The ASEAN-India Car Rally 2012 reached the city of Phuket
yesterday, and we received news of the sad demise of former Prime
Minister Mr IK Gujral, who held office during the years 1997-98. The
Government of India has thus announced a 7-day period of mourning, thus
cancelling all official entertainment programmes, starting December 1,
which is today.
Our hosts at Hotel Hilton, Phuket brought a smile to our faces. The
entertainment for the evening, which was to include a cultural
performance and reception, was warm and pleasant. With a Kathak
performanceand a tabla maestro keeping us engagaed, our minds did wander
back to Indian soils, nostalgic for only a moment. Following up almost
immediately was a pop performance by a singer, who was popular among the
Thai crowds.The Ambassador of India to Thailand, Mr Anil Wadhwa made us
feel completely at home after the long drive from Hat Yai. The location
of the hotel next to the beach made for a relaxing atmosphere as the
evening turned to night.
We retired to our rooms at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. The next day was one of long hours of driving.
The day dawned and we started for Bangkok, refreshed by the Flag off ceremony by the Governor of Phuket, at 6 AM. It may seem an early take off, but the drivers and the teams are now getting used to the early morning rising sequence. After a tea-break at 8, we started for a long drive.
The day dawned and we started for Bangkok, refreshed by the Flag off ceremony by the Governor of Phuket, at 6 AM. It may seem an early take off, but the drivers and the teams are now getting used to the early morning rising sequence. After a tea-break at 8, we started for a long drive.
The journey to Bangkok was to be of almost 14 hours, given we have close
to 850 kilometres to drive. At about noon, we reached the beautiful
city of Chumphon. The Khun Sarai restaurant served a delicious feast for
the teams, and we loved what we ate. Like we mentioned previously, Thai
food is a treat for those with an appetite.
A special mention of the Thai hospitality and police department’s
services- The former made our travel, stay and mid-journey halts
extremely comfortable. At every break the ASEAN India Car Rally 2012
team was provided with the best of refreshments. Owing to the police, we
had a smooth drive into the crowded city of Bangkok without any
obstruction and that too during traffic hours. A police convoy assisted
us throughout our drive and made it a great one.
We are on our way to the Bangkok hotel, and this will be the 7th hotel
we will have checked into in a week, as well as the first hotel where we
shall stay for two nights. The journey so far today has been of close
to 12 hours, and we must admit- that a break is looked forward to!