London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 63 – 29 October 2016
A Slow Crawl Towards Kolkata
This morning, Team Kontiki said goodbye to Siliguri and set off at 8:45 am on what we hoped would be a straightforward drive towards Kolkata, approximately 580 kilometres away.
The weather could not have been better.
The sun was shining, the temperature was warm, and spirits were high. After our enjoyable visit to Darjeeling and the Makaibari Tea Estate, we felt refreshed and ready for the next stage of the journey.
Unfortunately, the roads had other ideas.
Very soon, we found ourselves battling some of the worst road conditions we had experienced since entering India. Huge potholes seemed to appear everywhere, forcing us to slow down constantly and weave around them whenever possible.
The problem was made worse by heavy traffic.
What should have been a reasonably fast journey became a slow and frustrating crawl.
By around 1:30 pm, we decided to stop for lunch and a short rest. It was a welcome opportunity to stretch our legs and give Kontiki a brief break from the relentless pounding she was taking from the road surface.
As we continued south, the afternoon slipped away surprisingly quickly.
Progress remained painfully slow.
The roads demanded complete concentration, and every pothole seemed determined to test both driver and vehicle.
At around 7:00 pm, we crossed a long bridge spanning the mighty River Ganges.
For any traveller in India, crossing the Ganges carries a certain significance. Revered by millions and woven deeply into the country’s culture and history, it is one of the most important rivers in the world.
Sadly, even this impressive bridge could not escape the potholes.
The road surface was rough, uneven, and demanded the same careful driving we had become accustomed to throughout the day.
By now darkness had fallen, and we began looking for somewhere safe to spend the night.
Our first attempt was unsuccessful.
We stopped at a fuel station, filled the tank, and politely asked if we could park overnight. The staff apologised and explained that they could not allow overnight parking.
Fortunately, they were extremely helpful and directed us to another fuel station about five kilometres away, where they said there was more space and better facilities.
We followed their advice and soon arrived at the second station.
This time we were warmly welcomed.
The station was owned by a friendly Punjabi Hindu family, who immediately became interested in our journey.
Once they learned we had driven all the way from London, conversation flowed easily.
As often happened during our travels, complete strangers quickly became friends.
The family kindly offered us tea and food, which we gratefully accepted.
Their daughter, who was home on holiday from the United States, was particularly fascinated by our adventure and spent a long time asking questions about the countries we had visited, the challenges we had faced, and what life was like travelling in a motorhome across continents.
The evening turned into a thoroughly enjoyable cultural exchange.
Looking back, it was these unexpected encounters that often became some of the most memorable moments of the journey.
Despite spending almost eleven hours on the road, we had covered a mere 184 kilometres.
That statistic alone tells the story of the day’s driving.
The combination of poor roads, heavy traffic, and endless potholes had reduced our average speed to a crawl.
Mechanically, there was both good news and bad news.
The shock absorber repairs we had carried out in Siliguri appeared to be holding up well, which was a huge relief.
However, we suspected a new problem.
The rear of the motorhome was sitting noticeably lower than before and occasionally scraping the ground over larger bumps. Our best guess was that the torsion springs had weakened or possibly failed after enduring thousands of miles of rough roads.
It was another issue to add to Kontiki’s growing list of battle scars.
Yet somehow, she kept moving.
As we settled down for the night, we reflected on the resilience of our faithful old motorhome. Despite everything she had endured—from German gearbox troubles to Myanmar mountain roads and Indian potholes—she was still carrying us steadily towards Mumbai.
Kolkata remained ahead of us.
But after a day like today, we were simply grateful to have made progress.
Distance travelled: 184 km (114 miles)
Route: Siliguri towards Kolkata, West Bengal
Weather: Warm, sunny, and pleasant
Highlights: Crossing the mighty River Ganges and meeting a welcoming Punjabi family
Most memorable moment: Sharing tea, food, and travel stories with a family at a fuel station
Vehicle update: Shock absorbers performing well, but suspected torsion spring problems causing the rear to sag
Challenge of the day: Extremely poor roads, heavy traffic, and countless potholes
Accommodation: Overnight stay at a fuel station with permission from the owners
Mood of the day: Tired but grateful, encouraged by Indian hospitality and Kontiki’s determination to keep going
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki continues its slow but steady journey towards Kolkata, one of India’s most historic cities, while keeping a close eye on Kontiki’s increasingly tired suspension.
