DEV BHOOMI - Day 2

5th July2010

All three of us wake up at around 4.45 am after a fitful sleep. Raring to go and achieve our next objective, Chandigarh before nightfall. Only matter of concern is the Bandh/ Strike call. We decide to move out anyway, and handle matters as they come.

5.30 am on the dot, our tea arrives with bread and butter sandwiches. Finish up and leave RTDC, Hotel Panna, Chittorgarh at around 6.00am. The town is just waking up from its slumber, but we were glad to see a lot of trucks on the road. Maybe the Bandh is not happening. Have to pass through the town, across a railway crossing, before we reach NH76. The roads are not too crowded at this point of time, and we reach NH76 at around 6.20 am.

Once again the roads are great, and this being part of the Golden Quadrilateral, very well maintained. We stop at a local road side dhaba to have a real breakfast at around 8.00 am. Its double omelet and parathas for breakfast. Bread not available.

A very cloudy and gloomy day. One look at the sky and we know that there is a lot of rain in store for us.

Proceeded onwards, heading towards Jaipur. Passed the Ajmer/ Nasirabad exit at around 9.20 am. Lovely roads, again well maintained, with adequate space for parking of trucks.

Reached the Kishangarh - Jaipur GVK Expressway at around 9.45 am. Traffic was a little dense. Maybe a little lesser than on my first drive through the expressway in January 2010. Did not feel like there was a Bandh on. A few towns on the way had their shops shut. But that was about it. Passed a place named Dudu. Arshad was highly amused by the name and insisted that I take a snap, so that it is recorded for posterity! Managed to buy a plastic pipe for the funnel from a shop in Mahela town. This is one expressway, where the towns are on either side of the road and not barricaded, unlike the Mumbai-Pune and Baroda-Ahmedabad expressways. Smooth roads nonetheless. Onwards to Jaipur, and we are greeted with showers. Reached the Jaipur end of the expressway by around 11.00 am.

Onto the Jaipur bypass, heading towards Delhi. Take a tea break at a local roadside dhaba. The lunch being prepared for some truck drivers, looks delicious. We are tempted to order some, but we resist the urge as we are really not too hungry. So teas it is and then some more snaps. Our first group photo happens.

Reach Kotputli at 1.30 pm. and encounter our first real traffic jam. One look at the place and you know that the Bandh/ Strike is not successful here! Tank up with diesel at a BPCL pump on the main road and move on. Cross Behror at 2.00 pm and head on towards Shajahanpur. (The place has to have a history lesson, will try to find out the next time I drive through). Stop a little after the toll plaza for lunch at a local dhaba. Again order simple veg food, 1 paneer dish, one dal and roti. It begins pouring while we are having lunch. Finish lunch and head off into the rain, towards Delhi.

Cross into Haryana state at around 3.50 pm, Manesar (NSG Headquarters, remember them?) passes us by, and before we know it we are at Gurgaon, paying toll at the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway toll plaza.

Reach the IGI airport at 5.00 pm and then we are in the maze that is Delhi. From hereon it takes us around an hour to get to the Grand Trunk road: NH1, that will take us to Ambala and onwards to Chandigarh. Lots of Bridge construction, Road widening, Metro work happening on account of the Commonwealth Games 2010, scheduled in October. Will all the works be completed? Lets wait and see?

We are at the Sonepat exit at 6.30 pm. Decide to stop at one of the many dhabas here, adjoining the highway. All of them are huge, really huge. Some of the dhabas are fully Air Conditioned. (Now whoever heard of AC dhabas?) Move on and reach Panipat town. There is a huge 4km long elevated road over the highway, with the town on both sides of the highway. Smooth sailing because of the elevated road. Dinesh is on the phone, arranging for accommodation at Chandigarh. Good news, we are to stay at the Officers Mess, Chandigarh Police Lines. (It pays to have contacts). All through this stretch of the highway, there are diversions for road widening, flyover construction, etc. Progress is a little slow due to this. Some traffic snarls too!

We reach Ambala at around 9.15, fill up diesel at a BPCL pump. I call up Jassi paaji (Jasbir Singh Bachal) for eating options in Ambala. He suggests Puran Singh Dhaba on the highway, but unfortunately we have already passed the place, no point turning back. Go a little further and stop at Paradise Tourist Resort and have dinner. Slow service, decent food. Its almost an hour since we stopped. Time to move on.

Reach Chandigarh at 11.00 pm after passing through the Ambala-Chandigarh Toll Plaza at 10.35 pm. Expressway is sort of a misnomer, its a nice and wide two lane road. Finally reach Chandigarh Police lines after asking for directions from a couple of people.

Ofiicers Mess, huge AC room, really big bath cum toilet. Wash up. Speak to the attendant, who assures us of tea at 7.00 am. No need to really start early tomorrow. Just around 400+ kms to Manali, our next halt. So we can safely leave by around 9.00 am. Watch a little TV and off to sleep.

To be continued.....................