Romancing blue hills, falls and flowers…
It had been on my vacation list for quite long time, over fifteen years. Every time we came back to India for vacation, we wished to visit this place and each time it got thwarted by parents, relatives and friends, as they insisted on spending time with them. Finally when we came back to India for good, we had the sure chance of visiting this dream place. And I wanted to plan it to perfection. And I did.
The place? Heaven on earth, the queen of mountains… Ooty.
Plan was hatched couple of months ago, when I wanted to visit my college mate, batch mate, room mate, shirt mate, towel mate et al, my best and only friend till now, who lives in Coimbatore. We lost connection right after our graduation and recently caught up with each other last year, the ‘recently’ was in fact just 27 years later. He came to Chennai on an official tour and I met him briefly for few minutes. And sure wasn’t enough to catch up all those twenty seven years. And combined with that was this dream place calling. So evolved the vacation plan to visit Coimby and Ooty, one week, away from my routine work and wifey’s routine home-making. And even more bored was my second wife, taking me to office and home every day and just around Chennai on week ends. This one was really bored and was raring for a long drive. Yes, I am talking about my Mitsubishi Cedia. She was all excited when I made the plan to drive all the way from Chennai – Coimbatore – Ooty and back by car. What else she can ask for? A thrilling mountain drive uphill and downhill on butter-smooth roads, with silencing valleys, soothing green plantations and skyscraping dense forests laced either side.
The itinerary?
13-6-10 Sunday – Chennai – Salem – Coimbatore drive.
13,14 and 15-6-10 – Halt at Coimbatore, visit temples and friend.
16-6-10 – Coimbatore – Ooty drive.
16, 17-6-10 – Ooty.
18-6-10- Ooty – Salem – drive and halt overnight.
19-6-10 – Salem-Chennai drive- arrive for Lunch and rest.
Couple of days before I took the car to Maya Motors for a thorough check up and top up of all vital fluids.
Sunday morning. Ready to go. Packed up all things in car, filled tank to full, set the trip meters to Zero.
7:30 am. Departed home at Kilpak Chennai, stop at Balaji Bhavan for a tummy full breakfast.
7: 50 am. Start the journey. Took Poonamali high road, was out of the city and was cruising down the NH4 before 8 am. Steady speed, no drag-racing, controlled driving, enjoying the entire route sceneries. At Ranipet, took NH46and at Krishnagiri, took right turn towards Salem on NH7. Reached Salem at around 12:15 pm.
Running hours: 4 hours and 25 minutes. Kilometers: 365.
Stopped for Lunch at Cenneys’ hotel. Wifey is a pure veggie and we didn’t have much choice at that hotel However, finished formality with some veg rice items and continued out journey.
Started at 1:30 pm. Took NH47 up to Avinashi and took to right on Avinashi Road, reached hotel Heritage Inn at Coimbatore. 330 pm. NH47 is double Toll way for about 110 kms from Salem and then it is single road with two ay traffic. And at some places traffic was crawling and madness of coming on the wrong way added to the chaos.
Running Hours:3 hours. Kilometers: 175.
Checked in at Hotel, relaxed and refreshed ourselves. No outing that evening. Just called my friend to tell ‘we arrived’.
The drive was absolute delight for me. Roads were fantastic and by now I am well used to expect the most unexpected on even Free ways and e prepared, alert and cautious all along. Basically I always prefer day driving as far as possible. Though there would be more vehicles, pedestrians, cows and goats, blind 2 and 3 wheelers, trucks and bullock carts, the visibility is one thing and alertness is the second thing I would prefer day driving for. Moreover, having spent 15+ years in the middle east, having driven more than 300,000 kilometers (3 Lac kms), always watching sand sand and more sands all along the high way, driving in India offers dynamically changing scenarios all along the route and you can only enjoy and assimilate the beauty of India only when you do day driving. The route from Kirshnagiri to Salem was beautiful and the weather was just close to 27-28 Deg. C, no rains. With overcast skies, the drive was thoroughly enjoyable. And when the Cedia cruises at 100-120 kmph, effortlessly and almost silent, I grasped the every minute of the experience deed into my soul. Occasionally wifey talking and in the background Ilayaraja’s 90’s hit songs flowing through the music system like honey chocolates. Oh man, it was divine.
After 540 kilometers of driving, I was still fresh as I was in the morning, was capable of going another 300 kilometers if need be.
We made our program for next day morning to visit the Perur Shiva Temple and after dinner at the same hotel, we retired for the day.
Some teaser pictures taken just before Krishnagiri.
(Loads of pictures coming up folks)
Coming up -
A Temple 2000 years old and a Friendship 30 years old.