As darkness set in, the road began to level out and our spirits got a little lift, as we were hopeful that we could now munch some serious miles. Things were looking up and we were hoping that we’d make it to Mangalore at a decent hour. As is the case many a time in a situation like this, it didn’t take too long until we realised that this was only a pipe-dream, as the black-top transformed intermittently from acceptable to deplorable and everything in between.
This, coupled with the distinct lack of street-lights, meant we had to proceed with caution so as not to cause any lasting damage to the Santa Fe. This despite the Santa Fe’s ample 185 mm of ground clearance. So you can probably imagine what state those roads were in. However, the Santa Fe’s soft suspension helped us glide over the bumps with ease, and my spine was most grateful for this. And while we’re on the topic, the lumbar support available for the driver’s seat in the Santa Fe was pretty cool too; it allows you to really sink your teeth into those proper endurance drives, which worked out pretty well considering it took a lot longer to navigate past this seemingly endless stretch of tarmac that seemed to be in a constant state of flux.
As the numbers on the milestones that read ‘Mangalore’ kept dropping, the road did eventually improve. Also, to be fair, there were signs throughout this rough part that road work had been carried out earlier in the day, and with each stretch of asphalt that we crossed, we dared to hope a little more, until finally we arrived at the proper, well-lit, wide roads that led to the city of Mangalore and checked into the Manorama Hotel for the night. The Manorama had a quaint old -school charm about it with the lobby resplendent in wood carvings and statues. It is a very good option for those visiting Mangalore and are looking for a decent, yet economical place to stay.
The following morning, breakfast was high on our list of priorities, and we thought it would be gross gastronomical negligence on our part not to drive to the town of Udupi for our morning refreshment. Udupi is widely credited as the birthplace of and lends its name to an assortment of south Indian delicacies, including the ever popular masala dosa, so we just had to take the short drive down into Udupi and sample some authentic local cuisine. You know how every other south Indian food joint everywhere else in the country is called an Udupi restaurant? Well, this town is what they’re referring to. Bearing that in mind, we took the short 60 km trip down Edapally-Panvel Highway and made our way to the very heart of the city and a restaurant called Mitra Samaj where we delightedly munched on dosas, wada-sambar and the like. The eatery is located in close proximity to the Shri Krishna Math, the famous Krishna temple area of Udupi, which made for a very convenient next stop.
