ROAD CONDITIONS
Most of the time, we were travelling along the National Highways. The roads out of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh were being relaid and in a terrible mess, so were several of the roads in Bengal. North East had splendid roads, except in certain mountainous and offbeat stretches. Such as the roads north of Tawang to the China border, where we broke a shock absorber. Or NH 53 from Imphal to Silchar, where the front bumpers came off at least thrice after it mowed (or is it, slid/ slithered through) through slushy territory. Winter normally is a good time to motor in most of India because the roads are freshly laid after the monsoons that ravage them for nearly 3-5 months. Organisations such as the Army’s Border Roads Organisation are doing a great job keeping the roads ship-shape for obvious security and strategic reasons, but at the same time caution yourself, you can drive off the cliff any time. Due to the present ethnic tensions in Assam, most traffic (even the lorries) is off the roads after 800 p.m. even though there is no restriction by the police. There can be certain stretches throughout the whole route where you can encounter highway robbers during the night, so take care and do your homework well before you decide on the timing to take those stretches. Driving on these roads is definitely not for the squeamish ones amongst you.
On Indian highways, several odd signaling practices are in vogue. The truck flashing his right indicator is actually clearing you for overtaking, not turning right. Which he sometimes does too! Never overtake from the left in a 2-lane road, it can be fatal for both of you. In case you use bright headlamps/ fog lamps at night, remember that if the guy hurtling towards you gets disoriented and loses control, you are likely to get hit too! Hence, dip your headlamps for safety, this is not a film shooting in progress. Night driving requires skills of a different kind and very strong nerves so do it only if you are ready for it.