Road trip, these words stimulate nostalgia- remember the old times when we would wake up to the rays of the rising sun, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the cool breeze, peep out of the windows with swollen eyes and a happy heart. I bet all the travelers out there are fascinated with the idea of a road trip.
Lately, the ongoing pandemic has barred us from stepping out of the houses. While being confined inside the house I couldn't stop dreaming about the day I would travel again, little did I realize an adventurous road trip was on the cards.
During lockdown 3.0 in the country, circumstances forced me to travel back to my hometown. But traveling was a big risk and transportation was limited. In the ensuing days, I discussed the possibilities with my cousins. We then decided to drive from Bangalore to Kanpur, a total of 1800 KM in two and a half days.
The world was going through a lot and it was no longer normal to travel. One would need permission from the state authorities and that would be only granted if they have a valid reason. We went to the nearest police station to enquire about the processes. It was our sheer luck that we got the travel permit on the same day.
I was excited like little kid, it's been months since I stepped out of the house with a packed bag. We left the house at the time of dawn, it was still dark and pin-drop silence outside. As we exited the apartment premises, we waved goodbye to the guard who was still yawning. Despite all the excitement, there was a fear of the contracting virus and I realized traveling might not usher the same zeal again.
Soon we were on the national highway near Bangalore airport. It's the same road that leads to Nandi Hills, a famous sunrise point which is slightly cliched in Bangalore for its beauty.
Ahead of our trip, we had marked all the green zones on the google map. Though finding the right place for the night halts was a challenge. We decided to cover 700 KM on the first day, another 700 KM on the second day, and remaining on day 3.
We followed this route from Bangalore-- Bangalore- Hyderabad- Karimnagar-Nagpur-Seoni-Damoh-Chhatarpur-Mahoba-Kanpur
The first day passed in enjoyment as we laughed, had home-made meals, and admired nature around us. During the lockdown it has been bestowing us with wonders, you can read more about miracles of nature here.
The next day was challenging, we were out of food stock and had no place for night halt. A wise hotel owner accepted the hotel booking in Damoh which was a green zone in Madhya Pradesh.
To reach our next stop we were supposed to drive 14 hours, and consequently, we reached the town at 9 PM. Unfortunately, we were not granted permission to set foot in the city. As destiny had it for us we continued our journey ahead despite being exhausted.
The destination was far away and our deflated tires' critical condition was no better! Finding a mechanic was arduous, but then he inspected the tires and found out that they damaged beyond repair. Blank looks at each other and we knew it's gonna be a lifetime experience for sure. The mechanic somehow fixed one of those and advised to drive slow.
With no spare tire left with us, we began to move ahead. The deserted state highway of Madhya Pradesh was a nightmare. No street lights, no human settlement nearby, and stretch of shunned roads. And if this was not enough, we took a wrong turn that led us 40 KM off-road into a village. A large flock of cattle had blocked the roads in the village. We were scared to slow down the car as it was risky. What if someone pops out of the dark and loot us. It was hard to think positively when the situation was this screwed up.
A police officer, who appeared out of the dark in that village, guided us to find the right way towards the Uttar Pradesh state border. Trust me when I say we drove for 30 hours straight with only 2 stoppages of 30 minutes. It was a crazy ride and an adventure of a lifetime. I'm afraid to gather the courage to take up a road trip again until the world completely recovers from the pandemic.
PS- I highly recommend avoiding any non-essential travel plans until the current pandemic is over.
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