The ride from Chennai to Madurai
Sight old ambassador car MDA 1544 somewhere in Tamil Nadu. Can't recall the exact place but there are no dearth of old ambys and fiats that have numbers dating to the 70s and 80s in the South. The stay in Chennai spread over two nights, the best way to reach Madurai was by a bus operating during day time. That would have kept one away from the hassles of a night journey. Mornings in Egmore have one way traffic leaving you with the option of taking a transport from Pantheon Road or nearby. A little before 10 on a Friday took an auto for Kayombedu bus stand. The shrill on the road looked to be manageable with adequate arrangements to keep the one way flow. Around 10.20 reached Kayombedu bus stand with the autowallah little unsure of Kayombedu and its roundabout. He looked to be fairly disciplined with a noting on his auto seat cover that had developed ruptures due to passenger load a few months ago.
First sighting of Rameshawaram on board
It was not hard to locate the platform from where Madurai buses depart. At 10.32 the bus left Kayombedu . There was another bus with the conductor making it loud and clear that it has airconditioned comforts lasting till Trichy. I settle for this Madurai direct. At 11.20 it takes a U turn from Tambaram to fetch passengers, reaching Peerkkankaranai at 11.32. Enough passengers have boarded the bus and the man at the wheel is content with the load and the leverage. At 1.18 there is the first sighting of a board showing Madurai 330 km. Halt for meals at 1.40. The place seems to have no other eating joints on either side. Perhaps the way the passengers relish having egg curry, it seems to be the flavour of the season. Spotting one on my table, i make a request for a simple meal with no egg showering. Plain rice is how the meal is advertised if no non veg preparation has been taken. It came for 50rs and a little after 2 pm the bus leaves. At 2.11 the board showed Rameshawaram 450km and Madurai 295 km.
A little later going past chanakya matriculation school. At 3.22 Trichy was shown to be 101 km.
At 3.42 a couple deboard who were the first set of passengers to do it. At 3.47 there is a first sighting of a milk van. Around 3.50 going past TCPS computer education followed by Mangalmedu at 3.54. A little later the board shows Trichy 69 km. Not to be forgotten is the fact that since 2.50 there have been sighting of upcoming SOS phone booths. Too many toll plazas on the way is another feature of this ride.
Reaching Trichy
At 4.25 a board shows Perambalur district limit ends, with another one not distant away showing Trichy 20 km. Later Sighting is as well of MAM College of Engineering and Technology followed by Trichy Insitute of Engineering. At 5.10 we are in Trichy, the first coffee of the day to be taken from a bus stand near Ashoka Bhawan, coming for 10rs. We reach Trichy central bus stand at 5.30 from where it leaves at 5.42. Down the road at 6.15 there comes a CRC building with a yellow touch which looks to be quite productive. At 7.47 i sight a local bus no 75 suggesting Madurai is nearby. At 8.10 reach madurai bus stand and at 9 pm reach neww college house.
The journey which began at 10.32 from Chennai took almost 10 and a half hours to complete. Consolation being all accomplished during day and late evening. As for meals, one should settle for simple serving. Provided one has patience and given the weather that was not that jarring the bus ride can be tried as at least it frees you from the hassles like standing in line for train ticket and if it is overnight journey taking a toll on your sleep. Well i did not check out the morning trains for madurai from chennai.
As for Chennai, Lakshmi Mohan Lodge on Egmore was another place i tried and the tea from hotel sri jaya was enriching. As for the lodge where i stayed the previous year it was probably Ammu Palace on Mount Road. As for Plastic u shaped tongue cleaners i collected this time from a store which has in its proximity some ATMs and is the first store as you turn right and No 1 high road written on the board. It is about one km away from Egmore railway station. I can't recall the exact place name but this store has plastic u shaped tongue cleaners of good quality in abundance.
Sight old ambassador car MDA 1544 somewhere in Tamil Nadu. Can't recall the exact place but there are no dearth of old ambys and fiats that have numbers dating to the 70s and 80s in the South. The stay in Chennai spread over two nights, the best way to reach Madurai was by a bus operating during day time. That would have kept one away from the hassles of a night journey. Mornings in Egmore have one way traffic leaving you with the option of taking a transport from Pantheon Road or nearby. A little before 10 on a Friday took an auto for Kayombedu bus stand. The shrill on the road looked to be manageable with adequate arrangements to keep the one way flow. Around 10.20 reached Kayombedu bus stand with the autowallah little unsure of Kayombedu and its roundabout. He looked to be fairly disciplined with a noting on his auto seat cover that had developed ruptures due to passenger load a few months ago.
First sighting of Rameshawaram on board
It was not hard to locate the platform from where Madurai buses depart. At 10.32 the bus left Kayombedu . There was another bus with the conductor making it loud and clear that it has airconditioned comforts lasting till Trichy. I settle for this Madurai direct. At 11.20 it takes a U turn from Tambaram to fetch passengers, reaching Peerkkankaranai at 11.32. Enough passengers have boarded the bus and the man at the wheel is content with the load and the leverage. At 1.18 there is the first sighting of a board showing Madurai 330 km. Halt for meals at 1.40. The place seems to have no other eating joints on either side. Perhaps the way the passengers relish having egg curry, it seems to be the flavour of the season. Spotting one on my table, i make a request for a simple meal with no egg showering. Plain rice is how the meal is advertised if no non veg preparation has been taken. It came for 50rs and a little after 2 pm the bus leaves. At 2.11 the board showed Rameshawaram 450km and Madurai 295 km.
A little later going past chanakya matriculation school. At 3.22 Trichy was shown to be 101 km.
At 3.42 a couple deboard who were the first set of passengers to do it. At 3.47 there is a first sighting of a milk van. Around 3.50 going past TCPS computer education followed by Mangalmedu at 3.54. A little later the board shows Trichy 69 km. Not to be forgotten is the fact that since 2.50 there have been sighting of upcoming SOS phone booths. Too many toll plazas on the way is another feature of this ride.
Reaching Trichy
At 4.25 a board shows Perambalur district limit ends, with another one not distant away showing Trichy 20 km. Later Sighting is as well of MAM College of Engineering and Technology followed by Trichy Insitute of Engineering. At 5.10 we are in Trichy, the first coffee of the day to be taken from a bus stand near Ashoka Bhawan, coming for 10rs. We reach Trichy central bus stand at 5.30 from where it leaves at 5.42. Down the road at 6.15 there comes a CRC building with a yellow touch which looks to be quite productive. At 7.47 i sight a local bus no 75 suggesting Madurai is nearby. At 8.10 reach madurai bus stand and at 9 pm reach neww college house.
The journey which began at 10.32 from Chennai took almost 10 and a half hours to complete. Consolation being all accomplished during day and late evening. As for meals, one should settle for simple serving. Provided one has patience and given the weather that was not that jarring the bus ride can be tried as at least it frees you from the hassles like standing in line for train ticket and if it is overnight journey taking a toll on your sleep. Well i did not check out the morning trains for madurai from chennai.
As for Chennai, Lakshmi Mohan Lodge on Egmore was another place i tried and the tea from hotel sri jaya was enriching. As for the lodge where i stayed the previous year it was probably Ammu Palace on Mount Road. As for Plastic u shaped tongue cleaners i collected this time from a store which has in its proximity some ATMs and is the first store as you turn right and No 1 high road written on the board. It is about one km away from Egmore railway station. I can't recall the exact place name but this store has plastic u shaped tongue cleaners of good quality in abundance.
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