For google map link click here.

We left in a Qualis (7+4) and was a 9hr 30min travel each side with adequate stopovers on way for refreshment and food.

Overall, a superb trip to be long remembered and cherished.

A fortnight ago, I got a call from my friend who was with us in Dubai. Though he just used to meet on some Fridays. Was happy to get a call from him inviting me for marriage of his brother at Warora.

I and another friend, decided to go all the way to Warora (234 Kms from home-to-home) by bike. The road from Nagpur to Warora, going through Nagpur-Chandrapur Highway which is more than half a National Highway — superbly four laned — and the rest being State Highway — which is being converted into four lanes — was simply great. A smooth ride.

While going, we stopped at Jamb and in return, as it was late, we had a stop at Jamb, but could not get anything further to stop.

We were surprised that during the entire run of 234 Kms — on National Highway and State Highway — we did not encounter even a single Patrol Vehicle.

For those who want the links:

Previous post: http://abdeali.org/blog/2011/01/dawoodi-borha-miqat-calendar/

I have updated the calendar to include entries for 1433H i.e. 2011-12.

How many of these do we celebrate with all our heart and mind set to celebrate it ? And, how many of them do we — each individual — celebrate as a routine, celebrating for the sake of celebration ?

One needs to ponder over it.

Couple of days earlier, I had been to The Empress Mall, the mall charged me INR 10/- for parking my vehicle in their premises. So how do they expect more foofalls in the mall. Simply put, less footfalls, less visitors, less business, and mall fails. How does the mall management think that we will pay Rs10/- for just parking our vehicles their ?

While discussing this issue with my friends, I came to know that Eternity Mall also charges Rs 5/- for parking of vehicles.

About some days ago, I read somewhere (I don’t remember if it was in print of paper), that Eternity Mall is facing shortage of footfalls; now I understand the reason for that.

I think that they should make parking FREE for say 4 hours as is in practice in Dubai, UAE in malls. After that, charge them nominal if they are not making any purchases in the mall. If they make purchase of some fixed amount they get an hour extra free and so on.

Otherwise, the future seems blink.

Grow up Malls in Nagpur, else you will fail.

But, surprisingly, what I saw around, was total chaos.

The roads are being daily (even without the festival around) are being cleaned till 9 or 9.30am. While most of the shops open up early, atleast the daily needs shop and the children go to school. And the roads are not clean. Where is Cleanliness ? Is NMC reading this ?

Most of the signals, on the squares, where I travelled, I saw the signals being run on Emergency, rather than in normal mode. The Traffic Police personnel as always, were sitting 200 meters after the signal (you know better why this happens). While in normal mode, people tend to not to follow the traffic rules, so how does the corporation expect people to follow rules when the signals are running on emergency mode ?

Yesterday evening, or rather night, at around 9.45pm, the roads had visibility of around 300-400 meters because of the smoke from fire crackers.

Happy Deepawali.

The check post created halfway towards the airport, made a receipt of INR 20/- even though we told them that we will just go inside, drop the passenger and be back in less than five minutes and do not want to park our vehicle (bike). Still they said its compulsory to pay after 11pm till 7am, even if you don’t have to park your bike at the airport.

Now, is this proper ? MIHAN ? Are you listening ? Why should one pay parking charges for drop-and-go service ? That too on so bad roads ?

We left on Saturday night and were scheduled to return by Monday morning, but trains were cancelled / late due to the Telangana strike and hence returned on Monday evening reaching back on Tuesday Morning.

Except the train cancellation / late running, there we saw no effect of the strike in the life of people living in Hyderabad.

As we had nothing to do on Monday, we made a tourist reservation on Monday and went for Hyderabad Darshan and saw the following:

Birla Temple

H E H Nizam Museum

Chow Mohalla Palace

Salarjung Museum

Charminar (Drive through)

Mecca Masjid (drive through)

Golconda Fort

N T R Garden

Lumbini Park (drive through)

Husain Sagar (drive through).

Overall it was an fantastic trip, we enjoyed every minute of it.

I and my friends, we all were impressed with Hyderabad — the city of Nizams. Nagpur has lot to learn from it, it was clean (despite strike), big roads, traffic manners, regular city bus service, extremely cheap eataries — good quality and quantity also in it and many many more things.

Dinshaws guys looked at each other on asking for mint ice cream.

Shifting to India:

Its always like shifting back to Home. Home Sweet Home. Does this need any more explanation ?

Be prepared for:

While shifting from a foreign land to India, there are many things which change, in regular day-to-day life. There are no malls to roam around. No good places to hang out. Lot of dust on the road. Pollution from vehicles is all over the environment. Driving rules and safety — forget it. Anyone can drive anywhere, any vehicle, any stuff. You cant say anything to anyone.

More stuff — will think and write.