THE WEATHER WAS KIND.....

It was after a long time that I once again drove into Vijayawada for a day. As on all tours there was severe excitement and I packed all the essentials in a little cute basket. 

I would have loved a real early start, considering we were going to Blazewada, but good old Murali did not want an early wake up call and so we finally left at 6 am, which was not bad, considering. 

We went via S'bad, Nagole (on the new flyover) and then on to the Vijayawada highway. While the road is very broad on both sides of LB Nagar, the traffic is abysmal. We had fewer vehicles that early but the few that were on the road were driving in their usual way. Without discipline or a sense of responsibility. Best for all drivers to be careful. 

We crossed Ramoji Film City and were reaching Choutupal. Nothing had changed on either side of the road. Choutupal was the same dull, including the bandiwala, who had more of a crowd. He favoured us by making hot wadas, out of turn. The taste remained the same, hot and fresh.

Then the drive continued. Nothing had changed. We reached the midway halt at 7. Here there was a huge crowd and people at tables, eating and drinking. Always nice to see that at an eating place. This is also the place for a pit stop and a clean one at that.

There are lots of little stores here and one of them sells my favourite toffees, including mint ones and the cardamom flavoured Kismis. I have really stocked up on them and am fairly stingy when it comes to sharing, especially the mint ones. 

Saw Vivera restaurant and felt very nostalgic and decided to come there on the return journey. Then we drove straight on to Vijayawada. And the temperature remained at a non-sunny 32 to 35 degrees and after 3 pm, there was a breeze blowing, cool and refreshing. And because it was a Sunday, there was no traffic. So, it was a double whammy, in a very good way. 

I definitely need to mention the flyover, which brings you into the city in a very nice flourish. You get to see the Krishna, which did not look too full, the Ammavaru temple and no crowd on the flyover. Also, probably because of the weather and it being a Sunday, Vijayawada looked clean and a whole bunch of new hotels have cropped up. But there was nothing new which had happened. We are probably spoilt because of Hyderabad, where the landscape changes are so quiet and frequent. And obviously the focus in now on Visakhapatnam.

While we spent most of the time inside a hotel, eating and drinking, I then went on to buy a few snacks at a place called Anumolu Home Foods. I had liked what a friend had got for me from there. It is like a Swagruha kitchen and there are a whole load of women busy rolling laddus, packing. I of course went berserk, but majority of the items were labelled in Telugu and after some time it got a bit tiresome asking what it said. But I had a great time and returned to pick up Murali and we finally left the `cool' Vijayawada at 5 pm.

We drove at a clip because we wanted to catch the light and I had decided on Vivera. I used to like this place because it is a super clean pit stop and you could get something light to eat. Plus they would have farm fresh vegetables, vadiyalus, pickles, home made snacks but not any more. There was a shelf full of snacks, but dusty and the pickle bottles also smeared with oil and such. 

The place was crowded and when we found a place to sit, we ordered something light. The guy just turned around and said that they did not serve snacks and dinner only meant rotis and paneer. I got in a bit of a huff and we decided to walk out and he did not stop us. How rude! But people seemed to be enjoying their rotis and paneer much and as I said the place was hopping.

Poor Raju, who had just found some parking had to go and fetch the car again. As luck would have it there was a place right next doors. And in total contrast the guy was very friendly and actually brought us hot food. I thumbed my nose at Vivera and its rude waiter. Actually, he was frayed at the edges and probably felt happy that he did not have to take an order.

We returned from LB Nagar, because the ORR, though a fast route is very hypnotic and I could have nodded off. But the highway was crowded on our return journey and also heavy vehicles and buses were already plying. Fast cars, faster bikes, sudden brakes and we had to see an awful accident with a young man.

But in those days, when we travelled by Ambassador and later by Indica taxis, Choutupal was a landmark for we felt closer to home. Followed by Ramoji Film City and then we had to take the LB Nagar road and return home. 

Nothing had changed. The same route, the same time. Getting out of a city and getting into another is still as bad. And now because of vacations, people are out in a frenzy. Let them enjoy this hectic summer.

While I missed the square, steaming hot idlis and their dinky little packet of ghee at the SSS at Vijayawada.