We brought home the nano in November 2011, but we did not do many outings until April. Being a new driver and living in Ahmedabad where traffic habits are a bit am.. different, I was afraid to drive her, so I basically did journeys to my hometown.
By April, I had made a few highway journeys under watchful eyes, drove her to office a few times, so I was confident. Vacation started and pressure to go out every week-end started building up. I had purchased the nano cx - the base AC version, mainly for week-end outings, so be it winter or summer, outing to hona hi tha.
My hometown trips were 2 hours trips and return the next day. Going used to be in the morning. Return used to be in afternoons, but we did not really use the AC since I liked to give hand signals to other drives for sides and all.
Then we started half day outings. Trips to Modhera sun temple and Vadnagar, return trip was always in afternoons and we had to turn the AC on. This not only gave us cooler ride, but also gave a quieter cabin. When we stopped by Tropic of Cancer for a photograph, we realized how hot it was outside and how cool it was inside the nano.
The trip to Lothal was early afternoon to late afternoon. We started at around 10:30 am and returned at around 4 pm. In this trip, we were 4 adults, 2 kids and one infant. Nano gave everyone cool and comfortable time. My cousin and his younger son were sleeping in the front seat, kids kept on playing and ladies kept on talking through out the journey. They realized only when we were back home "Le, ghar aavi gayu?" meaning "Oh, we have reached home?"
The visit to Nal Sarovar was full of surprises. As usual I forgot a left turn, and we passed by Tata Motor's Sanand Plant where my car was born!! We traveled an additional 30 km through a state highway where we spotted a hurd of Neelgai and took a few pictures of my nano. We reached Nal Sarovar after a journey of around 2 and a half hour, at around 12 noon. Return journey of around an hour and half, was once again under the bright afternoon Sun, but we three were cool inside our nano, at around 70 kmph, AC was at 25%, blower at top speed and watching convoy of Banjaras passing by and me singing a garaba "Vanjara vanjara vanjara... ame game gam saathe jaiye.. ame chare disha ma fariye..."
Our latest trip to Palitana, was going to prove the toughest for my cutie nano.
It was over 220 km journey, we were tight on schedule, since we cannot start before 1 pm and have to reach before 6:30 pm. If we delay, we would not get dinner. We started at around 1:30 pm. Carrying 4 adults, 2 kids and their week-end baggage, nano went on and on through the National Highway and state highways, mostly with AC turned on, made sure we reach Palitana before the dinner service ends for the day just before sunset. Paliana tirth is situated on top of a hill known as "Shetrunjay". We completed the jaatra by around 2 pm. We had faced sunshine and its heat during our return from the hill. My nano had a challenge to transport all of its tired and exhausted passengers safely and with the highest level of comforts back to Ahmedabad. After starting at 3 pm, within 15 minutes of our starting the return journey both the ladies and kids were fast a sleep in the rear seat enjoying cool comforts offered by nano's powerful AC. I went on driving and my friend went on talking with me. On state highways you need quick pickups to overtake the trucks. And so, I decided to turn off the AC to get that extra kick, but that was only at around 6 pm. We reached home comfortably after completing the pilgrimage.
Now, monsoon days are on. Not much rain however, but hard days of nano are not over. She will have to take us outing almost every week-end. And she will, happily.
By April, I had made a few highway journeys under watchful eyes, drove her to office a few times, so I was confident. Vacation started and pressure to go out every week-end started building up. I had purchased the nano cx - the base AC version, mainly for week-end outings, so be it winter or summer, outing to hona hi tha.
My hometown trips were 2 hours trips and return the next day. Going used to be in the morning. Return used to be in afternoons, but we did not really use the AC since I liked to give hand signals to other drives for sides and all.
Then we started half day outings. Trips to Modhera sun temple and Vadnagar, return trip was always in afternoons and we had to turn the AC on. This not only gave us cooler ride, but also gave a quieter cabin. When we stopped by Tropic of Cancer for a photograph, we realized how hot it was outside and how cool it was inside the nano.
The trip to Lothal was early afternoon to late afternoon. We started at around 10:30 am and returned at around 4 pm. In this trip, we were 4 adults, 2 kids and one infant. Nano gave everyone cool and comfortable time. My cousin and his younger son were sleeping in the front seat, kids kept on playing and ladies kept on talking through out the journey. They realized only when we were back home "Le, ghar aavi gayu?" meaning "Oh, we have reached home?"
The visit to Nal Sarovar was full of surprises. As usual I forgot a left turn, and we passed by Tata Motor's Sanand Plant where my car was born!! We traveled an additional 30 km through a state highway where we spotted a hurd of Neelgai and took a few pictures of my nano. We reached Nal Sarovar after a journey of around 2 and a half hour, at around 12 noon. Return journey of around an hour and half, was once again under the bright afternoon Sun, but we three were cool inside our nano, at around 70 kmph, AC was at 25%, blower at top speed and watching convoy of Banjaras passing by and me singing a garaba "Vanjara vanjara vanjara... ame game gam saathe jaiye.. ame chare disha ma fariye..."
Our latest trip to Palitana, was going to prove the toughest for my cutie nano.
It was over 220 km journey, we were tight on schedule, since we cannot start before 1 pm and have to reach before 6:30 pm. If we delay, we would not get dinner. We started at around 1:30 pm. Carrying 4 adults, 2 kids and their week-end baggage, nano went on and on through the National Highway and state highways, mostly with AC turned on, made sure we reach Palitana before the dinner service ends for the day just before sunset. Paliana tirth is situated on top of a hill known as "Shetrunjay". We completed the jaatra by around 2 pm. We had faced sunshine and its heat during our return from the hill. My nano had a challenge to transport all of its tired and exhausted passengers safely and with the highest level of comforts back to Ahmedabad. After starting at 3 pm, within 15 minutes of our starting the return journey both the ladies and kids were fast a sleep in the rear seat enjoying cool comforts offered by nano's powerful AC. I went on driving and my friend went on talking with me. On state highways you need quick pickups to overtake the trucks. And so, I decided to turn off the AC to get that extra kick, but that was only at around 6 pm. We reached home comfortably after completing the pilgrimage.
Now, monsoon days are on. Not much rain however, but hard days of nano are not over. She will have to take us outing almost every week-end. And she will, happily.
