Hi All, back from Mindblowing 2 day , 1,300 kms trip.
Here is the small travellogue, please bare with me as I am not good in writing.
As planned, I think we managed the time properly.
As always like most of us, could not sleep properly the day before we had planned to start driving. Went on to bed at 10 pm after packing up the necessary things to carry for the trip by keeping an alarm to get up at 3 in the morning on Thursday and leave at 4. But, somehow could not sleep properly and was eagerly waiting to start driving :-) and woke up at 12 45 and was somehow managed to sleep for somemore time and was waiting for 3 o clock.
Got ready and as planned, friends reached my place at sharp 4 15 and we started at 4 30 to Tiruvannamalai.
Route taken was R T Nagar-Koramangala-E city-Krishnagiri and hit the bad roads for 80 kms strech to Tiruvannamalai. Wanted to take Vellore route but time was a constraint as my friend's marriage muhurtam was at 9 and did not wanted to be late for the wedding. As soon as we took a right after Krishnagiri, thought oh ok, not bad roads, can manage but I was proved wrong as I went ahead. I had just heard of people talking about the kind of road conditions over there but experienced it badly.
Stopped for breakfast before 30 kms to Tiruvannamalai, near a bus stop there at around 8 00 don't remember the place had a quick breakfast and left and managed to reach Tiruvannamalai at 9 15. Attended the marriage and took the blessings of the Lord and left Tiruvannamalai at 1 30.
Then the plan was to reach Pollachi by evening and stay at Hotel Sakthi on Thursday night and leave to Masani amma temple 15 kms from Pollachin the next morning.
Took a route suggested by our AppU i.e., Tiruvannamalai-Kalakurichi-Salem-Coimbatore-Pollachi, made use of my Android mob as GPS and it worked perfectly.
Till Salem we through couple of Villages and it was one road without divider and reached Salem by 3 30 pm, and man the roads were like a breeze. We reached Pollachi by 7.
Had dinner out there, the service was good, but unfortunately when we ordered for room service and asked for Chapathi and parota's we were given a Chicken curry
, but they promptly apologized for the same and gave us the veg curry later. Had enough parking space and as it was a weekday it was not difficult to get the room.
Friday,
Planned to leave hotel at around 6 and visit either Top slip or Valparai if time permits before we leave to bangalore as we had to reach by friday night but we were bit late and managed to leave hotel by 7 and reached Masani amma temple at 7 30 which was 15 kms away from hotel. After pooja, we were out by 8 45 and had finished breakfast by 9 30 then we wanted to decide what next either top slip or Valparai. Friends were saying lets go to Top slip which is only 25 kms from the temple but I was tempted towards Valparai and had to convince my buddies about the place which I remember going through a travelloge in TAI sometime ago and loved the pics from them wanted to visit this place. Everyone agreed and we started, again GPS was of great support and took us right. As we were lacking time, we did not want to stay any ways and just drive through, teach the hill top and get back.
Drove for an hour and started with the hair pin bend curves and we noticed 40 hair pin bend curves which was more than Ooty which I had done a month or two months ago in MY TINY.
I just loved driving there. Here and there few water falls, a huge tea estate and man it was different than Munnar or Ooty. Was not crowded at all. We reached Valparai with couple of picture sessions here and there and reached the top at around 11 30 am. Enjoyed the cool weather and relaxed for some time and started back to hotel and reached hotel by 2.
Vacated the hotel by 2 30, by the way forgot to add on the tariff rates it was nominal - 750 per night for 2 people one room - Non AC and 1450 for AC room We had opted for Non AC room.
Did not wanted to have lunch over there as we had a bad experience for dinner the previous day. Just after 200 meters we found hotel Amudha - Veg, belted like anything and started to Bangalore at 4.
While coming took Coimbatore-Salem-Krishnagiri-Hosur-Bangalore route. Unlike while coming, the road was super duper...and loved it to the core. No potholes, 4 lane superb highway and cruised MY TINY at 90 - 100 kmph constantly. Stopped at the Salem for a tea and thats all the next stop was at R T nagar 11 pm.
All in all, MY TINY perfomed amazingly and had one wonderful Road trip :-) Here are some pics.