[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by SankalpDesai

Welcome to Gujarat. Hope you liked driving through the state, enjoyed the meals and also the stay.

Wish you can visit Gujarat once again to explore nature's beauty and other visuals that the state has to offer.

And last but not the least - 3 cheers to your India trip. You are a true T-BHPian.

Thanks Sankalp. There are a lot of places, rather all the places, we just drove through. Looking forward to spending some time in each of the states and visiting places. RoamingRao's GQ drive is an insight into how it can be done.

[selfdrive]

Great account of the drive! I noticed that you tailed some other vehicle while crossing state borders. Any specific reason for this? Is a separate permit required while driving across different states?
On another point, there are some places where dead bodies/ fallen vehicles are used as bait by robbers/ dacoits to get a car owner to stop. Genuine cases needing help are therefore ignored, but thats life I guess..

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Great account of the drive! I noticed that you tailed some other vehicle while crossing state borders. Any specific reason for this? Is a separate permit required while driving across different states?
On another point, there are some places where dead bodies/ fallen vehicles are used as bait by robbers/ dacoits to get a car owner to stop. Genuine cases needing help are therefore ignored, but thats life I guess..

Thanks Selfdrive. There is no requirement of a separate permit for private vehicles to hop states. However, at check posts there are chances that the police might stop you to make a quick buck. This can be avoided if you manage to pass through as unobserved as possible.

Yes, a couple of people have actually told me not to stop if you see accident on the highways at night, since it could be staged. The extend people go to for some easy pickings.

[sami316]

Amazing TL unni. While going through this TL, I was remembering my own trip which I did earlier this year wherein we covered a similar route till Delhi. Thanks again for sharing.

[mvinayakam]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

Thanks a great deal!
India has lots to offer the tourist and can satisfy the most insatiable!
And with road & tourism infrastructure improving by leaps and bounds, travelling by road has never been easier.
The GQ is a prime example how driving conditions can transform so dramatically. It is almost like a Ring Road for the country!

You are truly an inspiration, Sir. I totally agree with you on the tourism front. India has quantity and variety in that as well.

[Basharatu]

Amazing achievement Unni & JK, I enjoyed reading it!

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by sami316

Amazing TL unni. While going through this TL, I was remembering my own trip which I did earlier this year wherein we covered a similar route till Delhi. Thanks again for sharing.

Originally Posted by Basharatu

Amazing achievement Unni & JK, I enjoyed reading it!

Thanks a lot Sami and Basharatu!

[natrajdr]

Congratulations on the safe/successful trip Unni!!

Any reason why folks do the GQ trip clockwise - atleast the ones I've read so far in T-BHP have always been clockwise. Is the reason religious? Just curious.

[unni.ak]

Thanks Natraj. That is a good observation, however there is no particular reason behind us doing it clock-wise. Maybe its because the trip log that we referred to was clock-wise!!

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by natrajdr

Congratulations on the safe/successful trip Unni!!

Any reason why folks do the GQ trip clockwise - atleast the ones I've read so far in T-BHP have always been clockwise. Is the reason religious? Just curious.

I am superstitious (and also religious), that is why I did it clock-wise and also advise many to do so. The only trip that was done anti-clockwise was not successful, one more reason why.

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

The only trip that was done anti-clockwise was not successful, one more reason why.

Is that the SWIFT diesel went out of the road into a pit trip (on a turn where such accidents regularly happen)? Else can you share that so that we could learn out of it

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I am superstitious (and also religious), that is why I did it clock-wise and also advise many to do so. The only trip that was done anti-clockwise was not successful, one more reason why.

Originally Posted by Surprise

Is that the SWIFT diesel went out of the road into a pit trip (on a turn where such accidents regularly happen)? Else can you share that so that we could learn out of it

Yes, I think HVK is referring to that one.

[booboo]

hi guys, wonderful drive and admire the passion running through your veins.

you mentioned that while entering andhra from orissa you followed a empty ambulance which was ap registered

pls find these pictures of a tn registered ambulance which was empty and blasting away and i followed it for some time before i finally overtook it , however my kid needed a choco break and the same ambulance which i had overtaken a few minutes back
passed me (on the same day and nearly the same time you may have crossed the border)
i clicked the picture of the ambulance just out of curosity

after reading your travelogue i realised that i had seen your ford feista at the orissa border and it got me thinking if it was really you ( are you sure of the ambulance being ap registered because if so then i stand corrected)

anyway here are pictures of the ambulance to refresh your memory

my mist silver scorpio(n) crde 2.6 was on the return trip from kolkata to my hometown vizag when this happened




received my stickers after i arrived home so i had no id on my car towards team bhp to have helped you recognise bhpian family if in the first place the feista was you guys


just out of the line of trucks



a better view



do let me know,

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

Thanks Selfdrive. There is no requirement of a separate permit for private vehicles to hop states. However, at check posts there are chances that the police might stop you to make a quick buck. This can be avoided if you manage to pass through as unobserved as possible.

Thanks unni.ak, I will keep this in mind for future use. I guess it says a lot about the police force, either they are underpaid or just the fact that everyone wants to be rich at any cost.

[ramkya1]

Hai Unni,

Just completed reading all the pages in one go, don't know how I missed it.

This is one heck of a drive, great TLog and nice narration with pictures. You lived your dream which is also an inspiration.

Brought back memories of our GQ drive; reading yours brought back all the good memories.

Like Suman said it was wicked of you not to buzz me when you passed through A'bad, I would have loved meeting you for a chai, whatever time it is.

Thanks for sharing,

--Ramky