My last visit to TRIVANDRUM, KERALA.
DATE: 18-02-2013 TO 21-02-2013.
PLACES: COIMBATORE - COCHIN - TRIVANDRUM - NAGERCOIL - MADURAI - DINDUGUL - COIMBATORE.
TOTAL KM: 915 KMS.
VEHICLE : FORD FIGO 1.4 TDCI TITANIUM.
MAP: http://goo.gl/maps/rzdd6
Started on 18th morning along with my office colleagues by 5 am at coimbatore. Pickup Madhu & Prabhu near railway station.
3 Peoples and little luggage leaving city stopped near ettimadai for tea 10 Minutes. As the road works is on progress we had tough time to drive after crossing walayar check post some what road was ok.
Single lane road full traffic slow mooving still ok as the road surface was clean. approaching Vadakanchery road gone worst as lot of potholes.
Around 7.30 Am we reached vadakanchery and stopped for breakfast (too hungry as woke up by 4am). Arya bavan was good enough to have a decent breakfast. we munched IDLI fresh and tea.
Typical KERALITE tea light and large quantity. 30 Min break.
started to COCHIN and no break in between. Once we touched THRISSUR by pass we found the oasis ( four lane track).
Our car started to cruise at 100 - 140 KMPH speed. crossing ghat section was a head ache even though we made our way to cochin early to 9 AM.
We had an client meeting at cochin (ERNAKULAM) and we started our journey to TRIVANDRUM by 1.30 pm.
On the way again ARYA BAVAN for lunch, they served good white rice. 30 Min break.
This where our FATE went wrong we could not understand.
from COCHIN TO TRIVANDRUM.
Single lane road with lots of traffic we could not even cross 50-60 km speed on our vehicle. touched ALAPUZHA stopped for a drink (lemon soda) & small purchase or coir rugs which is good and low cost.
from ALAPUZHA we drove on highway (SO CALLED) again slow... slow..... traffic and now we understood why train is so prefer d in KERALA.
HECTIC journey continued we could not touch any decent speed on vehicle no use of any powerful vehicle or great driver on these roads.
light dimmed and sunset. we have not reached to TRIVANDRUM.6.30 PM we checked NOKIA maps still 35 Km to go.
Believe it or not by around 7.30 we reached TRIVANDRUM M.G ROAD. we checked in to our hotel PRINCE PLAZA.
first day 19th was very cool. MORNING we took and good walk on MG ROAD AND POLICE STADDIUM NEARBY.
We where on our customer visit and day was pleasant.
PROBLEM DAY 20 TH & 21ST ( NATIONAL HARTHAL, BUNDH)
Harthal or strike day at KERALA (any communist state) will be very interesting as the life come standstill. on 20 th we planned to visit some local cusotmer by around 10-15 km. circle.
Roads where deserted no much vehicle moving we are travelling like an VIP on the road as all the places are escorted and controlled by POLICE.
Day was ok to travel and reach back to hotel.
MOST TROUBLE DAY. first day of BUNDH / STRIKE.
We planed some more customer visit and we planned to move back to coimbatore as my colleague prabhu could not get bus to coimbatore.
In city we had no trouble to travel. madhu had flight by 10 pm night and i checked with the hotel for any arrangement of taxi to airport drop no luck.
I was forced to drop him to airport by 6 pm and planned to drive back to coimbatore via nagercoil instead of cochin.(I expected problem on road as strike is active).
We started from hotel and reaching near airport both guys prabhu & madhu instersted to visit shanmugha beach. we stopped the car for the same. 30 min break. good on beach people where moving around.
After beach stopping i drove straight to airport and found empty airport and checked still flights are operating. by saying BEST OF LUCK TO MADHU we left the place. time 7PM.
Started by 7 pm from trivandrum we missed the road NH instead we took kovalam by pass. around 10 Km we understood and returned and took MLA road which lead thro city and gets directly to NH (SO CALLED).
Things we going smooth until NEYATINKARA TOLL PLAZA. we paid Rs.10 ( no slip).
Few places some group of people on chariot and god where lined up on the road. no troble.
Nearing to TAMILNADU border 5 km before we stopped by an group of memebers (COMMUNIST) with RED FLAG stopped with aggressive language to go back .
In front of us they blocked an VAN carrying some materials and smashed the front glass. OUR BONES CHILLED.
Once again an fellow approached us and said in malayalam " WHY YOU ARE TRAVELLING IN HARTHAL DAY".
As i could understand malayalam having very pity expression on my FACE I said " ANNA WE NEED TO REACH COIMBATORE VERY URGENT.". we where are excused they stop us moving further.
One more scooter person was attacked by this group. we stopped our vehicle on the side of the road and switched off the engine to let them go so we could start.
Few Minutes one more person approached and same question and same answer. GODS GRACE he ran front of our car and said go i will make way for you.
He shown hands to the group to allow us to go. NO TIME I STARTED THE ENGINE AND RUSHED.
we safely crossed this group. ANOTHER 10 MIN WE WHERE IN TAMILNADU (KALIAKAVILLAI) TOWN.
we could breath as buses where moving no sign of stike etc etc....
Strange and disturbing experience. we stopped for food at 9 Pm at marthandam and we drove back to coimbatore non stop.
Once we crossed nagercoil we found the FOUR LANE ROAD and our car started to fly at 150-170 Km, since 3 days it was logging for this.
We crossed tirunelveli, madurai & dindugal & pollachi reached by 3.15 to coimbatore.
VERY STRANGE TRIP IN MY LIFE.
DATE: 18-02-2013 TO 21-02-2013.
PLACES: COIMBATORE - COCHIN - TRIVANDRUM - NAGERCOIL - MADURAI - DINDUGUL - COIMBATORE.
TOTAL KM: 915 KMS.
VEHICLE : FORD FIGO 1.4 TDCI TITANIUM.
MAP: http://goo.gl/maps/rzdd6
Started on 18th morning along with my office colleagues by 5 am at coimbatore. Pickup Madhu & Prabhu near railway station.
3 Peoples and little luggage leaving city stopped near ettimadai for tea 10 Minutes. As the road works is on progress we had tough time to drive after crossing walayar check post some what road was ok.
Single lane road full traffic slow mooving still ok as the road surface was clean. approaching Vadakanchery road gone worst as lot of potholes.
Around 7.30 Am we reached vadakanchery and stopped for breakfast (too hungry as woke up by 4am). Arya bavan was good enough to have a decent breakfast. we munched IDLI fresh and tea.
Typical KERALITE tea light and large quantity. 30 Min break.
started to COCHIN and no break in between. Once we touched THRISSUR by pass we found the oasis ( four lane track).
Our car started to cruise at 100 - 140 KMPH speed. crossing ghat section was a head ache even though we made our way to cochin early to 9 AM.
We had an client meeting at cochin (ERNAKULAM) and we started our journey to TRIVANDRUM by 1.30 pm.
On the way again ARYA BAVAN for lunch, they served good white rice. 30 Min break.
This where our FATE went wrong we could not understand.
from COCHIN TO TRIVANDRUM.
Single lane road with lots of traffic we could not even cross 50-60 km speed on our vehicle. touched ALAPUZHA stopped for a drink (lemon soda) & small purchase or coir rugs which is good and low cost.
from ALAPUZHA we drove on highway (SO CALLED) again slow... slow..... traffic and now we understood why train is so prefer d in KERALA.
HECTIC journey continued we could not touch any decent speed on vehicle no use of any powerful vehicle or great driver on these roads.
light dimmed and sunset. we have not reached to TRIVANDRUM.6.30 PM we checked NOKIA maps still 35 Km to go.
Believe it or not by around 7.30 we reached TRIVANDRUM M.G ROAD. we checked in to our hotel PRINCE PLAZA.
first day 19th was very cool. MORNING we took and good walk on MG ROAD AND POLICE STADDIUM NEARBY.
We where on our customer visit and day was pleasant.
PROBLEM DAY 20 TH & 21ST ( NATIONAL HARTHAL, BUNDH)
Harthal or strike day at KERALA (any communist state) will be very interesting as the life come standstill. on 20 th we planned to visit some local cusotmer by around 10-15 km. circle.
Roads where deserted no much vehicle moving we are travelling like an VIP on the road as all the places are escorted and controlled by POLICE.
Day was ok to travel and reach back to hotel.
MOST TROUBLE DAY. first day of BUNDH / STRIKE.
We planed some more customer visit and we planned to move back to coimbatore as my colleague prabhu could not get bus to coimbatore.
In city we had no trouble to travel. madhu had flight by 10 pm night and i checked with the hotel for any arrangement of taxi to airport drop no luck.
I was forced to drop him to airport by 6 pm and planned to drive back to coimbatore via nagercoil instead of cochin.(I expected problem on road as strike is active).
We started from hotel and reaching near airport both guys prabhu & madhu instersted to visit shanmugha beach. we stopped the car for the same. 30 min break. good on beach people where moving around.
After beach stopping i drove straight to airport and found empty airport and checked still flights are operating. by saying BEST OF LUCK TO MADHU we left the place. time 7PM.
Started by 7 pm from trivandrum we missed the road NH instead we took kovalam by pass. around 10 Km we understood and returned and took MLA road which lead thro city and gets directly to NH (SO CALLED).
Things we going smooth until NEYATINKARA TOLL PLAZA. we paid Rs.10 ( no slip).
Few places some group of people on chariot and god where lined up on the road. no troble.
Nearing to TAMILNADU border 5 km before we stopped by an group of memebers (COMMUNIST) with RED FLAG stopped with aggressive language to go back .
In front of us they blocked an VAN carrying some materials and smashed the front glass. OUR BONES CHILLED.
Once again an fellow approached us and said in malayalam " WHY YOU ARE TRAVELLING IN HARTHAL DAY".
As i could understand malayalam having very pity expression on my FACE I said " ANNA WE NEED TO REACH COIMBATORE VERY URGENT.". we where are excused they stop us moving further.
One more scooter person was attacked by this group. we stopped our vehicle on the side of the road and switched off the engine to let them go so we could start.
Few Minutes one more person approached and same question and same answer. GODS GRACE he ran front of our car and said go i will make way for you.
He shown hands to the group to allow us to go. NO TIME I STARTED THE ENGINE AND RUSHED.
we safely crossed this group. ANOTHER 10 MIN WE WHERE IN TAMILNADU (KALIAKAVILLAI) TOWN.
we could breath as buses where moving no sign of stike etc etc....
Strange and disturbing experience. we stopped for food at 9 Pm at marthandam and we drove back to coimbatore non stop.
Once we crossed nagercoil we found the FOUR LANE ROAD and our car started to fly at 150-170 Km, since 3 days it was logging for this.
We crossed tirunelveli, madurai & dindugal & pollachi reached by 3.15 to coimbatore.
VERY STRANGE TRIP IN MY LIFE.
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