Road Trip To Goa

the beginning...

               Recently we traveled to Goa from Thane by Mumbai-Goa road. It's a distance of around 570 km. We thought of other options but a sense of adventure that goes with a road trip was too much to resist. And as fate would have it we were not disappointed. We had one major breakdown and a three hour halt for petrol at Mahad in unbearable heat.

              Following are the times and distances from our records. These are indicative only. We took 3 halts which normal traveler won't take. (Marked in Red). A note for English speaking readers. Locally a mountain pass is called 'Ghat'. The name 'Western Ghats' used for this whole region is a misnomer.

Location	Km	Time
Thane	0	6:20	0:00
Karnala	50	7:30	1:10
Pen	62	7:45	0:15
Vadkal Naka	68	8:00	0:15
Nagothane	89	8:20	0:20
Pali	93	8:25	0:05
Kolad	108	8:40	0:20
Indapur	119	8:55	0:15
Mangaon	125	9:00	0:05
halt	125	10:15	1:15
Ruchi Garden	135	11:00	0:45
halt	135	11:20	0:00
Mahad	175	12:00	0:40
halt	175	14:40	2:40
Poladpur Kasheli Ghat	186	14:52	0:12
Khed	222	15:35	0:43
Baste Ghat	244	16:00	0:25
Parshuram Ghat	250	16:15	0:15
halt	250	16:45	0:00
Chiplun	258	17:00	0:15
Ghats-12 km	269	17:15	0:15
Arawli Ghat	286	17:35	0:20
Sangmeshwar	304	17:54	0:19
Nivli Ghat	325	18:20	0:26
Nivali	330	18:25	0:05
Hatkhamba	334	18:28	0:03
Ratnagiri	345	19:00	0:32
Ratnagiri	345	7:00	0:00
Hatkhamba	356	7:30	0:30
Halt	361	15:15	7:45
Pali	371	15:35	0:20
Lanja	390	16:00	0:25
Vanked Ghat	397	16:07	0:07
Oni	408	16:20	0:13
Rajapur	419	16:32	0:12
Vatul Ghat	430	16:47	0:15
Kankavli	475	17:41	0:54
Kasal	490	18:10	0:29
Kudal	509	18:30	0:20
Akeri	522	18:46	0:16
Sawantwadi	527	18:52	0:06
Insuli Ghat	537	19:13	0:21
Goa Border	539	19:15	0:02
Goa Excise	543	19:27	0:12
Mapusa	574	19:45	0:18
Calangut	586	20:15	0:30

               This distance may seem very short to people used to traveling on express highways. But it is a tough road to drive on, with innumerable turns and mountainous terrain. Especially after Ratnagiri there is hardly any stretch of straight road. It is also the riskiest highway in state of Maharashtra.(1479 deaths in 6 years as per records). It is not as tough as old 'Khandala Ghat' but reckless drivers make it risky. You can not afford to loose your concentration for a moment. But then it is also the most scenic and interesting routes.

               It took us 2 days but if you consider our actual drive time of 14 hours, this distance can obviously be covered in 1 day. But I would suggest that you take your time. Take a long halt at 'Parshuram' ghat before 'Chiplun'. View of the 'Vasishthi' river below is breathtaking. Stall owner showed us a oil painting of the view, made by some foreign tourist and gifted to him. Magic of  this place can awaken artist in every sensitive visitor.

Mesmerizing view of 'Vasishti' river from 'Parshuram Ghat'

on the road...
               For us road journey was as important as the destination. Time lost on 2 occasions put a dampener on our plans but it also was the high point of our whole experience.

               First time we lost 3 hours due to a reason virtually unknown to a person from Mumbai. Petrol tankers had not arrived in the whole Konkan belt for 2 days so we had to wait at Mahad for nearly 4 hours to get petrol filled. We remembered all the petrol pumps where we could have topped up our tank. Petrol pump people were very helpful and informed us as soon as tanker arrived so that we did not have to waste some more time in a long queue that will be formed eventually.
After Poladpur we encountered the famous Kasheli Ghat. Road just turns and twists without any letup. Our car did not have power steering and my shoulders had full workout by the end of ghat road.

               We reached Ratnagiri that day and stayed there. It is a surprisingly costly place to stay. Average tariff for 4 persons was around 2000/- Rs. We got very good food though at 'Hotel Amantran'. the Fish cuisine looked enticing but we preferred vegetarian food.
         

Jambha stone quarry. It seemed like a interesting location for a movie shoot.

          We had to reach Goa early next day so as to get time to search for a hotel. So we started on time and were fresh and in high spirits, but after just 20 minutes disaster struck us. One of rubber pipes was leaking and all water from radiator was lost. Car stopped midway with no one in sight.

               We stopped a passing rickshaw and asked for help. Rickshaw owner checked our car and then phoned his friend but could not get in touch. He assured us that he will go and send a mechanic friend. Meanwhile he had made some 5, 6 calls but won't accept any money from us.

               As promised his friend came on his scooter. He checked and immediately understood the problem. Filled water in the radiator and asked us to follow to the garage at Hatkhamba. On reaching garage we offered money for his valuable efforts and time. He denied saying he was just helping a family in distress. Such experiences restore our faith in the people around us.

Mango orchard at Hathkhamba

           
               While our car being attended to we strolled around and found a 'Jambha' stone quarry that was huge and very attractive. After some time we found a mango orchard and relaxed in the shade. My daughter captured a colorful 'Kingfisher' on my camera.

               We bought some mangoes that were selling by roadside and restarted our journey. Ratnagiri onward the road was so winding and going up and down that there was never a km of straight flat road. And I loved it!! Konkan is very beautiful but this region is heaven. Road condition was fair may be because we were traveling just before rainy season and all roads are finally repaired and in good condition at this time.

touch down...       
          During earlier visits we had stayed in either Mapusa or Panjim so this time we wanted to stay near a beach. A search revealed the north beaches as more 'happening' and with lots of options for a stay. so Calangut it was and it proved to be a correct decision. We did not visit any south Goa beach so we can not really compare but from Internet and local information it looks like they are more secluded, quieter. Next time we will surely explore them.

               We finally reached Calangut beach that night by 8:30. but due to time pressure we could not enjoy the roadside halts which are the most important part of such a trip.

               Next day there was a Bandh declared but we ventured out to visit fort Aguada. Luckily nothing untoward happened. Goan people are peace loving and always ready to help you. Contrary to common perception there is a huge crowd of families who are letting down their inhibitions for a change, not only young and hip.

Calangute Beach

suggestions...
We would like to list down some of our suggestions after this memorable journey
1. Travel before rainy season. all roads are in good condition at this time
2. Keep fuel tank full all the time.
3. Fill tank fully before leaving Goa. petrol is much cheaper in Goa.
4. Check all rubber parts. they become hard and brittle after a year or 2
5. Commence journey on Tuesday. traffic will be much, much less. check for bandhs, festivals etc. during your vacation. they can affect your plans. they almost did to ours. but Goa is a peace loving state so we ventured out to fort Aguada fort.
6. Stay near a beach in Goa. Real life on these beaches starts after 6 pm when people coming by tour buses leave. It is a different world altogether. Crowd is stylish, hip. Music and hotels right on beach are awesome.
7. Goa beaches mean 'ENJOY'. Curtail your rules or just leave the place. A beer with dinner is must. And your trip is not complete without Goan fish curry . One we had in a hotel on Bagha beach was really great. All this costs money so come with loads of it. I assure you it will still be value for money.
8. Dolphin cruise at fort Aguada is a must. what a experience it was seeing 4 dolphins cruising in front of us. best example of synchronized swimming. and boat ride was a roller coaster. not for fainthearted, may be because monsoon was close and seas were a bit rough.
9. Road via Kolhapur is boring except for Amboli ghat and hill station, It is much longer and you end up paying almost 500/- Rs as toll. but with a good fast car you can save time. Most of the people who think of roads only as means of reaching a destination, prefer this route.

There is so much more to write about.But I will stop here and let you explore some more on your own and share your experiences with me.

Shubh Yatra!!

Pause

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

I looked out of the door of our room.

Snow clad mountains were shining like solid silver in the morning sun. Tea was boiling on the 'Chullah'. For next one hour we will just enjoy our cup of tea in the company of those majestic mountains and the valley below.

Our life was moving to the beat of a altogether different drummer.

We were in 'Hamta'. A sleepy, cozy place stuck there in time all by itself, high above the hill station of Manali. Only approach to our abode was a typical Himalayan road (that means there was no road at many places ☺). I doubt anyone except trekkers travel by that road when 'Rohtang Pass' is open.
     

View From The Room

When you have such view from your room you don't need much else on your vacation. We just soaked in every passing moment.

To our dismay Rohtang Pass was closed due to heavy snowing and cars were passing non stop to Hamta Pass to enjoy snow there. People looked quizzically at a city couple in the midst of nowhere (There was no other house for a kilometer on either side) and my wife did not like that at all. This sudden bonanza was good for the locals though. Local Dhabas were doing roaring business.

This was the most mysterious destination we ever planned to visit. In spite of all the search on net we had no clue where it was and what kind of place it was. Photos showed a ramshackle village house. We were bit scared but ready to take on all the experiences it offered. One thing the place guaranteed, the peace and solitude that was our one point agenda, so we took the plunge.

We just wanted a nice little cozy place and we ended up in a veritable paradise.

This place is beautiful beyond any words. Maybe a 'Wordsworth' or 'Balkavi' (Marathi poet famed for his poetry about nature) could capture this beauty in words but it is far beyond my capacity.

We were surrounded by snow capped Himalayas on all sides with green verdant valleys below. Waves upon waves of those magnificent mountains. Fickle weather showed us all her moods. One moment it will be sunny and within an hour ominous clouds would gather among mountains and it would start raining. This whole play of clouds, sun and mountains was truly mesmerizing.

Madhuri brewing tea on chullah

We had lot of fun lighting the chullah. It's not as easy as it looks. Twigs need to be arranged loosely with lot of space in between them so that there is ample air supply.

Just like life.... We try to pack in too much and fire dwindles.

For this task Madhuri was the expert and I was a trainee. So my job was to break those big twigs into smaller pieces. I was told that this was the way to learn. I could not see the connection but like all smart trainees I kept my thoughts to myself.

Neat stack of wood. It looked interesting.

In the beginning we used chullah only for hot water. Water from tap was so cold that by the time you washed your hands all sensation in the fingers was lost. So hot water was a absolute necessity. By third day we got used to the cold. We used hot water if it was there but it was no longer a necessity. It was a luxury.

That was something new. At home we generally convert our luxuries into necessities.

Spacious Verandha

View from verandha was magnificent and serene. Literally in the lap of nature. I could sit there whole day. without ever getting bored.

One luxury we enjoyed a lot. We made tea on chullah. Seeping it sitting on this veranda was the  stuff dreams are made of.

We did not have any company except for the young lad Gaurav who stayed on upper floor. He was mostly busy with meditation, yoga and reading so we had whole ground floor to ourselves all the time. Our only visitor was this stray dog - or rather he was the local and we were stray visitors ☺- Like a good neighbor, he arrived once in a while to check on us.

One corner of our house and path leading to it.

Our house was little below the road and we had to climb up every time we went to Dolma Aunti's house for breakfast or meal. We found it tough. On my Annapurna base camp trek some 30 years ago I used to run down paths much steeper than this with a fully loaded haversack on my back. If you are an ardent nature lover I would earnestly ask you to enjoy your treks and adventures before age catches up with you. Make do with a smaller car or a bedroom less and seize the time.

I assure you it will be a good bargain.

Aunti-Uncle's beautiful house

Dolma aunty and Kalzan uncle are such a lovely couple. Typical mountain people. Simple and robust. I kept imagining their life 15 years back when current road did not exist. Must have been a scene straight out of 'Haidi'.

Meadow in front of their house

Breathtaking expanse in front of their house with  a stream flowing through it. It reminded me of those pics of Swiss alps. Stream provided them with 24 hr running water. 

Beautiful curving road just outside Their house. These roads are tough on drivers and vehicles for sure but they have a character of their own. They fascinate me. It looks like they are meandering wherever their heart and the gradient of the hill takes them 

On our second day I got up early by 5:30. I was just looking around when sun came up and those peaks suddenly turned golden in a flash. I ran in to get my camera. By the time I returned it had vanished. I never saw that golden hue again...

Why do we want to save everything for posterity? When we know that nothing is permanent. Even Sun was not there some 5 billion years ago and it won't be there after as many years.

In the presence of majestic Himalayas I would be scared to add my touches to the beautiful expanse. But not these tiny flowers. They bloomed anywhere and everywhere.

Some by the sides of our daily path.

Not many people appreciated those tiny flowers in fact very few ever saw them. But that did not deter them. I think joy of creation was the reward in itself for them.

Vanvihar

This beautiful gem we chanced upon because of Madhuri. While returning from Manu Temple she noticed this small gate leading into the Vanvihar as it is called. I was not so sure of the idea but she was 100% for it. How can she be so sure about an unknown path? I think she behaved in the same way when she married me.☺☺

Luckily this time she was not wrong. It was a walk to remember with those huge, tall trees all around us. This was really overkill. Himalayas had already shown us how insignificant we were. These trees nailed home that fact permanently.

Funnily we met very few people on this path when half the Manali crowd should have been here. (This is what they come here for right?) Though this was good for us. We could enjoy the place at our own leisure.

Entrance to Vanvihar at Manali end is ironically hidden behind this wildlife information center. That could be the reason people don't find it easily when they travel to Hadimba temple or Manu temple. Many roads skirt around it but no one notices it.

Oh yes. Our destination was Manali. So this is the Mall area. It is designed thoughtfully with lot of sitting arrangement which was not there when we had last visited some 20 years back.

Only improvement required is that the taxi stand should be moved little away like the bus stand.

So that's it reader. We visited usual spots like hot water springs at Manikaran, mystical Hadimba temple and unique Manu temple because we were there for 11 days in all. But we never fell prey to the hurry and aggression of our everyday life. Our life had a really big margin for those few days. That is why it was not a let down after those five blissful days at Hamta.

In case they ask me at the gate of hell "So old man did you enjoy your stay down there?" I would say "Sir I will need some time to choose from those 25000 odd days but about 5 particular days I am absolutely sure"

Postscript: Talking about wild flowers above I mentioned  that : "I think joy of creation was the reward in itself for them". There is actually a word for this that I came across today. Its "Autotelic".

Trek to Matheran via Shivaji Ladder Route

Magnificent view from Shivaji Ladder

We had plans to trek to Matheran but nothing looked sure till the day before. Miraculously everything did fit in and me and my wife were on our way to Matheran finally. We had planned to climb via one tree hill point. This route is amazing during rains, July to September. Route is quite safe and easy. It can be done by anyone with average fitness. Now it was winter but I had earlier visited during monsoon so we did not need any guide. Guides are available at base village 'Ambewadi'. You have to remember this name because many in Karjat have not heard about this route and can confuse you with their guesswork. 

Breathtaking view of Morbe dam lake from the route.

General plan would be like this:

1. From any where in Mumbai, travel to Karjat by local train. This is the best part. Traveling by local train gives you total freedom. Just pack bag and leave. No bookings nothing.

2. From Karjat take a rick to base village 'Ambewadi'. These are big ricks available outside Karjat station. After alighting from train walk on platform to overhead bridge and then get down on right side of Karjat station. Rickshaw stand is 2, 3 minutes walk. These are 7seater ricks. They charge 400 rs per rickshaw. Quite affordable if you are a group of 7,8 people. For 2 of us it was quite costly. Travel takes almost 45 minutes due to bad roads. On the way there are breath taking views of Morbe dam area. Ambewadi is a simple village nestled in the laps of Matheran hills. Some of the villagers work in Matheran and trek up and down everyday. They gladly work as guides. Rates can vary from 250 to 750 Rs. 

3. Walk by the side of a well close to hills. Route is quite clear and without many diversions which is so rare in Sahyadri (or western ghats as they are generally called by outsiders). Walk is steep in places. Midway on route there is a route going to left. This route is easier and through shade. Route going ahead is steep and exposed but you will see some magnificent views on way. Both routes meet at a well in the hills. Water is safe for drinking. You can replenish your stock of water here. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to reach this well.

4. From the well a route goes to left towards Shivaji Ladder. It is so called because as per local folklore Shivaji Maharaj once traveled by this route. This is a patch of loose boulders. Water flows through these boulders during monsoon. There is even a small waterfall formed at that time. It is around half an hours climb to reach One tree hill point of Matheran.

Path on left (mentioned above) through forest

One good thing about this trek is that you reach Matheran. So now you can relax and enjoy trappings of luxury if you wish to. 

Path through forest. Lot of shade compared to other path.

View on the way

           After enjoying our stay in Matheran that evening and next morning, we next got ready to trek down by  another route.We had earlier trekked down from Sunset point to Dhodhani village so we felt confident. but as it happens we forgot the name of point from where we had got down. Someone told us that the route to Dhodhani goes via Monkey point. So we reached monkey point. We understood our mistake when we reached there. But getting to sunset point would have taken time. so we decided to try this new route.

              As it turned out this was a tougher route and therefore it was less frequented by villagers and trekkers. We met 4, 5 villagers at start of trek but then both of us were alone on the route for next 2 and half hours. It was kind of wilderness just below crowded and commercial Matheran.

            Route was steep and through boulders. Panorama point was always seen at top. We also saw once the Matheran toy train chugging along below Panorama point. 

Boulder strewn path

Panorama point looming  overhead most of the time

When we found a little open space we had our lunch of 'Kanda Poha' that we had carried from Matheran. After this there were some bit difficult rock patches  but  small steps of concrete are made to aid travelers. Midway through trek there is a small temple. Here we offered our sincere prayers to the deity of that route.

Rock in the center has a small temple at its base

The temple in nowhere land

              From here onward route eased out a little bit but was steep. Finally we reached a place where two women were working in the fields. We rested under a tree, had remaining lunch some biscuits and remaining water. We enjoyed the view around one last time before getting ready to reach village. It still took us almost an hour to reach the village that looked so close. But we reached on time to catch 4:30 bus to Panvel.

A really big rock on the way

Praying Mantis.  It was camouflaged so well  that 
my wife could not locate  it even after I pointed to it.
Thanks Vivek for  identifying the species.

Sweeping view of the mountain range

Enjoying that mesmerizing  view one last time before joining back the civilized  world. Funnily it took us almost an hour to reach the village 'Dhodhani'  below.

Just as Thoreau said after Walden stay, at present we are once again sojourners in the civilized world. Planning for the next trek. 

P.S. 'Next trek' did not happen for few years. And then I was diagnosed with hear problem had angioplasty and trekking is over for me for now at-least. Seize the moment friends!!

Cycling by Seashore

               This is an account of my cycle trip along the coast of Maharashtra from Mumbai to Ganpatipule. There were three of us. Kolhatkar who was with us till Shrivardhan and Dhavle and myself cycled till Ganpatipule.


               Main idea behind this trip was to travel very close to seashore. This route has innumerable creeks which often necessitated loading our cycles in small boats used by local people to cross the creek. Many times we had to literally cycle in sand because that was the shortest route. It was tough, mad and unforgettable.

               In spite of all hardships it was a clean travel without anything going wrong very badly. In fact when you are prepared to sleep on road and eat whatever you can get,  nothing much wrong can happen to you because your expectations are already so low.

Photo by Paul Green on Unsplash. Perfectly depicts the romance of an cycle trip.

               There was one scary moment on the road from Dapoli to Dhabhol. Road was going down and Dhavle got a bit carried away and wend down full speed. I was behind him at some distance by now. And then I saw it happening. Suddenly there was a sharp left turn and he could not turn his cycle and there was a deep ravine in front of him. I kept thinking, oh my god he is going to go over that cliff. It was like staring death in face. My hands were already shaking and it took supreme effort to control my nerves and cycle. Luckily he was able to stop his cycle 2,3 feet away from the edge of the cliff.

              Next scare came just before Jaigad. I do not remember the place exactly. Here we got late and had to literally walk last two hours since road was bad and it was pitch dark and cycling was hazardous. It was one of the most isolated road that I have ever traveled on. We did not meet more than five people during those 2 hours and no houses to be seen anywhere.

Beautiful Ganesh Temple and Beach. What a exotic location!!

              The reason I remembered this trip is a documentary I viewed last year. It was about the coast of British isles. It was beautifully made and finely depicted the romance of a seashore. Since then I keep thinking of a similar documentary about Konkan coast. With rich heritage and history coupled with verdant hills and mystical beaches in the nooks and corners of this region I am sure it will be a great experience for the viewers.