Day 1:
Start Time: 2255 Hrs, September 10, Hyderabad
Stop Time : 0025 Hrs, September 12, Bhimbetka
Sector : Hyderabad - Nagpur - Betul - Itarsi - Hoshangabad - Bhimbetka
Starting Odo: 7561 Kms (Trip Meter: 0 Km)
Closing Odo: 8496 Kms ( Trip Meter: 937.4 Km)
Distance covered : 937.4 Kms
Even though our original plan was to start at 0200 Hrs on September 11, due to sudden change in plans at work, I was required to be in Delhi by 2 PM on 12th for a business meeting. So the departure time was set for 6 PM on 10th and I came back from office at 12.30 pm to finish the final packing. At 4 pm wifey called up to inform that due to an emergency at work she would only be at home by 9 pm. So I reconciled to the fact of driving through the night and decided to catch a nap to be fresh for the drive. But as luck would have it, I couldn't sleep at all. Wifey came and we did the final packing and we were all set.
Got the luggage down and tried to fit it into the car but to our horror, our luggage itself took-up the entire space. But we were to have another 2 people and their luggage from Delhi and I had no clue how we would make space for them. Anyways with these thoughts in mind, we set off from Hyderabad at 10.55 PM.
The NH7 towards Nagpur is a 4 lane toll road and we made goo dprogress to about 50 Kms by 12 midnight. Seeing the first decent dhaba on the highway decided to stop for grub as both of us hadn't had lunch and dinner. While polishing dal, roti and subji, called up Naveen who also was slogging it out at some vendor's end. Anyways informed him the status on luggage front and told him to get as less luggage as possible since there was no space in the car. After the 1 hour dinner break and later on 30 min power nap break, we did good time on the 4 laned section which lasted for about 105 kms from Hyderabad. After that the road become a normal well tarred 2 lane highway. Speed was good and even though I did take 2 more 15 each power nap/ Coffee breaks and few bio-breaks, was able to hit Adilabad (300 Kms) by about 6.30 am. Took a few pictures of the Storm.
Nagpur is about 200 Kms from Adilabad and progress from here on was slow due to the extensive construction activity on the N-S Link. We were finally on the Nagpur outskirts at 9.30 AM.
Last year during my Delhi - Hyd run I had had amazing vada pav at this decent bakery on the Airport Road and the plan was to have the same for break-fast. But two runs of the place and I wasn't able to locate it and it looked like that the place had wounded up with some kind of construction was going on. On the opposite side we found Big Bazar and decided to go in and get some snacks for one the move food. Even though we were running late by 2 hours I was confident of making it to atleast Shivpuri, if not Gwalior as the rest stop for night. By 11.00 am we are out of Nagpur and at around 11.30 ABOUT 30 Kms from Nagpur, all of a sudden the blower stopped working. The blower was working at the maximum setting only but AC wouldn't come on. As it was pretty hot and travelling without AC was without question, decided to take the car back to Nagpur and get it checked. The ASC in Nagpur is in MIDC and was about 50 kms away. We reached the workshop by about 1.15 PM and even though they we had notified the ASC of the problem over the phone, there was no mechanic due to lunch time. The problem was diagnosed and fixed but by then it was already 3.30 PM. The only good thing about this unscheduled break was that I was able to catch some good wink in the nicely Air Conditioned Customer Lounge of the dealership.
Out of Nagpur, tanked up at a HP fuel pump (Avg - 11.78 kmpl; Rs.36.25/Litre). One thing to note here is that Diesel inside Nagpur city is costlier by Rs 2 due to octroi so if passing through, makes sense to fill outside city limits. As we were already delayed, decided to alter our night stop to Bhopal which is about 380 Kms from Nagpur. The roads between Nagpur and Betul (220 Kms) is decent and can take even upto 140 KMPH. There is large beautiful lake just outside Betul town which looked really magnificient in the evening twilight.
We reached Betul at 7.10 PM and as by this time it was already clear that I wouldn't be able to make it to my meetings the next day, I wanted to stop over in Betul itself for the night and start early morning next day. But since we didn't find any half-decent hotel, decided to push on till the next town which was Itarsi and about 80 kms away. The only decent hotel in Itarsi near the railway station was so bad that both of us decided to rather sleep in the car than stay in that hotel. So target was next town, Hoshangabad about 20 Kms away. Even though hotels were decent over there, the parking for all hotels were outside and the hotel guys were not willing to take responsibility for the parked car.So off we went for Bhopal about 80 Kms away. Thankfully about 40 kms before Bhopal we came across MPTDC's Highway Treat at Bhimbetka with awesome rooms and enclosed parking. So called it our night stop.
Total Toll Paid in the this section: Rs 170/-