UP-style breakfast in Thane
It began to drizzle as we left Thane. We passed yet another (and the last in Maharashtra) toll gate before the traffic thinned out. We maintained a healthy steady speed of 100 kmph throughout the stretch. Soon however, we noticed that the vehicle was making odd noises when the accelerator was stepped on. Chandu immediately got into action. She called up the Mahindra helpline and worked on identifying a service station. Thomas spoke to Nanda (the Jeep expert in our group). Nanda diagnosed this as a minor issue with the propeller shaft and suggested that we get the vehicle examined by a local truck mechanic. Chandu managed to get through to a service station in Vapi and spent several minutes explaining the problem to them as Thomas started looking out for truck workshops.
Coated with dirt
We finally spotted a truck workshop on the highway, a muddy yard filled with trucks, adjoining a restaurant. There was a mechanic greasing a truck. He was a short wiry guy probably from eastern UP. He carried a pail of grease and was covered in grease and dirt. When I explained the problem to him, he understood it, and promptly slid under the Bolero. He examined the differential and propeller shaft and pronounced his verdict - slight play in the propeller shaft, but not life-threatening. I paid him 100 rupees for his diagnosis. He looked stunned for a moment. He had probably expected 10 rupees or nothing at all. He promptly pocketed the money and as if to make this stop really worthwhile, he again slid under the Bolero, greased the suspension, and reassured us that all was fine. I really felt sad for him. This guy saved me a few thousand rupees and probably didn't even realize that. Even if he did, he didn't possess the guile to trick me into parting with more money. Thomas explained that the service station would have replaced the entire shaft assembly, charged me a bomb, and wasted the entire day in the process. So, we decided not to go to the service station and carry on with the drive.
The honest truck mechanic
It continued to rain as we drove through Maharashtra and we reached the Gujarat border by 10:30 AM. The rain had ceased a bit, but it was cloudy and made the aircon very effective. The road was familiar but vastly improved. In Dec 2008, when travelling from Delhi to Bangalore, we encountered several diversions as the highway was being upgraded. This time around, we found that the highway had been widened. We made very good progress through Gujarat, paid lesser toll fees than we did in Maharashtra, and by lunch time, we had covered nearly 400 kms.
Lunch was great. After searching for an authentic katiawadi restaurant, we finally settled on a restaurant that looked authentic, but turned out to be fake. But the food was good. So after a sumptuous lunch, we set out again. Thomas took to the wheel, and I retired to the rear seat to sleep.
When I woke up, we were already on the Ahmedabad-Baroda expressway and it was raining very heavily. It stopped raining by the time we finished. During this time, Chandu also drove a bit. We refueled at a Reliance gas station.
Heavy rains in Gujarat
We exited the expressway at about 4:30 PM and entered Ahmadabad city. It slowed us down a bit. The highway was being widened and there were several diversions. The traffic police were stopping all out-of-state vehicles and checking for emission certificates and drivers licenses. Luckily we had both and it was smooth sailing except for one incident - Button Up Your Shirt, Jackass!
Roads being widened in the outskirts of Ahmadabad
We entered Rajastan at about 7:00 PM. The drive was incredibly good and the bliss on Thomas' face was unmistakable. The drive was so scenic, that I finally got Thomas to stop to take a few pics. We made such good progress that we reached the outskirts of Udaipur by 8:30 PM - 12 hours. However, the last 20 kilometers to the resort took us nearly one hour due to a heavy traffic jam all the way up to the Prathap Nagar circle.
Ghats near Udaipur
We finally reached the resort at 9:30 PM. The resort, Rupi's Resort, was a huge and peaceful place. Situated right next to the Udaipur airport (they share a wall), this place has a huge lawn in the middle with rooms on all three sides. As this was an off-season month, the place was almost unoccupied. The weather was wonderful due to the cyclonic disturbances in Gujarat.
Rupi's resort
Rupi's resort - view from the balcony
In Thane, get on to NH8. This map should help.
At the outskirts of Udaipur City, take a turn towards the Airport (you will find signboards.) When interacting with locals, ask for Prathap Nagar circle. After the circle, you switch from NH8 to NH76. This map should help.
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