Journey to the Peaks: Riding the Ultraviolette F77 Day 7 Episode 10

 Ultraviolette F77 Ride

Journey to the Peaks

A Journey to Remember 💓

Panasonic Lumix S5

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Episode -10

DAY -7

The alarm woke me up at 6 am, and I swiftly got ready. I completed the checkout process, left the hotel, and headed to my bike. By 6:30 am, I had everything sorted and was prepared to hit the road. I took a few photos with the curious hotel staff who had many questions about my bike and journey. They wished me well, and I set off for my next destination.

The day was overcast with a strong wind, likely from the rain the previous night. I chose to take the highway towards Gurugram via Madura for my next destination, deciding to skip the route through Delhi. After covering only a few kilometers, the wind intensified and the sky grew darker. It started to drizzle. Without wasting any time, I found shelter under a highway dhaba, quickly put on my rain gear, and then confidently continued my journey on the highway.

As I continued my journey, the rain was intermittent, and I managed to ride through it without any issues. However, when I reached Palwal, I encountered a major challenge. I had initially planned to take the expressway, but I noticed a sign that said bikes were not allowed. So, I entered Palwal and took a state highway that would lead me to Gurugram.

This route proved to be problematic. Google Maps directed me down some unexpected paths that I wasn't familiar with. And then, I hit a terrible stretch of road. For several kilometers, the road was under construction, with a base layer of mud that had turned into slippery slush due to the heavy rain. Even cars and heavy vehicles were struggling to pass through.

I thought I could make it, but it was risky because the tires on my F77 were not designed for this type of terrain. With a heavy heart, I continued, but the tires started slipping. I was very cautious not to consume more battery power, and I carefully glided through, keeping both my legs in the air to prevent them from getting muddied, but my boots couldn't escape the red sauce-like mud.

I stopped my bike, took a deep breath, and continued to glide the bike safely and steadily. My biggest fear was slipping and falling because the F77 was quite heavy, making it difficult to lift. Additionally, getting any parts repaired would be a nightmare, as very few people knew about these bikes, and finding replacement parts was a challenge.

After two hours of struggling, I had only crossed a few kilometers, and it was still drizzling. The rainwear didn't offer much protection, as rainwater found its way inside my riding suit, and I was partially wet at some point.

Finally, after completing the state highway stretch, I entered the Gurugram highway. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and the sun emerged, which was a relief because my wet gear started to dry up.

By 11 am, I had entered Gurugram, a massive city with numerous high-rise buildings and crowded roads filled with vehicles. Navigating through the city during peak hours was quite challenging. It took some time to find my way to Ambience Mall, the location provided by Sartek from Panasonic Lumix India, and I reached there by 11:30 am.

I had to wait for Sarthek to arrive, so I parked my bike near the platform and sat down to dry my shoes and other belongings that had gotten wet. By 12:10 pm, Sarthek arrived, and he took my bike for charging to the basement of the bike parking area in Ambience Mall. I noticed small electric auto-rickshaws there getting charged up as well. They provided me with a dedicated spot to charge my bike, and I parked it, checked the charging status (which was good). Then Sarthek then took me to the Panasonic head office, which was located on the 13th floor of a building opposite Ambience Mall.

Since it was a Sunday, there wasn't much activity in the building. After the initial security check, I entered the building and reached the office. I sat in the reception area, taking some time to refresh and cool down.

Later, the Lumix team arrived, and we had meetings and discussions regarding the ride and cameras. Hardeep Ji, the head of Lumix India, was present, along with other team members whom they introduced. During our conversation, I also had the pleasure of meeting the Marketing Head of Holly land for India, who was there to meet with the Lumix team.

To my surprise, I also had the chance to meet the global head of Panasonic Lumix. It was a delightful moment as they had all heard about my ride on an electric bike and were amazed. They wished me good luck and, as a token of their appreciation, they gifted me a warm jacket and some souvenirs.

With Panasonic Lumix Team Head Hardeep ji & Sarthek  and Hollyland head 

Ultraviolette Stickers and  flag arrived in Delhi which was arranged by UV team in a Short Span 

After a while, lunch was served, and I was invited to their office canteen. The canteen was impressive, and they ordered a variety of foods for me to taste. It was a delightful time spent with them, enjoying a delicious meal and engaging in a lively conversation about my ride.

Following lunch, I returned to the reception area to take a short break. In the meantime, Sarthek left the office, bidding me farewell and wishing me good luck on my ride.

Around 5:20 pm, I noticed through my UV app on my mobile that the bike had fully charged. I informed the security that I was leaving and then left the Panasonic office. I entered the Ambience Mall basement where my bike had been charging. After repacking and suiting up, I left the mall and headed towards my next destination.

Once I left Gurugram, the road led to New Delhi, the capital city. However, due to the time and heavy traffic, I decided to change my plan and took the outer route without entering the city. Initially, I had thought of going to India Gate, but it was taking more time than expected to glide through the inch-by-inch traffic. I had never experienced anything like it in my life. Fortunately, I was on the UV F77, so I didn't have to deal with clutch pain or fuel loss. After more than an hour and a half, I finally touched the Panipat highway and reached the Panipat toll plaza by 9:19 pm.

I took a break near the toll booth and looked for the next charging options. After several tries, I found a hotel on the highway near Kurukshetra, which was suggested by my friend Prafulla. I then headed towards Kurukshetra. The highway was fantastic, and it was a bustling place. On both sides of the highway, all the hotels and dhabas were full of people, creating a lively atmosphere. This gave me more confidence to continue riding on the highway at night.

By 10:50 pm, I reached Kurukshetra, specifically the Golden Hut Dhaba. I spotted a Hyundai EV charging station and decided to check if I could use it. There was a guy standing near it, and I approached him for assistance. Unfortunately, he was quite rude and kept rejecting my requests. At one point, he stopped responding altogether, which was frustrating due to the language barrier.

I called my friend Prafulla for help, and he advised me to directly contact the owner and ask for assistance. So, I searched for the owner and found him sitting at the cash counter. Fortunately, he was proficient in English and understood my situation. Finally, he offered to help me with charging my bike.

The owner of the dhaba came over and showed me a plug point that was suitable for charging. The connection was good, and my bike started charging. I asked him how much I should pay for the charging service, but he refused to take any payment, insisting I charge the bike for free. I was delighted to hear this.

I then asked him if it was possible for me to rest in the area while my bike charged. However, due to the continuous movement of people and the noise, it wasn't easy to relax. So, I asked if he had a room available at a reasonable price. He agreed and provided me with a room. I was exhausted and needed a good rest. After checking in, I took a refreshing bath and came out to explore the dhaba area.

I had some tandoori chai and maggie, a popular Indian noodle dish, before getting some well-deserved sleep. Interestingly, the guy who had been rude to me earlier was now more friendly and even engaged in a conversation. With the day's journey behind me, it was time to hit the bed for a restful sleep.

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Read more about my journey...... >

DAY 7 :  Distance Covered : 374 Km 

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