New Delhi, Nov. 17 -- Standing on the Karnataka-Goa border near Karwar, the wide NH66 runs straight till the horizon. It sounds like the famous US Route 66, but on the map, the two couldn't more different. Where Route 66 stretches across the US, NH66 snakes its way along the west coast of India, hugging the seashore with the verdant Western Ghats rising on the other side. It weaves through towns, villages, hamlets and farmlands but the sea is never far away. And yet, NH66, or at least the Karnataka bit from Karwar to Mangaluru (about 320km), with its abundance of temple towns, picturesque fishing villages, seaside idylls and hidden beaches, is about escape, discovery and hope. Much like the way US Route 66 is symbolised in books, movies a...