Bangalore to Ernakulam by car on a Hartal day

Friday evening...I was dreaming about going home next day morning by car....I planned everything...serviced the car..Filled full tank petrol..packed all my baggage.

Suddenly a call came...It was one of my friends in Cochin.He told me that the Left party called for a Hartal tomorrow in Kerala protesting against the fuel price hike by central govt.

A Hartal in Kerala means..Holiday..except that some crazy jobless people will block traffic and throw stones at vehicles..Even though its illegal to call for a Bandh day...when ruling party itself does the same, who to blame for...

Initially I thought all my plans went in vein..but later I decided to go ahead and face the Hartal..
My journey is around 550km...out of this 400km is through Tamil Nadu and remaining 150km through Kerala.

I was pretty sure that Kerala people have become so lazy even to do proper Hartal....So its highly unlikely that somebody will wait for me on the road and stop me...instead they may sit at home or waste time..

I started my journey at 5 AM early morning..with my friend as per the plan..

Bangalore to Salem...through NH-7..we passed 200km in 2.5 hours..That could be a record..as per my friend who used to travel... Driving was thrilling...the road is so smooth and straight that you can press down the gas pedal fully down...80..100..120...130..my car started vibrating like anyting...the steering wheel is floating.. yeah...I guess that's the max. I can speed in my cute little car..

We Had breakfast at Salem...Next is Salem-Coimbatore..road is pretty good..but when I reached near to the Coimbatore-Palakkad by-pass..the NH is blocked..due to some international function going on in there...We had to travel through some small interior roads to finally enter the bypass.. But once I reached the bypass...things were totally different..60km straight stretch..no vehicles on the road. I can see atleast 5km road ahead. Except for toll booths, I didnt have to stop anywhere else.

Very soon we reached  Palakkad..anybody with reasonable eye sight can easily feel the difference once we cross the Kerala border..yeah!..its green ..green everywhere.

We were actually looking for Hartal crew..unfortunately we found none..all shops are closed..nobody on the road. We could find some police men at the junctions...they are totally bored...

Palakkad-Thrissur is the next stretch...road is too bad..more pot holes and less road..that's the situation.
Since there were no much traffic..I could somehow manage the pot holes and reach Trissur. So far I couldn't find a single Hartal crew...they must be really sleeping...as the climate is too good to leave your bed room.

Next is Trissur - Ernakumlam.. the NH is partly under construction..its a mix of good and bad roads..it started drizzling a bit..And again no Hartal crew..they must be sleeping.. But when I reached Angamaly...one monkey suddenly jumped in front of my car..he is wearing a dhoti and shirt..I can see that he has a stone in this right hand..I am actually at 100km per hour..he is waving his hands to stop. He must be a Hartal crew.

I thought for a moment that this is his last day on earth..as I can certainly not stop before I hit him...
and I don't have the intention to stop either.. I didn't stop..he might have seen heaven for a second...

And I guess he might have gone back home and hugged his family..I wish if he could take an oat
not to step on National Highways on Hartal days at least..as people like me never use break pedals on Hartal days..

I reached home well before schedule....So guys... if you are planning for a long car drive in Kerala wait for a Hartal day..and don't care about the monkeys on National Highways...

A note to the leader who called for this Hartal:

My dear old man..you are too old..go to hell..you don't have vision..you are not a leader..but a
lazy idiot. Please, never ever do this to the younger generation. No country can grow by a Hartal.
You need to work day and night to develop a nation...I doubt you have ever done that in your life..