BBC2Leh - Day 3, Udaipur to Delhi

We started day three all relaxed and refreshed. We slept well and woke up late. We had an east-facing room and the sun was streaming in when I awoke. We were ready in no time and Chanda ordered breakfast while Thomas and I loaded the jeep. Breakfast, like dinner, was sumptuous. We had a leisurely breakfast and started off at 9:00 AM.

The resort is conveniently located on NH 76 that goes to Chittaurghar. We stopped at the first gas station that we spotted and filled diesel. We didn’t want a repeat of the fuel crisis scenario. The roads were very good and we were soon cruising at at a steady 100 kmph. Except for a few bumpy spots, the road was very smooth.

Excellent roads in Rajasthan

Chanda spotted several road-side vendors selling traditional truck decorations like scarves and pompoms. We bought a few and decorated Chowdhury (our Bolero). We also bought some a lathi as gift for my dad. Chanda's theory was that since our parents were renovating their home, this would be good for security as we now had several strangers walking in and out of the house!

Chanda with the Lathi

No sooner had we resumed the journey that Chanda ordered me to stop. She was not happy with her previous purchase and she had just spotted a shop selling better scarves. This place was in Bhilwara. While Chanda was buying the scarves, we noticed that the guys from the same shop were decorating a truck with stickers. You can read more about our trip sticker in the post #bbc2leh.

#bbc2leh

By now, we were pretty sure that we are running behind our schedule again! :) Though, none of us were regretting that after getting the sticker. We decided to continue driving until we got hungry!

After driving non-stop for 3hrs, we stopped at a place called Tolamal for lunch. The restaurant, Hotel Amar, had a bar - a dark little room adjoining the main restaurant - where one could sneak in for a drink. They refused to serve us chilled beer in the restaurant - they didn't want to scare away their non-drinking clientele. So we decided to skip the beer and order food instead. The food was excellent and the best part of the lunch was hot-hot chapatis and chaach.

The best thing about this restaurant (in addition to the great food), was that there was a Cafe Coffee Day right next to it. Chanda got herself a Frappe and I a cappuccino.

After lunch, we decided to drive non-stop to Haryana. The roads continued to be excellent and we reached Jaipur by 4pm. Seeing that we were tourists (several telltale signs, starting with our number plates), several "hotel agents" on motorcycles tried stopping us to sell hotel accommodation. Some of them got very close and that got Thomas very worried especially because he was driving. This is a common thing in several tourist towns in India. So if this ever happens to you, don't pull down your windows. Simply wave them away with a smile!

The rest of the drive was uneventful and smooth until we entered Haryana. The traffic got progressively worse. We finally stopped at a dhabha for tea. This was a typical north Indian dhabha. It consisted of a small building that housed an open kitchen, living quarters for the staff , and a small store room. In the large courtyard were a row of cots. These places are frequented by truckers who, after a bone jarring drive in their WW2-quality trucks, stretch out on the cots for a quick nap. We ordered some strong tea - something that's not common in these parts of the country. After all, we were in Haryana where people drank milky tea (ugghh!) As a parting gift, the dhabha owner offered us Hanuman ji ka prasad (boondi) as it was a Tuesday. That really touched me. We were after all a bunch of strangers. Offering prasad is like sharing blessings. Do people in other countries share blessings with strangers? The greatness of our country lies in the fact that there still is unity in diversity. I really don't care what the cynics may think!

Having tea at the dabha

We decided that I would drive now. Delhi traffic can be scary - high speed and lack of lane discipline often makes it hard for new comers. However, I learnt to drive in Delhi and I drive like a Delhiite. :)

We soon entered Gurgaon. The wide roads, hi-tech offices, and speeding traffic gave it a very international feel. Traffic was a bit unruly, but I was completely at home. The toll gate was crazy though, with hundreds of vehicles lined up. The efficiency of the toll agents impressed me.

Things eased up a bit after we entered the India Gate area. After meeting Rajiv, and having dinner with Chanda's parents, we reached my parents' place (Matt's parents) in Indirapuram at 12:30 AM.

Route Details

Take NH 76 to Chittaurgarh.

At Chittaurgar, switch to NH79 that goes to Ajmer.

DO NOT enter Ajmer, but continue towards Kishangarh.

At Kishangarh, switch to NH8. This will take you to Delhi via. Jaipur and Gurgaon.

In Rajastan, NH8 is a crowded 2-lane highway. NH79 is a fast 4-lane highway with a toll gate. Truckers generally avoid this.

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BBC2Leh - Day 2, Thane to Udaipur

We all woke up at 6:00 AM, tired and groggy. Last night's adventure had blunted our enthusiasm a bit. We got ready quickly and checked out by 7:30 AM. Luckily for us, we found a very neat and small eatery selling samosas, kachoris, jalebis, and tea. Chanda the Punjaban's happiness was unmatchable! :)

Right next to the samaosa shop was a bakery. Simple mallus - Thomas and I bought snacks from the bakery. Before we left, we had samosas and jelabis for breakfast with hot tea. This lifted our spirits immensely and we left Thane in a very good mood.

While buying the breakfast, we confirmed our exit route from Thane to the highway. We didn't want to get into the same situation as the previous day.

UP-style breakfast in Thane

It began to drizzle as we left Thane. We passed yet another (and the last in Maharashtra) toll gate before the traffic thinned out. We maintained a healthy steady speed of 100 kmph throughout the stretch. Soon however, we noticed that the vehicle was making odd noises when the accelerator was stepped on. Chanda immediately got into action. She called up the Mahindra helpline and worked on identifying a service station. Thomas spoke to Nanda (the Jeep expert in our group). Nanda diagnosed this as a minor issue with the propeller shaft and suggested that we get the vehicle examined by a local truck mechanic. Chanda managed to get through to a service station in Vapi and spent several minutes explaining the problem to them as Thomas started looking out for truck workshops.

Coated with dirt

We finally spotted a truck workshop on the highway, a muddy yard filled with trucks, adjoining a restaurant. There was a mechanic greasing a truck. He was a short wiry guy probably from eastern UP. He carried a pail of grease and was covered in grease and dirt. When I explained the problem to him, he understood it, and promptly slid under the Bolero. He examined the differential and propeller shaft and pronounced his verdict - slight play in the propeller shaft, but not life-threatening.

I paid him 100 rupees for his diagnosis. He looked stunned for a moment. He had probably expected 10 rupees or nothing at all. He promptly pocketed the money and as if to make this stop really worthwhile, he again slid under the Bolero, greased the suspension, and reassured us that all was fine. I really felt sad for him. This guy saved me a few thousand rupees and probably didn't even realize that. Even if he did, he didn't possess the guile to trick me into parting with more money. Thomas explained that the service station would have replaced the entire shaft assembly, charged me a bomb, and wasted the entire day in the process. So, we decided not to go to the service station and carry on with the drive.

The honest truck mechanic

It continued to rain as we drove through Maharashtra and we reached the Gujarat border by 10:30 AM. The rain had ceased a bit, but it was cloudy and made the aircon very effective. The road was familiar but vastly improved. In Dec 2008, when traveling from Delhi to Bangalore, we encountered several diversions as the highway was being upgraded. This time around, we found that the highway had been widened. We made very good progress through Gujarat, paid lesser toll fees than we did in Maharashtra, and by lunch time, we had covered nearly 400 kms.

In our last drive to Gujrat, we had excellent authentic Kathiawadi food. Chanda was adamant on stopping only at a restaurant that offers Kathiawadi food. Lunch After searching for an authentic katiawadi restaurant, we finally settled on a restaurant that looked authentic, but turned out to be fake. But the food was good. So after a sumptuous lunch, we set out again. Thomas took to the wheel, and I retired to the rear seat to sleep. Chanda continued to navigate and didn't sleep at all.

When I woke up, we were already on the Ahmedabad-Baroda expressway and it was raining very heavily. It stopped raining by the time we finished. During this time, Chanda also drove a bit. Here, we refueled at a Reliance gas station.

Heavy rains in Gujarat

Chanda driving

We exited the expressway at about 4:30 PM and entered the Ahmadabad city. It slowed us down a bit. The highway was being widened and there were several diversions. The traffic police were stopping all out-of-state vehicles and checking for emission certificates and drivers licenses. Luckily we had both and it was smooth sailing except for one incident - Button Up Your Shirt, Jackass!

Roads being widened in the outskirts of Ahmadabad

We entered Rajastan at about 7:00 PM. The drive was incredibly good and the bliss on Thomas' face was unmistakable. The drive was so scenic, that I finally got Thomas to stop to take a few pics. We made such good progress that we reached the outskirts of Udaipur by 8:30 PM - 12 hours. However, the last 20 kilometers to the resort took us nearly one hour due to a heavy traffic jam all the way up to the Prathap Nagar circle.

Ghats near Udaipur

NH8 leading to Udaipur

We finally reached the resort at 9:30 PM. The resort, Rupi's Resort, was a huge and peaceful place. Situated right next to the Udaipur airport (they share a wall), this place has a huge lawn in the middle with rooms on all three sides. As this was an off-season month, the place was almost unoccupied. The weather was wonderful due to the cyclonic disturbances in Gujarat.

Rupi's resort

Rupi's resort - shares a boundary wall with the Udaipur airport and is on NH 76

Rupi's resort - view from the balcony

The drive had been very good and we were hungry and a bit sleepy. I promptly ordered dinner which was served after nearly an hour. We soon realized why. The portions were huge and the food was fantastic. We hit the sack shortly after midnight.

Route Details

In Thane, get on to NH8. This map should help.

Then remain on NH8. You will pass through major cities of Gujarat and Rajastan.

At the outskirts of Udaipur City, take a turn towards the Airport (you will find signboards.) When interacting with locals, ask for Prathap Nagar circle. After the circle, you switch from NH8 to NH76. This map should help.

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