A Road Oft travelled and Zara's last road trip

Zara n Me - Rajahmundry

I'm here at the infamous crossroads. That moment in life, a lifetime till it passes. Not the first to reach this milestone, not the last and not the only one. Lets just say, I travel as much in company, as alone. As light as the shirt on my back. And heavy with the burden of complex emotions, that we humans claim, puts us right up there, on top of the food chain.

The past year has been pretty tough. Illness in the family, uncertainty, separation and bereavement. More uncertainty.  Just adding up flying miles of endless journeys. And the circular motion of it brings you right back to where it all starts.

I've been yearning to break free. Break out. Feel the caress of the wind blowing through my hair. (Stop! This is my,  a bald mans, fantasy - wind blowing through whatever little growth there is, what once were flowing tresses). Maybe it's the right time for a journey Che?  I'm no Ernesto Rafael, and a bike ride would indeed be revolutionary for a guy now used to the creature comforts of an Air Con and the stability of four wheels. In my defence, the weather in my part of the world is hot hotter hottest and grislyly (is that a word?) humid.

As a young man, I  did traverse the length and breadth of this land on bikes, but then AirCon was a luxury and Global Warming never occurred to us. Whatever!! As a family man, Car it is. What about a buddy buddy road trip?  But the problem was that, I was not in a buddy buddy mood with humans. And my Dog Zara, or cat Dosa, for that matter, can't drive.  Though Zara loves the ride and Dosa hates it with equal measure. Romantic? At 46 it doesn't sound romantic. Sounds more like an approaching men-o-pause mid life crisis

SPOILER ALERT : THIS BLOG IS NOT A PHILOSOPHICAL "ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE" KIND OF TREATISE. 

For the pedantic, the only thing I know about Zen, is how to spell it, and motorcycle maintenance, however romantic it sounds, is definitely not on the cards.

Life presents opportunities. Sometimes unwanted. Mine came with the end of the school year and board exams of my daughter, and the need to take our Zara to her new family. So yes there was a rider. Quite literally four. My Wife and Zara, and later our daughter. Come to think of it, all our longer car rides have been with the three of us, with some part of our ever proliferating menagerie. But this time was different. It was time for our daughter to bid farewell to boarding school and time for Zara to go to her new home. Poignant. Separation. The last trip as a family, for some time to come. 

Vizag (Visakhapatnam for the uninitiated) to Bengaluru (Bangalore). A distance of more than 1000 Km each way. Down the scenic  East coast of India and then cutting across the deccan via Tirupati to everyone's favourite/cool cool city, Bengaluru. The bulk of our journey was on National Highway 16. (About 700+ Km). Depending on the detours enroute it is about 180-200 Km cutting across from the East Coast and then onto National Highway 75 (about 100-130 Km) for Bangalore.  For those interested in the Distances, Tips, Hotel reviews, Tolls, Journey metrics, Speed etc, please scroll to the end of this blog, after the jump break. Heads up. This is not an off-roader trail. Good to excellent roads. Enough pit stops along the way. Cell phone coverage almost throughout. So trust the lady that speaks out from the Google Maps App. Though, be warned, she does like to take shortcuts and at times leads you through some interesting country roads. And she has an abominable accent. (Though me wonders if it's a setting issue or plain woman power thingie, the lady on my wife's phone has a pretty much Indian accent).

Zara has very little of personal stuff. Mainly a few toys she's pretty possessive about. But we packed for  her like the parents of a bride. The seats were pushed back and lowered. Her mattress was laid out. Then her pet carrier was packed with every thing hers, from brushes to shampoos, to medicines to towels to food/water bowls, et all. Her  trousseau was carefully placed in the car. Then we squeezed in our bags. And an icebox/cooler and other knick knacks.

Surprisingly the Brezza has lots of space out at the back. Later we stuffed in a huge suitcase+small suitcase+bags+++ (ex-teenager-leaving-hostel) and also the teenager with more its n bits that followed in her wake. Of course Zara graciously gave up her bed and moved up front, ridding shotgun on the co-passengers lap, or curled up in his/her footwell. Yes space. My Brezza, was raring to take me on the journeys we had promised each other a year back. In this journey, as a family we have a come a long way. Serious upgrades. From a Bike, to a tank like Premier Padmini, to a WagonR to a "compact" SUV, city slicker ride. Wanderlust. The roads beckon again.

Preparations, primarily, had meant booking Pet friendly accommodation and downloading offline Google Maps for the entire stretch. The onward  journey was split into 4 days (easily doable in 3, or even 2 days if your Zen is trucking)
Day 1 : Vizag - Vijayawada
Day 2 : Vijayawada - Tirupati
Day 3 : Tirupati - The Peepal Grove School
Day 4 : PGS - Bangalore

The return journey was left to unfold at its own pace.

Day 1 : Vizag - Vijayawada (366 Km - 8h)

We were in no hurry. And we took our leisurely time. A break every hour to walk or feed Zara. Little breaks to extend our time with her. Breaks to change around driving duties. It's a miracle that we still managed an average speed of 45+ km per hour in this section.

The road from Vizag to Vijayawada is a four laner. You're pretty much safe on your side of the divider except for the occasional Speedy Gonzales's driving on the wrong side of the road. The traffic is pretty heavy leaving Vizag and in the town's / townships(which were once villages), enroute.

And here's the rub. On a 4 lane highway an ecosystem develops  around it, and at times almost on it. Towns, villages, tea shops and a varied assortment of businesses keep popping up, merrily encroaching at will. A slice of semi-urbanised India, lively and buoyant. Whereas the newer 6 laners are like a barren vastness, punctuated with the occasional Fuel Pumps, lay-byes, or Toll plazas. Otherwise pure nothingness. Air-strips running endlessly from one  toll booth to another. These are wide open spaces which have seemingly barricaded life away . Antiseptic, but a motorists delight? Really? Yes, if zip zap zoom is your fix. If the focus is to cover distances, point to point. I guess everyone has their own high.

Backwaters off Rajahmundry

The highway skirts Rajahmundry town. And just before the Godavari river Google decided to take us on a detour. We took a beautiful route across various bridges and along canals and tributaries that make up the Godavari delta. We loved it, Zara loved it and the country roads were a welcome relief, full of life and bereft of the truckers. On the journey back, we stuck to the highway-NH 16. Google was right, NH 16 was longer, looping in an arc closer to the coast. Lush green, but nothing like the country roads and with lots of traffic and trucks/trailers.

The section between Rajahmundry(on the banks of the Godavari River) and Vijayawada(Krishna River) straddles one of most fertile areas of Andhra Pradesh. The ride is scenic and comfortable, but the traffic density is higher, increasing as we reach the outskirts of Vijayawada, particularly after the airport. The entire section is dotted with Toll booths and every time you shell out you wonder why you're paying, because invariably the worst sections are near the Toll plazas. I almost reached out and asked the booth attendant to pay me for using the road.

We reached our Airbnb lodgings by late afternoon and settled down into a spacious and comfortable room (my wifes misgivings based on the colour scheme - purple - proved wrong) on the second floor of a house, with a big sitout and flowers all around.  Very friendly and hospitable hosts. The three of us crashed out after a "Swiggy" delivered dinner.

Day 2 : Vijayawada - Tirupati (414 Km - 6h 15m)

Breakfast at Vijayawada Homestay

The lady at the Airbnb gave us an awesome home cooked breakfast. And she loved dogs. A one way ticket to our hearts.

The second day is always easier. Nah we were not getting battle hardened. The road got better. Hugely better. Amaravati, which abuts Vijayawada, is slated to be the new capital of the Andhra Pradesh. And it shows on the highway. Massive 6 laners where you can actually floor the pedal, put your car in cruise control and fly. There are lot of hotels/Pit stops/Fuel Pumps between Vizag and Vijayawada. But after Vijayawada it keeps getting more desolate. Yes abundant Fuel pumps etc , but lifeless. Of course the suicidal Gonzales's, driving on the wrong side may appear, but they are rare, and you have enough place to manoeuvre to freedom. Yes the scenery is not as pleasing, but hang on you're about to takeoff. Well mostly. Zara too, was resigned to her fate and slept through.

The most exciting part was the police/Election commision(?) check posts that started popping up  Ostensibly they were looking for people ferrying cash?? I had visions of joining a line of cars and someone ditching a huge bag of cash onto my path. Alas, dreams don't come true with ease. The Pajero will have to wait.

Probably because of the Krishnapatnam port and surrounding industries, traffic increases manyfold near Nellore. About 80 Km beyond Nellore, we have to turn off the NH 16 towards Tirupati. The airstrip changes into a shady and scenic, but, poor mans highway. Bumpy in parts but generally a good drive. The Brezza's comfy shocks helped. Meandering roads back in touching distance of life. Big mobile woolly mammoths (tractor/wagons overloaded with hay from the paddy harvest) jostling for space. We made good time and reached our destination in Tirupati "Nayath Serviced Apartments". Large spacious 1 BHK apartment meant for  a larger family, but for us a Pet friendly haven. Mixed emotions, we would get to meet our daughter tomorrow, but another daughter would be leaving us the next day.

Day 3 : Tirupati - The Peepal Grove School (79 Km - 3h)

Bao Chan

Our daughters school nestles  in a verdant valley, in Chittoor district. The name stems from the concept of buddha gaining enlightenment under a peepal tree. And yes there are a few Peepal trees. We had time to kill and a short distance to cover. It was the last of the board exams and we did not want be a distraction to the young lady. So the aim was to reach late. Tirupati is home to a lot of ancient temples and forts. But we had already covered most of it. Google came to our rescue and ensured that we took as many country roads and back lanes as possible.

Vakula Mata Temple

A short distance outside Tirupati on the Kalpakkam road, in the Peruru village, is the Vakula Maata temple. This temple is part of the Lord Venkateswara lore that is both fascinating and intriguing. The Lady was Lord  Srinivasa's mother. The temple is believed to have been very opulent and studded with ornate jewels. Built in a manner that her visage faces the seven hills, where her son Lord Venkateswara resides. It now stands forlorn and abandoned. Since it is in the foothills the temple has faced pillage and defacement by the various indavers.

Rani mahal
Chandragiri

Rajarajeshwari Temple

Then Google aunty did it again. She tried to link us from NH 140 to NH 71 through a back road that hadn't even been built (was under construction). Go figure. Anyway we looped back on NH 140 and came across Chandragiri Fort. The ramparts of the fort barely exist. Remnants of its walls can be seen stretching across the hills. If planning a visit check AP tourism for the timings of the Museum  (it was closed when we visited) and the Light and Sound show.
  What remains, of this capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, is the Rani mahal which is now a museum and the Rajarajeshwari temple.

Walls of the Chandragiri Fort
snaking their way up the hill

Chandragiri

The highway constructions/expansions are going on in full swing along all the roads between here and beyond, towards Chennai and Bangalore. So Google took us along another country ride, 40 km journey through chittoor district. And we reached in time to greet our board-vanquishing princess. The evening was spent in the throes of teenage expressions of nostalgia and freedom and packing up.

Day 4 : PGS - Bangalore (173 Km - 4h 30m)

 PGS is known for the generous helpings of Red Rice served in the mess. Exotic food for visiting parents. Students, I guess, to put it mildly, would beg to differ.  PGS gave my daughter much more than healthy food and a nurturing education. It has made her more confident and all grown up. But it was time for the last goodbye.

The journey from PGS to bangalore cuts through little towns and villages this time peppered with cops looking for suitcases filled with cash. Still no one dumped a bag in my lap! Sigh!

The Old Lady at her New Home

We reached bangalore without any further incident. Reached Zara's new home. The most difficult part is letting go. There are angels in this world. These angels stepped forward to give our Zara a home. A home where she will be loved and taken care of.  The pain of letting her go will never go. But this had to be done.This is the best home we could have found for her. A family with 4 dogs. Two boxers, one with an amputated leg. An indie and another indie pup who they have recently rescued. She is surrounded by people who love her. Out of respect for their privacy I'm not naming the angels. We will forever be indebted to them. Yes, the most difficult part is letting go.

For years we've traveled from coast to coast with more than a zoo in our bags. All kinds of animals rescued by my wife. Dogs, cats, turtles even  birds. Zara, too, came to us battered and bruised. It was a miracle she survived. But this time was different. She was getting older and the family was moving in different directions. We drew up farcical plans of relocating multiple times so that Zara could stay. Money apart the Vet vetoed the plan. Even if it worked out, such convoluted travel and prolonged quarantines was not something Zara could endure.

Letting go is the most difficult part.

Day 5/6 : Bangalore 

 We stayed at a friend's place. Yes we visited the standard watering holes. The routine breakfast at Koshy's, a teenager driven - K Pop fuelled - korean dinner at The Himalayan. A lunch at some mediterranean joint. Amazing foodie experiences.

  But there is a void. Every 5 min we would check on WhatsApp. How is Zara faring? Zara's new mother - the epitome of patience, feeds us with unlimited news updates, video clips and photos. We stay in Bangalore for two days. To let Zara settle down and then say a final goodbye. But we figure that would be too cruel to her, to back, and then leave her.

Day 7 : Bangalore - Nellore (380Km - 08h 20m)

The Bald & The Beautiful

A break, or should I say heartbreak, at Bangalore and we are off to Vizag. Strange.  For the first time this family road journey does not include the search for a pet friendly lodging. Zara is in a home where people love her. We set off in the general direction of home. No plans, except that we need to get there eventually. Home that too, will, soon be a part of the the shifting sands of our memories. Newer shores beckon.

At the Shell Petrol Pump, 50 Km from Kolar, on NH 75, sumptuous Breakfast at Maiyas (strongly recommend the the Idly, vada and Masala Dosa and Ghee roast Dosa and the Khara bhaat - Oh well everything is good) . The stop incidentally also houses a  Starbucks and an McD. Across the road is the Cafe Coffee Day  that we have stopped at, every time, on our visits to the school. Swirling sands of time. We discover the place also houses Rabbits, Love birds, geese, myriad shops and a smoking room. The mind wanders.

We follow Google maps and it too meanders. Short cuts or the real deal? Scenic villages flash by. A Slice of rural life. Small towns. Country roads. Denver plays on the stereo. Another village goes past. Makes me pause and think that people spend their entire life in one village. Maybe venturing out till the next village. It is me who is moving. That village boy was there yesterday and that man will be there tomorrow too. It that a blessed existence?

Meanwhile the road is crisscrossing and snaking across the swanky new 6 laner morphing out of the rubble that once were untouched mountains, pristine forests, mango groves and lush fields. Another offering to the goddess of progress. A sign of a country, an economy hungry, roaring to unshackle the past. Roads like airport runways. As detached as the concrete and asphalt used to build them. And bowing down to the newness I slip my car into cruise control.

A temple in the Srikalahasti complex

We stop at Srikalahasti. Lost lores of the past. I have written about this temple in my a previous Blog, so I'll not dwell too much on it. One wonders at the architectural prowess of the ancients. The stories that too have been lost in time to transform into rituals embalmed in faith, not to be questioned.

We decided to move onto the highway to home, as if trying to leave bangalore as far behind as possible. We reached Nellore and lucked out in our choice of the Hotel. On the bright side, for the superstitious, that was scratch one. Salt over the shoulder. The hotel sucked, big time. But we were tired. On the road, it really hits you only when you finally stop. Then you just crash. Dinner was instant noodles and Home made Sandwiches, ex-Bangalore.

A video of Zara in her new house. Playing, socialising with the other four legged members of her family. Happy. Sad. Move on. She does this boss-woman thing. The puppy succumbs. Later we hear she has taken charge of the boxer boys. The indie too will succumb. Zara is old, getting older, 10 years, and still a charmer. A little loveable bully.

Day 8 : Nellore - Vijayawada (274 Km - 4h 15m)

Nellore fuelled a desire to move on . Yet tired bones had a late start. The girls refused breakfast at the Hotel. So we hit the road. A pit stop for fuel and a late breakfast.  Breakfast at a Hotel called Sitara. We were hungry and the Dosa tasted good. Normally I like change but one night at the Oyo and I was game for anything semi-decent even if it was an overdose of Dosa.

That benevolence didn't last too long and by the time we reached Vijayawada we were craving for change. So we googled, Zomato(ed) and brainstormed (means I got shouted down) and went for lunch at an arabic joint. "Barkaas Arabic Restaurant". Juicy Mutton Mandi. Which basically means mutton biryani served in a single large plate and every one gets to put their hands in the trough (and me a spoon).  More brainstorming (I was silent by now) and dessert at "Roll Over". (fancy sounding stuff - basically ice cream and chocolate sauce)

Have you ever wondered what to do when you're in a middle of a town and need a clean Public toilet? Simple, visit  a Mall. They are easier to find, air conditioned and google gives directions. Cheap at 40 bucks for parking.

Anandasena

Undavalli

The tossup was whether to press on to Rajahmundry or visit places of interest in Vijayawada.  I am proud to say, I took the call (I was driving at the others too tired to object- hungover from Nellore). So we went to the Undavalli Caves, about 10km from the town. Undavalli Caves  are a monolithic structure carved out of a single sandstone hill. And date back to 4-5 cent A.D. Fascinating carvings by the Vishwakarma Sthapathis, in three stories, exhibiting Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture. The centerpiece is a a huge Statue of Lord Vishnu as Ananadasena lying on the snake Sheshnag.   Graffiti exhibiting undying love of unlimited jerks and monkeys also infest the place, and while monkeys forage humans litter at will.

We decided to camp in Vijayawada and meandered looking for a suitable nesting place.
A tired, Oyo scarred, family gleefully accepted the comforts and food of Hotel City Central.

Day 9 : Vijayawada - Vizag (362 Km - 7h 30m)

Even the Gods Travel

The trip to Vizag was uneventful. Busy roads traffic, scenic drive, sums it up. Of course the Police check posts. Andhra was in full election mood. We saw no such checks in Karnataka. To top it all, at Jagdampeta we ran into a  Political rally of sorts. It consisted of numerous  people milling around like headless chicken. Autos overflowing with Tees and flags of a particular bright fluorescent hue. Flags loud crackers, rockets and Flower petals (of the same hue) littered. Moving in both directions, on both sides of the road - bikes autos, humans and cattle. Live-stock Huh?

Dosa

Reach home. Dosa's babysitter opens the door. An eerie silence. For the first time we are not  greeted by the joyful barking of gods own creature. Dosa sulks and skulks and then meows, as if to say where is Zara? Little does she know that she will be gone soon. That this home will also swirl away. Beautiful memories that will haunt us for ever. This move will be different. Very different. Meanwhile Dosa cuddles in my lap, climbs over my shoulder. Purring. Welcome home papa. Is this love or is this love.

For the Number Crunchers

Vizag-Bangalore
NH 16                     715
Cutting across         213
NH 75                 104
Total Journey       1032

Bangalore-Vizag
NH 75                 136
Cutting across         181
NH 16                706.6
Total Journey      1023.6


🏡  Pet Friendly Accommodation : 🐕🐈 Those travelling with Pets please check if the Hotel/Homestay is Pet friendly. We used
👉 Airbnb. Select "Filters". Scroll to "House Rules" select "Pets Allowed"
👉 Google Search "Pet Friendly Hotels at XXXX". Scroll down to Googles own listings of "Hotels". Click and Googles travel page pops up. Select "Filters". In "Amenities" select "Pet Friendly"
✋ Please call/text the Hotel and confirm the "Pet Friendly" Tag is correct. We found a few places did not accept pets, despite being tagged.

🍴  Abundant places to eat enroute. South Indian fare is readily available. Drive into the cities for alternative cuisines.

📱  Good Cell phone coverage along all sections(Both BSNL and Airtel). Airtel 4G coverage was available in most parts. I suggest you download offline maps before hand uninterrupted navigation.

🚘 Trust Google Maps. But do a route review beforehand on your desktop, remember the visible real estate is limited on your cell phone

<< CLICK JUMP BREAK BELOW FOR MORE - HOTELS, TOLL DATA, DISTANCES, AV SPEEDS ETC>>

Hotel reviews

Vijayawada Airbnb 
A very comfortable stay and that amazing breakfast. Pet friendly. Was driving through, needed a pet friendly and comfortable place to stay. Very friendly and hospitable hosts. Beautiful house with lots of flowers. Spacious room. Large double bed. Ample cupboard space. Big sitout. Clean room and washroom. Extra couch for larger families. TV / cable/AC in room. Breakfast homemade and delicious. For those staying longer Swiggy delivered dinner.

Tirupati - Nayath Serviced Apartments
Centrally located. Very courteous and friendly staff. Parking for 4 wheeler. 1 BHK . Comfortable bedroom. King sized bed. Clean linen. Large Hall cum Kitchen. 2 toilets. AC in bedroom and Hall. Kitchenette with gas stove and utensils, crockery and cutlery. RO drinking water. Ideal for a Family who want to cook. Alternatively, Swiggy delivers food. Lots of decent eating places, including a Domino's, at 2 minutes walk and an Ice cream joint at the gate. Junk revolution - there is a McD close buy and KFC can be delivered. The duty staff, on request, got packed food for us. 2 large couches in Hall. TV with cable/set top box. Comfortable for group of 4-6 people. A Petrol Pump is located next door. For us the clincher - it was pet friendly.

Nellore Oyo - OYO 24580 Sri Surya Guest Inn
This place is located bang on the NH 16. Behind a Fuel Bunk. But is was the worst experience of the trip. All the things a physically and mentally drained family does not require. No attached kitchen/restaurant. Dirty linen. Dirty bathrooms. Drain chocked. Had to chase them to clean it. The AC smelt of stale cigarette smoke (no smoking hotel at that??). The bed runner had cig burns, And the icing was that the cleaning lady, to our horror, tried to clean the fridge with an old underwear. Anyway we fought exhaustion and hotel staff to settle into a relatively cleaner room. Sandwiches courtesy wifey's foresight and junk food ex bangalore were the silver lining and dinner.

Vijayawada - Hotel City Central
Centrally located. Excellent AC rooms. Comfy. Polite and friendly staff, courteous eager to please. Restaurant food is pretty decent. Please be aware room rates in Hotels in Vijaywada are higher than say Vizag. So if you book in advance or are a large family/group look at Airbnb, Decent options are available.

Toll Roads

Both NH 16 and NH 75 have multiple Toll sections. However when cutting across from NH 16 to 75, the 6 lane highways are still under construction. Unlikely to encounter any Toll gates. Here is a link to check the Toll cost you would have to pay on all the Highways in India. I found it pretty accurate, except at one place where the Toll plaza has recently been shut down (Visakhapatnam-to-Tirupati route).  Be prepared to shell out a shade under 1K one way .

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Toll Plaza	Date/Time	Cost Single Journey
Vizag	to	Vijayawada
Vempadu	13Mar19	105
Krishnavaram	13Mar19	80
Unguturu	13Mar19	85
Kalaparu	13Mar19	40
Potipadu	13Mar19	40
		350
Vijayawada	to	Tirupati
Kaza	14Mar19	90
Bollapalli	14Mar19	135
Tanguturu	14Mar19	75
Musunur	14Mar19	50
Venkatachalamo	14Mar19	30
Budhanam	14Mar19	40
		420
Tirupati	to	PGS
No toll
PGS	to	Bangalore
Mulbagal	16Mar19	70
Hoskote	16Mar19	15
		85
	Total	855
Bangalore	to	Nellore
Hoskote	19Mar19	15
Mulbagal	19Mar19	70
Gaddurur	19Mar19	25
Budhanam	19Mar19	40
Venkatachalamo	19Mar19	30
		180
Nellore	to	Vijayawada
Musunur	20Mar19	50
Tanguturu	20Mar19	75
Bollapalli	20Mar19	135
Kaza	20Mar19	90
		350
Vijayawada	to	Vizag
Potipadu	21Mar19	40
Kalaparu	21Mar19	40
Unguturu	21Mar19	85
Ethakota	21Mar19	90
Krishnavaram	21Mar19	80
Vempadu	21Mar19	105
		440
	Total	970
Total Both ways		1825
	extra on return	115

Journey Metrics

If you're brave enough to scroll down till here. Brave on.

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Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed	Speed
13/03/19	08:33	00:00	Start Vizag	366	0	00:00
13/03/19	08:48	00:15	Stop Convenience Store			00:15	0.00	0.00
13/03/19	09:26	00:38	Gajuwaka Heavy traffic			00:53	0.00	0.00
13/03/19	09:40	00:14	Toll plaza Anganampudi Removed no Toll. Traffic eases	340	26	01:07	23.28	111.43
13/03/19	09:47	00:07	Rest room	336	30	01:14	24.32	34.29
13/03/19	10:13	00:26	Break	325	41	01:40	24.60	25.38
13/03/19	11:06	00:53	Toll Plaza and Break	273	93	02:33	36.47	58.87
13/03/19	12:41	01:35	Gandepalli	185	181	04:08	43.79	55.58
13/03/19	13:46	01:05	Godavari Delta Rajahmundry left NH 16. Pavathipadi Roundabout. Google makes us takes a picturesque route	140	226	05:13	43.32	41.54
13/03/19	13:57	00:11	Roundabout U turn for heading back to NH 16. Road skirts a canal	134	232	05:24	42.96	32.73
13/03/19	14:04	00:07	Sethipetta checkdam	130	236	05:31	42.78	34.29
13/03/19	16:26	02:22	Arrival Vijayawada	0	366	07:53	46.43	54.93
Total	Time	07:53	Average Speed		46.43
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
14/03/19	08:16	00:00	Start Vijayawada 4.5 Km to bridge over Krishna river then clear traffic	414	0	00:00
14/03/19	08:51	00:35	Guntur turnoff. Road quality changes dramatically. Swanky Amravati 6 lane highway	382	32	00:35	54.86	54.86
14/03/19	09:20	00:29	Short of banapavaram road narrows to 4 lane	340	74	01:04	69.38	86.90
14/03/19	09:31	00:11	Matur 6 lane highway	328	86	01:15	68.80	65.45
14/03/19	09:35	00:04	Police check for cash? Elections??	323	91	01:19	69.11	75.00
14/03/19	09:45	00:10	Bollapalli Toll Plaza	309	105	01:29	70.79	84.00
14/03/19	09:47	00:02	Pit Stop	308	106	01:31	69.89	30.00
14/03/19	10:12	00:25	Nagullipallapaku. bad stretch	285	129	01:56	66.72	55.20
14/03/19	10:46	00:34	toll	246	168	02:30	67.20	68.82
14/03/19	11:11	00:25	Police check for cash? Elections??	200	214	02:55	73.37	110.40
14/03/19	11:37	00:26	Alluru Road	164	250	03:21	74.63	83.08
14/03/19	11:48	00:11	Nellore outer	143	271	03:32	76.70	114.55
14/03/19	13:02	01:14	Sharp right, V turn to Tirupati. leave NH16/AH45. for Naidupetta - NH 71 Naidupetta - Mallamu Road. Ok Road but bumpy. 1 Km Pathapattu- naidupetta Road NH 71	65	349	04:46	73.22	63.24
14/03/19	13:30	00:28	skirting Srikalahasti	40	374	05:14	71.46	53.57
14/03/19	14:31	01:01	Reach destination Nayath Svc Apt. Fill Fuel	0	414	06:15	66.24	39.34
Total	Time	06:15	Average Speed		66.24
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
15/03/19	12:18	00:00	Start Nayath Tirupati	79	0	00:00
15/03/19	12:20	00:02	onto Tirupati bypass road and then Tirupati Kalpakam Road	78	1	00:02	30.00	30.00
15/03/19	12:30	00:10	Vakula Mata Temple. Temple of Mother of Venkateswara Swami	70	9	00:12	45.00	48.00
15/03/19	12:45	00:15	Google takes wrong road. Road closed. Had to turn back to Tirupati kalpakam road. road closed under construction. Google Tried to route to NH 71 using Kaloor road to cut across to NH 140 and onto NH 71 .	68	11	00:27	24.44	8.00
15/03/19	12:54	00:09	Meet NH 140. Stop at Chandragiri fort. Museum closed. pond. moat . Rani Mahal. rajarajeshwari temple	65	14	00:36	23.33	20.00
15/03/19	13:36	00:42	starting journey again from NH 140	67	12	01:18	9.23
15/03/19	14:14	00:38	Turn off from NH 140 to narrow country road towards Pakala. Major roadworks on NH 140. The narrow road we follow meets up railway line	39	40	01:56	20.69	44.21
15/03/19	14:22	00:08	Pakala Punganur road	35	44	02:04	21.29	30.00
15/03/19	14:41	00:19	Dhamalcheruvu Turn on to NH 40. 2 lane road	26	53	02:23	22.24	28.42
15/03/19	15:25	00:44	Cross Sadum Reach PGS	0	79	03:07	25.35	35.45
Total	Time	03:07	Average Speed		25.35
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
16/03/19	09:14	00:00	Start from PGS	173	0	00:00
16/03/19	09:39	00:25	Police check elections	157	16	00:25	38.40	38.40
16/03/19	10:09	00:30	Punganur Sharp V right to NH42. then narrow country road	134	39	00:55	42.55	46.00
16/03/19	10:30	00:21	Rajupalli Turn Right. road widens	124	49	01:16	38.68	28.57
16/03/19	10:32	00:02	Police check near rock valley resort. Karnataka border cross	123	50	01:18	38.46	30.00
16/03/19	10:56	00:24	Turn right on main 6 lane highway NH69. At Audugodi meet NH 75	104	69	01:42	40.59	47.50
16/03/19	11:14	00:18	Toll Booth Mulbagal Toll	83	90	02:00	45.00	70.00
16/03/19	11:24	00:10	Cafe Coffee Day . stop. Opposite side McD Starbucks. Shell	74	99	02:10	45.69	54.00
16/03/19	11:56	00:32	start CCD	74	99	02:42	36.67	0.00
16/03/19	12:37	00:41	traffic increases	25	148	03:23	43.74	71.71
16/03/19	12:45	00:08	Hoskote Toll Plaza. Heavy Traffic	20	153	03:31	43.51	37.50
16/03/19	13:40	00:55	Reach Zara new home.	0	173	04:26	39.02	21.82
	Time	04:26	Average Speed		39.02
16/03/19	16:11	00:43	Friends House Stay . Kormangala		10			13.95
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
19/03/19	07:18	00:00	Start from Kormangala	255	0	00:00
19/03/19	07:35	00:17	Hosur road to Swami Vivekananda Road	249	6	00:17	21.18	21.18
19/03/19	07:39	00:04	Old Madras road petrol pump	247	8	00:21	22.86	30.00
19/03/19	07:41	00:02	Swami Vivekananda Metro Stn St Mary's statue. Chandar nagar Traffic increases	246	9	00:23	23.48	30.00
19/03/19	07:59	00:18	Toll Road starts		255	00:41	373.17	820.00
19/03/19	08:44	00:45	Kolar	240	15	01:26	10.47	-320.00
19/03/19	08:54	00:10	Maiyas Breakfast Shell Petrol Pump McD Startbucks, opposite side Cafe Coffee Day	190	65	01:36	40.62	300.00
19/03/19	09:35	00:41	Restart. Driver Change. Aru drive	179	76	02:17	33.28	16.10
19/03/19	09:43	00:08	Toll Mulbagal. Move to NH 69 at Audugodi	170	85	02:25	35.17	67.50
19/03/19	09:58	00:15	Turn off to PGS continue on NH 69.	148	107	02:40	40.12	88.00
19/03/19	10:06	00:08	Toll Gaddurur. Cross Karnataka / AP Border	139	116	02:48	41.43	67.50
19/03/19	10:09	00:03	Police check Elections	138	117	02:51	41.05	20.00
19/03/19	10:13	00:04	Road work new bridge . highway expansion	133	122	02:55	41.83	75.00
19/03/19	10:17	00:04	Diversion Bridge work	130	125	02:59	41.90	45.00
19/03/19	10:20	00:03	road work finishes . concrete road	128	127	03:02	41.87	40.00
19/03/19	10:25	00:05	Diversion Bridge work	121	134	03:07	42.99	84.00
19/03/19	10:29	00:04	right turn to NH 69. narrow road but more scenic towns lakes etc	119	136	03:11	42.72	30.00
19/03/19	10:35	00:06	change driver Palamaner Jai driving	117	138	03:17	42.03	20.00
19/03/19	10:40	00:05	roadworks	114	141	03:22	41.88	36.00
19/03/19	10:45	00:05	roadworks	110	145	03:27	42.03	48.00
19/03/19	10:48	00:03	roadworks	107	148	03:30	42.29	60.00
19/03/19	10:50	00:02	roadworks	104	151	03:32	42.74	90.00
19/03/19	10:54	00:04	roadworks	93	162	03:36	45.00	165.00
19/03/19	10:59	00:05	Police check Elections	91	164	03:41	44.52	24.00
19/03/19	11:05	00:06	turn left onto thin winding country road. Google aunty does it again	88	167	03:47	44.14	30.00
19/03/19	11:32	00:27	turn left onto kannapakan road - wider road	70	185	04:14	43.70	40.00
19/03/19	11:38	00:06	turn right to Tirupati	67	188	04:20	43.38	30.00
19/03/19	11:45	00:07	Road snakes / crisscrosses the new 6 lane highway under construction	62	193	04:27	43.37	42.86
19/03/19	11:46	00:01	turn right to Tirupati	61	194	04:28	43.43	60.00
19/03/19	11:52	00:06	turn left at puthalapattu NH 40	56	199	04:34	43.58	50.00
19/03/19	11:56	00:04	turn right onto NH 140. 6 lane highway. road widening work but traffic smooth on both sides	54	201	04:38	43.38	30.00
19/03/19	12:12	00:16	stop on NH 140. change driver. aru	49	206	04:54	42.04	18.75
19/03/19	12:16	00:04	start	49	206	04:58	41.48	0.00
19/03/19	13:00	00:44	Tirupati bypass	5	250	05:42	43.86	60.00
		05:42	Average Speed		43.86
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
19/03/19	13:00	00:00	Tirupati bypass	32	0	00:00
19/03/19	13:04	00:04	left to NH 716/ 71 right to R&B road	30	2	00:04	30.00	30.00
19/03/19	13:09	00:05	major district road	26	6	00:09	40.00	48.00
19/03/19	13:10	00:01	back on NH 71 again	28	4	00:10	24.00	-120.00
19/03/19	13:44	00:34	Change driver Jai for Srikalahasti	1	31	00:44	42.27	47.65
19/03/19	13:46	00:02	Reach Srikalahasti	0	32	00:46	41.74	30.00
	Time	00:46	Average Speed		41.74
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
19/03/19	15:09	00:00	Start from Srikalahasti Jai drive	100	0	00:00
19/03/19	15:21	00:12	At Singamala meet road to nellore - NH 71	97	3	00:12	15.00	15.00
19/03/19	15:48	00:27	Naidupeta right turn	72	28	00:39	43.08	55.56
19/03/19	15:51	00:03	Sharp left onto NH 16 swanky 6 lane now	70	30	00:42	42.86	40.00
19/03/19	16:05	00:14	Budhanam toll plaza	50	50	00:56	53.57	85.71
19/03/19	16:38	00:33	Venkatachalamo Toll plaza	21	79	01:29	53.26	52.73
19/03/19	16:38	00:00	Police check Elections	21	79	01:29	53.26
19/03/19	16:45	00:07	restart	21	79	01:36	49.38	0.00
19/03/19	17:01	00:16	reach OYO Surya Guest Inn	2	98	01:52	52.50	71.25
	Time	01:52	Average Speed		52.50
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
20/03/19	09:09	00:00	Start from Oyo Nellore	277	0	00:00
20/03/19	09:17	00:08	Diesel Top up + Air Top up	271	6	00:08	45.00	45.00
20/03/19	09:25	00:08	Starting from fuel station	271	6	00:16	22.50	0.00
20/03/19	09:42	00:17	Police Check. Road diversion. highway bridge construction	247	30	00:33	54.55	84.71
20/03/19	09:46	00:04	one side road closed for 2 km	245	32	00:37	51.89	30.00
20/03/19	09:57	00:11	Musunur Toll plaza	230	47	00:48	58.75	81.82
20/03/19	10:12	00:15	police check	211	66	01:03	62.86	76.00
20/03/19	10:17	00:05	start after police check	211	66	01:08	58.24	0.00
20/03/19	10:34	00:17	Stop for breakfast. hotel sitara	189	88	01:25	62.12	77.65
20/03/19	10:55	00:21	start change driver Aru Drives	189	88	01:46	49.81	0.00
20/03/19	11:15	00:20	Police check	166	111	02:06	52.86	69.00
20/03/19	11:18	00:03	Tanguturu Toll plaza	167	110	02:09	51.16	-20.00
20/03/19	12:01	00:43	Bollapalli Toll plaza	103	174	02:52	60.70	89.30
20/03/19	12:18	00:17	Police check. road narrows 4 lane. Chilakalurupeta town	87	190	03:09	60.32	56.47
20/03/19	12:29	00:11	traffic eases	72	205	03:20	61.50	81.82
20/03/19	12:31	00:02	6 lane starts awesome road	68	209	03:22	62.08	120.00
20/03/19	13:01	00:30	Driver Change Jai Driving	30	247	03:52	63.88	76.00
20/03/19	13:09	00:08	Kaza Toll plaza	20	257	04:00	64.25	75.00
20/03/19	13:21	00:12	Crossing Vijawada bridge Krishna river	5.1	271.9	04:12	64.74	74.50
20/03/19	13:25	00:04	Vijawada MG Road	2.3	274.7	04:16	64.38	42.00
20/03/19			Lunch at Arabian Restaurant Barkaas. ice cream at Roll up		274.7	04:16	64.38
	Time	04:16	Average Speed		64.38
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
20/03/19	15:33	00:00	Start for Undavalli caves (ETA Google 22 min)	9.8	0	00:00
20/03/19	15:43	00:10	Turn right onto Krishnalanka road	7.3	2.5	00:10	15.00	15.00
20/03/19	15:44	00:01	At main road slight left onto NH 65. turn left onto Prakasam	6.7	3.1	00:11	16.91	36.00
20/03/19	15:47	00:03	Cross barrage on Krishna river	4.9	4.9	00:14	21.00	36.00
20/03/19	15:50	00:03	kalkutta trunk road	2.8	7	00:17	24.71	42.00
20/03/19	15:51	00:01	turn right onto Undavalli yerrapalem road. Towards High Court	2.5	7.3	00:18	24.33	18.00
20/03/19	15:53	00:02	Reach Undavalli caves	0	9.8	00:20	29.40	75.00
	Time	00:20	Average Speed		29.40			58.80
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
20/03/19			Meander Vijawada looking for hotel		12
20/03/19			Hotel Aria Hotel Marg Krishnaiya		10
20/03/19	17:42	01:49	Finally City Central Hotel		22			6.61
Date	Time	Dur	Place	Km	Tot Km	Total Time	Av Speed
21/03/19	09:04	00:00	Start from Hotel City Central Vijawada for Vizag. ETA Vizag 16:36 . Light to no traffic within Vijawada city	367	0	00:00
21/03/19	09:15	00:11	onto NH16. Heavy traffic.City traffic 4 lane highway	361	6	00:11	32.73	32.73
21/03/19	09:30	00:15	Vijawada Airport. Traffic eases	345	22	00:26	50.77	64.00
21/03/19	09:35	00:05	Gannavaram Town road narrows. traffic	344	23	00:31	44.52	12.00
21/03/19	09:44	00:09	Potipadu Toll Plaza. road good. still 4 lane	339	28	00:40	42.00	33.33
21/03/19	09:51	00:07	Hanuman Junction heavy traffic	325	42	00:47	53.62	120.00
21/03/19	10:06	00:15	Kalaparu Toll plaza	317	50	01:02	48.39	32.00
21/03/19	10:48	00:42	Unguturu Toll plaza. Can't understand why we pay toll with these road conditions	266	101	01:44	58.27	72.86
21/03/19	11:03	00:15	Google wants us to turn onto country roads, but we continue on NH 16	257	110	01:59	55.46	36.00
21/03/19	11:21	00:18	Stay on NH 16 (longer route - 15/20 Min). Google suggested more scenic route thru country roads	259	108	02:17	47.30	-6.67
21/03/19	11:31	00:10	Godavari river bridge	248	119	02:27	48.57	66.00
21/03/19	11:34	00:03	Ethakota Toll plaza (did not pass this on way in, as we bypassed this stretch)	244	123	02:30	49.20	80.00
21/03/19	11:43	00:09	main Godavari river bridge. dry expanse.. little water	237	130	02:39	49.06	46.67
21/03/19	12:00	00:17	Turn off just before Rajahmundry that Google took us on last time around.	216	151	02:56	51.48	74.12
21/03/19	12:07	00:07	Stopped for break	210	157	03:03	51.48	51.43
21/03/19	12:12	00:05	Started	210	157	03:08	50.11	0.00
21/03/19	12:13	00:01	Rajahmundry	209	158	03:09	50.16	60.00
21/03/19	12:14	00:01	Turning into Rajahmundry for a pitstop	210	157	03:10	49.58	-60.00
21/03/19	12:51	00:37	Break. Google - ETA Vizag 17:00	210	157	03:47	41.50	0.00
21/03/19	12:54	00:03	Driver Change Aru Driving	202	165	03:50	43.04	160.00
21/03/19	13:21	00:27	Roadworks for New Bridge on highway	185	182	04:17	42.49	37.78
21/03/19	13:34	00:13	6 lane but we run into political rally at Jadampeta	171	196	04:30	43.56	64.62
21/03/19	13:40	00:06	Traffic opens up	168	199	04:36	43.26	30.00
21/03/19	13:46	00:06	Krishnavaram Toll plaza	163	204	04:42	43.40	50.00
21/03/19	14:12	00:26	Turn off for Kakinada. (36 Km)	136	231	05:08	45.00	62.31
21/03/19	14:36	00:24	6 lane highway	102	265	05:32	47.89	85.00
21/03/19	14:39	00:03	4 lane highway	104	263	05:35	47.10	-40.00
21/03/19	14:48	00:09	Vempadu Toll plaza	93	274	05:44	47.79	73.33
21/03/19	15:14	00:26	Stop driver Change Jai Driving	63	304	06:10	49.30	69.23
21/03/19	15:31	00:17	Ankapalli turn	44	323	06:27	50.08	67.06
21/03/19	15:50	00:19	Anganampudi Toll plaza abandoned	25	342	06:46	50.54	60.00
21/03/19	15:52	00:02	Vizag steel plant road on the right. Continue straight on NH 16	24	343	06:48	50.44	30.00
21/03/19	16:05	00:13	Airport - port road turn off. Continued Straight instead of turn as suggested by Google	16	351	07:01	50.02	36.92
21/03/19	16:08	00:03	Airport	14	353	07:04	49.95	40.00
21/03/19	16:10	00:02	NAD junction	13	354	07:06	49.86	30.00
21/03/19	16:23	00:13	Railway station turn off. Straight instead of turn as suggested by Google	6.5	360.5	07:19	49.27	30.00
21/03/19	16:41	00:18	Turn off to Aru's parents house	5.1	361.9	07:37	47.51	4.67
	Time	07:37	Average Speed		47.51
21/03/19	17:42		Aru Parents to Home	5.8	5.8
			Total Km			2096.2
			As per Odometer			2134.1
			Meandering		37.9

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