In pursuit of Pawana

After the short ride to morbe dam on a Saturday morning, our very own columbus Aditya Venkat suggested that Pawana lake should be the destination  for the next ride. As it was a much  more beautiful location than Morbe and one could go and sit by the lake.

Roughly around 20 kms from lonavala, it didn’t seem to be a tough ride. But little did we know what we were heading towards.

After a delay of around couple of hours from the scheduled time, we left from nerul on three bikes for lonavala. The initial plan was to have breakfast at  ramakrishna hotel (For the ones who havent tried Ramakrishna at lonavala.. Please do visit. highly recommend this one. ).

We took the old mumbai pune highway route.  i.e. taking the right turn towards panvel after Mac donalds at kalamboli.

But due to the delay , we had to take a halt at khopoli for a quick breakfast before we hit the ghats. The old mumbai pune highway is probably one of the most scenic routes especially during the monsoons. In the rains, the fresh green expanse gives one the feeling of riding through a painting. Such is the beauty  of the route that it mesmerises one completely.  The scenic route wound through ghats and plains with the backdrop of the mountains and valleys and brought us to Lonavala market area. 

We took the right turn from the market area towards amby valley . the road leading to amby valley is  quite good and involves a few sharp curves over the hills . We progressed on the route till the road split into a fork . we took the left which headed towards pawana lake. It was then that the quality of the road started to deteriorate. A signboard indicated Mahindra club resort Pawana Lake at a distance of 8 kms. We kept following the signboards which took us through patches of wilderness and kutcha roads. After a rough ride when we finally reached our destination we were shocked to see that mahindra club resort had come up at the place we were looking out for and it was a private property now,off the public limits. It  was sheer disappointment as we could go close to the lake at the point which was now bounded due to the resort.  We were already exhausted by the time we had reached the resort as the sun was at its peak.

Then the security guard told us that there was an alternate route to reach the lake. We had to return four kms on the way we came from and then take a right. We thought that itnot much and we should give it shot especially since we had come a long way.. little did we know how close were we to the lake shore.

That left turn took us all the way around lonavala through all kinds of terrains i.e. hills.. plains..wilderness..with an experience of riding through good roads, tar roads, bad roads, NO Roads( literally off-roading) . the road would come close to the lake but never did it reach a shore. There were few other bikers (locals) riding alongwith us. The road went up and down hills but never seemed to meet an end. we rode for around 15-20 kms and then took a break. there was some local shrine which the other bikers were visiting.  With no sign of the dam, our spirits gave up and were contemplating to return through the same arduous route.

After discussing with the local persons, we found the dam was approximately around 3 kms riding distance and that there was an alternate and shorter route to reach lonavla from the dam. Drained of all energy, yet we geared up to move forward. The road moved downhill and lo behold what lay in front of us was perhaps the most beautiful scene in the entire day for us.. the huge expanse of the lake with the backdrop of the hills , speed boats racing through the waters. The road further wound downhill till we reached the location of the dam. 

 

 However there was no shore where we could go near the  water. Hence after spending some time in enjoying the beauty of the location we left for lonavala. The return route was much shorter and more picturesque. We stopped at many places to capture some of the scenes.

Later the road turned into a narrow alley which gave way to a path which cut through the hills. As soon as we entered the alley, we experienced a sudden fall in temperature which was a soothing and welcome relief.  This route went around  malavli village which is the gateway for lohagad fort and visapur caves which are famous trekking locations in lonavla.

Finally we managed to reach lonavla by around 5 pm. What was supposed to be a simple around 20 kms ride turned into a good 60 odd km ride with varying experience and landscapes. We happened to have covered the entire periphery of lonavla that day

For the bikers who wish to plan a ride to pawana would recommend the route through malavli village. The amby valley route is better if you are heading to the Mahindra club resort or if you are looking for an adventurous ride.

Mangalore-Chikkamagalur- Udupi Trip (15th -21st March 2010)

A piece of advice to all the Mangalorean kids out there before I begin about my Mangalore trip. Do not visit Mangalore with your parents unless you want to just spend your days visiting temples and attending poojas. That’s what I would have done if I were to travel with them to Mangalore every time. So going back to my roots after 13 years, all alone allowed me to undertake the little adventure and explore the beauty on my terms. :)
Karnataka is a diverse landscape waiting to be explored (So is the whole of India I guess..: p... but I will be partial to Karnataka in this post :) ). From the high hills to the vast beaches, from historical treasure trove to adventurous jungle trip, you will find all of it in Karnataka. Being one's native it always help. Since the people and the land seem familiar to you.

My journey started on the evening of 15th March. Had to catch a 6 P.M flight to Mangalore. The entire way I was debating with my cousin Ashu about how Indian Railways is always better. There seemed to be something wrong with the temperature control system in the aircraft. With all the delays we reached Bajpe airport around 8.45. Our cousins had come to pick us up. Apart from the heat wave which was yet to hit us in the real sense, what struck me was the sheer creative design of the auto rickshaw that we had a ride in. Completed with a decorated false ceiling and the disco lights, it was an experience!!! Missed taking the photographs of the auto though.

Day 1: So the next destination on my itinerary was Chikkamagalur. I was supposed to take an early morning bus to Chikkamagalur from Mangalore. Ashu had turned down the proposal to join me on the trip to Chikkamagalur; even claims as” It will save you from the heat” didn’t help. Ofcourse she had come to attend the POOJA! So I thought we will go together till Mangalore atleast and have the famous ’GADBAD Ice cream” Now If you ever go to Mangalore. It is a CRIME not to visit ‘Ideal/ Pabbas’... Not just for the GADBAD. Just about any ice cream. They make the best ice creams. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like ice cream (though I doubt if such species do exist... but even if they do… they would cease to exist after one visit to this place.) It is truly amazing ice creams…. So after having devoured our share of the famous Mangalore ki Shaan “Gadbad Icecream” Ashu had a change of mind.. She suddenly decided to join me to chikkamagalur.We picked up some clothes for her from big bazaar.

( yeah yeah.. thanks to Mr. Kishore Biyani we have big bazaars.. in tier two cities like Mangalore and Udupi as well, which is a saviour for the impromptu travelers like Ms. Ashwini. ) We reached the city bus stand by 12.02 p.m. and missed our bus to chikkamagalur by 2 minutes. Thanks to the last minute shopping. Mumbai railways and BEST could learn a lesson or two from Karnataka State Transport on punctuality. The next bus was after one and half hours.. That meant we would reach Chikkamagalur by 6.30 p.m. and so the whole day would be wasted. We took another bus which was leaving at 12:30 for Mudigere which was an hour’s distance from Chikkamagalur. Finally we were on our way. As we started moving away from the town, the country started to uncover its beauty. The natural lakes, mountains revealed themselves through the curtain of thick trees. Then we reached a place called Ujihere where the bus halted for a break. It was going to halt for some 30 minutes. So we decided to change the bus and took another bus which was going directly to chikkamagalur. When we boarded the bus it was a bit scary sight. The bus was full of bald men … maybe villagers on return journey from some religious place. But the sight was frightening at the beginning. We managed to find a seat at the end of the bus and began to enjoy our journey. Away from the sweltering heat of Mangalore…it seemed like god just turned a natural AC on. The mercury level started falling as we entered the Ghats.

Ghats. There was a slight drizzle of rain. The picturesque beauty of the Ghats was just breath taking. We wanted to take the pictures but the windows were closed and we were trying hard to open it. That’s when one of the villagers came to our help. He seemed excited seeing us taking the pictures and helped with the window. Then I realized how biased and prejudiced we are. When we entered the bus we drew a dangerous image of these innocent people in our mindset based on their appearances whereas they are humble and helping people. Perhaps more than the kinds you would find in the city. Then we met Mr. Kumar. He looked like a local and I was bit upset when he came and sat in the seat in the adjacent row. Again a matter of prejudice ruling over. What we soon realized was Mr. Kumar was a knowledgeable person who could speak in fluent English something which we didn’t expect in the interior parts of the country. He told us that we were at the Charmaadi Ghats which is the highest point above the sea level. However the highest peak in Karnataka is Mullayanagiri. The view outside was truly mesmerizing. It was like you are suspended in time with no other sense except to absorb the beauty around you. The green cover of the hills appeared as bales of silk were laid out. At one of the halts, Ashu wanted to have coffee. Mr. Kumar said we could go ahead if we wanted to taste the worst coffee of our lives and asked us to wait till we reached Chikkamagalur where we could taste the best coffee. He also told us that there are around 20 places in and around chikkamagalur which are worth visiting. With just one day in hand, I guess we did quite well. J We reached Chikkamagalur at around 6 p.m. in the evening. Ramesh Uncle, (one of dad’s relatives) had come to pick us up. We were to stay at their place.
Chikkamagalur is a small town located on the hills of the Western Ghats. Chikkamagalur in its literal translation means younger daughter’s village (Chikka: younger-Magal: Daughter- Oor: Village). It is said that there was a king who had two daughters whom he had married off in the nearby villages. The nearby village called Hiremagalur is supposed to be the place where the elder daughter ‘Hire’ was married into. Surrounded by hills adorned with greenery all over and a pleasant weather all year through Chikkamagalur makes an ideal place for a peaceful retired life. Chikkamagalur is famous for its coffee and pepper plantations. Infact our beloved Café Coffee Day originates in Chikkamagalur. The headquarters of the famous 'Coffee Day' is located in Chikmagalur. It is also known as 'Coffee land' since the coffee in India initially grown here and it houses a Coffee Research Station, the first in Asia. The proprietors of 'Coffee Day' who are one of the many owners of the vast coffee plantations in Chikkamagalur also have a five star resort / spa called the ‘ Serai ’ which is the star attraction of the town. Simplistic beauty of the place and the pleasant weather doesn’t fail to enrapture you. The township is a small one with individual houses; some of the houses are just beautiful works of architecture

We reached home and were treated with some truly lip smacking holige (aka puranpoli) and hot tea. Then Ramesh uncle and his wife took us for a walk to the nearby hills. The slightly chilled breeze welcomed us. The weather was bit damp as it had just rained before we reached Chikkamagalur. After a 5 minute walk we reached the Mahatma Gandhi Park (also called Rathnagiri hill). behind Ramesh uncle’s house. We could see the Mullayanagiri hills which Ramesh uncle told us was the destination for the next day. The way the local municipal corporation has developed and maintained this park is truly commendable. It’s a haven for book lovers who can find a peaceful corner for themselves to read surrounded with the beauty of the hills. The park is a favorite haunt for the kids as it is well equipped with lots of things to play. A toy train which runs around the park, beautiful waterfalls, musical fountains, well kept gardens, artificial caves, and a temple at the top make it an ideal place for all age groups. The setting sun against the Mullayanagiri makes for a truly beautiful sight.

The next day I was super excited as I hadn’t expected to visit Mullayanagiri in this trip. Mullayanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka. Mullayanagiri is located in the Baba Budan Giri Range of the Western Ghats. With a height of 1,930 metres (6,330 ft), it is the highest peak between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris. My friends from Bangalore had gone trekking to Mullayanagiri and even I had wished to do the same but given the time constraints I thought I would have to leave it for the next time. I was bit confused when my cousin Rachna told us that Mullayanagiri could be covered in about 2 hours time. Later did I realize that it was through the roadway. A road was now constructed till almost the top except for some 500 steps which we had to climb to the peak. The drive to the top was through astounding beauty of the valley and various trees that lined along the road. The climb was bit of a strain as the steps were steep and the air was getting thinner making it difficult for us to breathe. The mountain consisted of iron ore deposits. We got some pieces of iron ore which looked like stones as memento. There is a temple located at the top of the mountain which is the local deity for the people of Chikkamagalur. A little below the temple, a risky walk around the ridges of the mountain leads you to the caves in the hill. These caves were inhabited by the Sadhus. There are some Samadhis of these Sadhus in these caves. The village tale says that these caves lead to Kashi. (Now whosoever could have verified that!)The interiors of the caves are damp and cold due to the water seeping in through its walls. The floor of the cave was ice cold. The view from the caves was of the valley full of wild white flowers.

On the way down we stopped by a coffee plantation by the side of the road. The coffee shrubs cannot bear too much of sunlight. Hence they are planted amidst tall trees which are known as the Silver trees. The pepper creepers are let onto these silver trees. The place reminded us of a location from a bollywood movie where the lead actors would be dancing around the tall trees. We headed home for a quick and yummy lunch.
Our next destination was the Belur and Halebidu temples located in the Hassan district which is about 30 minutes drive from Chikkamagalur. Halebidu (which was previously called Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra) was the regal capital of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. It is home to one of the best examples of Hoysala architecture in the ornate Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples. Halebidu literally means ruined city. This name is given because this city was ruined two times by Bahmani Sultanate. Halebidu was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala. The temple complex comprises two Hindu temples. In front of these temples there is a big lake. The town gets its name from the lake, Dwara samudhra which means entrance from ocean. There are two Nandi statues on the side of the temple. Soap stone or Chloritic Schist was used for the construction of these temples.
The Hoysaleswara temple, dating back to the 1121 C.E., is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds and Shilabalikas or dancing figures. Yet no two sculptures of the temple are the same. The sculptures are in the form of a series of moving images where each intricate detail has been captured in the stone. However most of the sculptures were destroyed by the Mughals. The heads of the sculptures of the horsemen were chopped off. There were 22 idols of the dancers in Queen Shanthala’s temple. Now only seven remain, the rest have been taken away by the British. Halebidu is just 16 km away from Belur. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple (dedicated to Chennakeshava , meaning handsome Vishnu) as the centre piece. The temple was built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117 CE. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants, lions, horses, episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and dancers (Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari ( Lady with the mirror ) carved on walls of Belur Temple is one of major attraction in complex.
If you are an art lover with a keen interest in the diverse history of our country then the belur and halebidu temples are definitely worth a visit.
After all the sightseeing during the day we still had some time left in the evening for some local shopping. We took a break for tea on the terrace which had the fantastic view of the mountain ranges and then headed to the local market. The market area is a single street which is lined with shops selling various utilities. I had to buy a coffee filter and some authentic coffee to take the memories of the place back home with me.
We missed out visiting few places like the kemmanagundi, kudremukha, Hebbe falls and a visit to a coffee plantation.
Chikmagalur has many Hill Stations, Waterfalls, Temple Towns and Wildlife, where activities including trekking, fishing or just relaxing can be experienced. It makes for a perfect holiday destination which has lot to offer and is relatively lesser known than its counterparts like Coorg which is a famous hillstation around 4 hours drive from Chikkamagalur.

(To Be Continued)
(Some of the info provided above about belur and halebidu  has been courtesy wikipedia)

Rajmachi- 27th Feb 2010

We went..We saw… We gave up..(umpteen times)… and Then Finally We conquered!!!!

Yupp that’s exactly how our latest trek was… Though we were unsure if we could make it, now in hindsight, it seems like there was something which ensured that we completed this trek. On reaching what seemed like dead end every time, a new path would open which empowered us to go further. Read on for the whole story…
After changing the destination for the fourth time we zeroed in on Rajmachi for our next trek. Venue decided, all geared we set forth for our trek as usual at 5. 30 a.m. Rajmachi is a place near Karjat. It’s a 2 hour trek through the Karjat route which as per internet sources is supposed to be a difficult trek. Hence we took the option of the longer but easier route through Lonavala. We reached Tungarli near Lonavala from where the trek starts or rather the long walk to the actual trek starts.After some five minutes of an uphill climb we reached a huge wall, which we later realized was a dam built on the Tungarli Lake. We were lost at that point since we couldn’t see any fort or any sign for Rajmachi anywhere. However we went over the dam. The water of the lake was gleaming under the bright morning sun.
We chose to take the path on the right as we had no clue whatsoever and started our exploration.It was nice walk through the trees with a nice cool breeze blowing. We walked ahead till we reached a dead end. The path downhill ended on the expressway. We turned back, still clueless about the way to Rajmachi. And there was no sight of any human being. We thought we had reached some wrong place. By the time we reached the lake (which was about an hour after we began our journey in the wrong direction). We saw a group of students along with their professor/guide. The professor/guide seemed to know the place well, so we asked him the route to Rajmachi. He asked us to take the route on the left and keep walking across 3 mountain ridges till we reached a village at the foothills of Rajmachi Fort. We started our walk and passed a small village. Pra and Sachhu asked local security guard the directions to Rajmachi. I and Kalpi were walking behind when we heard him say “Rajmachi jaa rahe hai. Inki toh haalat kharaab hone waali hai” Little did we know how close to the truth he was. The walk started getting tougher as the road was strewn with stones. After covering the stony patch the road started to get boring. There was no sight of Rajmachi or even another specimen of the species Human Beings. The breeze also had stopped and the sun was also increasing its intensity. We took a break but our destination still seemed distant and out of reach. Our path seemed like going downhill and we wondered if we would have the strength to make the return journey uphill…The weather had turned arid. The place would have been nice for a monsoon trek as there were many locations which would have waterfalls during the monsoons. After walking for an hour, we were exhausted. The straight, unadventurous route started boring us and we thought of turning back. We stopped for lunch at one of the places which could be a waterfall during the monsoon. We saw the group of students going in the direction of Rajmachi. After lunch we were about to turn back and were thinking of other options. But then the thought of returning halfway pricked us… and since the other group had already moved on the way we decided to go ahead. And we walked till it seemed like ages.. with no sight of the fort….then after walking for another hour… we could see the cliff within a reasonable distance. We estimated that it would be around an hour’s walk further. This motivated us to move on. However the path wasn’t straight and soon we realized it was around the mountain. We walked nonetheless .. completely exhausted. The path then progressed into the woods from the barren lands amidst rocky mountains which we had passed. Soon we reached a point where the path split into two directions. There was no signboard around but someone had inscribed “Rajmachi” on a board of the forest development department. So we took the path on left. After the winding path through the woods we reached a clearing from where we could see our destination clearly. But the approach was direct but around another mountain. This was the final test of our stamina. We had even almost exhausted our stock of water. That’s when the group passed us again. With their guide shouting “wait at the end of the road. There is a stream there” Well even though we were sure there would be no water in the stream. We joked that perhaps the guide’s throat must have dried to scream ‘there is a dry stream ahead’J. Taking that as the motivation we moved on and yeah true to our guess it was a dry stream. The path seemed unending and all the motivation had almost disappeared. But there was no way that we could return, so the only option was to move ahead. Finally after what seemed like a decade we came across a shack at around 2 p.m. First we thought it was mirage. Since it happened earlier with us, we came across a temple under construction and we thought there is well. However later we realized it is only a wall. This shack seemed like heaven on earth where we could finally get water!!!. We quickly bought the Bisleri bottles available with the guy. (God Bless the concept of Rural Marketing) This was at the foothill of the mountains. There were two forts on the two peaks namely, Manoranjan and Srivardhan. We had given up even the thought of going to the fort. We were contemplating to take the Karjat route on the way back. That’s when the another miracle occurred. We saw a boy driving a Bolero through that path. We asked the shack owner if we could find a ride back to Tungarli. The boy happened to be his relative and after some negotiation we finally hitched a ride. That left us with enough time to rest and regain our strength and also to explore the fort which lay ahead. Around 3 p.m. we started the ascent for the 2710 feet. Midway we came across a tank which is the source of water to the villagers. As we moved further we came to a landing where there was a temple and some structures built opposite. It looked like some voodoo location. The final climb was bit tiring and taxing but we made it. As you move onto the next level. There are some caves which again have some idols placed so it must have been some temple. There is a lot of open place for camping at night during this trek. We trudged ahead till we reached the top. The sense of conquering the fort Shrivardhan combined with breathtaking beauty of the Sahyadri around us was truly outstanding. We finally did it!!!! And that called for a toast!!!! We had saved our last pack of litchi juice and it was apt for the celebration!!! The enterprising Pra cut the bottles into glasses… well some wine glasses (i.e the overturned top part of the bottle) and we raised the toast!!! A Toast to the Spirit of BOTI!!!!. BOTI Rocks!!!
We began our journey downwards around 4:30 p.m and reached the shack “Heaven” by around 5:15. Our interim driver Praveen all of 17 years of age came with his Bolero. Now this guy deserves a special mention because had it not been for him we wouldn’t have made it to the fort and returned defeated or we would have to stay back at the village. The way he drove through the absolute rocky terrain and the difficult path up and the down the hills was truly commendable.
Finally we reached Tungarli, the point we had left our car at around 6:15 . All thanks to our little star Praveen.
On the way back we stopped over at Ramkrishna in Lonavala. A must visit place for its awesome food specially the bhurji pav and totally delightful dahi wadas.
Really proud of BOTI!!!! For the spirit and the determination!!!! One more fort Conquered by BOTI!!! Be ready Sahyadri… We are coming again soon!!! :)

Tarkarli- 12th -15th Feb 2010

Finally my much awaited dream came true on thenight of 11th Feb 2010 when we left for Tarkarli . a place from my To-Visit List. Tarkarli, a small village near Malvan(7 Kms) along the Konkan coastline has perhaps one of the most beautiful beaches in India.We left Mumbai at around 1 AM from Mumbai, far behind the scheduled time of 10 P.M.

Day 1(12th Feb): At around 4 A.M we had to stop for some reason and all of us stepped out of the car. We were at place amidst the hills, it was a new moon night and the weather was chilling. The beauty of the sky was just mesmerizing .The entire sky was lit by a thousand stars. I felt like trekking up to one of the nearby hills and just spending the next three days over there. It was an amazing feeling. However we moved on. It was quite colder than we expected. The entire way was covered in fog for a certain distance. On the right side we could see the valley covered with fog.

After some breaks we managed to reach the resort (Sea View Resort) by 1 p.m (12th Feb). We were in time for a sumptuous meal of fish thali .. pakka malvan style.. Since it was mahashivratri , Veenu, Ashu and Anil were fasting. I , Dan and Appu made the most of the opportunity.. i.e not just relishing the amazing seafood but teasing the rest too. Somehow the food seemed tastier than it actually was. :P

In the evening, I and Dan ventured to the beach for the sunset and to click few pictures as the lazy bums caught on their beauty sleep.

After a relaxed evening and sea food dinner, we decided to go to the beach at midnight. Yeah it was a bit spooky but a good experience. We could see all the stars and the various constellations. Finally Anil could show us the Orion with his Dog and the Saptrishi. It’s interesting to observe the wonders of the universe.

Day 2 ( 13th Feb) : I set the alarm for 6 A.M which wakes up everyone except me!!! J. I , Ashu and Anil go to beach to catch the sunrise. Later Dan joined us. Few fishermen were returning with their catch. The flock of sea gulls and storks were out on their first flight.

Now since the trio was no longer fasting, all of us were sea food hungry and headed to a place in malvan for lunch. After the feast which comprised of all possible species from the sea (namely crabs, oysters, prawns, surmai etc) we were fully loaded. Our next destination was Fort Sindhudurg.

We took a ferry from malvan to Sindhudurg fort. The view from the place was amazing. The entire stretch from malvan to tarkarli till the end called devbaug could be seen. There isn’t much out there. It’s more like an island fortified and has a small village inside. After exploring the fort and our usual photo shoots, we went for a drive to Devbaug. Devbaug is a small fishermen village ahead of tarkarli. The drive till devbaug is absolutely breathtaking one. As we progressed ahead, we saw the beach on the right side and on the left side was the backwaters lined by the mountain. It was like driving between two different worlds. It seemed as if we were in some foreign location in a movie.

At devbaug is the sangam i.e. where the backwater meets the sea. We walked along the shore of the backwaters till the sangam. With the sun setting in the back drop it was time for the fishermen to return with their haul. The fishermen were pulling in the nets. This caused the fish to move towards the beach. We managed to save some fishes and throw them back into the sea. Veenu and Dan also saved the life of a Black fish which was gasping for life. There were schools of fishes swimming around in a zip zap zoom manner. They would disappear before we could click the pictures. The best part of beaches in tarkarli and devbaug was the crystal clear water. Soon there were groups of people who were hunting for the fish who managed to escape the nets but could not escape the people who were running around with sticks to catch them. One guy caught a big catch of Surmai. For the fishermen , it was a big haul of the Cod fish ( Tarli in Marathi or bhutai in Tulu). So our innocent Veenu thus deduced that the name Tarkarli comes from the fish Tarli which is found in abundance in the area, not realizing that we were in Devbaug and not in Tarkarli which was pointed by the elderly fisherwoman who cleared her misconception. After some heroic exercise of catching and saving the fishes, our group of fish saviours (doesn’t really matter if we devoured some of them a while ago) . We had tea at a nearby shack and then returned to the resort.
Everyone was dead tired by the end of the day. At 12 a.m. we cut the valentines cake, well the cake has its own story… ooopps sorry the heart shaped chocolate cake!!!! J…specially made to order.. carried all the way from Mumbai to tarkarli… made to live for two days.. saved for the special day… finally succumbed to the innumerous injuries and the high temperature!!! Poor Anil had to bear the sour cake as he was the first victim. J the girls gave the gifts and cards to their respective guys.. Well that’s the end of Day 2.

Day 3 (14th Feb): Valentine’s Day!!!!! All the lazy bums were resting in the room, watching movies!!!! So I went to the beach alone… to find some moments of solitude. The pristine beach has a calming effect. The turquoise blue colour of the ocean and crystal clear water make one wonder how beautiful is the world around us. The sound of the waves takes you along with it across the horizon into a world of its own. I was lost in that moment. Unaware of the world around ... Wishing that time stops here forever.
Later we decided to go snorkeling and for the dolphin ride, which eventually we never did. Now 2 days of malvani food had taken a toll on our tummies… so we were on the hunt for some Mumbai food. i.e our usual Chinese and north Indian fare. After some information seeking from the locals we reached Saibaa…a picturesque location. Finally some great food and good service. The place was overlooking the mangroves and had an awesome view of the sea beyond. After some shopping we returned to the resort where we met an elderly couple who were staying in the cottage next to ours. Really appreciate the spirit of the elderly couple who were travelling around Maharashtra. They gave us the destination for our next trip. i.e Amba….a Jungle resort near Kolhapur….Finally it was beach time!!!!.... After the dip in the sea…. We headed to saibaa for dinner. Our lobsters were awaiting us. We binged on the chicken and variety of sea food. With the great dinner day 3 came to an end…..
So did our vacation…..Next morning we left at 6.. a.m. and reached Mumbai by 4p.m. We took the expressway through Pune which is a longer route but a better road. So long till our next trip to Amba….. :)

Lohagad Trip- 24th Jan ‘10

The start of 2010 has so far been great for me and continues to be so. It is by far the best year that I have had till now. I have been able to tick off quite a few items from my To- Do things list. So me is very happy happy about it. After the amazing start I had to the New Year with the Kashid trip, the fun just continued. Participated in the Dream Run- Mumbai marathon (well yeah I just walked and didn’t actually run... but I did participate!!!) The next thing which I ticked off from my To-Do list was to go trekking. Thanks to my fantastic BOTI’ians I could fulfill it as well. Thanks to Sachhu, Pra, Kalpi and Vinu. Of course we missed Sowmi, Kri and Mithu. I am really blessed to have such awesome friends and the best family. :)
This time we didn’t plan anything, as plans never worked for us. We just decided we would go on the weekend for a one day trek since few of us were first timers. Date decided – 24th of January ’10 (this date is quite lucky for us I guess, since we had gone on our first trip together to Kashid in 2009.) Venue was still undecided. After researching and rejecting various options which included bhimashankar etc. We keyed down on Lohagad, which wasn’t too far (near lonavla) and a relatively easier trek (now who said that!!!)
So we started our journey at 5.30 A.M. The Lohagad fort is located in a village called Malavli which is little ahead of lonavla. We reached the place by around 8.30 and were surprised to find the dip in temperature in just a matter of few hours. While in Mumbai we experienced the usual weather, it was unexpectedly cold at that place. Despite the chills we started walking. We walked through a narrow aisle which opened into a clearing. There were many army vehicles over there. We were surprised to find a big group of army guys with their families. Later on we realized even they were there for a day out. Well it was a great feeling since I had always been in awe of the armed forces and being amongst such a big number (around 100-200) of people from the armed forces was a thrilling experience.. However their platoon moved towards the caves in one of the hills nearby, we trudged ahead in search of our Lohagad fort.
We chose the tougher shortcuts instead of the simple straight pathway to the base of the fort. I have no measure of the distance but we walked for some 3 hours to reach the plateau from where ascend to the fort began. The military guys were really fast as they had already few vehicles up there and set up tents and refreshment camps for their people. We silently blessed them for having built the makeshift toilets. Saved our souls literally!!!
Then we began our climb to the fort. Every level that we reached left us agape. The view from every place was simply astounding. The view of the hills and the lake was spell bounding. The architecture of the fort was similar to the usual ones, where they have a winding approach to the door and the spaces to pour hot oil or shoot the approaching enemy, the water tanks and the hidden treasuries beneath it, the wells, mosques, temples etc. which are a common feature of the forts built in Shivaji’s era. Finally we reached the top after our usual photo sessions. The view from the top was breathtakingly beautiful. What added to the beauty of the moment was the cool wind blowing even at 12 in the noon. It was a totally serene experience.
I thought that was it but realized we had to trek ahead till the end. It was a plateau and we had to go till the end where the mountain narrowed down to form a shape of the scorpion’s tail called vinchu kata.
From the top I could see a narrow winding road around the edges of the mountain which reached to the end. I hoped it wasn’t the route which we had to take. We went straight ahead to meet a dead end. It was a sharp cliff for a few feet but definitely not worth the try. We were disappointed that the trek had to end there. But we saw people returning from the end point. That’s when we found out there was an alternative route which was a bit tricky but worth the risk. Though I and Vinu were bit apprehensive in the beginning but Kalpi and Pra’s high level of confidence gave us the courage to go ahead. Later we saw even kids on the way back so we thought it wouldn’t be so bad after all. Well the walk was a bit tricky. It was a narrow pathway along the edges of the mountain. I couldn’t even dare to move my sight off the track even for a second for two reasons. One for the fear of losing my footing and second it would have made me dizzy. Finally I got my breath back when we reached a proper landing and then it was an easy walk till the end. We had a 360 degree view of the entire place from there which made quiet a scenic view.
However the keeda in us wasn’t satiated. There were few steps which led to a bit lower ledge. We had to crawl through a very low entrance to that place. We had our lunch there. God bless Kalpi for the theplas and the kanda poha :).We could have fed atleast 10 people with the quantity of food that she had carried for us.
Then we set on our way back which was not as easy as we thought. We missed our way and reached the village instead of the place where the military guys had set the base camp. There were few caves near that place. We thought we would go the caves too even though we were ready to drop dead. But since we missed our way and we reached the village and it was quite a distance going back to the caves. So we decided to give it a miss and headed on the journey back home.
At the end it was a day well spent and hope to keep the wheel rolling. Thank you Boti for planning this trek. Thanks to Kalpi for being the official mummy and taking care of us. The jhakkas babe of our gang didn’t seem to be on her first trek by the way she was trotting her way up and down the hill. :)
Thank you Pra for giving us the confidence to make it till the end and taking us through the tougher routes adding adventure to our trek. :). Thank you Sachhu for making me believe that I could do it especially in the tricky parts. Thank you Vinu for being the much required. You guys just added one more page to my book of beautiful memories of this life. Love you all. :)

Dream Start- 2010

A full moon night. The beautiful moon playing Peek-A-Boo through the clouds and the pine trees. The table set on the beach.You walk ten feet and waves gently lash onto the shore. The music created by sound of the waves transgressing you into a world away from reality. The soft cool breeze sending slight chills down the spine.The feel of the soft silver sand beneath your feet. A picturesque location straight out from a romantic novel.

Could one ever ask for a better start to the new year?? At least I wouldn't. Well the start to 2010 has been great for me. Well the first thing from my To- Do things list has continued in the new year too.. and hope it does all year through.The wish to travel more and make impromptu plans was fulfilled this time. Thanks to my lovely gang of Krazzy cousins. Love them all...

While celebrating new year together at cousin's place we decided to go to a place called Kashid (around 160 km from Mumbai). I had experienced the beauty of the place 10 months back when I had been there with my group of friends (Boti). The place had enthralled me the first time and didn't fail to leave me enchanted the second time either. Quite a few of the cousin gang were lazy to come along since we would have to leave quite early for the nearly 5-6 hour long drive.But thanks to their decision of joining us later , we had to stay back at the place. That was the best thing we never dreamt of.

The drive to kashid is a beautiful one passing through places like Karnala bird Sanctuary.A long drive nevertheless but worth every bit of it!!!! It is by far the most beautiful beach that I have been to till date. Even beaches in north goa do not match the charm of this place. Everything is just the best out here. Even though the sand might be too hot to step onto at noon but the water would be ice cold. The sand so soft that it tickles your feet. The waves so subtle that wraps you in its arms and caresses you all over.

The sunset was also one of the best that I had captured through my camera.After enjoying ourselves by being completely lost in the cool embrace of the waves we started walking towards the rooms we had rented. It was ten minute distance and being drenched to the core we had decided to walk instead of taking the car. A walk to remember it was!!!

As we walked barefoot along the road by the sea, the darkness set in and the crimson sky was exhibiting the various colours of the spectrum after the sunset.

We were on the lookout for a place to have dinner when we came across one of the shacks by the beach. The food wasn't particularly great but the ambience won it over everything else. It was dream come true as we had dinner while the moon looked over us through the pine trees. The lights of the fleet of ships on the sea just added to the beauty of the moment. It was like being transported into another world altogether. I was lost in my own world of dreams even though I was amongst a big gang of people. There is something truly magical about this place. So after having dinner at that dream location we decided to go for a drive. Some of us were bit apprehensive considering the eeriness of the night and the deserted road which lay ahead. However we went ahead. The eeriness increasing as we went ahead till we reached a location which left all of us breathless. We had taken a route uphill and the road then turned downwards in a curve. It was all covered with thick trees on the left side and on the right side was the vast expanse of the sea. The sea was roaring with the rising tide making the moment even more intimidating in the darkness. That’s when the fattus (me included) in the group actually couldn’t take it any more and decided to turn back with a promise to return the next morning.

The rest of the night was uneventful. Woke up relatively early at around 6.30 am as some of the cousins had to leave early. The rest of us packed our stuff and went back to the place we had been to the previous night. The place was definitely less intimidating in daylight then but yeah there was distinct charm at night which was lost during the day. The winding curve was overlooking a bay like area. We thought of driving down till the end of the bay but then road seemed unending and we decided to turn back to the main beach.

The beach just enraptured us in its serenity in the early morning weather. The sea seemed so inviting that I longed to stay back for one more day . :) We had breakfast by the beach which comprised of yummy bhurji pav and maggi along with hot chai. Then we set forth on our return journey.

I couldn’t have asked for a better start to a new year. Hope the journey continues and I have many more travelogues to write about in this new year.
Till then…. Adios….

Feeling restless...

So much to do.. and soo little time.. still i aint runnign at the speed i want..
need to be kicked on the backside.. n gotta get moving.. before time flies...