Bangalore to Gurgaon Road trip #RashtriyaRoadTrip

These are the statistics from a Bangalore to Gurgaon road trip I recently did with a good friend. Stats done by him and so was most of the driving.

Start: 1st Nov 2013 - 4 am (Nice Road Toll)
Finish: 3rd Nov 2013 - 3pm
Distance Traveled: 2680 KMs
Car: Maruti Esteem VXi 2007
Fuel Consumed: 207 Liters Petrol
Average: 13 KMPL

Total Trip Time: 59 Hrs.
Night Halt : 17 Hours (Nasik & Udaipur)
Road Site Halts (for B/F, Lunch, Dinner /Fuel / Tea / Bio breaks and Tolls): 12 Hrs
Total Driving Time : 30 Hrs
Average Speed : 2680/42 = 64 KM/Hr
Driving Speed Average: 2680/30 = 89 KM / Hr
Highest Speed for a considerable Stretch : 160 Kms / Hr ( some sections of Baroda - Ahmedabad, Chittorgarh-Bhilwara & Kishangarh-Jaipur)
Slowest Speed for a considerable strech : 20Km/Hr (Wani to Mahrashtra -Gujarat Border)

States Traveled Across: 5 (Karnataka / Maharashtra / Gujarat / Rajasthan / Haryana)
No. of Districts: 
No. of Tolls: 39
Access Controlled Expressway: 1 (NE-1 between Baroda- Ahmedabad)
National Highways: 9 (NH-4, NH-50, NH-360, NH-8, NH-8A, NH-8C, NH-76, NH-79, NH-79A)
State Highways: 6 (Maharashtra: SH-30 & SH-17, Gujarat: SH-9. SH-15, SH-177 & SH-703)
City Roads: 3 (Kolhapur, Pune, Nasik and Ahmedabad)

Tunnels Crossed: 2 (Kasara - Pune & Pune Byepass)
Major Rivers Crossed: 21 (Tungabhadra, Malaprabha, Krishna, Markandeya, Hiranyakeshi, Vedganga, Panchaganga, Koyna, Neera, Kadwa, Ambica, Bhima, Mindhola, Tapi, Narmada, Vishwamitri, Mahisagar, Sabarmati, Gambhiri, Banas, Mansi )

Route Taken: 
Bangalore (E-city) - Nice Road - Tumkur - Sira - Hiriyur - Chitradurga - Davangere Byepass - Ranebennur - Devaragudda - Haveri Byepass - Hubli Dharwar Byepass - Belgaum Byepass - Tavandi - Kolhapur - Karad - Satara - Kasara - Pune - Pimpri - Bhosari - Peth - Sangamner - Sinnar - Devlali - Nasik - Ozar -Vani - Saputara - Waghai - Vansada - Kharel - Navsar- Surat Byepass - Ankleshwar - Bharuch - Baroda - Ahmedabad - Gandhinagar - Chiloda - Pranij - Himmatnagar - Shamlaji - Ratanpur - Bicchiwara - Kherwara - Rishabhdev - Udaipur - Mangalwar - Chittorgarh Byepass - Bhilwara Byepass - Nasirabad - Kishangarh - Jaipur Byepass - Manoharpur - Shahpura - Kotputli - Behror - Neemrana - Dharuhera - Manesar – Gurgaon

These are some of the photos from this Bangalore to Gurgaon road trip

These are some experiences and memories from this Bangalore to Gurgaon road trip!

Random experiences are what make a great road trip, but being stuck in traffic before your journey starts, is one best avoided! So time your start to avoid traffic.

Take along enough water, but don't overdo the snacks. If you are really into the roadtrip you wouldn't snack much anyway. 

When you're not driving catch up on your sleep. Never know when you might be required at the wheel.

Avoid Dhabhas where buses are parked. They would take too long to serve.

Try to taste the local delicacies while on your way. Kolhapuri mutton for example. Gujarat is a dry and mostly vegetarian state (just saying).

Knock Out beer is the best beer in this country.

Maharashtra has the worst roads among the so-called developed states in the country. But if you feel like kissing the tarmac as soon as you enter Gujarat, just remember Karnataka, AP and TN also have good roads (mostly)!

Something happens to vehicles when they enter Gujarat. They lose the ability to pick a lane and stay in it. They are constantly straddle two lanes and block your way.

The country side across India is beautiful. There are so many places you can stop to get magnificent views.

Ten years back, Delhi started expanding westward towards Gurgaon. Today, its knocking on the Rajasthan border at Bhivadi. In the next 20 years, Lahore could be a Delhi suburb!

It is not about the car you drive, but how you drive it. Before you upgrade your car, ask yourself if you made the most of your current one.

I leave you with this gem from a truck bumper, "Duniya ka sabse bada rog, kya kahenge log"

Drive safe!

Broom Cricket - The Game

Last week I came across another mutation of the great game of cricket.

Venue - Living room of a friend's Apartment in Gurgaon

Equipment - A broom (aka Jhadoo) and a stress ball (those yellow balls with a smiley)

Rules of the Game - Flexible and open to innovation

Ways to get out - One pitch one hand catch / If the broomsman hits the ball on the full against the wall/cupboard/keyboard/table/shoe-rack he or she is out/ Bowled.

Runs - All safe shots off the broom that don't get you out, count for one run

Timing - 10 pm to 2 am

Break - Scotch / Rum / Whiskey / Biryani

Best Rule Innovation - A fielder is designated as Rahul Dravid and if the ball makes contact with him the same rules apply as when they hit "The Wall".

Winners - All. We played for the joy of the game and were too drunk to remember the scores!

Fun Quotient - Awesome. Five Star Rating. Safe for children of all ages.

Addendum - The Honesty Rule (the best innovation cricket has seen

If a batsman disputes an out call or wants to cheat and play again, he needs to "I honestly want another chance" upon which he can play on. The honesty rule can be used only once in an innings.