London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 77 – 12 November 2016
Back on the Road Again
After several enjoyable and memorable days in Visakhapatnam, the time had finally come for Team Kontiki to continue its journey.
The weather could not have been better.
The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and temperatures were already climbing when we sat down for what would be our final breakfast at the Waltair Club.
The delicious South Indian breakfast was a fitting farewell to Vizag, a city that had looked after us remarkably well.
Before we continue, I should make a correction.
A couple of days ago, I mistakenly referred to Vizag as being in Orissa. One of our followers kindly pointed out that Vizag is actually located in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Thank you for keeping us on the right road—even when we’re not driving!
After nearly a week of repairs, rest, and wonderful hospitality, both Team Kontiki and our faithful motorhome were ready to move on.
Before leaving, we paid one final visit to Dr Ashok at his hospital project.
We thanked him sincerely for everything he had done for us over the past few days. His friendship, generosity, and support had helped us enormously, and we would always remember our stay in Vizag with great affection.
At around midday, Kontiki rolled out of Vizag and back onto the open road.
It felt wonderful.
The suspension repairs had transformed the motorhome. The new leaf springs and shock absorbers had restored her ride height and stability, and she now felt far more comfortable and confident on the road.
There was another major advantage too.
With my brother Mahesh now part of the team, we had gained both an experienced motorhome traveller and an additional driver familiar with Indian roads.
And perhaps best of all, Mahesh had something we had been lacking for much of the journey—an Indian SIM card.
That meant access to Google Maps.
After weeks of relying on road signs, directions, paper maps, and occasional guesswork, having reliable satellite navigation felt almost revolutionary.
No more wrong turns.
Well, hopefully.
Our destination was Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, approximately 830 kilometres away.
It was far too distant to reach in a single afternoon, so we knew we would need to find an overnight stop somewhere along the route.
Thankfully, the roads were excellent.
Compared with the challenges we had faced in Myanmar and North-East India, these highways felt positively luxurious.
We made steady progress, stopping occasionally for tea and snacks along the way.
As the afternoon passed, we enjoyed watching the changing scenery of southern India roll by outside the windows.
The countryside seemed greener, the roads smoother, and the journey far more relaxed than it had been only a few weeks earlier.
By early evening, darkness was beginning to fall.
Using Google Maps, we searched for accommodation and were directed towards the town of Eluru.
Finding the hotel turned out to be slightly more challenging than expected.
The final roads leading into town were extremely narrow, requiring careful manoeuvring of our nearly seven-metre-long motorhome.
Thankfully, both the driver and navigator were fully awake, and before long we arrived safely at the Aditya Central Hotel.
After checking in and freshening up, we decided to explore the local nightlife.
A nearby bar seemed like a good idea.
At least, it did initially.
The bar was located on the first floor of a building and was dimly lit to the point where it felt almost gloomy. The atmosphere was rather uncomfortable, and neither of us felt particularly relaxed there.
After one drink each, we looked at one another and silently agreed that this was not where we wanted to spend the evening.
Sometimes instincts should be trusted.
We quickly made our excuses and left.
Fortunately, our hotel had an in-house restaurant.
The surroundings were far more welcoming, and we enjoyed a pleasant meal there instead.
A couple of celebratory shots followed, and before long we found ourselves reflecting on the fact that we were moving again.
After days spent waiting for repairs, the journey had resumed.
Mumbai was drawing ever closer.
The final countdown had truly begun.
Distance travelled: Approx. 300 km towards Chennai
Route: Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) to Eluru
Weather: Sunny, hot, and pleasant
Highlights: Leaving Vizag and getting back on the road after repairs
Most memorable moment: Using Google Maps for the first time on the journey and realising how much easier navigation had become
Vehicle update: Suspension performing excellently following repairs by Ganesh
Special thanks: Dr Ashok for his outstanding hospitality and friendship
Accommodation: Aditya Central Hotel, Eluru
Dinner: Hotel restaurant after a brief and uncomfortable visit to a local bar
Mood of the day: Refreshed, optimistic, and delighted to be travelling again
“A repaired motorhome, an extra driver, Google Maps, and Mumbai on the horizon. Team Kontiki was ready for the final stretch.”
Join us tomorrow as we continue south towards Chennai, leaving Andhra Pradesh behind and entering another new chapter of our epic London-to-Mumbai road adventure.
