A lot of cycling....
Morning:
As I woke up and started packing the number of kids surrounding me ...and my cycle grew. It was Saturday that means early school and I was right in their playground. "Where are you going?" "You slept here?" "Why are you going?" "Why alone?" ...answered multiple times to different gangs as they visited. Later a couple of their male Teachers joined and poured some of the same questions. One wondered if am on some charity ride. Wanted to tell him that am on "Mister Amol's Charity Ride for....Fun" but pitied him of my sick joke and answered something else. Got to know about a nice natural water source in the Ghat on the Rajapur side. hmm...lets try I said. Kept the bag in the school veranda and rode down the ghat in that direction. And....Wow! Right at the side of the road natural clean water nicely streaming down on a flat stone - a perfect Shower place. So a body wrapped in thermal, sweater, scarf was down to a tiny Jockey under the shivering water. Had no chance for a skinny-shower as it was on the road side. Never mind, It was fun bathing there! Back in clothes, spent some time basking in the Sun while a passerby in the ghat shared his experience of an encounter with a tiger when grass cutting down in the valley.hmmm...trilling!
NH17
Back to school, "Television" back to its place, breakfast and another cycling day! These are some of the most wonderful moments I live in such trips. Waking up, packing, and then moving on - Thinking about the route, making tentative plans, and if the road ahead is unknown its more fun - anxiety, worries, expectations..... Its an amazing mixed feeling! Zoomed down that wonderful Karul ghat (hmmm...want to skate down that ghat sometime. Its wonderful!). Rode thru the flat land down the ghat passing Vaibhavwadi, and a couple of small villages and finally reached NH17. Got a feel of the traffic on that road in the very first 30 seconds when a jerk in a Van suddenly came over the road from rest and pushed me on my right. Now it was only my Karma that there were no Trucks or Volvos behind me otherwise that was the end of the trip and my body with the soul let free right there and then. I escaped but was cautioned to be extra careful. The traffic was maddening and the highway torturous. Tho beautiful and in good condition it was kind of monotonous and tiring. Kept cycling and cycling. Took short breaks for Slice, Mazaa, Sugar Cane juice, Kokam whatever was available. Reached Kankavli for a nice vegetarian thali lunch after crossing the city. Quite a buzzzzz the city is!
Vengurla
Back on Road and still on NH17.......Vengurla was another 50 KMs or so. Finally took right at Kudal(or near there somewhere) and left NH17 for good. That interior road was no less taxing with those slopes and turns. Kept moving to reach Vengurla to end an arduous day. I liked the place at the first sight! Quiet, clean and not much fuss. Bought Paracetamol and Synarest in the market area, as my nose and body temperatures were not being so impressive towards the evening, and headed to the Port area to find that the only Hotel I had great hopes on was FULL.....I was fooled! Wandered, wondered for sometime......left alone without a room and no time and information to hook the tent anywhere. But I think there was something for me in that situation......hmmm......so, looking around somehow I landed in the only other guest house I found there. Got a room with attached bathroom , cold water, no plugs, stained bedsheet but clean. The location of the guest house is beautiful - just a small road between the house and the shore.
Dinner:
After a changeover dined at a decent hotel nearby, Coming out spent some time at the port watching the fishermen busy in their chores. The night at the shores was very much peaceful!! Back to room and flat on the bed in that sub-standard but cozy room. A BIG family, at least 6, had cramped themselves in the neighboring room. Their cacophonous chattering was subdued by the tiredness and had a sound sleep.
Was a nice day in the sun and on those big roads amidst frightening traffic and punishing topography.....but......now was glad it ended so well ;)
Good Night!
Check out some of the fotos from these first two days in this Picasa Album here.
Morning:
As I woke up and started packing the number of kids surrounding me ...and my cycle grew. It was Saturday that means early school and I was right in their playground. "Where are you going?" "You slept here?" "Why are you going?" "Why alone?" ...answered multiple times to different gangs as they visited. Later a couple of their male Teachers joined and poured some of the same questions. One wondered if am on some charity ride. Wanted to tell him that am on "Mister Amol's Charity Ride for....Fun" but pitied him of my sick joke and answered something else. Got to know about a nice natural water source in the Ghat on the Rajapur side. hmm...lets try I said. Kept the bag in the school veranda and rode down the ghat in that direction. And....Wow! Right at the side of the road natural clean water nicely streaming down on a flat stone - a perfect Shower place. So a body wrapped in thermal, sweater, scarf was down to a tiny Jockey under the shivering water. Had no chance for a skinny-shower as it was on the road side. Never mind, It was fun bathing there! Back in clothes, spent some time basking in the Sun while a passerby in the ghat shared his experience of an encounter with a tiger when grass cutting down in the valley.hmmm...trilling!
NH17
Back to school, "Television" back to its place, breakfast and another cycling day! These are some of the most wonderful moments I live in such trips. Waking up, packing, and then moving on - Thinking about the route, making tentative plans, and if the road ahead is unknown its more fun - anxiety, worries, expectations..... Its an amazing mixed feeling! Zoomed down that wonderful Karul ghat (hmmm...want to skate down that ghat sometime. Its wonderful!). Rode thru the flat land down the ghat passing Vaibhavwadi, and a couple of small villages and finally reached NH17. Got a feel of the traffic on that road in the very first 30 seconds when a jerk in a Van suddenly came over the road from rest and pushed me on my right. Now it was only my Karma that there were no Trucks or Volvos behind me otherwise that was the end of the trip and my body with the soul let free right there and then. I escaped but was cautioned to be extra careful. The traffic was maddening and the highway torturous. Tho beautiful and in good condition it was kind of monotonous and tiring. Kept cycling and cycling. Took short breaks for Slice, Mazaa, Sugar Cane juice, Kokam whatever was available. Reached Kankavli for a nice vegetarian thali lunch after crossing the city. Quite a buzzzzz the city is!
Vengurla
Back on Road and still on NH17.......Vengurla was another 50 KMs or so. Finally took right at Kudal(or near there somewhere) and left NH17 for good. That interior road was no less taxing with those slopes and turns. Kept moving to reach Vengurla to end an arduous day. I liked the place at the first sight! Quiet, clean and not much fuss. Bought Paracetamol and Synarest in the market area, as my nose and body temperatures were not being so impressive towards the evening, and headed to the Port area to find that the only Hotel I had great hopes on was FULL.....I was fooled! Wandered, wondered for sometime......left alone without a room and no time and information to hook the tent anywhere. But I think there was something for me in that situation......hmmm......so, looking around somehow I landed in the only other guest house I found there. Got a room with attached bathroom , cold water, no plugs, stained bedsheet but clean. The location of the guest house is beautiful - just a small road between the house and the shore.
Dinner:
After a changeover dined at a decent hotel nearby, Coming out spent some time at the port watching the fishermen busy in their chores. The night at the shores was very much peaceful!! Back to room and flat on the bed in that sub-standard but cozy room. A BIG family, at least 6, had cramped themselves in the neighboring room. Their cacophonous chattering was subdued by the tiredness and had a sound sleep.
Was a nice day in the sun and on those big roads amidst frightening traffic and punishing topography.....but......now was glad it ended so well ;)
Good Night!
Check out some of the fotos from these first two days in this Picasa Album here.
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