with thekas and the other is as dry as the Thar desert


Day 9: United India
Places:(Ahmedabad- Statue of Unity- Bombay)
Date: 30 Jun 2022
Distance: 750 km
Time: 12hrs

Visited the Sabarmati Asharam in the morning(didn't click any pics here), gave the car for a thorough wash and went to a Colleague's place for lunch as he was happy to host me and hear my travel stories. He treated me with a sumptuous North Indian lunch and Dhokla and I set off to visit Statue of Unity.



The Statue of Unity has indeed improved the lives of the locals due to tourism and it has a railway station as well. They do not allow private cars close to the spot as dedicated buses are there to ferry passengers for the 3 km distance. The view from the upper deck is quite good and the surroundings were well maintained.



Net net I think this only a one time visit place and I set off to Bombay. As soon as I started from Vadodra, it started raining heavily and the roads were kinda under repair. Stopped for dinner after Ankleshwar, had a heavy dinner and drove towards Bombay. As I was feeling sleepy, I parked the car and slept in the car for a couple of hours at a toll plaza and then after a tiring wait at Virar creek, I reached my friend's flat in Navi Mumbai by 3 am.

Me dozing off at one of the toll plazas for a power nap


Day 10: Bom-Bae
Date: 1 Jul 2022

This was my first time exploring Bombay(usually I pass on the outskirts), so I wanted to go to the Gateway of India and drive on Marine Drive as well. Had some nice Managalorean thali at Mahesh Lunch home and then caught up with a bhpian at Leopold cafe and he was happily taking me and friend around town. We then went to Siddhivinayak temple and then drove on the Marine drive and was obseriving the skyline of Mumbai for a while and went back home after dinner. Catching up with old friends feels really good and the rainy weather and vada pav just elevated the day!

Palm Beach road


Quintessential pic when in Bombay


Marine Drive


How did I forget to mention Gomantak


Day 11 and 12: Homecoming
Date Jul 2-3 2022
Distance 1100 kms
Time: Went at a leisurely pace

As always, the drive back home is the most bittersweet one as the feeling that the trip is coming to an end and I met a few EcoSport club members at Pune for lunch after visiting Shaniwar Wada. Woah, Marathi non veg food too is too good and has medium spice as we ate at an authentic dhaba called Kale Farms near Pune. Post lunch we exchanged goodbyes and I was driving back home with a bagful of memories to cherish. I had stopped at Nipani for a nap and reached home by 7am on Jul 3. Hence my first cross country drive was complete(Umling la, I will surely scale you one day!).

Will I go home is the question?


Shaniwar Wada


Mutton Bhakri at Kale Farms, Pune


Home atlast


One mammoth trip done right




Some Math and Stats time:

Total Distance: 7,819 kms
Fuel: 41,000
Tolls: 6,000
Stays: 7,000
Food: 5,000
Gifts: 1,500
Miscellaneous expenses: 5,300

Highest fuel price: Sagar, M.P: 104Rs/L of diesel
Lowest Fuel price: Leh: 82Rs/L of diesel.
No.of States covered: 13

Total expenditure for this trip(Part 1): 65,800

The routes I took:

Onward: Bangalore- Nagpur- Sagar-Jhansi- Agra- Delhi- Chandigarh- Manali-Hanle-Leh
Return: Leh- Manali- Delhi- Jaipur-Udaipur-Ahmedabad-Statue of Unity-Bombay-Pune-Bangalore.

I did not worry whether it was night or day, I wanted to drive as much as possible and travel as much as I could. However, I would stick on only to 4 lane roads and well lit roads.

If you have read this far through my travelogue, then you might have had a fair idea of how my trips are and I appreciate your patience to read through. Will continue the part 2 story below as well as a few pointers at the end of the Part 2 story.

[jithin23]

Part 2: North East Drive

Duration: 13 Oct-Nov 5 2022

Day 1: The Long Straight Run

Date: 13/14 Oct 2022
Places: Bangalore-Nagpur
Distance: 1,200 km
16h 05m

The plan to go to the North East was just a phone call from a College classmate of mine saying. "Macha let's go somewhere". I told him let's go to the North East and we'll see how much ever we can cover let's go for it! Within 2 hours, I'm back from office and I empty my closet and head straight to Pavagada to pick him up. During this time frame I was on notice period and what timing to travel! I was on the road for the entire month and I decided to come back only after a month. So on the night of 13th October I started my yet another crazy drive to let my steering wheel decide the direction for me. As always, I'm the one behind the wheel as I love to drive! I generally do not give my car to others to drive as I'm very particular about it and moreover when I didn't have a car and some of my friends had a car, nobody gave me theirs too for me to drive.

I reach his place by midnight and we take some rest. By 5am on Oct 14, we start our journey towards Nagpur. Now as I'm acquainted with the route, I understood where to speed up and where to slow down and as this road is familiar territory now, We were gunning the Dragon down till Nagpur and on the way one of my horn gave up, right after the ORR exit at Hyderabad. We reached Nagpur by 5pm and went to Sequel Ford at Nagpur to change the Horn. The horn was changed and I stayed at the same place where I stayed the last time at Nagpur. This time I had some more time to explore Nagpur and I wanted to try something different and found a place called Gayatri Bhojanalaya. The place was squeaky clean, reasonably priced and I had a full plate meals and took a parcel for my friend and slept for the night.

Somewhere in TS


Gayatri Bhojanalya



Day 2: Visiting the actual Mid point of India and Visiting Varanasi
Date: 15 Oct 2022
Places: Nagpur-Varanasi
Distance: 850 km
Time: 15h 32m

We thought let's take a spiritual turn and we will head towards Varanasi for today. Started by 6 am and the route is pretty straightforward till Lakhnadon. From here, one needs to take left towards Delhi and straight to Jabalpur and Varanasi.

We had to head straight and I found out that the exact center point of India is a place called Karondhi which is 45kms North East of Jabalpur. The Dragon kept us cool at all times and was literally zipping through the freeways of Central India. A pointer to be noted is there will be cattle on the middle of the highway and one needs to drive cautiously on this stretch and also there are small hillocks with blind curves where this highway passes through where one needs to be careful while negotiating a turn.

Poha right after Pench in MP






Not many people are aware of Karondhi and there are hardly any facilities on this stretch. Keep sufficient food and water while travelling in this stretch. We stopped here for about 20-30 min and then we headed towards Varanasi.

Approach road to Karondhi






Dashing Red going across left, right and center of India litertally


I stopped at a place called "Pal The Bhajrangi" near Bharauli for lunch as it was clean and had clean washrooms. Post this stretch, its a no-frills drive till UP and we reached Varanasi by 6pm. From the Varanasi border bridge till the main Shiva temple it took us 2 hours as the roaads were packed. I'dd suggest to park your car at the hotel and keep your valuables too at the hotel(including phones) and then go to the temple. We reach the temple by 8.15 and stand in line for Darshan.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple(A Jyotirling temple)


Assi Ghat


We had to literally plead the temple staff to keep pur phones in the temple premises where they have a locker(DO NOT give your phones at the nearby shops as they might just vanish with your phone). After an hour we complete our darshan. As I had witnessed Ganga Arathi long ago, we just went to assi ghat and were chilling there for a while. As we still had a lot of energy left, we decided to drive straight to Darjeeling and would drive alternately if one gets tired.

Day 3: Bihar and North East
Date : 16 Oct 2022
Distance: 756 km
Time: 16h 11m

Since my focus was on the North East, I deliberately didn't want to visit Bodh Gaya and other places in Bihar as I thought I'll cover them in a separate drive. We started by 11pm, tanked up fuel and we kept on driving till we were sleepy or if weather conditions were bad. By 3 am, after crossing Buxar, the visibility was reduced to just 5-10 meters and we decidecd to stop where there are more no.of vehicles/trucks parked as it will be safer. We stopped there and slept in the car itself by folding the seats flat and then woke up when the sun was out.

70k milestone


By 9 am we were near Danapur, and headed towards Darbhanga. No wonder they call UP and Bihar as Hindi hearland as most of the signboards are in Hindi only. Surprisingly most of the roads in UP and Bihar are drivable and in good condition, but after seeing these towns in person now I know why everyone want to flock to the south, especially Bangalore! As we stopped for breakfast and continued to drive, a truck had sideswiped my rear right door and I was at a decent speed. Fortunately, there was only a scratch on the door and I didn't feel a jerk or any impact in the cabin(Love you EcoSport!) and I didn't want to escalate it as it is not my place and didn't want to risk it in Bihar as I can fix the damages later back home. My friend was sleeping in the shotgun side and he didn't even feel a thing. I follow a thumb rule and I never get into any unwanted conversation if we are not in our region.

The first scratch on the Red


Somewhere in WB


Post noon, we almost reached Bahadurganj and stopped for lunch and by 4pm we cross Naxalbari. In this part of the country, the sun sets by 4.30-5 PM and by 7pm we reach Darjeeling by taking the Rohini tea garden road. Whatta stretch to drive and it was a lovely drive throughout the 2755kms till now. By 8 pm we settled down into the room with car parking and the hotel was running a Karaoke and we were enjoying some good karaoke music and good food!

Stay for the night


Day 4: Traffic and Mountains

Date: 17 Oct 2022
Places: Darjeeling-Gangtok
Distance: 84.6 km
Time: 7h 1m

It's just 25% of the trip


Sneak Peak


The next day, we were able to see Kanchenjunga peak from our room and went to the sunrise point to witness the sunrise. Once we visited this place, we wanted to visit the zoo and all hell broke loose as the traffic again reminds me of Bangalore.

This is the amount of traffic in Darjeeling


I had been to Darjeeling as a child and been on the DHR train too(Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, maintained by North East Frontier Railway) so gave the train ride a miss. It took us 2 hours to cover 4 kms and then we finally found some parking near the zoo. I felt it was better to walk than to drive at one point. After the zoo visit, we headed towards Glenary's as it is renowned for their beef burger! Sat there and soaked in the ambience of Glenary's and then we headed towards Gangtok. This was our slowest but my most fun to drive driving on the hills of Eastern Himalayas.



Ghum is the highest Railway Station at the moment in India


These roads felt like a go-kart track for the EcoSport


The route from Darjeeling to Teesta was a proper track like feel and I cherished every turn on that road. From Teesta, the roads were broken and it was a slow drive to Gangtok. Since I had already found out a place to stay, we asked the hotel staff to arrange for permits and I was headstrong on getting the permit for my car as well and at that point of time they were reluctant to give. I told them from where I come and I've been driving for a while now and then voila, the next morning the permits reach our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Ninnama for the night at Gangtok and they do have car parking but the approach road is narrow. Somehow I felt Sikkim and Bhutan are very similar in terms of culture, infrastructure and demographics.


Day 5: North Sikkim

Date: 18 Oct 2022
Distance : 100km
Time: 7.5 hrs

As I routinely check the car on all aspects, I noticed that 2 of my tyres are almost worn out. I immediately went to the nearest tyre shop and picked up a pair yokohama earth 1 tyres in stock size and was roaming around Gangtok and went on the cable car till the tyres were sorted. Once we came back from the cable car ride(Whatta view from that ride!..didn't click a pic here too as my phone was low on battery), we had some Tibetan style food and headed straight to Lachen. On the way to Lachen, the road and the elevation changes drastically with so much fauna around and snow capped peaks, it felt like I'm driving in a paradise. Near chungthang the stretch was too bad that I had press hard on the throttle so that the car does not get beached in the slush. By 6.30-7 pm we reach Lachen. We stayed there for the night(Please note: Most of the travel agents for North Sikkim give the permit and stay with food as a bundled package and I find this to be a better option as there's zero network to search on your own). It was a proper homestay and we were given warm blankets and soup. I also acquainted with a group of fellow travellers and we were having a conversation during dinner. Post dinner I had to finish some office work and was prepped up for the next day.

After 2.8k kms we enter Sikkim




The Mountains!






Stay at Lachen


A happy car and a happy face

[jithin23]

Day 6: First Snowfall

Date: 19 Oct 2022
Distance 200 kms
Time: 1 day

I usually warm up the engine for a few minutes extra at high altitudes and then we set off early at about 7 am towards Gurudongmar lake. Beware that once you cross the Dosa camp point there are landmines as well near that region and travel only on familiar routes with signboards.

The dosa camp is the first check point and we had the best dosas made by an Army jawan at the canteen at that point. Then we head to the next checkpoint and pick an oxygen can and from this point it is mandatory to get your permit verified and only then proceed.


The roads went from bad to worse and I thank my stars for changing the tyres just in time. We had enough traction to climb on any terrain and by 9.30 am we reached GuruDongmar lake and the EcoSport took all types of terrain in its stride and was going along effortlessly.

The Gurudongmar lake was a magical sight to see as it is the highest glacier lake in the planet, unfortunately the glacial lake wasn't exactly the way it was seen in pictures. I spent about 25 minutes over here and anything beyond 30 mins requires caution as this is a high altitude lake(almost 18,000 ft above sea level) and absolutely no vegetation, can cause shortness of breath.


After a while, we head towards Kala Pathar as we heard that there are traces of snow over here. As we were waiting for the road roller to pass by and then ascend, the moment we reached the top of the hill, there was Snowfall and this was the first time in my life I was witnessing a snowfall! I was literally enjoying in the snow for an hour and then we went to Lachen by noon.


We had lunch at the homestay in Lachen and decided to head back to Gangtok post lunch. We skipped Lachung and yumthang as the weather conditions were not favourable and the place is remote. So we decided to head back to Gangtok and stay at the same hotel we stayed for the first time. As we were inching closer to gangtok, the same stretch of tarmac was broken but drivable(there was a steep upslope) and the Remmaped engine did help in climbing such stretches effortlessly. Reaached the hotel by 7.30 and I set out for some shopping on Gangtok's MG road.

MG Marg in Gangtok


Day 7: Hellooo Silk Route and Assam

Places: Gangtok-Changu Lake- Zuluk- Guwhati
Distance: 543 km
Time: 15h 44m
Date: 20 Oct 2022

We set off towards Changu Lake and stopped there for a while in the morning. The police opens the gate post 9 am from the Gangtok exit road for tourist and we were on time. From Changu, I wanted to go to Nathu La as well in my car but the Army folks didn't allow any private car (non SK plates) that day, I thought I'll visit next time because if the car goes, even I'll go else no, because what's the point of going in a taxi when we have driven our own car all the way. Then we visit the army maintained Gurudwara towards Zuluk. As we move ahead towards Zuluk we aren't allowed to click pics as it's a security sensitive zone and warning signs of enemy observation and Landmine warnings.



Indo China drives are easier from Sikkim


Zuluk looks best covered with Snow


After Descending Zuluk


We had to wait for 90 minutes as the BRO were re asphalting the roads near Zuluk and Zuluk is basically a small village with turns similar to gata loops looks beautiful with snow but nothing to visit or sight see. One need not go out of the way to go to visit Zuluk. From Zuluk it was a steep down hill and uphill with intermittent network. I was just following Signboards and ensured that Diesel was always above quarter tank and I was driving in a slushy road close to 20 kms as the Rongoli to WB borde was in Shambles. To top it off, no vehichles were passing through this road. Somehow We managed to reach Alipurdar by 8 pm and stopped for Dinner. My friend drove from here till Assam border and the cops had stopped us for a routine check as NE is always a sensitive region.



We kept swapping and driving till Guwahati and we reached a classmate's house in the early hours of 21 Oct 2022. By 5am, we were dead tired and fell asleep in no time.


A few pointers about travel in Sikkim:
1. It is better to travel via an agent so that you don't have to run here and there for permits, because without permits they won't allow you at the checkpoints in North and East Sikkim.
2. West Sikkim is beautiful but I gave it a miss as I wanted to visit Tawang
3. Lane discipline is important in Sikkim and unnecessary honking is frowned upon
4. The travel permits cost differ from time to time, so check before you plan

Day 8: Rest Day

After so much of hectic travel, I wanted to take rest and give some rest to the dragon and I was lazing around the whole day around Panjabari and having some nice Asamese food at my classmate's place. I also heard from the news that there's a Red Alet in all the North East states for heavy rain. With my hopes being neutral, I thought let me just try and see what I can cover, but I was prepared for any kind of exigency except floods because the rains are brutal in this part of the country and there is no way out as well most of the times.

Our EcoSport Assam Club member hosted dinner for me


Visitor for the Red Dragon


Day 9: From the Plains to the Mountains

Date: 22 Oct 2022
Distance: 350 kms
Time: 9-10 hrs
Places: Guwahati-Dirang

Started in the morning from Guwahati. Here the sun is out by 5.30 am and it was super bright by 9 am. Felt like noon. The plains at Assam and the roads are beautiful till Tezpur. In no time the sight of the mountains indicate that we are entering Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh also requires a spot permit to proceed further in to the mountains. I just can't get enough of the mountains and every kilometer and every frame is a sight to behold to the eyes. As I was clibming up the mountains effortlessly, the sun was setting by 4.30 PM. By 5 ish it was pitch dark and I decided to stop at Dirang. I googled a stay on google maps and found one near the Monastery with car parking and we had a long conversation with the homestay owner(Anna Homestay) and was enjoying the eerie silence and the mountain air. I enjoy mountain weather and I do not wear any warm clothing as I like cold weather a lot.


India's land of the rising sun



This is the tourist office at Bhalukpong. Note that they are open only between 9am to 4pm



Nostalgia to Bhutanese cuisinr(AR and SK are very similar to Bhutanese cuisine). I don't know the name of the dish


Dirang


Day 10,11: Tawang it is!

Date: 23,24 Oct 2022
Distance:600 kms
Time: 14 hrs
Places: Dirang- Tawang- Jang Waterfalls- Dimapur- Golaghat

Dirang Dzong


We made it to NE!


We set off towards Sela Pass early in the morning and we reached Sela Pass in 1 hour from Dirang. From Sela Pass it takes a good 2.5 hrs to reach Tawang and on the way I helped a hitchhiker and I was having a good conversation with him and we reached Tawang by noon.

Sela Pass and The Gateway to Tawang District


Treacherous roads make great stories to tell


We visited the Monastery in Tawang and were exploring places in Tawang for some nice food. I had enquired in all possible places and yet again, bad luck strikes and we couldn't go to BumLa either for those next set of days due to security issues.

Whatta peaceful vibe




Tawang Dzong


Most common image found on google for Tawang, I've clicked this though


Not bad for hill driving and after 4,000 kms away from home


My friend had to leave back to Karnataka in the next 4 days. Factoring in all these and had to be in the plains if in case the weather goes bad, we would be in a soup then. So with a heavy heart, I depart from Tawang and then went to Jung waterfalls by evening. Played in the water for a while and then headed straight to Tezpur in 8 hours flat by pulling an all nighter. Not a single vehicle was on road post 7 pm and we had encountered a puncture exactly at Dirang. The TPMS again saved me from a fully flat tyre. I stopped the car, jacked up the tyre and fixed the puncture on my own in 30 mins and off I was blazing it downhill to Tezpur and reached by 4am. There was a truck on the way back and he was stunned as well to see my car as the only one to descend downhill.

Some bonfire enroute


On 24th, I thought let me go till Kohima atleast and on the way was the World Famous Kaziranga National Park renowned for Rhinos. Drove straight to the booking office and booked the 2nd Safari at Kohora Range. Kohora range is one of the best to spot Rhinos, but due to constant rain, we couldn't spot too many rhinos(had to see in binoculars, so couldn't click good pics too) and after we returned from the safari, it was raining cats and dogs, thereby hampering our plans for the next couple of days. We had breakfast at Green Ashiyana Resort.
The food was okayish.

At Kaziranga
Attachment 2560359

Attachment 2560360


Still I drove till Dimapur and enquired with the locals if it is safe to proceed. Once you Enter NL, almost every place is a 6-8 hour drive and the terrains are crazy. As the rains got worse, we were warned not to cross beyond Dimapur as there are chances of landslides, again with a dejected heart, I made an alternate plan to drive to Majuli and drove back to Golaghat.

Attachment 2560361

Day 12: World's Largest River Island

Date: 25 Oct 2022
Time: 11 hrs
Distance: 450 kms
Places: Golaghat- Majuli- Guwahati

The rains were pouring continuosly for more than 24 hours and the intensity was just increasing. I was hoping that I could atleast visit Majuli and head back to Guwahati. To my luck, the sun was out by 9am and we took the first boat to reach the Island by transporting our car too. Remember: the first launch is at 9.30 and the last one is at 4.30, so you will need to plan properly to visit Majuli and back. The only way to reach Majuli Island is to catch the ferry that runs 20 kilometres out of the main nearby city of Jorhat. To make your way over to the Neemati Ghat ferry dock, you need to catch one of the many government rickshaws (30 rupees) or a private taxi. From here, you can catch the ferry with locals and vehicles all crammed in. For your own car its 600 to and fro. You’re not paying for luxury though, it’s 15 rupees a passenger!It will take around an hour to reach there from Jorhat but will take 2 hours to return due to the current.

Attachment 2560362

We reached Majuli by 11.30 and started exploring Majuli Island and it is famous for boat making, masks and rich culture and biodiversity. This island made up for the misses I had encountered in the past few days. We had a sumptuous fish thali and by 3pm I was on the return launch. Do note that there are very limited stay options in Majuli, so it's better to visit and return on the same day.

The creativity these local artisans possess
Attachment 2560364

Island within an island
Attachment 2560365

By the time we reached the mainland it was 4.30 and the norm in this part of the country is darkness starts looming over. I like to drive at nights a lot and sped past Guwahati and reached within 4 hrs from Jorhat.

[jithin23]

Day 13: IIT/Kamakhya Darshan

Date: 26 Oct 2022
Places: Guwahati City, IIT and Kamakhya Temple

Today, my day was fully packed as I had to meet the EcoSport Club members and a Bhpian(Chiranjit Pathak). I met them during the first half of the day, they did guide me about the places in GHY and Meghalaya and we bonded more on conversation with cars(just Bhpian things). For lunch, I had to visit my neighbours from Bangalore as they had come to the IIT to visit their son.

Nope, IIT isn't my cup of tea


Post lunch, I visited the Kamakhya temple as I wanted to see what the hype was about this temple. Heard a lot of good things about the temple and I could feel a positive vibe inside the temple. Do note that in temples in WB and Assam, we need to go through the agents near the temple as the darshan time is significantly faster. I do not remember the name of that guy but I got a great darshan within 30 mins.

Kamakhya Temple


By evening, I was chilling with my classmates and we had another friend arriving from Kolkata the next day for our Meghalaya leg of this trip.

Till date I had driven 5,200kms and 14 days on the road!

Day 14: Health Check
Distance: 165 kms
Date: 27 Oct 2022

I got the Dragon checked and inspected at TI Ford, Guwahati and Nayanjyoti Da(A fellow EcoSport owner from Assam) was instrumental in expediting my car's service and helping me in source Motul Oil(I use Motul only from 2014). The service was quick and completed within an hour and the car was good to go for another 10k kms(I service by the distance and the distance gets clocked faster).

Then I went to the Airport, picked my friend up and headed back to my classmate's place post lunch, all of us left for Shillong by evening and wanted to rest for the night at Shillong.

One point to note is that one part of the National highway is on the Assam side and the other side is on the Meghalaya side, and yes I did tank up my fuel on the Meghalaya side as it lesser on the Meghalaya side.

Our stay in Shillong


Day 15: Abode of Clouds and Clear Waters

Date: 28 Oct 2022
Distance: 128 kms
Time: 10h 20m
Places: Latilum Canyon- Dawki- Sohra(Cherapunjee)

We started off by 8 ish towards Latilum Canyon and oh boy! The natural beauty of this place astounded me and I was expecting to see some clouds at our level but on that day, the sun was out in all its glory. It was such a picturesque place. We clicked some pics over here, was around here for a while and then we set off to Dawki.

Latilum Canyon


That's some good distance


I really liked the way some of the roads are maintained in ML and the mod scene in Meghalaya is crazy, one will find heavily customised vehicles from an Alto to a School bus. And, yes Meghalayans are fond of rock music! The surroundings are preety neat especially in Meghalaya and North East in general is cleaner.

Sunset at Dawki


Indo-Bangladesh Border


The roads in Meghalaya vary from Bad to Worse due to the weather conditions here and the road towards dawki was in poor shape and at one point we have several Tata 407's from Bangladesh entering Dawki, which causes a jam on the narrow twisties. Our Lunch stop was at Nist Land(that was the only decent restaurant available). We reached Dawki by 4 pm and we made just in time for the boat ride. Got the tickets, and went for the boat ride in the Umngot river. There are several boat stalls as well and the Bangladesh border is a stone's throw away. After the boat ride, I took the car to the border and I was curious if I could take the Dragon across the border. Unfortunately we require carnet which is super expensive and the officials wouldn't budge even if we requested if we could enter the nearest border town. Plus I did not have geographical extension on my insurance and decided to head back towards Sohra. We drove at night too and reached Sohra by 9pm. We were scouting for some good places to stay and unfortunately everything was booked and we finally managed to find one.

Day 16: Root Bridge, Waterfalls and a Looong Trek

Date 29 Oct 2022
Distance: 152 km
Time:7h 28m
Places: Root Bridge- NohKaLikai Waterfalls- Guwahati

Today was quite an eventful day as I had gone trekking towards the living root bridge along with my neighbours who met me in IIT Guwahati as my friends were still asleep and told that they would wake up late. We three set off early in the morning and by 8.30 we started our trek. We decided to hire a guide(a small kid who knew the path towards the root bridge, there are several root bridges in Meghalaya), carried some bamboo sticks as walking sticks. Little did I know that this trek was gonna be one of the toughest treks I've undertaken in a long time!



We were trekking downhill for almost 1.5 hours/ 3 kms across different hills and I did realise that I have good stamina to trek and after 1.5 hours of negotiating steep slopes, we reached the root bridge. I played in the water below the bridge and there was a beautiful hamlet near the root bridge. The entry closes by 3pm for the root bridge as the sun sets by 4.30 here and it gets tough to trek in dense vegetation post sunset. We trekked back to the parking spot by 1.30 pm and we visited the NohKaLikai waterfalls. Thankfully the trek to NohKaLikai was less strenuous and short.

The start of the trek


Going to Pathal Lok? Damn steep trek


Sorry for the poor pic quality, the phone was on its last legs


I got phone network over here and reached out to my friends and they were at Awrah Caves. We all decided to meet by 5 for tea at Jiva resort and by 6 we left towards Guwahati as the next day, my friend from Pavagada had a flight to catch. I let my friends drive and I was sleeping in the back seat and by 10.30PM we reached Uptown Cafe in Guwahati. By then I had requested Nayan da to help me with the souvenirs and he added one element of surprise as well. He had prepared smoked pork and that texture and flavour was so well proportioned that the pork was literally melting in my mouth and by far the best pork I had ever! After dinner, I dropped the Pavagada and Guwahati Friend at the latter's place and the Kolkata friend and I set off to Siliguri by midnight.

We were swapping the steering now and then so that either of us aren't fatigued

Day 17,18: North Bengal

Date: 30,31 Oct 2022
Distance: 1000kms in 2 driving days

First leg route: GHY-Barpeta-Bongaigaon-Gossaigon-Alipurduar-Hasimara-Siliguri

Second leg route: Siliguri-Islampur-Kishanganj-Raiganj-Malda-Farakka-Morgram-Rampurhat-Sainthia-Bolpur-Bardhaman-Dankuni-Kolkata

One snip from the first leg


Our plan was to take a day's rest at Siliguri, that's why we pulled an all nighter from Guwahati. We witnessed a beautiful sunrise near Alipurduar and within a couple of Hours, we sight the gateway to Bhutan(Hasimara/Jaigon) adn enter Dooars. Stopped for breakfast at the Malbazar Tourist home and by 10.30 we reached Royal Sarovar Portico in Siliguri after some driving in the jungles of North Bengal. Post lunch, we thought of buying some tea leaves and to taste the momos in Siliguri for the evening. Didn't explore Siliguri much as I had already been there. Had some sufficient sleep(8+ hrs) and woke up early in the morning the next day(5am) and we set off towards Calcutta. Fog had slowed down our pace till Kishanganj, post Kishanganj, I was able to maintain a brilliant pace till Farakka. Now the roads are better in this stretch compared to 5 years ago when I had been to Bhutan. By 11 we reached Morgram. We stop for a quick break and from Morgram till Bolpur, the roads were in shambles but drivable. Stopped for lunch at Bolpur and then it was a leisurely pace till Kolkata. Reached Kolkata by 6pm and went straight to taste the famed Dada Boudi Biryani. What surprised me was there were potatoes in the biryani(Back at home the biryani has meat and rice only). After a heavy plate of Biryani, we reached my friend's place and that was my rest stop for the next 4 days.

The countryside of Bengal is quite laidback and has a different vibe altogether, albeit living in the past.

Dada Boudi Restaurant




One funny incident which happened in Guwahati and Siliguri was I was caught for small number plates at both places I told the cops that I was a guest in their town sheepishly and to my luck they did send me away. Why I mentioned the routes for these 2 days are that this gets quite confusing at times and this is one of the best routes from Siliguri to Kolkata.

Day 19-22: Amar Kolkata

These 4 days were only to relax and rejuvenate for the next long haul to Bangalore. In the interim, I was exploring a few cafes such as Suchali's Artisian Bakehouse, King's bakery, Leon's rolls and Balwant Singh's club kachori. Of course to pack some Rosogullas from Balram Mullick. Plus I had attended a couple of interviews online from Calcutta. This city is a piece of work but is a different vibe altogether. Very laidback and they prioritise their afternoon nap over anything else!





Day 23:The ECR of the Golden Quadrilateral

Date: Nov 4 2022
Distance: 900kms
Places: Calcutta-Vizag
Time: 13 hours

On Nov 4 morning, I begin my return journey back home(I wish I could travel even more) at sunrise and within an hour, Calcutta was behind my rear view mirror. On the way towards Kharagpur, I had to meet another Ford owner who wanted to see the Red in flesh. As this lil car of mine is tuned and has some crazy yet functional stuff, it grabs a lot of eyeballs on the road, that even a layman wants to click a pic with it! Had a quick chat and exchanged pleasantries and I sped towards Bhubaneshwar.

Fully Packed boot


Reached Bhubaneshwar by 12pm(I had been to Orissa earlier, so I didn't want to visit Konark/Puri again) and stopped at Dalma for Lunch. Packed some extra food for the highway and it was a quick run till Vizag. Reached Vizag by 7.30 pm and a EcoSport Club member was at Vizag too at the same time. He got inspired by my drive and he started his drive towards Sikkim with a stop at Vizag for the second day in his itinereary. We went to RK beach and did some restaurant hopping to have some proper south Indian food after 20+ days for me. Came back to the hotel by midnight and I slept like a log!

Howrah Bridge


Still more miles to go


Day 24: Homerun

Date: 5/6 Nov 2022
Distance: 1100kms
Places: Vizag-Guntur-Bangalore
Time: 17 hours(as I stopped for 6 hours at Guntur at a friend's place for pickles)

Woke up late and started late towards Yarada beach as its cleaner and to get the beach vibe for the last time in 2022.

Vizag overview from Dolphin hill


Yarada beach


View of Yarada beach from a hillock


The Grey towards Sikkim and the Red towards Bangalore


Spent some qualituy time exploring Yarada beach(it's quite seculed, it's better to take your own vehicle or a hired cab) and started by 11 from Vizag, blazed through the rice bowl of AP- the Godavari Districts with paddy fields on both sides of the highway and reached Guntur by 4.30pm.

Took a detour only for the pickles


Homecoming


Was waiting for my friend to arrive and I spent some time at his place, took a power nap, bought pickles and then I started by 9.30pm. I was driving slowly as I know that the next stop is Bangalore. This stretch is excellent to drive(BBSR to BLR) and I reached Naidupeta by midnight as there was a bus accident near Ongole which caused a delay. The Naidupeta Tirupati stretch once ready will be a smooth drive. This was familiar terrritory so I was driving peacefully and stopped for a nap at Tirupati. Started by 5am from Tirupati and by 7.15am I'm back home with life cherishing memories, life changing experiences A 9,800km drive not being enough for my wandering soul and pondering about the next pan India drive.

Still geared up for another ride


Phew! That's one service interval in one month


A foggy finish run from Mulbagal


The Financials for this trip:

Fuel:50,000
Tolls: 8,000
Stays: 10,000. Max I stayed at friends places. Wherever I had to take a stay, I paid over there only, and I think 2-3 days I slept in the car
Tyre replacement: 15,000
Food: 10,000
Souvenirs: 5,000
Car Service: 4,500
Misc: 7,500

Total Cost: 110,000

Happiness= Infinite!

States travelled: 14
No.of Full Tanks: 14
Highest Range: 970kms(Kolkata-Vizag)
Lowest Range: 450kms(Gangtok-Gurudongmar)

Total Distance: 9,623 kms

Highest Fuel Price was at MP: 103/L of Diesel
Lowest Fuel was at Meghalaya: 82/L of Diesel

TL: DR of the route -> BLR-HYD-Nagpur-Varanasi-Buxar-Patna-Muzzarfarpur-Siliguri-Gangtok-Rangpo-Alipurduar-Barpeta-Guwahati-Tezpur-Tawang.

Return Leg: -> Tawang- Tezpur-Golaghat-Jorhat-Majuli-Kaziranga-Guwahati-Alipurduar-Siliguri-Malda-Rampurhat-Bardhaman-Kolkata-Bhubaneshwar-Vizag-Bangalore

I will share my takeaways, observations and tips in the next post. It may or may not resonate with all, this is purely my perspective and it can vary from person to person

[jithin23]

My Takeaways/Tips from these trips:

+India has developed a lot on the overall road infrastructure scene. We have better roads now as a whole country.

+Networking: This really helps a lot and people are the real gateway or currency to a better experience or an opportunity!

+Do not hesitate to take a break. Stop at well lit toll plaza or a police station to take a quick nap.

+Most of India even the remotest corners accept UPI. But Cash is preferred in some places such as ML and in exigencies.

+Keep yourself well equipped in terms of food( I carry Muesli, dry fruits and fruits), water, toiletries(I also keep wet tissues and pee safe papers/sprays) and basic self defence weapons such as a baseball bat and a jack rod near me.

+ I follow herd mentality on the highways for food options. Sometimes the taste might be good, sometimes it won't which I'll make peace with.

+ Always keep the vehicle and the individual's papers in order. If I cross 2,000kms, by default the Passport will be there with me.

+I carry basic spares such as light bulbs, air filters and sometimes engine oil if the trip exceeds 6,000kms to and fro.

+The Battery is the Ctrl+Alt+Del for a present gen car. Disconnecting and reconnecting it does help in some situations.

+ It is important to keep your cool on such long drives and if any damage happens to the car, do not worry too much about it. Come home and fix it if it is minor to medium.

+ Keep a buffer amount in the bank account(at least 5 digits) and at least a few thousands in the car. The money in the car made me survive a few tough situations.

+I keep a couple of friends informed about my whereabouts.

+Since I carry the entire closet mostly, I'll have clothing appropriate to the location and weather. Be prepared for warm and cool clothing as climatic conditions vary as little as 150 kms.

+Open and check the engine bay every 750/1,000kms for any leaks or abnormalities and tyres.

+Carry a toolkit and a laptop with a car charger so that you're connected and you can fix small issues with the toolkit.

+Puncture and inflator kit is a life saver in the mountains.

+Medicines, Oxygen can(for high altitudes) and Diamox will be there in my car if I'm heading to the Himalayas.

+Stop for a break every 2 to 3 hours, it's good for the car and the human body. I use that break time for squats, lunges, chai and cooling down of brakes

+Though most of us are literate over phone, some states still do refrain from speaking in a common language. Knowing a language does bridge a lot of gaps and build bonds.

+BRO maintains roads better than municipal bodies of big cities(BBMP I'm looking at you).

+Most of the hill states have well laid tarmac except Sikkim given the terrain.

+I like the geographical, cultural and culinary changes after every few 100 kms. Variety is the spice of life.

+One thing I noticed, if you cross KA border, bid goodbye to good filter coffee. 80% of the country knows only how to make chai. Filter coffee is the best only in TN and KA.

+By far the best 1.6 Lakhs I've invested in this trip and it was a life changing drive and some life long memories to cherish. Indirectly building the nation and economy by filling fuel and exploring places by exchanging Gandhi notes and paying GST :P

+One hack I'd like to share. At the fuel pump, always ask the attender to keep the gun's lock position at 1 so that correct amount of fuel is dispensed, els ethe meter will run fast and quantity of fuel will be reduced. This tip was shared by a trucker during one of my breaks. Pic attached for reference.


One big minus I observed is in the North, there are no South Indian specific restaurants or dhabas, except a couple of restaurant chains(Not Saravana Bhavan) on their highways. Whereas in South India we have North Indian restaurants and dhabas in abundance. East India has food similar to South India(rice, so it can be managed). Interestingly, some restaurants in Gujarat which serve Gujarati Thali are known as Kathiawadis and the taste is amazing!

Some random pics. Apologies for not adding all the pics as the file size per pic is too big and I had clicked only a few pics throught these trips





At Dooars


These bells at Tawang caught my attention


This car has been on all terrains from 0 in Alapuzzha to 18,000+ft in Gurudongmar/Photi La as well as crossing rivers like this






About the car:

The Red Dragon is literally a small house on wheels for me. I live more in that car than my house literally. It has been a faithful companion till date, has brought me a lot of friends which are fam now. Not a single mechanical breakdown till date despite the car being wolf tuned and pulls like a locomotive even at altitudes as high as 18,000ft. I've used every single feature in the car and every bit is functional and helps the driver. The flat fold seats were sometimes my 1RK room to sleep . TPMS saving me on the mountains from punctures. Ford literally made cars in such a way that it's owners have a family wali feeling with the other owners! Salute to their integrity to make high quality cars at affordable prices. This drive and car is a tribute to the legacy of Ford and Ford India and I wish they come back to India. This car has inspired many to own a Ford and this car will always be in my garage no matter if the car or I grow old! Take a bow my lil steed. Time to hide my car(Hahaha :P) as many people from different groups click pics and send it to me on FB or Whatsapp and tell I've spotted you at this town or area during my trips.

Every Ford dealer across the country were super supportive even if I had gone in for a simple horn change or a quick wash/service. That's some next level commitment and dedication Ford has to its customers. I'm not being biased, I've witnessed this across different brands(my friends own other brand cars and I go along with them, so I know the difference) and Ford does treat owners like a family!


A One Liner on the states I've been to(sharing my own perspective, no offence to anyone)

• The most industrious states are GJ(Food is great, but kitchens are separate for Veg and Non-veg) ,KA(Rural KA is bliss, Urban we have only Bangalore and it is an open secret now),TN(best roads, filter coffee, food variety and small towns in the country),MH(I'll never forget the Misal pav, Carter Rolls and Vada Pav at Colaba and Hyderabad(Best Megapolis, amazing town planning, Chennai comes a close second but trumps in public transport). These states are the cash cows and the most advanced states in India.
• RJ has the second best roads but have a looong way in terms of development. Amazing Veg food. Damn, this state is huge and to drive around in this entire state itself is 2000-2500 kms across 4 corners(Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer,Udaipur).
• The Telugu states TS and AP as a whole have a long way to go in terms of development and awareness. The food is mouth watering especially the Avakkai pachadi, full meals and of course Hyderabadi Biryani.
• OD and WB are reminding us of time travel, they have a long way to catch up. Some of the foods of WB are drool worthy such as Baigan, Daal Baat(Rice in Bengali).
• KL will always remain my favourite place for a vacation. The best variety of food, people and terrain. Of course the sophistication and car culture!
• UP has better infrastructure compared to before, still I feel safety needs to be looked into.
• BR: People are nice, but the surroundings need a revamp and still the perceived notion of fear needs to change.
• NE: Beautiful throughout! Assam is similar to Kerala with the tea estates and river islands as well as the fauna Assam has.
• Sikkim is lovely with its Buddhist culture and alpine ranges. Amazing food as well. Ditto with Arunachal.
• Meghalaya is magical with the fauna and hills. Nagaland, their culture is unique but I'll need to stay for a longer time as I didn't stay at all to observe better. Very well kept and hygienic.
  
• DL/NCR/HR: Needs a lot of upkeep and perspective shift across different people
  
• CH: Well executed city but humid weather.
  
• HP: A mountain person's paradise but slowly eroding away
  
• LA: Once a holy grail for motorists and adventure junkies is turning to be a new insta hotspot with jaathre crowd. But the Topography, snow and Night sky is amazing!
  
• Uttrakhand: Amazing trek spots , mountains and to reset your soul through the Char Dham(but please people, do not go to click pics there. I felt bad when people are going in front of the Kedarnath shrine and posting reels. Please maintain the sanctity of the place. I visited 3 out of 4 dhams in 2023 but not in the EcoSport).
  
• PB: Chak de Phatte with the Lassi, Panner and butter roti in Ludhiana and Amritsar.

• MP: A fast growing state especially with NATRAX(National Automotive Test Tracks.Over here from a 100cc Scooty to a Volvo bus can be tested on this track.) and IT opportunites at Indore and Bhopal. But the rest of the state has a lot to improve in terms of infrastructure. Roads are pretty good

Pending states in my list: Chattisgarh, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and JK. I had been to Punjab J&K and Uttrakhand earlier. I've visited most of the monuments in India already and a few UTs in the mainland. Had there been a road to Andaman or Lakshadweep, I would have definitely taken my car and gone.

Though each state has its own nuances, What a lovely country we live in and I appreciate every state for its uniqueness and the warmth they have offered me.


Pipeline travels: Rann of Kutch, Hornbill Festival in Nagaland and an International trip to Kazakasthan(when time and money permits).

I hope I gave sufficient info or an insight about my trip. I'd say if possible(especially the ones in the early 20's, take the backpack and explore, it's far better than the hustle and bustle of pubs and parties in cities) whenever possible, go ahead and travel the world. The experiences are far more valuable. If I have to do such a trip again, I'll do it in a heartbeat! The dream is to travel across the country and world on a motorhome/Overlander UTE(I'm sure it'll happen someday!) Ciao and Happy Sankranti/Pongal/Lohri

Now I'm not sure where I will be for the next weekend!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Cliff9091]

Jithin,

You surely live up to your signature "YOLO", it was such a treat to read through this thread. Wishing you safe miles on the red dragon and in all the future trips you take with him.

Cheers
Cliff

[MC@1986]

What an achievement jithin23; you had capitalized on the capabilities of Ecosport to be a companion for this great journey. Wishing you many more ahead. It's pleasure to work with you on my Ecosport mods..

[Rev2Serenity]

Wow, what a write up! What a feat! Indeed, such travels are just dream for many.

There is a saying in Kannada - " Desha sutthi noda, Kosha odhi noda" which means, Travel the nation or read books to get that similar experience. Well, I read travelogues for that! Enjoyed reading your travelogue thoroughly.

I loved your insight towards our beautiful nation, people and its diverse culture as well.

Keep traveling, Keep writing!

Cheers...

[mugen_pinaki27]

Brother, first of all, hats off to you and your courage. If you're in Delhi, do let me know! Would love to catch up on your experiences! Do let me know.

[raptor_diwan]

Fantastic travelogue, man! I read every line to make sure not to miss anything interesting. By the way, doesn't the placement of the Fastag feel odd or cause disturbance while driving? Definitely, I won't stick it there.

Wish you could include more images of those places to admire. Do add them if you have more interesting stuff.

[jithin23]

Originally Posted by Cliff9091

Jithin,

You surely live up to your signature "YOLO", it was such a treat to read through this thread. Wishing you safe miles on the red dragon and in all the future trips you take with him.

Cheers
Cliff

Thank you Cliff! Yes, the travels and drives will not stop

Originally Posted by MC@1986

What an achievement jithin23; you had capitalized on the capabilities of Ecosport to be a companion for this great journey. Wishing you many more ahead. It's pleasure to work with you on my Ecosport mods..

Thank you Midhun sir. Yes, I have learnt a lot from you as well and this car is a keeper

Originally Posted by Rev2Serenity

Wow, what a write up! What a feat! Indeed, such travels are just dream for many.

There is a saying in Kannada - " Desha sutthi noda, Kosha odhi noda" which means, Travel the nation or read books to get that similar experience. Well, I read travelogues for that! Enjoyed reading your travelogue thoroughly.

I loved your insight towards our beautiful nation, people and its diverse culture as well.

Keep traveling, Keep writing!

Cheers...

Thank you Rev2Serenity. That gaadhe(quote) you mentioned is an apt one. Travelling abroad is good but our country's diverse cultural richness is hard to find by.

Originally Posted by mugen_pinaki27

Brother, first of all, hats off to you and your courage. If you're in Delhi, do let me know! Would love to catch up on your experiences! Do let me know.

Thank you Mugen . Of course I will connect with you when I'm in Delhi. It's all about that one trigger for me to plann something big. Life too has never been planned and so are my travels.

Originally Posted by raptor_diwan

Fantastic travelogue, man! I read every line to make sure not to miss anything interesting. By the way, doesn't the placement of the Fastag feel odd or cause disturbance while driving? Definitely, I won't stick it there.

Wish you could include more images of those places to admire. Do add them if you have more interesting stuff.

Thank you Raptor Diwan. I have placed the fastag on purpose over there because all the scanners are towards the right. And I think the photo angle makes it look closer on the windshield and I sit a bit lower inside the car. Been driving this way for 6 years now and I have faced no issues.

Sure, I will try to compress some high res images and add them too. I tried to maximise by adding 30 images in a single post. Will try to add some pics by this weekend

[Rajat347]

Awesome write up Bro !!
I am planning for Pune - Jammu - Leh - Jammu - Pune this April. Lets see if I can take my Amy or will ask Indigo for a lift ...