Driving down 600-odd km to Goa? Insane, some might say. Not really, if youre a group of eight and a half (air ticket bill can be prohibitive for this rather large gathering, and Konkan Railway operates a push-pull train only up to Chiplun, thats just halfway through to Goa), and your transport of choice is the Sumo.
The most important virtues of the Sumo are its diesel motor and the vast interior room, which makes it the ideal vehicle for long hauls with a heavy load (my in-laws happened to be travelling with us). As I floored the pedal with the nose of the Sumo pointed at Panjim that fine morning, I was about to discover the Sumo all over again.