The Dream Drive – Day 2

Day-2 was from Udaipur to Gurgaon. This distance is just over 650 Km and very unlike us we started as late as 9.15 in the morning – generally we prefer to leave at latest 730 AM so that we can cover maximum distance before noon.


There are two roads to Gurgaon / Delhi – one via Nathadwara and other via Chitorgargh. I had earlier traveled by the Nathadwara road and would have traveled by that same road. While chatting up with the petrol pump assistant told me about the other road. Thankfully it was a lovely 4-lane highway till Jaipur and I was saved of negotiating on the old road negotiating with trucks loaded with huge marble slabs. Yesterday I talked about beautiful ecosystem on highway and today I met a maniac driving his car as if he was on race track! Thankfully no untoward incident happened though I was quite mad at him. Now-a-days due to promise given to Pallavi, I don’t pick up fights – so just let him go with just a few expletives 

It was terribly hot and the temperature was above 42 most of the time. The Endeavour performed well and we could keep going pretty decently. This is stretch of road which is through barren land and can be boring. I resorted to my childish pleasure to keep my mind away from boredom. This is a trick which I have used for years and it works. I keep calculating the distance travelled each hour and if the next hour can be better than the earlier hour without taking stress. I still enjoy it if I can cover a little more distance than previous hour. There is continuously mental arithmetic going on in mind about how much distance will be covered this hour if I have covered so much distance in so many minutes – this simple childish game keeps your mind alert and helps driving.

The road from Jaipur to Delhi that was a pleasure at a point in time is in terrible condition due to the huge construction work going on. But thankfully reached Gurgaon by 630-645 pm

The music was continuously on and to keep our 6-year old son in good humor we had to play a particular Shah Rukh Khan song after every 45 minutes – I doubt if Shah Rukh Khan himself has also heard it so many times.

Just couple of times when I came out of the vehicle I realized how terrible the weather was. When you see all the people actually walking or working on the way – you can’t help wondering the tenacity that is built in their system.

So far tough we have technically covered almost half the distance, it was a straight road that we had traveled earlier. Now eagerly waiting for the next part of the trip when we enter J&K tomorrow.

Dream Drive - Day 1

Today is the first day of our “dream drive” – drive to Leh starting from Pune. Day-zero was 17th May evening when we drove from Pune to Chinchani – north of Mumbai.


Lot of people asked me “but why drive all the way??” Honestly the simplest answer that comes to my mind is “I have to”! When I think little more, I think there are a few reasons. I come from a middle class family where car itself was a fantasy and my childhood fantasy about cars is still fresh. Another reason is my introvert nature – when I go on the long drive – its almost being left alone in your own private zone.

Today’s drive was up to Udaipur – by now it’s a standard drive as I have done this road twice before. It’s a lovely four-lane highway all the way from Mumbai to Udaipur. I just love driving on the highway as there is an ecosystem that exists on the highways. Apart from a few road maniacs, I just love the way people driving on highway co-exist and collaborate thru simple gestures. Slow moving trucks are always a pain but more often than not these gentle giants guide you about the right time to overtake them. When you travel on Indian roads, you get mixed feelings. While you enjoy the ride, you also see the basic struggle people have to go through. Our pathetic public transport system ensures that people travel hanging outside those private taxis risking their lives. While it can be a funny site to see so many people stuck on a vehicle, deep down I always feel worried about the safety of those unknown people. An incident happened today that almost stopped my heart. A man was riding bike with his kid in the scorching heat. The boy sitting behind the man may be hardly 7-8 years old. As we passed by the duo, I noticed that the little boy was almost dozing off and was on the verge of slipping anytime though he had held the man in front. We all just waived our hands to request the man to stop and told him to make the child sit in front of him rather than back. I guess he also realized the terrible thing that could have happened and thanked us. We moved on. This is what I mean by a lovely ecosystem that exists on our highways. I also have been the recipient of someone’s kindness so many times on the road – it could almost make a set of essays if I decide to write down all the incidents

Driving on the highway for hours is like Test match batting, you have to enjoy the stay on the pitch! There are times when you make up the distance fast, as the road is clear and there are times when you drive in slumber – though the vehicle and you are working in tandem you almost have periods of rest while in motion!

Tomorrow is another day as we explore one more day on road!