The twisty NH17 should have made for a fun drive if the traffic had been a little less dense. Kerala especially the coastal plains are so densely populated (3+ times more dense than the rest of India) there is scarcely a break in habitation along the highway. The density of traffic never drops with the almost constant presence of slow moving 2 & 3 wheelers on the road. Result was average speeds of 40 KMPH and a drop in fuel economy of about 15-20%
As if this that wasn't enough the roads in Kerala are populated by a special breed of super aggressive drivers bent on going down with all horns blazing. It didn't matter if that was a blind corner coming up or another maniac heading towards you indulging in his own version of who blinks first, they just went for it.
Every overtaking maneuver I did turned out to be a disguised suicide mission... down shift, floor accelerator, pray and keep the horn pressed just in case God was busy elsewhere.
Moral of the story, for those used to the golden quadrilateral Kerala is truly a journey to the wild west.
