Day 2 : Waaranga Phata – Burhanpur 24th Sept 2013, Tuesday
I normally get up early and on this entire trip I was getting up around 4:30. So did I on this day too. Had a quick bath, tea and then tying my baggage on the bike. This process I never mastered throughout my journey since I was not using any these expensive saddle bas, or tank bags etc. I was trying to make the trip as economical as possible and spend whatever the little money I had on a further KM. Another thing which I haven’t mastered throughout my journey is, buckling my helmet strap in a single go. I always fumble.
Anyways, my log says I started off at 6:10. My faithful bad roads for my company. At 9:10, Washim is still 40Kms away!
What I noticed distinctly is that, this part of the country is blessed with more running streams. One such stream I cross and the morning sun
Formation of the clouds early morning, would it rain? Don’t know… I just continue on these non existent roads (NER, short form from now on). They only exist on google maps or any other maps. Want to have a close look of these roads? Here it is
And another one :
By 10:15 reached Washim, odo says 53750
However, the compensation was I was passing through jungle topography though:
Then I join the Nagpur Mumbai highway, Highway, just for name sake, roads are still terrible. And mind you, these are toll roads !! The innocent people are just being fleeced. Anyway, being a biker, I need not pay any toll fees.
As I get on to the highway another police check, however they left me alone. On this too many pot holed highway, fully loaded trucks just zip past, sometimes, their rear about half foot off the ground !!! Couldn’t maintain 30 kmph even.
Tried many dhabas for lunch. My first ever experiences of dhabas; all stinking with alcohol and non veg pungent smells. It was just revolting, I continue but I had to eat. Not hungry but to carry on driving I need to eat. Tried my hands with some rice and curd about 17kms before Nandura. Paid Rs.110 !!! Another thing which I was never exposed to such price levels. A simple rice and curds. Phew, anyway, there we go.
Water concept: All along my trip, I drank water what the locals drink. From the pots, plastic buckets and greasy mugs. Only one bottle I purchased for I needed a container to carry water for emergencies. And this bottle was there till my return journey till Seoni, near Nagpur. By that time, the bottle was beyond recognition, crumpled in the bag, so for container sake another bottle I bought. So, the total money spent on water in the journey was about Rs.40. I used to refill the bottle with whatever the source I found, sometimes hotels, streams many times. Never went for filtered or mineral water whatever they call it. It didn’t create any problem. What I believe is to drink the local water which would contain its own special medicinal values. Only during Rajasthan journey through Marwar area, the water was bit salty but that’s ok when you drive through hot desert. Infact it helped me to minimize my dehydration level. So, that’s my water concept theory.
I continue on this Nagpur Mumbai highway till 5 pm and then take the turn to Burhanpur. The roads again turn bad to worse. As I started off the MP roads, the police again stops me and ask me to pay a penalty of Rs.200. But I ask why. Then he let me go on without paying anything. Its dark and I know I can not make it to Omkareshwar. So, at 7 pm I check into Hotel Panchvati at Burhanpur. Clean hotel with modern facilities. Bargained for Rs.300 for the night.
The hotel:
Don’t remember if I ate anything that night.
Odo: 53984
Drive for the day: 338 kms. Hmnnn… bad roads are the culprit? Could be.
Total dist of the trip at the end of the second day: 784 kms