Travel - Trek to Lohagad - Ek Bhatkanti

Trek to Lohagad

Maharashtra is blessed by several natural wonders. The Western Ghats which is a hot bed for bio-diversity, the flora-fauna, the long and beautiful coasts, the Sahyadri's and last but not the least, the ever so calm, historically significant and appealing Forts.

Sneha and Me

Monsoon is the best time to travel and plan for treks. With monsoon setting in, there is a lot of chatter around trekking activities. The climate is ideal for enjoying a long and fun filled weekend over a trek. Being a avid trekker planning a trek is not a easy task. Planning involves a lot of "ifs" that need to be considered along with the weather, the terrain and the capabilities of the participants. 

One weekend in July, I planned a trek with my wife Sneha (budding CA and one who loves traveling) and Mangesh (Student studying in Latvia but in India for summer break). We decided to trek to Lohagad also known as the Iron Fort. Prior to the travel day, Sneha prepared some homemade Methi Theplas along with Coconut Chutney, which was our lunch on the fort in case we got hungry. We had a wake-up call of 5:30 am so as to catch the 7 am train.

About Lohagad

Lohagad has a long history with several dynasties occupying it at different time: Satavahanas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas, Bahamanis, Nizams, Mughals and Marathas. Shivaji Maharaj captured it in 1648 CE, but he was forced to surrender it to the Mughals in 1665 CE by the Treaty of Purandar. Shivaji Maharaj recaptured the fort in 1670 CE and used it for keeping his treasury. (content borrowed from wiki)

Location of Fort

Lohagad is situated close to the well known hill station Lonavala. Lohagad is located 52 km from Pune towards Lonavala. The base village for the start of the trek is Malavli. One can travel to Lohagad via train or via other means of transport like car, bus, bikes etc. Local train are the best means of transport if you are planning the trek on a shoe string budget from Pune. We traveled via train and alighted at Malavli station. We reached there by 8.30am.

The road leading towards Lohgad from Malavli Station

School Assembly

Farmer ploughing

The Beginning

There is a saying, "The early bird, catches the worm", if you want to enjoy trek with the least amount of people, reach the fort as early as possible. So here we were nice and early at our destination station. As we made our way out of the station, there were taxis ready for hire who shuttled trekkers to and fro to the base of the fort. We decided to skip the taxis and travel by foot. Sneha and Mangesh were not so happy about that decision though. At Malavli village we had our breakfast. Mangesh had a hot and tasty "Vada Pav", while Sneha and me had "Poha"  the traditional Puneri breakfast along with hot and soothing tasty tea. 

After having breakfast we started our walk towards the Lohgad fort. The walk from the Malavli station to Lohgad is 8 kms with lots of climbs and slopes in between. The terrain gives you a good workout. When I was at the Lohgad a few years back it was still developing and was tooting commercially to cater to the flux of the crowds. Since there was no easy road to reach the fort, the crowd usually consisted of youngsters. But times had changed and people of all walks of live fluxed to the fort for a family picnic. Malavli earlier was a slow and steady village, but commercialization in the last few years had made it a buzzing place to be. 

While walking I told Sneha and Mangesh that the initial few minutes will be difficult as the body warms up and gets ready for activity. Sneha and Mangesh needed breaks on the way and this gave me opportunity to click pictures. I am also a photographer, if i had forgotten to mention that earlier. Its a great skill to possess, a traveler and a photographer.

Mangesh and Sneha taking a break

Some bright colors on the way

Crab Shy of the Camera

Few kilometers up the hill Sneha and Mangesh wanted to catch their breath again. I insisted that they keep walking. They did not like me pushing them to their limits at the very beginning but eventually prevailed as any trek comes with discipline of time. We clicked pictures on the way and also got a good glimpse of Vissapur fort whose bastions were now visible.

Vissapur and its Bastions

Vissapur Fort and its Bastions visible

One of the Bastion Windows visible

Bastion from a distance

Break time photo near Vissapur Lohgad road

Lohgad Fort now visible as you walk up the Vissapur Lohgad road

Base of Fort - Lohagadwadi

After 45 mins walk from Malavli station we were at the base of Lohgad fort. The base village is Lohagadwadi. Commercialization had reached the village as the road was now complete and vehicular traffic now reached the foothill. This was a boon for the villagers as they were not very well connected to the outer world. Their kids could now travel easily to school and buying daily necessities was now possible. The other side of the coin was that the villager could now do brisk business and offer services and make a living in the village itself than travel miles for work. The road and commercialization had brought unnecessary commotion and overcrowding to the place which we witnessed later while descending the fort. We took a break for 20 mins and had some good old lemon water at one of the many small food stalls. We then walked towards the entrance of the fort.

Entrance to Lohgad Fort

The Fort
Entrance to any forts that were built were very unique. The entrance were never straight  or easily accessible. They always wound up towards the main gate. In ancient time this kind of entrance did not offer a direct access to the fort for people and for animals as well. The main purpose was also to tire down any approaching enemy by such tricky climbs. This kind of architecture gave plenty of opportunity for the soldiers on the fort to target anyone climbing. We clicked a few pictures here and it started pouring. There was dense fog or rather shall I say the clouds had embraced the fort by the time we reached the Main Gate (Ganesh Dwar).

Mangesh and Sneha walking on steps leading to Ganesh Dwar

Ganesh Dwar
Ganesh Dwar is named after the Lord Ganesh. Every main entrance to the fort depicts a idol engraved to whom it is dedicated. Ganesh Dwar was in very good and working condition. The height of the entrance was close to that of a soldier mounted on an animal (most probably the horse) entering the fort. The side of the main entrance also depicted various other idols of gods engraved within the fort walls.

Sneha and Mangesh at the entrance of the Ganesh Dwar

Moodilipi (Ancient form of text) at the entrance of Ganesh Dwar

After making our way through some vertical steps we reached towards the upper entrance of the fort. As I had mentioned that no fort had a direct access the picture below depicts the same. Noticeably the area around this part of the fort was pretty wide. 

Cloud cover over the fort and the confusing entrance

Fun pics in between

Selfie Time

Narayan Dwar
We walked further towards the fort and arrived at the Narayan Dwar (named after Lord Vishnu). As you can see in the image, this entrance was narrow and not many people could pass through this easily if there was any rush. The height of the entrance too is now lower than the Ganesh Dwar. This was designed in such a way that if soldiers were to be involved in a man to man combat then soldiers on the fort were not to be outnumbered as only a small number enemy soliders could have made it through. This was something similar to the movie "300" and about holding the enemies at the "Hot Gates" The crowd was trickling in so it was easy to take some pics.

Sneha and Mangesh at the Narayan Dwar (Narayan Gate)

Visibly less space through the entrance

As we walked through the Narayan Gate, we encountered a series of turns which finally opened onto the top of the fort. The first sight that you see atop the fort is that of the RajaRani Mandir (Temple)

RajaRani Mandir

RajaRani Mandir Atop the Fort

The area beside RajaRani Mandir was utilized as a courtyard in ancient times when people resided on the fort. There are some remnant structure still there which are still intact. North of  RajaRani Mandir is the AstaKoni Vihir (Octagonal Well). It was designed in such a manner that water collected into the well from 8 different locations. One can get a great view of the well filling up during the monsoon. I could not click pics of the well as it was raining buckets and taking pics was not possible. It had been a while since we had started our journey and also had a very early breakfast. Sneha was hungry and wanted to have a small break where she could munch on some great home made parathas.

A little break for Sneha

Towards Vinchu Kada
Fort exploration too is a very satisfying activity. You get to visit some of the best locations on the fort which have scenic beauty. We visited one such location which is the most beautiful called Vinchu Kada which means Scorpion Sting Bastion. It has started raining again heavily and the 3 of us were completely drenched. I had visited this fort before too but at that time had missed visiting the Vinchu Kada as is was not considered safe due to degraded railing and the path being risky. This time I hoped that the point would be approachable and we would be able to visit and click some pics there. My wish came true.

Sneha at VinchuKada on Lohgad fort

 Vinchu Kada is a narrow strip of land attached to the main plateau of the fort. One can reach the end of the fort walking along the narrow ridge with the guidance of the railings. The view from the Vinchu Kada is breath taking and mesmerizing. One needs to thread the narrow railing path carefully as one fall can result in serious injuries. Do it safely is the moto one needs to keep in mind.

Vinchu Kada

Water Cistern at Vinchu Kada

Approaching the end of Vinchu Kada we saw water cistern that were constructed in ancient times. utilized for portable water storage to be used later in the year. These water cisterns are about 20-25ft in depth. Hence they must be storing enough water. These cisterns are examples for us to learn about rain water harvesting. If our ancestors and kings knew about it and implemented it on the forts they ruled, we should follow suit too.

Water Cistern on Vichu Kada

There is wildlife on the fort now due to the presence of humans Are commotion and love for packaged food has attracted monkeys as food from humans is easily accessible. One monkey visited us.

After walking for about 30 mins from the top of the fort, we reached at the end of Vinchu Kada. To the East of Vichu Kada lies the Vissapur fort. The Vissapur fort was looking scenic in the rain filled atmosphere.

Vissapur Fort from Vinchu Kada

To the West of Vinchu Kada, we can easily see Tung Fort. There are 4 forts in the region very close to each other which were strategically very important for the Marathas leading in the Lonavala valley onto the Mumbai route. Tung, Tikona, Lohgad and Vissapur are the pearl of forts that stood tall for enemies advancing towards Pune.

Tung Fort visible from Vinchu Kada

The 360 view from Vinchu Kada is very scenic in nature. You see the Lohgad and Malavli village, to the East you see the Vissapur fort and to the West you see the Tung fort.

After spending some time enjoying this scenic beauty and clicking pictures we decided to head back. The rain had stopped and it was pleasant atop the fort at Vinchu Kada.

On our way back to the fort

After reaching the top of the fort we were shocked to see the amount of people that had come to visit fort. The amount of people atop the fort was like that similar to a small town mela. Trekkers usually like calmness, but the crowd somehow put me off. One thing we did correctly to avoid the crowd was to start and end the trek early. 

On our way back after ascending the fort we had our lunch at the same food stall. We had a egg burji (scrambled eggs) and bread and 2 plates of Bhajji (Onion strands fried in lentils dough). The food tastes good when you are hungry and have had a great workout. We clicked pics on our way back to the Malavali Station as the weather had changed again and it had started raining again.

Vissapur Fort from base near Lohgad Fort

Me and Mangesh with Vissapur Fort in the background

Sneha and Me

At the End

We walked our way back to the railway station enjoying the moments we had spent atop the fort and discussing about the next trek we can go together. It was one of the best time Sneha and me had spent trekking. One thing that I loved about the fort was the visit to Vinchu Kada. The climate too made its easy and enjoyable.

Through this blog I have tried to bring the essence of the fort and the moments we spent. Hope you readers, trekkers and adventure enthusiast plan such outing with your family and friends. Until next time and next trek Ciao.

Travel Itinerary-

1) Travel via local train and alight at Malavli station. You can hitch a per seat ride to the base of the fort by bargaining with the taxi services.
2) One can also visit the Bhaje Caves which predates to the era of Buddha. There is a nominal entry fee.
3) Before reaching the base of the Lohgad at Hotel Viraj one can  take a left and go towards Vissapur fort. The route to Vissapur fort is via the waterfall.
4) One can stay at the base village at Lohgad as accommodation can be provided by local villagers at a certain cost. The stay can cost you INR 1000 for stay and INR 1500 (stay and food included) per person. Rates can vary depending upon the season.

Travel Expenditure-

1) Local Train - INR 20 per person return ticket from Akurdi Station as we boarded from this station.

2) Base village food and snacks - INR 500 (for 3 people)

Abhijit More

Pune

Life Reflections - Slow & Steady Wins The Race, Fast & Disruptive Takes You Places

Slow and Steady Wins The Race, Fast and Disruptive Takes You Places

From childhood we read stories for various reasons like pictures within the book are great and have an appeal, the story that you are reading is interesting, you like reading and the moral at the end teaches us some life lessons. One such story that we all are aware is the Tortoise and Hare story. This one is Aesop’s Fables creations. Aesop was a slave in ancient Greek and a great story teller, and hence gave the world some interesting and relevant to this era stories to ponder and think about.

The Tortoise and Hare story talks about a race between the fast and the slow, the unequal’s. The Hare used to bully the Tortoise for its shape, size and speed. The tortoise was fed up of this bullying and hence one day challenged the Hare for a race. In this article I have used these two characters      and have tried to apply their story and characteristics to today’s organizational scenario.

Let’s take a look at the characteristics of the Tortoise and Hare. The Tortoise is slow and large while the Hare is fast and nimble. The story drew lot of contradictory morals. For some the moral was “Haste makes waste (Hare)”, “Never be overconfident of your abilities (Hare)”, “Believe in your ability (Tortoise)”  “Perseverance wins at the end (Tortoise)”and some more such morals. But when you apply this story to present day scenarios for businesses it is completely different. To me this story in the present scenario spells out the moral like “Slow and steady definitely wins the race, but fast and disruptive takes you places”

The Tortoise was definitely slow, but he was focused. His focus was to race and reach the finish line not worrying whether he will win or lose but always trying to keep up in the race. Today organizations face the same scenario; they have to constantly keep up to the front runners within view-able distance so that they can catch-up. The Hare on the other hand was fast and focused till a certain point and then was disillusioned that he is already a winner and doesn’t need to worry about the tortoise anymore as his own pace and abilities are getting him the result. This can happen to organizations and can sometimes come in their way as it becomes difficult to move away from adopted practices.

Today there are dual dilemmas, organizations want the focused approach of tortoise of finishing the race and staying relevant by achieving growth and progress and on the other hand run fast (innovate) and be disruptive (bring new things to the table) so that they wouldn’t eventually lose out. Companies need both strategies of the Tortoise and the Hare. Tortoise brings focus and commitment of never giving up while the Hare brings speed and innovation which can be disruptive and essential for the growth engines.

So what do you want to be? The Hare or the Tortoise or both!

Abhijit More

Pune

Life Lesson - The Krishna Sudama Moment

The Krishna Sudama Moment

We all have either heard or read about the friendship tale of Krishna and Sudama. Their friendship till this day is considered as the most ideal friendship. The short story goes by like one day Sudama who was not a well do friend of Krishna traveled great distance to meet. Since he was financially weak he had got some wet puffed rice which Krishna liked. Krishna was excited to meet his friend and ate the wet puffed rice with great satisfaction as they were the most favourite food item without demeaning the gift that Sudama had got looking at his financial condition.

Coming back to this age I witnessed a similar moment in my life. We were all set to throw a small dinner party for close family members Thursday was the day for the dinner party. We extended the invitation to guests a day prior and confirmed their availability. The guests had accepted the invitation generously.

After a long day at work I reached home and witnessed both my wife and mom making the dinner preparations for the next day. They had completed cooking the dinner for Wednesday night and were engrossed in conversation as to how to go about the next day for the dinner party. Dad had just informed me once again that the guests had accepted the invitation.

In the mean while my phone rang. I answered the call as it was from one of the guest we had invited. As soon as I greeted, the voice from the other end asked me for directions to our place and notified that they will be reaching our place in the next 15 minutes. They had traveled all the way from Pune to where we resided.

I was lost as to what do I say to them. They had arrived for the dinner party a day prior. I gave the directions to them and post the call informed my family that one of the guest will be arriving today for dinner. My parents and wife were stunned and started laughing. Mom was quick to check with Dad if he had given the right date and time for the dinner invitation to which Dad nodded in the affirmative.

The guests arrived and our family greeted them with great enthusiasm. One of the guest quickly made herself comfortable in the kitchen chatting with my wife and mother while the other guest freshened up. The guest was quick to realize that something was amiss. I came in laughing in the kitchen and told them about the confusion. The other guest too realized the sudden burst of laughter. They were all but ready to leave and embarrassed, but we requested them to stay back and have whatever dinner we had prepared for us that day. The couple who had landed up were sheepish and were inquiring if we had enough food left for ourselves. But we had enough. This very moment made me realize of the same moment when Sudama offered whatever he had to Krishna. This was our Sudama – Krishna moment!!!

Learning  from this situation’s:

1)  Be ready to offer whatever is available to offer selflessly.

2) Do not panic in such situations and happily adapt to the flow of things

3) Adithi Devo Bhava – Guests are like Gods themselves

Abhijit More

Pune

Life Lesson - The Joker Within

The Joker Within

We all are fond of playing cards. They help us rejoice some great moments with friends, family and loved ones. The cards also are reasons to bring fortunes and despair to us if you know what I mean J

We all are aware of the various characters within a card deck. The most loved ones being the Aces, the Kings, the Queens and the Jacks. The thirteen characters that hold a card house together.  The cards perform the same roles in the various card houses, yet are distinct and different from each other. This brings me to the most overlooked and the most underutilized card among all the cards “The Joker”.

Have you ever pondered at the “Joker” from a different perspective? Why is that card so special? If people are given the chance to live out a character from within the card deck they would easily choose a role from the Aces to the deuces. People will often overlook and ignore the Joker card as that somehow doesn’t fit in. But according to me the joker card does fit in .

J

The Joker card is the most versatile and the most adaptable card that we have ever come across. The Joker can play any role from the Aces to the Deuces, it’s the card which makes us feel one and complete. It is unique J

Well the Joker card completes us. It completes us and keeps us in the game. The game of human nature makes us wear all masks from the Aces to the Deuces. We as people need to realize that we need to be more like the Joker card. Adaptable, Versatile you name it. We need to develop the ability to accept, adapt and build a character which is useful and play any part in any given situations. This in a way will help us in the long run, make us wiser, and make us adapt, acquire and help us make decisions without being naive.

Let us learn and unlearn one character from the other and bring in the flavor of the cards characteristics within ourselves. Let us bring out the Joker within.

Learning from being a Joker:

1)  Let us not stick to one role and one direction in life. Play new roles and enjoy them no matter how small or big they may be.

2) Let life make a character out of you. Be the Joker if needed.

3) Always be ready to accept, adapt and change.

Abhijit More

Pune

Life Lesson - Low Hanging Tree

The Low Hanging Tree

In marketing terms, low hanging fruit means achieving targets, tasks or goals which are easy and do not require considerable effort.  These “low hanging fruits” bear considerable results as they add up to your growth. Apply the same logic to job opportunities out there this theory somehow doesn’t stick based on my recent experience. Here is that one scenario that I faced with regards to job opportunities. I call this “The Low Hanging Tree” experience.

“I want to try new opportunities” my inner voice said and I decided to search for new job opportunities. I was good at what I was doing, just wanted to try something new and wanted to learn new things. So I posted my resume on various job sites and voila within few weeks I had various interviews lined up. I gave every possible interview as I wanted to maximize my chances on winning every opportunity or shall I say a “very good deal”.

Some time passed and I was amazed that I had offers from three organizations. I finally felt destiny and the work destination was is in my hands. Let me put forth to you the organizations sizes. For some reason I decided to compare them to trees.

Option A – A Mango Tree (Large and bearing fruits)

Option B – A Coconut Tree (Hard to get fruits but self-sustaining)

Option C – Banana Tree (Bears fruits only once and then is discarded)

Looking at the Option A, it was obvious for me that the organization would be the best bet as it would provide everything like stability (stronger root system – strong org values), fruits of labour (seasonal basis – better appraisals) and the fact that it’s a Mango tree, which in itself is a big brand. Moreover, this tree lives a long life.

Looking at Option B, it still was a better bet as there was hard work involved but very little needed for the tree to sustain itself. A good climate (business pipeline), water (funds) and some great growth material (opportunities) and the tree grow. The Coconut tree too is a brand because it offers itself in entirety and is the most useful tree. This tree too keeps growing taller and lives a longer life.

Looking at Option C, well it was very deceptive in nature to what it offered. It bears fruits once and then is discarded offering minimal use. The Banana tree represents short term goals (bear fruit once) and unsustainability (can’t sustain in a large market) if outwardly weather conditions (business scenarios) change.

Well to my educated and calculated guess I chose Option C and was caught by the deceptiveness.  I had various reasons to choose Option C like 1) it was very lucrative, 2) easy and very low hanging to climb and 3) it was bearing fruits with the least efforts.

The deceptiveness that lay within the outwardly appearance of trees (organizations) taught me a few lessons which I would like to share:

1) Thoroughly check and re-check the tree that you are climbing and research whether it can sustain your weight (needs and aspirations)

2) Look at the long term sustainability score (can the tree weather the storm or let the leaves shed to self-conserve)

3) Be extremely vary of low hanging trees and fruits, they can be extremely deceptive and can cause suffering.

Abhijit More

Pune

Life Lesson - From Being Arjuna to being Dronarchya

From being Arjun to being Dronacharya

“Do you have it in you” These 6 words made an instant impact on me. I always looked upon the Defence Forces as a place to be. Polished boots, crisp and ironed uniform, glittering stars on shoulders and an awesome attitude for life and off course your duty to your land and people. Wow! I was literally dumb struck.

I enrolled into the Army Unit of NCC (National Cadet Corps) to lead me towards my goal one step at a time. My aim was to reach the “AntimPag” (The last steps) as it is proudly inscribed on the steps of the Chetwode building at IMA (Indian Military Academy).

The journey began with NCC which gives a fraction of how life is in the defence forces. I was a loyal, disciplined and a jovial cadet who took task and responsibility as duty. I enjoyed NCC camps where I got an opportunity to be away from the family and be with buddies going through the regular Army likewise routine and enjoying punishments of push-ups and front rolls with ease. Finally I graduated from college. J

After graduation I started working in a BPO,but continued my pursuit for Armed Forces. I cleared the defence forces exams 7 times with flying colours. J As next steps I had to attend and clear the Service Selection Board interviews at various locations like Allahabad, Bhopal and Bangalore and get recommended to join the Armed Forces after a small medical exam.

For all my interviews I cleared till the last stage. I would always be in the last lot of 20’s and 30’s who would eagerly await the results from the board as to who among us are recommended to join the Armed forces. Can you imagine being there all the time? Lakhs of students across India give exams, only thousands clear the written and only a few 20’s and 30’s remain to be recommended. Hush! It is a long and eventful journey. This was my last stand, the 7^th interview, the 7^th time I am in the last lot. The Gods must be crazy. As the Commanding officer announced the names, I was eagerly waiting for mine to be called out. To my disappointment, the call never came!!!  I was heartbroken instantly. This was my last attempt. IT’S ALL OVER NOW. My ATIM PAG dream was broken into a thousand pieces. I was angry, frustrated and didn’t know how to take this on the chin.

During the years of my preparation and trying times, my cousin Aayush was continuously observing me, he always asked me about my NCC activities, the Army life and how I was preparing for the exams, how I got through the interviews and what happened at the last stages. I always found myself uncomfortable at some of the questions as they would always dig out the scar of not making it through. 

Knowingly or Unknowingly I had inspired someone. Life moves on and life changes your roles instantly. Aayush too wished to join the Armed Forces. He enlisted and joined the Sea Cadet course (a preliminary course) in Mumbai like me joining NCC. I realised that my role in his life is going to very important.  My role had now changed from Arjun who seeked education from the Gurukul to that of the Dronacharya, the one who taught students to be superior. Today my cousin has inspired me to guide him at every stage to join the defence academies and complete a dream which remained unfulfilled.

Lessons to learn

1) Ability to mold ourselves to new roles

2) Your actions can inspire others

3) Any experience never goes waste

Abhijit More

Pune

Friendship - Dil Chahta Hai Trip - 3 Bachelors

Dil Chahta Hai Trip

THE BEGINNING

"Oyye Sidd woh dekh tera jahaj, Tab kitna chota tha....ab toh aur bhi Bada ho gaya hai" These are some of the words from a dialogue in the movie Dil Chahta Hai..We three friends (Soham, Sanskar and me) decided to find our own Jahaj and that too in GOA... :)

Soham, Sanskar and me were having a late night discussion as to how we need to get out of our daily grind and have some fun. We were of the opinion that this may be the last bachelor trip that we may do together. As soon as the GOA plan was spoken of we jumped into planning for it.

Getting the GOA plan going was rather a cake walk. We had 3 options to travel in, a State Transport Bus, More Baba ka Ritz or Kulkarni kaka ka Van. Except for Sanskar, Soham and me disliked the option of traveling to GOA in a Van. We even thought of taking the Ritz but that too was shot down effectively by my parents. So state transport bus it was for a while until Sanskar uttered the word "Scorpio'.  Sanskar's brother-in-law was out of town hence the vehicle was serviced and parked and ready to be driven. A muscle SUV vehicle parked in a building is so boring for the SUV too. Sometimes i feel we have to drive and behave with a car the way it is meant for. A SUV is definitely one which needs to be roughed up in the right manner. It is said 'ask and its shall be delivered' now thats what happened with us. We inquired for it and we were able to get the 'Scorpio' for the GOA trip. Individually we had planned to put in about 10K each. This was like working with a shoe string budget for GOA. But we had to manage it at all cost, after all it was a much awaited break that we were looking forward too. The Canon 500D, The Mahindra Scorpio, The 3 buddies....4th one via Whatsapp in Singapore. :D Bags were packed, and the wild hogs were on their way to GOA. 

A little lie to my parents that we will start in the morning...Yippee Kai Yae readers.....We were on our way to GOA....The characters, The 3 Musketeers....Marathe....More and the Kulkarni.....3 different and unique personalities. Risk taker, the explorer and curiosity bug along with the Mathematician. The Goa plan had our engines revved up as this trip was pending for years and it had taken pain staking years to finally get it on track.

When you start a journey in a car that you are not familiar with, always make sure that you know where the buttons are located and what happens when you press it. Since the journey was long, we need to fill sufficient fuel for the car to make it. We decided to fill fuel at the very beginning. OK great now we are at the Gas Station with the cash in hand and the Gas station attendant ready to fill in the Diesel. Wait , which button dude??? 3 of us were in a fix as we didnt know which button to press to open the tank. The Gas station attendant also looked at us in suspicion , as if we had stolen the vehicle. Finally we found the button and filled in the required amount. That was our Mazel Tov moment !

There were 2 drivers for this trip. Sanskar and me, we decided to change after every 150 to 200 kms. Soham was like the rally co-driver who would help us with water and snacks items. Atleast he didnt feel that he was just a passenger. Sanskar was the first one to drive the vehicle till we crossed Satara. We stopped just few kilometers ahead of Satara as we were desperately seeking a tea break as the 3 of us were sleepy. It was my turn then and I was speaking to myself, 'dude this is a SUV and not a small car', 'check the mirrors well before you overtake a vehicle'. It was an awesome experience for the first 20 mins when you adjust to the vehicle responses to your driving style. After the initial ice breaker with the car it was a smooth ride. We decided to stick to the National Highway and not enter KOLHAPUR as the road was undriveable.

Before Nipani (Karnataka) Soham and me had a smoke, we talked about how we can reach Goa within the stipulated time. By morning 6am we had reached Nipani. We stopped and started with the trip pictures. We took pictures on the Highway and also tried clicking the picture of the 3 of us using a blown out Tyre piece that we found on the road. Sanskar took over the driving responsibilities as i had driven through the night. We took a detour towards Gokak, we intented to go to Jamkhandi, via Rabkavi and Mahalinpur (Thankgod I know the names).

A morning view of the country site can be so funny. Dunniya Jab Potty karne jaati hai toh rang birange auzaar liye jaati hai. You guys missed the site...not of people shitting...but the kinda colored vessels they used for water to clean-up after you have done the business.....Rainbow colors were less I guess....but we saw variety....and all of the same type and shape. Unbelievable, site it was. An old timer who was almost on the last mile of his life walking with the help of walker too had a colorful toiletry and that too hanging by his walker......hahahahahahaha :D

Used a broken piece of tyre to click a selfie

Zen Pose by Soham

DAY 1

There is something special about Karnataka. Whenever you ask people for direction all point in one direction, straight. Soham had a line for this kinda behaviour.' No matter what we ask them, they believe that all roads lead us to GOD.' Saare Raaste Bhagwan ki taraf jaate hain. So we were searching for a hill top temple in a plateau region. We arrived at the temple in the morning in an absolutely rustic village that wakes up early but the atmosphere and people make you feel you have gone back in time.

Highway pic - just ahead of Kolhapur

Morning Scene @ Nipani

Dew Drops and Sunrays

Morning Scenes at Nipani

As soon as our vehicle stopped, people started starring at us like we were aliens who had landed from an outer planet. We walked to a Shani temple. We saw a priest approaching us, black in color with all white ash applied on his body . We inquired with him about the history of the temple and he made us walk for like 100 meters to some stupid place which we instantly felt was the wrong place. We were at the wrong place and the wrong village by miles. We were like 70 kms off target. At that time Google Maps had not evolved and we had Blackberry phones with tiny screens. With the help of some phone calls and hand gesture understanding we were on our way to the correct destination. It took us innumerable turns and hand gestures to people to finally reach the place.

The place was known as Jamkhandi. There is a famous temple there atop a hill which is famous for making all your wishes come true for one thing only and that was the wish of a house. One has to visit the temple and then utilize the rocks available within the temple vicinity to build a rock house.

We bachelors intended to build our own houses. We placed few rocks around the temple premises and finished with our prayers and finally started to move towards Nipani as we wanted to travel through the Amboli ghat before night. We had lunch at some place in between. Lunch was 'Dry Bhel' and tea.What more can you expect in the inner most villages in India. When we reached the National highway we were astonished and confused at the same time. From Nipani the distance to GOA on th marker was 310kms....bonkers man that cant be true we said to ourselves. We continued towards Ajara MIDC which was few clicks away and there we saw a board of GOA 150kms. That was like the Karnataka govt playing prank on travelers. Be aware of these boards.

A Break at Ajara MIDC

At Ajara MIDC we took a break for few minutes as it was a long and tiring drive. Soham helped us by cleaning the windshield. This act made him realize that he can be useful to the drivers of the SUV. Sanskar took the responsibility of driving through the ghats. At Ajara MIDC it had started raining consistently and till we reached Sawantwadi it was raining heavily. Once you start driving through the ghat it is nearly impossible to overtake another vehicle. A Mahindra XUV 500 driver was getting irritated driving behind a Mahindra Scorpio. We all cracked a joke " Baap Baap hota hai aur beta beta" Referring to Mahindra Scorpio as the 'Baap'.

The frustrated XUV 500 finally overtaking us

Going Through Amboli Ghat

Amboli Waterfall

Greeted by kids while entering GOA

We reached GOA about 6.30 pm in the evening, we were skeptical about how the place will be, but our expectation were matched with what we had perceived. It was an awesome accommodation. Calangute Residency is a GTDC accommodation. The place that we got for the price that we paid was worth much more. The accommodation was sea facing at the beach itself.

Way to the room

Our Room at GTDC

Sipping on some tea

Me with Soham with Sanskar Clicking

GUYS NIGHT OUT

It was the first night in Goa and we 3 dudes were looking to have some serious fun. Food was on our mind. Soham had visited some good places prior and wanted us to join in. "INFANTARIA" was the place that he took us too. Live Jazz music was being played along with an guitar player who also was the singer. The entertainers told us that it was the first time that they had come together to present some lively music.

Since food and drinks were on our minds. We had some awesome offers. We started with Goa's famous  Kings Beer. I had never tasted such an awesome beer. The restaurant owner told us that Kings Beer now a days is very rare and its only produced and consumed in Goa. He made a starling gesture saying that Travelers like Kings Beer more than any other brands of beers. Always go for the taste and not the brand. That was the suggestion given to us. We started with chicken appetizers along with fresh kalamari. Sanskar and me had never tasted a Squid deliciously in our lives, but that preparation was awesome. Soham as usual had ham, he wants new tastes and new experiences all the time. Sanskar was the only non drinker amongst us. He got himself a Mocktail and me, Soham were sipping on beer. Since the music being played was outstanding, the place started filling up. The Jazz player and the singer too got in their groove and entertained the crowd.

After having food and some drinks we carried on and drove to some of the famous clubs in Goa. Tittos and Mambos. But we did not go in the club as we were 3 dudes with no females and that too in Goa (hahahahahaha). We drove to places nearby and witnessed some real night life that is hard to imagine in a Metropolitan city. Goa and the beaches are like cocktails, you never know when it hits you. It takes some time to adjust and really go with the flow here. Every person has various shades of character and personality triads. I can assure you that i really got to see a really different Abhijit.

It was Mandar Pitres Bday. He is the one who made this trip possible. It was his Scorpio vehicle that made this trip a memorable one. We dialed his number in US and spoke to him. Wished him and rather thanked him for lending us his vehicle. It was late night and it started raining. We 3 dudes decided to call it a day and go back to our crib and take some rest.

Kings Beer for me and Blue Lagoon non acholic for Sanskar

Some Jazz being played

DAY 2

Woke up late in the morning and decided to go to Panaji for some food. Wrong option!!! We had to park the vehicle miles away in the city and walk all over to find a descent joint to have food. Goa is beautiful. We visited the Famous Church in Goa which is seen in most of the Indian movies. Also got a chance to visit some rustic Goan allies with old structures with Portuguese designs. After all Goa was a Portuguese Colonial State, until it was run over by the Indian Govt in 1960's to unite with the Indian mainland. 

Names of some of the houses in Panjim

We went to a few shops as Soham wanted to buy some gifts for himself and his fiance. The store name was Sosas'. There Soham got some complement for his Big Bali, a traditional ornament wore by Kokani Brahmins similar to a ear stud. 

Image from Sosa store

Well we walked all around the central Panaji town. All cops in Goa are super fit, looks like its the effect of the movie Singham :) 

Our Lady of Immaculate Church

Roaming through Panjim

Finally after roaming for 3 hrs in the intense heat and humidity we found a very traditional place Anandashram to eat food. We ordered for some great fish thali's which was something made in heaven. The thali had fried fish, fresh kalamari and some great curries with rice. Mouth watering it was. After a bad day in Panaji (because of the roaming) we were raring to visit the well known beaches around. We first drove to Dona Paula of all places. It was not interesting part of our journey apart from the discussions that the movie Singham was shot there :)

Post the visit to Dona Paula where we didnt stay long, we decided to visit, Anjuna Beach. Anjuna Beach has a lot of hippies around and a small flea market around the beach. This beach is unsual and is not like the other beaches. We checked out the local market to see if there was anything interesting to buy, but there wasnt. We also checked out a small make shift music shop where Soham wanted to buy the Buddha Trans music. He looked interested in buying, but in the end gave up on the idea. We took interesting snaps here.

A beach view

A Typical Rainy Afternoon

We then visited the Vagator Beach and walked along the beach and bought some corn to enjoy the late afternoon or rather shall i say a hot and humid afternoon with no sign of rain around.

Enjoying the corn on the beach and there were first signs of rains around. We sat on the benches atop the Vagator beach and enjoyed the short drizzle.

It was evening and the mood was setting in, on our way back from Vagator we stopped at a very unusual bar named the Mango Tree. This bar was built in such a way that you could enjoy your drinks along the side of the road. 

Sanskar had decided that he would not drink as he didnt drink ever :) So we had a friend who would drive us back to the hotel even if got drunk. Soham and me ordered a few drinks. Soham was working with his cousin brother at that in Pune full time to set-up a restaurant and was aware of few drinks that were exclusively made. He went upto the bar man and had a small conversation on the possible cocktail combinations. Soham convinced the barman to try a combination known as Katle-Aaam, it was a cocktail of Vodka, Mazza Mango drink and Tabasco Chilli sauce. It was interesting for the barman and he too liked the combination.

@ A Bar on the beach

A incident to remember for me @ Mango Tree

We three had spend about 3 hours at Mango Tree bar and were sober enough to talk about life and future plans. Two tables beside us were seated a group of 3 girls who were also enjoying their moment. We were in general observing them for a while, suddenly one of them started crying for some reason. We guys started laughing knowing that the girl has had a couple extra drink and is now emotional on some topic. I wanted to go talk to them and wish them. In the meanwhile Soham and Sanskar paid the bill and were ready at the car in case my  good intentions of wishing the women didnt go as per plan.

I was about to speak and inquire as to if the women were alright as one of them was crying, one of them quickly said to me that all is fine and there is nothing to worry. I said them that i just need to say one thing that they all looked great as a group and i complimented each of them for their looks wished them well and walked off the bar. When i looked at them before getting in the car, the expression on their face was that of being stunned. They didnt know how to react, but i just wanted to say good things and move on with my friends which i did.

My friends too congratulated me on speaking up. Its hard to speak up to girls and that too in a public place adds to the difficulty. But i had passed the test with flying colors. We friends had a giggle about it and we moved on into the night.

Tattoos 

When in Goa, do what the Goans do. Eat, Drink, Sleep and Repeat and yes dont forget about the Tattoos. Well its not a mandate that one should get a Tattoo done and not everyone is of the opinion that Tattoo is a must have, but i wanted one and Soham wanted to have one as well along with repainting his old tattoo. So we entered Moksh Tattoo late at night. Sanskar wanted to be a spectator and wanted to help us to choose a correct Tattoo. It was my first Tattoo and i didnt think twice and got one done. Soham got an engraving done of initials of his and his fiancee. We ended our day at Tito's for a luxurious dinner and ordered some fresh prawns curry with steamed rice, which we didnt enjoy as much.

We drove around a bit and closed our very long day.....

Day 3 - Final day in Goa

We woke up late in the morning as we were hit by the hangover. We had to check out by 12pm so we decided to leave the hotel in a hurry. We decided to visit the local market and buy ourselves some souvenir and voila we landed in a nearby shop that made some custom T-Shirts as per requirement.

We decided to get 4 Black TShirts with our name, year and place we visited stitched on our T-Shirts.

We bargained with the owner for the price and he agreed to do the custom T-Shirt.

We ran into a local hookah store where we bought a piece to carry with us back to Pune.

In the end....

On our return journey we bought some souvenirs for our families and friends like Bebinca and some port wine. It was a short but fulfilling journey and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Driving on our way back we stopped at a lake near Amboli Ghat and took some of our final tour pics.

It was a fulfilling journey for us. We enjoyed every bit of fun we did together. It was a journey of a life time which we would remember and talk about for years to come. Friends are a great assets that one possesses. Any time spent with friends makes your life meaningful and worth living. Such journeys add new dimensions and meaning to your life. These experiences and journeys bring fulfillment and contentment. So long my friends for sharing such experiences in our lifetime. Stay hungry, Keep traveling, Keep making friends and last but not the least enjoy your life to the fullest.

Things to keep in mind:

1) Start early if you intend to visit various locations

2) Bargain, even though you must be well funded

3) Keep in mind where you and plan your rides and drives accordingly

4) Avoid going to beach areas alone

5) Avoid foreign scammers but if you find genuine people do interact

6) Avoid behaving like a typical tourist

7) Carry good swimwears on beaches and avoid showcasing your inners

8) Avoid staring at foreign tourists :)

9) Always lock your cars and click pic of the area you park in

10) If you have taken cars/bike on hire, click pic of the number plate

11) Always carry correct vehicle docs

12) Please dont drink and drive.

Abhijit More

Pune