Samara Turns 5

Samara turned 5 in April, a few days after Myra came home. With around 80K kms under her belt, all she needed to celebrate was a new engine timing belt and a nice day at the car spa. Interestingly, in spite of having a brand new expensive set of wheels in the garage, Samara still rules the roost at least when it comes to reliability! No wonder, when we had to spend 3 days in Mumbai with the extended family, it was Samara that made the cut :)

One of the main differences from the Samara of the last 5 years is that she no longer sports the tinted glasses - with cops getting super serious about  enforcing the no-tints rule, a few weeks back, they had to be stripped off! Does rob her a lot of the oomph, but other than that, it hasn't really made too much of a difference (to the cooling and heat inside, for example).

Here's wishing Samara another glorious 5 years and many, many more kms of exciting drives!

Black & White Beauties

Samara's 3rd Birthday

Samara had her 3rd birthday (and 55555 kms) on the 30th of April, and to celebrate, the next day, we (4 adults and 2 kids and lots of shopping) piled into her and set off for Goa.


It was hot and humid until we hit Kolhapur, but then the rain clouds enveloped us in beautiful weather, and by the time we hit Belgaum, the chilly winds and drizzle really made it a lovely drive. We tried out a new route through Chorla Ghat this time - and even though you have to get through Belgaum city (still retains its charm as a quaint hill station and shopping paradise for Goans), the road is in excellent shape (though a tad narrow and winding for my taste), and highly recommended for sedans driving into Goa from Mumbai/Pune/Kolhapur.

With the kids and multiple stops for grub, pics and nature's calls, it was a long day - but when you are headed to Goa in one of the best SUVs in the country, you can't really complain much, can you?

Two Birds In The Bush Are Better Than One!

Battery Problem For Samara

Samara had a battery failure the other night, and refused to start up. The Ford RSA crew got us going by using a jumper, but just a few meters down the road, the dead battery meant all my electricals malfunctioned, affecting my engine, braking and steering! Thankfully, I was able to coast it to a stop by the side of the road, and Ford RSA then towed it away on top of a truck to the service station.

Squeezy

We went to Mantra Resort for a team outing today - 9 cars, 47 people. Check this amazing bridge we had to cross to get there - as tight as they come! Was pretty scary too - looking down at a 30 feet drop on the rocky river below, just a thin framework of steel and a couple of inches of tar holding you safe. Will be a real adrenalin rush in the rains!

Looking Back, A Beautiful Day

Air Brushed Beauty

Note 2 da kamaal

The Beauty And The Beast

Trip To Chapoli, Palolem, Patnem, Galjibag, and Agonda

Yesterday was our post-Chaturthi trip day - all of us cousins, with Samara, my cousin's A-Star, my enthusiastic uncle, and a bunch of kids in tow.

First stop, a quick detour off NH17 to the picturesque Chapoli Dam. The perfect place for some wild stream bathing and some cow-watching.

After a refreshing bath, we were hungry, and off we went to Palolem, for a freakingly amazing feast of seafood at the Palolem Beach Resort. Tandoori Prawns, Masala Squid, some amazing Rawa Fried Surmai, Chicken Cafreal, Pomfret Recheado... washed down with chilled Pepsi.

We wanted to take a boat down to Butterfly Island and explore the shoreline, but it was still a little hot and sunny, and decided to explore in the cool environs of our cars instead. So, next stop, the not-so-happening Patnem.

Too many cows spoil the beach, so we beat a hasty retreat and ended up in the very beautiful and secluded Galjibag, beside the Lalit's Golf Course. The kids had a gala time in the cold water, while the elders watched jealously.

It was 4:00 by now, and we were all tired from the beach-hopping, so we washed up (careful not to get any sand into the squeaky clean cars), caught up some nice hot tea at a local tapari, and then went on to our last hop of the day - Agonda.

At 6:00, the beach-weary party decided to call it a day and head back home - after all, the night was yet to begin, and we needed to be ready for it!

An Evening At Zoo Zoo

Samara Gets New Matting

Got Samara new matting at the 3M outlet in Baner. Got black, although there were interesting biege and grey options too! The best part - the made to order fitting. The staff, led by their manager Tapas, was knowledgeable and courteous, the coffee was great! I also got a free vacuuming and door-edge cleaning - which was great :)

Total cost for around 40 sq foot of matting - 9400 including taxes and fitting.

Samara's Tail-lights

An update - got my tail lights fixed by my favourite neighbourhood mechanics - Gargatte Automobiles at Kalewadi Phata - and they did a superb job on it! Even though all the mounts were broken and unusable (at all), the lights are fitted absolutely spot on, using some screws, a little wire, and some surgical mastery. They also sourced and fitted one broken bulb holder, ensured all wiring was restored to normal, and as a bonus, also perfected the position of the rev cam.


The total bill: 650
Ford A.S.S estimate: 30000
Total savings: 29350
The relief: Priceless!

Note: For any and all car repairs once out of warranty, including body work, I highly recommend this garage. They work with a passion rarely seen, their expertise is of the highest quality, their customer service spotless and the prices crazy cheap!

Samara At Mulshi

Samara and I loved the spot on the Mulshi-Lonavla road so much last week, that we went again this week - this time with family and some cousins from Mumbai. The weather was lovely - a light drizzle, and fog. And although it meant the view was completely white-washed, the atmosphere was just heavenly...

Check the pics!