May 26, 2007 08:16 PM
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When I was posted at MH Secunderabad, we decided to do a tour of the south. My car was maruti 800. We were only 2 of us--my wife and self. We just decided one day that we are going to drive off . Went to a bookshop and bought the detailed maps issued by automobile association
1.STRETCH ONE--SECUNDERABAD TO BANGALORE-
We started at 5.30 a.m. and it took us a couple of hours to get out of the Hyderabad limits . After that it was a smooth drive. The only thing was that most sign postings were in Telugu and we had to frequently stop to counter check. It was also amazing that, unlike the north Indian highways, there are hardly any eateries on the main highway and we had to actually go to a town for a break and lunch. The last stretch was very scenic , with marble rocks on the sides of the road. The developed areas start almost 50 kms before one enters the main city.
The total drive was 710 kms and we reached brigade road in Bangalore at 8p.m. Over a cup of tea we decided to check out some friends. They insisted we stay with them. So we had the next 3 days in Bangalore, exploring the city with the help of our friends..
- STRETCH NO 2 --BANGALORE TO MYSORE
Left after a hearty breakfast around 9 a.m. and made it to the outskirts of Mysore in a couple of hours as it was hardly over 150 kms or so. Once there, we took a guide for 2 days . He showed us the relevant spots --the palace with all its raja ravi verma collections . He also showed us the temples, museums and the sandal soap factories. He advised us that, we should stay at Brindaban gardens. That was very smart as we could leisurely enjoy the musical fountains and also enjoy our drinks in the balcony of our room in the erstwhile palace turned into a hotel. Next morning he took us to the bird sanctuary where we had an educative boat ride. Then some shopping and he took us to Madhumalai wildlife sanctuary. Here we took a tour of the forests and managed to see quite a lot of wild animals. We finished at around 4 p.m. .
- STRETCH 3 MYSORE TO OOTY
Goodbye to Karnataka and we entered Tamil Nadu. Leaving the sanctuary at 4 p.m. was a mistake. Ooty was only 78 kms away but it was a steep hilly drive and , soon darkness descended.Around 6 p.m. it started raining . It was the most dangerous drive I have ever undertaken as I had to stop every km or so, get out and see where the road was. The visibility was really low. It took us 4 hours of a tense drive before we made out the lights of Ooty and, boy, was I tired! Again we caught hold of a guide . He took us to a very nice hotel, run by a couple. We booked for 5 days there. It was a relaxing stay with long walks in the hills, boating in the lake.
We also drove to Wellington one day to see the staff college . Ooty had quite a mild climate, compared to other hill stations.
- *STRETCH NO 4 OOTY TO MAHABALIPURAM
* Leaving Ooty at 7 a.m. , we went down on the other side towards Coimbatore and cut across to the coastal region. This was a very long drive, about 650 kms long and also very tiring as we had to travel on state roads which are not as good as the main highways. The sign posts were mostly in tamil and people also did not understand our language. Food was also a problem and we had to stop , taking directions from the truckers. It was almost 7.30 p.m. when we turned from the main road to a dusty side road leading to Mahabalipuram. Our fatigue lifted when we reached there. We booked into a hotel which had cottages right next to the sea. It was a grand ambiance and a change from the regular tourist spots. Mahabalipuram was a major port in the olden days and lots of temples.statues and historical places dot the place.
- STRETCH 5 MAHABALIPURAM TO CHENNAI
it took us a short couple of hours driving on a very good road. Leaving after an early lunch, we stayed with some really good friends in Chennai. He was at the time the general manager of the Oberoi, so staying at a huge house in the hotel premises. They made us see all the interesting spots of Chennai-the Marina beach, the museums, even a play, the south Indian Saree shops and the smuggled goods markets. The city of Chennai really impressed me with its simplicity. I found a cosmopolitan crowd with none of the airs of Delhi. Food and activities are also more reasonably priced.
6. STRETCH 6 CHENNAI TO TIRUPATHI
After 4 days we drove off to the temple town of Tirupathi. This drive took us less than 4 hours and the last few kilometres up the hill is a very pleasant drive. It is the most organised temple town I have seen . We booked into a hotel right at the doorstep of the temple where we could hear the chants all the time.We spent the day exploring the town, the haircutting ceremonies, the stalls, the books, learnt about the legend of Tirupathi. The only disappointing thing was that as the arti was in Telugu, we could not follow it fully. We did our darshans early next morning. They have an express route for which one has to pay more.
- STRETCH TIRUPATHI TO SECUNDERABAD-
We could leave around 10 a.m. and this was yet another long stretch, nearly 600 kms . By now it had been so many days on the road so energy was also low. However, the road was excellent and we made good time. It was a Sunday so city was not crowded and we could reach our house by 9.30 p.m.Then it was a bath and a relaxing drink and memories as we discussed them.
