Nagaland to Bangalore by Car

 Sweet Memories and Dream Drive...

I don’t know whether one can call it East India Driving Experience or Long Car Drive or Indian East Coast Driving. The fact is, I drove my car 3326 km alone; seeing the different cultures, experiencing different languages, covering seven states and reached safely home. Nagaland, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka were the states covered in this rather long drive. It was a pity to drove alone without any companions. But it was a good experience, filled with free mind and adventure that I can remember till my death. 

I read somewhere that Che Guevara as a young medical student travelled South America in his motorcycle and witnessed the poverty, hunger, disease and the exploitation of people that redefined his life goals. That travel inspired him to become a radical. However, I took this trip at the fag-end of my career. Whether it would create any special impact in me? - I have to wait and see.

Instead of talking about the circumstances behind this trip, let me narrate the few months of preparations I had, thinking about the drive, and searching about the road conditions, route decisions, and the other needs and hardships drivers face during long drives. The excitement was very high when I thought about the trip. 

The first plan was to travel in 2021 December with one of my friends, who was desiring to see India through roads. Due to some personal obligations during 2021 Christmas time, he was not in a position to join me. I approached another friend of mine; though initially he agreed, declined few days before the trip. Probably he thought that I kept him in the second place in my list. I completely cancelled the 2021 December Drive. 

In 2022 December again I planned. This time, another student of mine was willing to join the long drive from Tamil Nadu. Though he was over enthusiastic, I was worried whether his family would allow him. It was true also. His family did not allow him to travel on the planned days. The family told him to travel, if at all he wants, after January 16. 

When I finalized the dates for travel in January 2023, informed him in the 3rd week of December to book the tickets in the train either to Dimapur or Guwahati. I asked him to seek the assistance of some travel agents. Since the train tickets would be in the waitlist status, I asked him to book only when tatkal was ready. He informed me that many travel agents whom he approached were not in favor of booking the train ticket. He also informed that he had no good friends who are familiar in tatkal train ticket booking. Since I was busy with many of my personal concerns, booking a train ticket and making a ticket follow-up was out of mind. 

I was about to book my friend a flight ticket to Guwahati so that he can join the trip from Guwahati to Bangalore. I came to know in the last minutes that he was never vaccinated for Covid-19. I was a little bit apprehensive about his Covid Vaccination Certificate due to the fact that the Government can make overnight announcement (for which the present union govt is famous for). Travelling with a companion who has no vaccination certificate would be problematic. Having this thought in mind, I told him not to join the trip. He was disappointed. I went back to the old friend who was desiring to join in 2021 December, to check whether he could join this year. He narrated his inability too.

Time was running short. I decided to abort my Dimapur-Bangalore driving adventure. Contacted some movers from Guwahati to lift the car to Bangalore and, booked a ticket for me in the train, at least I can see India through train windows. The train ticket was only in the waitlist; it did not move to RAC. I cancelled the train ticket and booked a flight ticket from Guwahati to Bangalore; meanwhile started to enquire many packers and movers to finalize to bring my car.

One car mover asked for 17,000 Rs. I was sure, there would be hidden charges and the price would shoot-up to 25,000 Rupees. Dolphin movers from Guwahati asked Rs.18,000 and told me to add 3% insurance, that came to Rs. 21,000. Agarwal (toppi wala) quoted Rs.24,000, car moving insurance 3% and, 16 lt Petrol in the Car. One fellow working at Agarwal even gave his personal number and told me, if I contact him personally, he will charge Rs.22,000 only (I felt something strange in that secret deal). I almost decided for Dolphin Movers. However, after scrutiny, I realized that most of the reviews of Dolphin available in the Google Map, about their service, are fake ones, written by paid writers. Some genuine reviews by the people who moved household goods never recommend Dolphin for any service. These writings rang alarm bells in my brain. It is not about money, but the question is, it is very difficult to determine who offers the best and reliable service.  

Sending the car by movers is a nightmare, as I had a bad experience during 2018 August, while sending my car from Coimbatore to Guwahati. Though it was promised to deliver the car in 18 days (maximum of 21 days), the car took more than 6 months to reach Guwahati. That too, after sending a legal notice by my lawyer in 2019 January. It was Agarwal Freight Cargo Packers and Movers who cheated me. Instead of sending to Guwahati, car was driven on the road from Coimbatore to Bangalore or Pune (unplugging the odometer). It was finally stored/dumped at Pune. I had to run here and there, consulting lawyers, police officers etc,... etc... Due to this bad experience, I was very hesitant to send my car by any movers. You entrust your car worth lakhs to these fraud movers and pay the full amount for moving... you get your car in good condition if there is a direct carrier from the place of loading and the destination. With these confusions in mind, I cancelled my flight ticket to Bangalore (fortunately I booked a ticket that could be cancelled) and thought of enjoying a solo trip, driving the car from Dimapur to Bangalore. The only fear I had was the age of the car: it was a 13-year-old car that has run more than 95,000 km. The car was not serviced in the Company Garage for 5 years. 

As a part of the preparations, I changed all the tyre. I asked a very reliable mechanic in a garage at Diphu, Assam, to fix whatever needs to be fixed for a long drive. The mechanic had a good opinion about the engine of the car and its conditions. The only major work he did was to fix a hole in the silencer. He changed the engine oil, filled all other liquids. He checked the condition of the battery and certified that it is in a good condition. The only apprehension he had was the age of the vehicle and the related issues. I was also conscious of this fact and thought of driving the car in moderate speed of 80 to 100 kms/h.

Few route maps that were prepared months back were in my computer. This made my job easy. After a lot of considerations, I decided to follow the GPS in the mobile and rely on it blindly. I marked few towns on the way. I read few writings of solo travelers and also their driving experience of car/bike, enthusiastic youngsters, mostly in their new vehicles, some with their families, as a trip for two weeks etc... such travelogues were helpful in some way. However, the style, personality and orientation of youngsters and their driving intentions did not fully suit my taste. 

From my original plan of visiting many historical and archaeological places on the way, I had to alter plan in the new situation. I decided not to look for any places of importance on the way (since I had no companions or accompanying drivers). My new plan was to reach Bangalore as quick as possible; safely and comfortably.

I had the car RC, Insurance and Pollution test certificates handy; Aadhar Card, Driving License, College ID were kept in the dashboard for easy handling. Some writing materials, water bottles and other essentials were kept reachable in the car. Warm clothes, muffler, woolen cap, sweaters were kept readily for easy usage. Since it was January, I expected some cold weather, morning fogs in the Northeastern part of India. It would be hard for many to believe that I drove my 2009 model Fiat Palio Stile 1.6 sport car, at the age of 59, from Dimapur to Bangalore alone, nearly 3,300 km ... Let me narrate the day-by-day happenings.

Day One: On 18th January Wednesday, I started from Dimapur - Indisen area around 10.30am. The travel until Guwahati was not very exciting or worth mentioning. There were two check posts by Karbi police. I kept my driving license and college ID separately in the dashboard for easy identification. The Assam police were relaxed and happy to know that I am a teacher and asked me where I am going. Besides these no issues, they did no checking and harassing. I took a lunch break at Joon Resort, Dahali Makaria (around 200 KM from Indisen-Dimapur after four-hour drive). I took more than 30 minutes break, relaxing a bit as I had some throat infection and cough that started before three, four days due to some dust allergy in the room.

Once I reached Guwahati, the traffic build-up, the recurring roadworks, diversion all over the place due to road/bridge constructions - all created a mess and become a time-consuming affair in my desire for long drive. It also gave enormous amount of stress to my driving plans. I kept my mind open and thought of driving as long as I become tired, also, taking into consideration the road conditions.

Around 4.45pm, I was able to cross the River Brahmaputra through Saraighat Bridge and after the bridge, traffic eased. Though I crossed the Old Saraighat bridge in 2012 while going to Tezpur, this time it was through the new bridge for a new experience. The drive after crossing Brahmaputra River was very enjoyable with few vehicles on the road, road dividers at all roads, beautiful sceneries, all excited me, gave positive vibes to my driving experience. Guwahati - Baihata Road was enjoyable.

As the sunset was early and the atmosphere became dark slowly after 5pm. Around 5.45pm I reached Ghograpar and took a tea break. I was pondering on various philosophical, psychological and existential issues that happened in my life in the last 4, 5 years stay at Dimapur that gave me some mixed feelings. I want to forget these issues and focus on my driving and the enjoyment related to that.

After 830pm, I had a brief Dinner Halt at Assam, Green Valley Dhaba & Family Restaurant, Shyamthaibari - Dolgaon, some 470km from Dimapur. The food was not very exciting, as I had some fried chicken rice. The boy serving the food was very helpful in English. I had 2 minds: either to look for a hotel to stay or just drive. Though the boy at the Dhaba suggested a place to stay, the place he suggested was few kilometers away from the main road. So, I avoided that. Also, another resort I enquired does not accommodate visitors, just for eating only. Instead of wasting time to look for place to stay, I decided to move on and drive. After spending some time there, relaxing, I continued my journey after 915pm.

As the first day journey continued in the night, I saw a pileup of trucks and vehicles around 11pm; I understood that it must be a check post. From the way the police checking the vehicles and the communication I had with a police officer that it was an interstate check post between Assam – West Bengal (Pakriguri Interstate Check post - NH 27). As a readymade thing, I gave the driving license and ID and the West Bengal police officer (an young man in his 30s) politely told me that he wants to check the car dicky and the luggage. Seeing the guitar and violin and the badminton racket in the car, the police told me that he was a musician in the college, but this job doesn’t permit him to spend time of his hobby. He asked me to open the car and show, just for namesake. He narrated that the search was intensified after they caught few smugglers of liquor. The officer let me go without any through scrutiny of my baggage. As I am prepared beforehand to this kind of interstate police checks, also my car is TN registered, all the car papers are in custody and order, and I am prepared for any check-up. It is the duty of the police to check the car and it is my obligation to allow them to check. Fortunately, that is the first and only place I was checked by police all through my drive. Police check and harassment is a perennial problem in the highways in India, though it is limited to commercial vehicles now a days, it is often considered a means of extracting money from drivers in the name of any traffic law violation. I am really afraid of police stopping the car and checking everyone, thinking that all those who drive are lawbreakers. Anyway, I am prepared to face all these and fortunately never experienced in my entire journey.

After more than an hour drive, I thought of taking a break, because it is more than 13 hours from Dimapur. Hasimara town in West Bengal came next in my drive and the time was 11.45pm. Many shops were still open for Lorries to halt, relax and rest. I stopped my car in front of a closed shop in the highway Bazaar. Took a survey of the place and found out that Saudamini Tea Garden was very nearby. I enjoyed the chill air and the busy street and had a purchase of One Kilo Jalpaiguri - Chiranjeelal Tea Factory Tea. Had a cup of tea in a small teashop and decided to take rest in my car, like the many truck drivers who parked in the closed bazar. 

In the car, before getting sleep inside, I searched Google about Hasimara town. It is in Alipurduar District of West Bengal, bordering Bhutan, filled with Tea estates and natural beauty. There is a Railway station in the town, and also known for Torsa River that originates in Tibet, flowing in Butan, India and Bangladesh. I was not able to enjoy the beauty of Torsa River in the midnight, though I felt the chill in the atmosphere. Bhutan border is only 18kms away by road. People generally leave from Hasimara to Phuentsholing, Bhutan. 

Thus, the first day travel came to a happy end; I kept my speed 80 to 100 km/h and seldom crossed 100. I was thankful about my decision not to book beforehand any hotel or rooms on the way, just drive as far as I can, until become tired. It was a new experience for me to rest in the car, like the lorry and truck drivers who take regular cross-country travels. 

Though I had the road map prepared after reading many blogs, few travel stories of people who made trips from Bangalore to Guwahati, nothing suited my taste and personality. The plan I adopted was very pragmatic, well-suited to my taste (vagabond style of travel), worked well. The dust allergy gave some uneasiness now and then but did not bother me much. I felt that my stamina to drive and enjoy the trip was good. I woke up at around 3am in the morning due to the chill wind and the cold climate I checked the temperature in the mobile and it was 12°C. I covered myself with some extra warm clothes and covered the front glass of the car with a woolen shawl; however, it was not warm at all. The car was very chill; with all my warm clothes and winterwears, the air was very chill. I closed my eyes and slept again, was forced to enjoy the chill climate. 

Hasimara still remains very fresh in my mind. Though I have not visited the town in the daylight, did not do any sightseeing, still my parking the car in the bazar, drinking tea in the wee hours, seeping inside the car in the cold night, thinking my past 5 years of stay in Nagaland etc.. gave some awful thoughts.

Day Two: On the second day, 19th January, Thursday, I set my mind to travel from Hasimara to Kishanganj in Bihar. I woke up at 5.20am and said goodbye to Hasimara. The roads, though at many places were without dividers, were in good shape and some places it was butter smooth. Animal crossing, Elephant crossing boards were there to scare me as I passed through some beautiful forest road. Jaldapara National Park was there, I did not visit it because it was very early. Beautiful mountain views, dense forests, tea gardens, rivers and bridges … it was a pleasant drive in the misty morning.  Before reaching Kishanganj, I crossed the Siliguri Corridor (around 7.30am to 7.50am) often referred to as the Chicken's Neck, a 22 km stretch between Bangladesh in the south and Bhutan, Nepal in the north. It was exciting to drive in this part of land, imagining the narrow strip in the map. I blindly followed the GPS and the voice assistance in the google map. The road passed through the town Kishanganj in Bihar (only less than 10 kms in Bihar) and came back to West Bengal and travelled aiming at Dankuni near Kolkata.  The Malda town came in between, and I reached the Ganga River at Farakka. Farakka Barrage across the Ganga River is 400 km away from Hasimara. Highway on the Farakka Barrage, with the railway track by the side is very spectacular, through the bridge looks old already. The highway bridge was built in 1970s. Unfortunately, I did not see any train passing by while on the road bridge. 25 kms from Farakka Barrage the Ganga River enters Bangladesh. The Farakka barrage is the block and store the water of Ganges before it enters Bangladesh. The Barrage is often blamed for the flooding of Ganga River in Bihar. Also, Bangladesh and India signed some treaty to supply Ganges water to Bangladesh without mentioning the minimum amount of water. I wonder what kind of agreement is that if no minimum amount of water is mentioned.

The travel continued and I decided to reach Dankuni and take rest for the day. In the evening I reached Berhampore and in the city lost the highway to Dankuni. The Google map was confused by the traffic and vehicle buildup in the city, and I have to take some detour to reach the highway. Once I reached the highway, I started my journey confidently. However, after 20 minutes of travel, there was a traffic build-up near Murshidabad-Beldanga (which I came to know later that it was due to some minor accident). Since there was heavy traffic on the road, I thought of taking some rest in the roadside where I saw one Hotel Kisabu (time was 5.20pm, slightly dark). Hotel Kisabu is an eatery cum lodge. I went there, though there is a temptation to stay in the hotel and take a break from the days trip, I overcame that and took tea and snacks and enquired about the traffic. The owner, a young man who spoke English fluently told me that the traffic jam was due to an accident, and it would ease after 25, 20 minutes. It was a pleasure to converse with the owner and learned a few things about the place, people and the lifestyle. As he predicted, after 6.10pm the roads were clear of traffic, and I started my journey towards Dankuni.

I had some difficulty identifying the right road at Krishnanagar due to road extension work. It was dark and I followed the google map. Crossed Bhagirathi Hogghly River and reached Dumurdahadham around 10pm. I had a halt for dinner in a small roadside eatery. The shop owner was not able to understand anything I said. Fortunately, a young boy came to my rescue and ordered some roti and chicken curry. I sat at the outside of the eatery as the shop was selling drinks illegally. After 30 minutes, I started again and took the Old Delhi Road and reached Dankuni- Bhubaneswar Road just after 12am in the midnight. I was driving at a speed of 80 km/h and above on the second day, through there was a temptation to drive above 100, 110 km/h, I consciously avoided. I planned to stop for the night on the roadside after a toll plaza, entering NH16 to Chennai. 

NH 16 runs Eastcoast of India, Kolkata - Chennai Highway running in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Andra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral project to connect India's major cities. Golden Quadrilateral project is intended to connect four major metro cities: Delhi (north), Kolkata (east), Mumbai (west) and Chennai (south). The PM Vajpayee started the Project on 6 January 1999 by laying the foundation to speed up the transport networks in India.

I parked my car just after Bombay Service Station, Paniara, Ranihati at the highway leading to Kharagpur. There was a petty shop, open in the middle of the night. The place was lit, I parked few yards before reaching the shop. From the petty shop, an old man sensing that I am planning to halt for few hours, came to me and told politely (in some unintelligible language) to move my car as it obstructs the view of other truck drivers seeing the shop from afar. I pitted the poor man and his age, his family, the size of his shop, the possible meager earning he planned for the night and the hard life he endures at midnight; I moved my car a little further, under a big tree, not to obstruct the view of any shops, and took rest for the night in the car. I saw few Lorries already parked in that roadside, so I thought correctly that no one would disturb my rest. Since I read many negative narratives on the Internet regarding the Siliguri - Dankuni stretch, and the flight of many drivers and travelers, I had a great relief to reach NH16 and Dankuni for my night halt. I really slept well in the car as I was tired of driving from the morning.

Day Three: On the third day of my ride from Dimapur to Bangalore (20 January 2023), I planned to reach Bhubaneswar first and then think about how far I can ride. My wife suggested to visit Puri Temple (not to pray) and take a rest overnight at Puri. That gave me another insight to visit Konark Sun God temple. In fact, I marked to visit Konark Temple in my original plan. So, I thought of visiting the Konark Sun God Temple instead of Puri Jagannath Temple. Puri Jagannath Temple is an ancient Vishnu temple built in the 12th cent. As per the rules, only Hindus are allowed inside the Puri Jagannath temple and no other people can enter. Though my religion is not written on my forehead that I am a Hindu or an atheist or an agnostic person, if they check the Aadhar card it might create some ugly scene. Someone might put me behind the bars for hurting the sentiments of some fanatics. (I really do not know what is hurting the religious sentiments). As of now, an intense sentiment horror is heard in the news across India in the name of religion, which scared me a bit.

In fact, Buddhism and Jainism that started as agnostic religions, as a revolt against the ritualistic religion of that time. Both Buddhism and Jainism were against the religion (now called Hinduism) of that time. Buddhists and Jains should not be allowed to enter any Hindu temples, if the law has to be followed strictly. I wonder who gave Hindu identity to Buddhist or Jains today; in fact, both the religions started as a revolt to ancient ritualism, which is being practiced by Hinduism today. Today how Buddhists and Jains become Hindus??? I wonder. Putting aside all controversies, I decided to visit Puri town and then Konark temple which was 38 kms away from Puri town towards east which made me think that visiting Konark without visiting Puri would have saved few Kilometers and time.

I started my trip after 615am, just before the sunrise. The road was so exciting to drive. There were heavy vehicles on the road coming from Kolkata and, many SUVs were speeding 140 km/h and above. The road was so good for nearly one hour and more. The road took a south turn before reaching Kharagpur town. The NH16 and NH49 meet in a beautiful flyover - a Trumpet Bridge. The flyover is slightly confusing to the drivers, if one drives from West Bengal side going to Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The flyover is around 100km from where I halted for the night.  However, follow the signboard and highway turns properly in the flyover and avoid confusion. The straight road goes to Kharagpur and then to Baharagora, Jharkhand. I was a bit confused in the beginning in that junction/flyover and the overbridge, but google map showed the NH-16 turn South clearly and I took the correct turn and came to the Bhubaneswar Road.  

There is a South Indian Tiffin Centre on the right side of the road once you come down the trumpet Bridge. I was tempted to taste some South Indian breakfast there, but then, I was not hungry that early morning. After taking a small break a little further away, I continued my journey towards Bhubaneswar. Though there were few patches here and there in the NH16 that were irritating, overbridge constructions at every road crossing, as a whole, the Bhubaneswar Road was good. I took breakfast in a roadside eatery and relaxing way continued my journey. Just before reaching Bhubaneswar, there were clear indications, big sign boards showing the road to Puri on the left side. From NH16 it was one hour drive, some 60 kms to reach Puri. I reached Puri Town before 4pm. 

Puri town is filled with Mutts established by various Vaishnava saints and holy people. As I entered the city, it was filled with devotees, gullible and money-makers. Every nook and corner there were lodges, Mutts, people and tourist cars. I straight away set my Google map to Konark Sun Temple. 

The road from Puri to Konark was more enjoyable than visiting Puri Janganath temple, I thought. The road was so beautiful with old trees, jungles and also sea, mesmerizing beauty. It was a memorable drive, which I recommend to every Road - travel lovers. The Puri-Konark drive was so exciting, relaxing and refreshing. I saw one fox crossing the road in the evening, may be running to the seashore for sunset. The sunset time there was 5.30pm. Thinking about the early sunset, I rushed to Konark Sun Temple and wanted to see it in the sun light and spend some time.

The moment I reached Konark, welcomed by crowds and tourists, which became a sore sight. It's more of a tourist spot than a temple place. I was not able to locate the temple or the entrance for parking my car, due to the crowd and everlasting roadwork that was going on in that area. Though my google map showing that I already reached the temple spot, I am not able to see any structure there except people and broken roads. After some searching, I enquired a small teashop, and the shop owner was very polite and helpful in showing the entrance to parking and the temple venue. As against my imagination of less crowded place, the place is completely a commercial center, filled with both Indian and foreign tourists. Rs.30 for parking and Rs.30 ticket for visiting the temple, very reasonable and neatly maintained place.

The sun temple is built in Kalinga style of Architecture and an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indian Oil Foundation (IOF) of Indian Oil Corporation IOC, maintains it. They are doing a great job to keep the place neat and tidy. I visited the temple, took some photos, purchased some souvenirs, took tea in a stall inside the premise, and retuned the journey towards the seashore. Spend some time at the seashore enjoying the cool breeze of the Bay of Bengal. Relaxing, feeling my freedom near the shore, free from slavery of some kind, it was a moment of excitement. I decided to look for a place to stay overnight near the sea.

 

Sun went down as I drove the beautiful Konark-Puri Marine Road. I started to look for some resorts for my night stay. Parked my car near a teashop and the owner guided me to Beach Walks Resort, which was very near that teashop. It was a less crowded place, very calm and quiet. The people at the resort were very gentle. I requested for a place to sleep rather than the food and other entertainments of the resort. A young man who is the manager of the resort was excited to see a Fiat Car (he has seen Fiat Punto, not Palio) and happy to know that I am travelling from Dimapur to Bangalore. He agreed to offer a tent to stay for Rs.1000. I took a shower and straight away retired for the day around 7pm. In my half-sleep, I heard some music played in the resort and people making noise. The total travel that day was 549 KMs and I was conscious of the speed limits of Indian Highways. Thinking about my drive, visit, I took a blessed sleep until I opened my eyes at 540am.

Day Four: On the fourth day of my marathon drive from Dimapur to Bangalore (21 January-Saturday, 2023), I started the day from Konark Beach Walks Resort at 6.30 am. I set the Google map to Bangalore and decided to drive until Ongole or Nellore for the day. The road from the resort at Konark towards the NH16 (Kolkatta - Chennai Highway) was a state road, runs through some rural Odisha villages, paddy fields and avenues. It was a 60 km long drive with speed breakers at every village junction. Nearly 1.30 hours it took me to reach the NH. The drive was memorable one, enjoying the rural culture of Odisha. All the road bridges in the rural villages are used as cowsheds by nearby households (as there are fewer vehicles on the road). It was a wonderful way to experience the rural Odisha.

Once I entered the NH16 near Rameswar, I had a big relief, thinking about the painful speed breakers and the related gear shift I experienced in the rural roads. Just after entering the NH16 coming from Konark state road, Chilika Lake was on the left side. Because of the mist I was not able to see the beauty clearly, not able take good Photos either, although I have seen from the flight many times. 

The lake was one of the attractions of Odisha from flight. The lake covers more than 1000 square kilometers and a beauty in itself. Originally it was believed to be part of Bay of Bengal. Though I had a desire to drive through the small roads from Puri to avoid NH16, on the banks of the lake. Due to non-connectivity of roads after Satapada I avoided this route (from Satapada to Janhikuda one has to take boat ride). In the original plan, I included this drive; due to lack of companion drivers, I avoided this route this time. Since I was alone, I avoided many historical places which I intend to visit in my original plan. Chilka Railway station is there, and the railway line is passing through the Western banks of the lake. 

The disappointing view of the Chilika lake from NH16 never went from my mind. I continued my travel for more than 90 minutes from the disappointing lake view. After Ganjam, at Ichchapuram (around 10 am) I saw two hills on the right side, one with huge statues of Siva and Parvathi. It was a beautiful sight to see the temple on the top of the hill. 

In the highway, after entering Andra Pradesh, I was looking for some south Indian breakfast. Fortunately, I saw one roadside eatery, I enjoyed Egg Dosai. I met a truck driver from Erode, Tamil Nadu and had a small conversation with him. Though he was very shy to talk to me, told me that he would reach Erode after 2 days.

The highway passed through Visakhapatnam, by passing the city, Vijayawwada and Ongole. I finally stopped at Tanguturu Toll Plaza at 12.30 midnight to windup the days' drive. The plaza was 16km south of Ongole; to reach Nellore I have to drive more than 100 km, so I decided to rest for the day. 

Driving in the NH 16 was a pleasure, though some bridge works were going on here and there, overall, the experience was good. I thought of taking rest, as the drive was long on the fourth day. It was hectic but nor painful because the roads were good, car a/c was in good shape, the car seats were comfortable and NH16 was a pleasure to drive. I never felt any discomfort on my back or anywhere in the body. I drove close to 1000 kms that day. 

In order to take some rest, parked the car in the Tanguturu toll plaza. I was not able to get sleep till 3.30 am. My brain was alert and want to reach home quickly. The fear of driving the car alone, travelling long distance, the age of the car, my age - all completely vanished from my mind, and I started to enjoy my drive, car and the places, people.

Day Five: I was so excited on the last day of the travel as the destination was less than 500km. Since I was not able to get sleep (due to excitement, I suppose), started my journey at 330 am. However, after 40 to 50 minutes of drive, I felt sleepy, and parked the car outside a Petrol station and took a nap. I don't even remember the name of the place where I parked the car. I saw few trucks also coming and parking near my car and the drivers sleep. When I woke up, it was 6.30am, in a hurried manner, I started to drive towards Tirupathi. After Nellore, I avoided Naidupetta road as I saw some commentaries by driving enthusiasts, speaking about the poor road conditions. I took an alternative route after Gudur. Though initially the road was very poor, it is a good alternative road, I felt, with less traffic, less trucks and i enjoyed the drive. It is a kind of rural village road converted into a state highway. I stopped after Yerpadu for breakfast. Ate ghee roast and refreshed myself for the travel.

The roads via Chittoor and Kolar were in excellent shape and drove at good speed I could drive. I don't want to mention the speed here; there were other vehicles travelling faster than me. It was a racing speed after Tirupathi and Chittoor till Hoskote.  

After reaching Hoskote, the number of vehicles increased on the road and the speed decreased. Once I reached Bangalore city near KR Puram, experienced the snail moving city traffic and reached home safely at 2.30pm.

Cost wise, this trip was less expensive than sending the car by packers-movers and me by air or train. The only thing I felt was no co-driver However, it was a wonderful and challenging trip, enriching and enlightening in many ways.