Day 20 – Chitwan to Lucknow

A new starting procedure was prepared, for the purpose of getting across the border without crowding the immigration and customs offices, on both sides.

Commencing at 6.30am the cars would leave at 6 minute intervals.

The competition was more or less over and crossing a border was a difficult task to undertake at anytime, let alone set a time to have it done.

We departed at 7.19am. Still cool and looking forward to some better roads, seeing that this is a transit day in essence.

But it was not to be. Time controls had been abandoned and changed to passage controls, just to ensure that all competitors were to get through the borders.

“Hot and sticky” were soon back again with windows open in an effort to keep cool.

It was a 470km day so with all the goings on over borders etc. it was going to be a looong day.

Last night we had to change the rear wheels, as the tyres had worn flat, over the past 3000 odd kms.

The fronts were down too but it shows the wear on roads like this. These tyres had served us on the P to P for nearly 13000kms without showing hardly any wear.

At the border it was bedlam. Chaos. A mess of cars trucks bikes tractors people motorbikes, all endeavouring to get through at once. The untuned orchestra of car horns interspersed with loud celebratory music through huge speakers mounted on tractors shattered the air.

The quest to find the respective offices of both the immigration and customs offices was on. These turned out to be little cubicles  with a small sign “Immigration” and Customs, not in the same building but in the same vicinity. On both sides of an indescribable border.

What a mess. Nearly two hours waiting for someone to stamp our passports etc.

Once done, back in the throng of everyway traffic, there was no one checking to see if we were in fact allowed through!

So again into the rage of traffic that is now India. Trucks backed up at the border wanting entry to Nepal for some 14 kms.

We still had 300kms to go.

The ERA had again discovered roadways that displayed the worst of conditions. Rather than have a good clean run into Lucknow, we had to endure more if the same despicable roads.

The last PC left us with 200kms to go.

The afternoon was coming to an early end due to the smoke/pollution engulfing the sun now a red dot in the sky.

Now the roads, freeways had been created for us. Long straight roads that permitted good speeds. But the truck traffic was very heavy. Here the trucks drive in the right hand lanes allowing passing by fast traffic on the “inside” lane.

Watching for cows and dogs and motorbikes at all times. Then darkness. Some vehicles with lights, some not, some full beam, some vehicles driving toward you on your side, without lights!

Wow. Concentration is paramount, then navigating at night when landmarks can’t be observed.

We followed the route book to the best possible way. Cannot get lost in this city at night.

We made destination without fault at 6.50pm.

Whacked!!!!!

Beautiful hotel, Vivanta by Taj.

Nice to see in the morning.  It was too late to see in the evening, though it was all lit up with fairy lights.

Bed, then Morning!! Suddenly.