# Day I : Mumbai to
Udaipur.
4. A lot has been
written about this sector by me previously and hence will not dwell much into
it. Summarily stating the route is along National Highway 8 and touches
important cities like Vapi , Surat , Barauch , Vadodra , Ahmedabad and Himmatnagar.
However the Highway bypasses these cities
skirting them thereby saving
valuable time. The choke point being the old bridge on the river Narmada
connecting Barauch with Ankleshwar. On a bad day one can get stuck here for a
couple of hours hence the alternate option of using the Golden Gate Bridge for
which one has to enter the town of Ankleshwar definitely needs to be
considered.
5. Travelling on the
Golden Gate bridge is a worthwhile experience especially for new comers , the
construction dating back to the eighteenth century always invokes a sense of
curiosity and pride that the bridge still is fully operational and providing
yeoman service to all those who travel over it .
6. The other point
of interest on this sector is the National Expressway 1 connecting Vadodra with
Ahmedabad, of all the transit corridors built I think we can safely club the
National Expressway 1, Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Yamuna Expressway in a
different league altogether .The various aspects considered during the
construction of these roads sets them apart from the rest of the Highways which
have been laid across the length and breadth of this country.
7. The journey
though did not start pleasantly, I always prefer staring on time or slightly
ahead of it especially when I have a schedule to keep. It was nine in the
morning and I found myself still in
Mumbai with having close to 800 Kms to
be covered during the day however with determined driving and minimal breaks in
between I was able to pull it back and rolled in to the driveway of RTDC Hotel
Kajri, Udaipur while the dashboard clock stated 2130 hours. Living in Mumbai, for any road trips towards
North India this is my only economical and logical route albeit a bit long. But
over time I have been able to develop a methodology in road trips of pushing hard
in the early days covering large
distances so that i am in the foothills of the Himalaya while the journey is
still fresh. Out in the mountains its back to the concept of disregarding
distance as the deciding factor for deciding the destination of the day rather
the climatic conditions and the beauty of the region make that decision.
8. In Udaipur I have
always stayed at RTDC Kajri , the state owned tourist rest house which I find
economical as well as comfortable for a night stay. It always happens that
while I am entering the city it is invariably late in the night and searching
for a hotel at that time is taxing to say the least especially if one has
driven an average of 800 Kms in the preceding hours.
9. As regards to the
cuisine for the day , well lunch was
done immediately after crossing Barauch as there are numerous eat outs which
are hygienic, economical and serve great vegetarian fare if one sticks to
simple dishes. Ah yes do not forget the Chaas(Butter
milk) , that is a must have especially to cool the head of the one who is
driving J
ODO for the day stood at: 91591
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STAY AT UDAIPUR |
 |
ON NATIONAL EXPRESSWAY 1 |
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COMPANIONS |
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