So, the much awaited trip to the Hindi heartland is on! As the, 'recent best friend' and I, started on this sojourn, memories came haunting by for me. Memories of the last trip to the same place which was one of those "once in a life time" trip. We drove down from New Delhi to Sivakasi then.
Drove? From New Delhi to Sivakasi? Yes, we did. The year was 1997. Phew! That was 19 loooong years ago. Just to think we did such a crazy thing so many years ago gives me goose bumps now.
Crazy thing, coz now with the advanced communications, and the modern cars, if I embark on a 7-8 hour car journey, people are up in arms. My mom would have been on her knees those seven days, I presume!
And so we started off from New Delhi; And reached Sivakasi. In a Maruthi 800 car. Four of us! Two of us just ten years old. Just a map guiding us, without knowing any route. One man learning driving; The other known for his bad driving.
What fun that trip was! Fun, pure and pristine! Any long trip with the dad is fun; But when Benny, the best friend and the ever present in your life 'chithapa' is there, it can't get better. But do you really need, people to enjoy loooonnnnngg crrrrraaaaazzzzzyyyy drives?
It took us 7 days. We drove in the morning and slept off during the nights. No, not in five star hotels on the way. That is not my dad. In remote mission hospitals; In ashrams; where they just give us some thing called food and a place to lay your head. We ate everything given to us along the way. The roads were bad. Not the modern 6 and 8 lane highways. Not the 160 Km/hr modern engines. It surely was blazing hot. Would have even touched 50'c. But who cares?
I'm getting ready for another of those long crazy drives. Who is in?
Drove? From New Delhi to Sivakasi? Yes, we did. The year was 1997. Phew! That was 19 loooong years ago. Just to think we did such a crazy thing so many years ago gives me goose bumps now.
Crazy thing, coz now with the advanced communications, and the modern cars, if I embark on a 7-8 hour car journey, people are up in arms. My mom would have been on her knees those seven days, I presume!
And so we started off from New Delhi; And reached Sivakasi. In a Maruthi 800 car. Four of us! Two of us just ten years old. Just a map guiding us, without knowing any route. One man learning driving; The other known for his bad driving.
What fun that trip was! Fun, pure and pristine! Any long trip with the dad is fun; But when Benny, the best friend and the ever present in your life 'chithapa' is there, it can't get better. But do you really need, people to enjoy loooonnnnngg crrrrraaaaazzzzzyyyy drives?
It took us 7 days. We drove in the morning and slept off during the nights. No, not in five star hotels on the way. That is not my dad. In remote mission hospitals; In ashrams; where they just give us some thing called food and a place to lay your head. We ate everything given to us along the way. The roads were bad. Not the modern 6 and 8 lane highways. Not the 160 Km/hr modern engines. It surely was blazing hot. Would have even touched 50'c. But who cares?
I'm getting ready for another of those long crazy drives. Who is in?
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