October 19, 2021
Dear Diary
My mother, son (Byram) and I left Karachi by road on October 9, 2021 for Multan and Islamabad.
| Saturday, Oct 9- 8.30am- Leave for Multan (126546 Km on Odomoter) 3pm- Arrive Ranipur Sugar Mills 8.50pm- Arrive Multan Toll Plaza 9.10pm- Arrived Avari Boutique, Multan (127420 Km) |
One of the best Motorways IN THE WORLD I have ever traveled on, so far, is the latest Sukkur-Multan one. It was an absolute pleasure to cruise on that. It felt like the car was on MAGLEVs.
But the bugs that hit the car traveling in Punjab’s dusk 😱😱😱😱
A simple dinner and ahhhhh…. A refreshing sleep after 12 hours of driving!
| Sunday, Oct 10- 1215pm- Leave for Islamabad (127424 Km) 6.20pm- Arrive Islamabad Toll Plaza 7pm- Arrived Avari Xpress Islamabad (127424 Km) |
There’s a really nice shop in Multan, very close to our Hotel, called Pak Handicrafts, just 2 km away. After buying 2 cartons of Multani pottery we made our way onwards to Islamabad.
After passing the Salt Range, we experienced, what I believe, a hail storm. Slow going but an interesting drive in the rain.
However, the consequences of the word “Interesting” can be construed in many ways ☹ ….
| Monday, Oct 11- Car started but no readings or lights on instrument panel |
Presumably, while parked overnight, in the rain, with the drain of the sun roof blocked, the water must have found its way down the two side frames of the car into the fuse box(es).
On further testing, mechanicals were all fine; electrical connections were all fine; but the instrument panel didn’t work nor did the airconditioning, but car was still drivable.
| Tuesday, October 12- 12.30pm- Leave for Lahore with parents (127980 Km) ??? pm- Arrive Avari Lahore Hotel (128360 Km) |
So, with no airconditioning and a rough indication with cruise control that we were under the 120 KPH limit, we arrived sometime late on Tuesday night- hot, sweaty, dusty for most of the trip, but slightly cooled off by the time dusk hit us. From hereon, all mileage calculations were done as per Google maps as the odometer reading was also off.
| Wednesday, October 13- 1015am Leave for Multan (128367 Km) 3pm Arrive Avari Xpress Hotel, Multan (128,380 Km) |
Believe me, it’s not too much fun driving with open windows in Punjab’s heat … but again, it is an “experience” 😊.
On the 14th, by 1pm, we realized we had completed our work and there was no real reason to stay back another day. Byram & I decided that if we can reach Sukkur by 7pm, we can make Karachi same night by 11pm (add an hour’s margin, so say 12 midnight).
Now, don’t forget, we have no a/c (how spoilt we are!) and no operating control panel, so we don’t know our speed nor how much diesel we would use. So one more visit to Pak Handicrafts, then topping up the diesel and off we left.
| Thursday, October 14- 3.30pm Leave for Sukkur (128720 Km) 6.45pm Arrive Rohri-Sukkur Toll Plaza (129,125 Km) |
Leaving Sukkur had quite a bit of traffic and I wasn’t sure if we could make Karachi by midnight. We would make a call at Ranipur, whether to stay over at a friend’s or push on … PUSH ON we did!
(By the way, from this point onwards, as far as our parents were concerned, we were overnighting in Ranipur 😱)
9.45pm found us at a roadside restaurant in Moro for a quick dinner … and the car worse for wear. With all the lights dimming, we didn’t know what to expect next so just kept the car running through the one hour dinner stop, rightly apprehensive it wouldn’t start again. (129,230 Km)
At 1045pm, as we left the diner, the car decided it was not going anywhere in a hurry and groaned & moaned it’s way down N5 – at that point we decided it may be better to turn around and travel back to Ranipur and sleep the night and figure out the car next morning. 5 minutes later, the car packed up on the side of the road ☹!!! It just stalled … no starter … no click … no clack! (129,285 Km)
It turned out, with the help of really good Samaritans, we found out both the batteries were shot (and these are new, just replaced in June 2021). In our conveniently stranded location, mechanics and battery-wallas were all over the place; we managed to quick charge both batteries; and at 2am decided it’s better to continue to push through for Karachi instead of head back 2 hours to Ranipur.
The going was good for exactly one hour, when the same symptoms “enlightened” us and we came to another permanent stop at a TOTAL pump just before Naya Saeedabad toll plaza. (129,278 Km)
Between 3am and 3.30, we contacted the Motorway Police; reported our problem, requesting towing/trucking services; spoke to one of their mobiles which passed by; and finally were informed there was nothing that could be done till 7am.
So, in a first of an EXPERIENCE, Byram lay down across the back seat, I lay across the two front seats, two pillows behind our respective heads and went off in a deep deep 💤💤💤.
At 6.30am, I again contact the H’way Police who sent another mobile. The police gave me the number of a tow truck company in Hyderabad who I contacted, who sent Abdullah with his recovery truck some hours later; and with the car on the truck, we finally set off at noon on OCTOBER 15, 2021 for Karachi at 12.20 noon … but this time, sitting in our car, which was on top of the recovery truck.
Five minutes later, the truck had a FLAT!!!!
We hit Hyderabad’s 37⁰ heat (Felt like 🔥) at 1.50pm; Abdullah stopped for us to enjoy a chilled, refreshing Gunnay ka Juice (Sugarcane Juice) and we crossed the River Indus 15 minutes later on our way for the final leg; arriving Toyota Motors at 6pm, dropping off the car and arriving home at 7pm! (129,278 Km)
My wife and I have driven Karachi to Lahore in 2016; we drove Karachi to London in 2017; and now in 2021, Byram & I to Islamabad and back; but what is the takeaway from this story –
| Possibly consider doing our overlanding/next road trip like this … sitting in the comfort of your own car, ON TOP OF a flatbed, being driven around the world… 😆😁. |
(By the way, the pin location for the sugarcane juice in Hyderabad, if anyone’s interested, is 25°23’50.3″N 68°19’48.5″E – https://goo.gl/maps/7Pw8w4gChE1pkspPA)
(‘Another’ by the way- for anyone interested, the recovery company is Shamim Recovery Service (Pak Movers)- 0313 5036666, 0301 5036666, 0333 5036666, 0303 5036666)
Dinshaw Avari- Trying my Hand at Blogging! 