-Brian
Mendonça
In
my growing years, Goa and Mangalore seemed to be of the same ilk. They were
part of the same land mass. Buses flitted to and fro from the coast route. The
then red and yellow KSRTC buses (now they are green and yellow) were ubiquitous
as they crisscrossed Goa ferrying people back and forth.
Mangalore
was famous for its tiles. Several houses in Goa were not complete with this
integral component from across the border. The tiles were seen as part and
parcel of Goan architecture. Before the rains everyone could be seen scurrying
to repair the roofs of their Goan homes and replace the tiles which had worn
off.
The
journey to Mangalore is 376 kms. It was
a lovely ride in most places along the Southern corridor. The coastal route
takes you past off-beat idylls like Majali, Sadashivgad, Ankola, Honnawar,
Murdeshwar, Shirali and Kundapura. Imagine the sea on your right and occasionally
the river on your left. Often we crossed bridges over rivers.
Driving
in the rain was an exhilarating experience. Karwar port looked almost surreal,
swathed in sheets of rain. Fishing boats moored stoically reminded me of Cochin
port which is on this route on NH 66.
There
are not many eating joints on this route.
The absence of clean washrooms can be disconcerting. One has no option
but to trust to the great outdoors at times. The view from afar with the clouds
sitting on the hills is breathtaking.
Queenie
made a tower of corned beef sandwiches which we devoured when we were hungry.
We also carried packaged drinking water. Dwayne took his gleaming new dumper
truck and his toy cars. I put in Ruskin Bond’s collection of poems I Was the Wind Last Night. Travelling with the family makes it feel so
right.
We
made several stops along the way. We refused to be harried by wizened
travellers who asked us to leave by 6 a.m. Saturday was a working day. After
the anticipated Sunday Mass on Saturday, there was just enough time to haul
down the suitcases and begin packing before the clock struck almost midnight.
As
we proceeded on our way the kilometres swept by. We drove the whole day for
around 14 hours with breaks. It was a dull day, in terms of the weather. The
light seemed like twilight or 6.30 p.m. throughout. Night driving at times was
risky with bad roads, absence of street lighting, rain, and numerous diversions
owing to 4-laning work.
It
was an unforgettable journey. It pushed our limits. Every path has a puddle.
Log
|
TIME
|
PLACE
|
DISTANCE
COVERED IN KMS.
|
ODOMETER
|
ACTIVITY
|
|
10.20 a.m.
|
Porvorim
|
000
|
--7723
|
Start
|
|
11.20 a.m.
|
Nuvem
|
032 (32)
|
--7755
|
Snacks
|
|
01.32 p.m.
|
Canacona
|
096 (64)
|
--7819
|
Fuel
|
|
O3.00 p.m.
|
Karwar
|
119 (23)
|
--7842
|
Lunch
|
|
04.26 p.m.
|
Kumta
|
177 (58)
|
--7900
|
Tea
|
|
07.00 p.m.
|
Bhatkal
|
231 (54)
|
--7954
|
Soup
|
|
09.15 p.m.
|
Udupi
|
333 (102)
|
--8056
|
Dinner
|
|
11.50 p.m.
|
Mangalore
City
|
376 (43)
|
--8099
|
Arrive
|
Pix of unfinished four-laning work on NH 66 from Goa to Kundapur via Murdeshwar. Courtesy Hindu online7/6/18. Article published in Gomantak Times Weekender, Goa on Sunday 8 September 2019.
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