17th November 2015 - Bhubaneshwar to Kolkata

Previous Post - 16th November Sun Temple at Konark and Puri Jagannath Temple

Next Post - 18th November 2015 Kolkata



A drive of about Km 440 to Kolkata from Bhubaneshwar, good roads and pleasant weather.

Nothing much other than the same story about lack of amenities on the highway and at the toll booths.

Toll booths

Two at the toll booth - security?

Toll Booths closer to Kolkata

The roads did not have much traffic and again we found that there were few private cars on these roads.

Driving on the wrong side of the road (on a one way highway) is taken as acceptable. No one seems to mind and people continue to do it posing a great threat for themselves and others.

Kolkata at about 4:15 PM when we arrived was easy to negotiate, with little traffic on the road we reached our destination swiftly.

This is day 5 of our journey and we have crossed the 1/3rd mark.

Tomorrow we spend in Kolkata and then off to Gaya in Bihar.

Previous Post - 16th November Sun Temple at Konark and Puri Jagannath Temple

Next Post - 18th November 2015 Kolkata

15th November 2015 - Vsakhapatnam to Bhubaneshwar

Previous post - 14th November-2015-Visakhapatnam

Next Post - 16th November Sun Temple at Konark and Puri Jagannath temple



We left Vizag early in the morning and reached Bhubaneshwar at about 3 PM, a total drive of about 6.5 hours.

The roads were empty and the surface good, facilitated a high average speed throughout the drive. Not much of traffic on the roads not even autorisckshaws and two wheelers, either not many people go to Bhubaneshwar from Vizag or being a Sunday there was less traffic.

All along the way we saw people carrying platters with flowers and other puja items and when stopped to enquire we were told that today was Nagula Chauthi, a day when people pray to snakes. Those who wanted to pray were making their way to and searching for snake pits (termite mounds) for praying and making their offerings.

Praying to the snakes

On this road too the toll booths were in bad condition and sorely lacking in amenities, forget the vehicles passing through, what about those who work at the toll booths?

Toll booth, wonder what the staff do during summer or when it rains.

The drive was pleasant as was the weather.

Once we crossed into Orissa there were hundreds of lorries in a queue at the integrated check post and waiting to get into the State. The roads were not as well cared for as in AP and the road traffic was also heavier. Is it that Orissa is not as developed as Andhra?

A huge statute of Hanuman coming up alongside the highway

Toll Booth Operator

Lunch time - Close to a quarry

Overgrown lorry

carrying recron, lage in size but not heavy, however he still overflows and is this correct?

This lorry gave me the scare, I thought he was coming towards me but was actually moving away from me, I thought for a moment he was going in reverse till  noticed that he was being towed.

All along te highway in Andhra one can come across goats being herded, maybe the large quantities because we were on te highway during the weekend, all of them prospective Briyani?

Lorries trying to pass one another at slow speeds slow you down

This lorry was coming in the wrong direction and had run over a two wheeler, nothing seems to have happened to the rider but the vehicle was stuck under the lorry and there were three men under the lorry trying to extricate the two wheeler.

Transvestite at a toll booth

Previous post - 14th November-2015-Visakhapatnam

Next Post - 16th November Sun Temple at Konark and Puri Jagannath temple

14th November 2015 Vijaywada to Visakhapatnam

Previous post - vijaywada-13th-nov-2015

Next Post - Bhubaneshwar-15th-November-2015




The journey commenced from Vijaywada at about 9:50 AM, NH 5 was quite close to our Hotel, in fact just a few Kms away, we reached the highway and got going in a short while.

NH 5 between Vijaywada and Vizag is a rather crowded road what with large numbers of the larger share autorickshaws and two wheelers all vying for space in the middle of the road, most of them do not want to keep left but stayed right in the middle of the road.  If we wanted to overtake the slower vehicles on the highway they would expect us to go past them while they remained in the centre of the road. The highway is four lane and two lanes going each way, the motorcycles and autos would be on the white marking or line which divides the two lanes.

Goats on the highway

As was expected in this part of the Golden Quadrilateral there were a number of diversions and one has to contend with traffic coming in opposite direction, not only because of these diversions but also many humans wanting to take the short cut, meaning driving or riding in the opposite direction on a one way highway.

The toll booths were pathetic, run down and with very little amenities, wonder why? If we were surprised with this a bigger surprise awaited us in Bihar and East UP.

A toll booth on NH5 close to Vizag, poor infra structure at all toll booths along the way and no amenities :(

Another funny thing was that there were no restaurants between these two cities on the NH5, the only decent place we saw was a Cafe Coffee Day quite some distance form Vijaywada, how do travellers manage, carry their food? Make do with what is available? Yes, there was not many cars on the road, is this how it is at all times? Is this why there is lack of infa structure and facilities on this road?

About 240 Kms from Vijaywada we came to Ammavaram, from here the road was good for a about 30 Kms and went through valleys the drive here was superb and the scenery refreshing and not much traffic too. Beyond this stretch we had to contend with what we had experienced of NH5 earlier.

The drive was rather uneventful and a little stressful because of the many slow vehicles on the road wanting to remain in the centre of the road.

Slow vehicles trying to overtake and holding up traffic, common throughout India.

While the surface of the Golden Quadrilateral is good there is little thought that has been paid to safety, hundreds of cross roads go through the NH5 and posing great danger to those on the road, many two wheelers join the highway from the village and side roads coming in at high speed and not caring to check for oncoming traffic, while the authorities talk about careless riders and drivers why are roads laid without safety being considered?

The farmlands on the highway broke the monotony and provided a pleasant view.

Hay stacks in the field

Dinner was at Dharini a vegetarian restaurant at "Daspalla" on our mind was the Andhra Meals and that is what we had, good meal. We wanted to go to the beach close by but were told to be careful and come back soon etc. so we decided not to go - anti social elements

With nothing much to do at Vizag we filled up fuel, stocked up on drinking water and back to the Hotel to sleep.

Previous post - vijaywada-13th-nov-2015

Next Post - Bhubaneshwar-15th-November-2015