Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new year. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part III
The rains lashing against our faces, the car moving at its pace being driven by Kuku, the cool winds blowing serenely, the night engulfing us with glowing darkness. The sight was brilliant. The sensation was mesmerising. Pune was ours and how! We drove through half the city as we wanted to go for a long drive! Accompanied by Ankita's shrieks, we hardly needed any horns. We came back home and played cards. We were to go for a movie the next day. 3 idiots. No one seemed to care. People hardly slept. I had 4 hours of sleep. We got up and were joined by Kunal. Breakfast was at Durga where we had seriously lip-smacking Khichdi and Pohe and watery Cold Coffee. The movie theatre being far off, we rushed off. The movie was quite nice, with ankita threatening to reveal the plot as she was seeing it for the second time. The afternoon we lazed in some mall and were joined further by Amar. We drove back home where on the way Ankita was caught for driving without a licence!!! Kuku meanwhile had left at 6 as he was already too late. I and Deva returned home at around 2 am on the 4th as we didn't get any tickets. What I noticed and which deserves serious commendation here is that everyone although they were heavily exhausted, came to drop us till we left Pune. That was something which touched me deeply. The experience was worth a life time. the smile still isn't fading away. The heart is yet full of mirth!!! Indeed a New Beginning!!!
My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part II
Wow! It was already the second day of my trip and I had barely time enough to recuperate from my sleepless night before. It took us some time to leave by when it was 8.30 !!! ( I personally knew it would be though others were being very optimistic about 6) Steadily, we settled in the Tavera whose Driver we were to find out in the next 2 days, was craving for sleep since Jesus was born. All in we set out on our adventure for which I and Ajinkya had set all hell lose with the sheer magnitude of planning we had undergone!! We drove on and on and on... We were passing by some dam, the name of which I cannot remember. 
A vast expanse of blue water, waves rippling on its surface, surrounded by huge, lush green mountains. I was on the lookout for some place where we could dip our waters in the serenity. We got down for a few pics at a point having an awesome background. But the water was still far away. We moved on and on. Finally I spotted a few people off the coast and asked our driver to stop the car. We found a path through thickets and fences and reached the shores. Aah, it was sheer bliss. We clicked a few more photos. 
We again went back to our car. I couldn't wait to reach Harihareshwar. Konkan was beckoning and we soon reached Tamhini Ghat. On our way we slept, yawned, again slept, listening to music simultaneously. All of us were immensely hungry. But as we had entered the Ghat there were no roadside hotels in sight. Hunger was taking its toll!!! Especially on me. Crows, Vultures, Owls, Eagles, all were cacophoning in my tummy. We finally took a breaking the fast halt in the middle of nowhere and gobbled 2 plates each of hot Pohey. The car went on the winding route and we reached Manmad. Ajinkya as usual had to try confusing himself while trying to change plans. The new query was - how to squeeze in Murud? Dude, it is 60 kms on the opposite side of our destination, its already 12 and we still hadn't checked into our rooms!!! Thankfully we stayed put and reached Harihareshwar via a small long cut. The room was below expectations but was alright since we hadn't come to stay within the four walls right? We were allotted one hall instead of the two rooms we had booked. For lunch we went to a small hotel opposite our rooms. It was spicy but yummilicious. I as usual had non-veg. We went for a hot, under the blazing sun, afternoon walk on the shore, exploring the beach and what it had to offer. The Kokam Soda that we had at the beach was amazing. The soda guy added a pinch of masala salt which made the entire drink to fizz up and overflow in the form of froth and bubbles. A few of us could manage without spilling any drop, though the others weren't that lucky. We next went on the beach, well not exactly the beach but yes the beach. Or say the outskirts of the beach. Dhawal and Ajinkya went around the huge hillock,
on the prowl for adventure whereas I, Kaustubh and Gaurav stayed put preferring to observe the beach instead. We waited and waited for the 2 musketeers to return and once back, left for our rooms, constantly arguing on what to do next. Sleep or come back to the beach? Kuku and Ajya decided to hit the pillows whereas I, Dow Jones and Gugu went on to explore the rocky structures on the beach side. All of marched in half pants. The rocks were intricately carved by Nature and went on and on and on. I Had been informed that the area was blessed with Dolphin sightings and I like an obedient fool scouted relentlessly for a sight or two. Crabs gave us ample company but were too scared to venture anywhere near us. We finally decided to climb the hill. Idea courtesy Gugu and First Climb courtesy Me! Lol. anyways, we climbed the hill and perched ourselves on a high vantage point from where we could see 200* on all sides. It was a magnificent feeling. Passersby were pointing at us but were too scared to climb up. While scouting the area we spotted Ajya and Kuku. Poor Souls were carrying our spare clothes as well as theirs and had to climb the hill that way with the heavy load. And mind you, it was a straight climb. We went still further up the hill and found a small cave. All the rock structures were formed naturally. Like pores on a sponge. I constantly kept reminding the others that the sun was about to set and we ought to be on the beach. Well finally everyone relented, but not before a few more snaps. I and Gugu sat down to build a sand castle. It was our finest creation. With a moat and a temple on top. We went a bit ahead and dived into the sea. The beautiful sea, the cold sea, the gigantic sea. A shiver ran down my spine. I submerged myself into the water and the salty warmness engulfed me. It was certainly warm as compared to the cold air. We had loads of fun in the water. We posed for pics which Kuku was kind enough to click. The mud was easy to splash around at each other and most of the times when I would scoop out a dollop of wet mud, a small shell with a live crab or a similar yucky, slimy creature would crawl out. And off it would go. The sun set right in front of our eyes, turning crimson and then the sky darkened.
The air became colder and we decided to call it a day. We changed a bit and went back to our room. We were too tired to do anything. But we did bathe. Ajya and Kuku didn't tough!!! Dinner was Chinese which was okayish. The night was awesome. 
I learnt how to play Poker and guess what? I won my very first game. The night continued and one by one we fell asleep - me being obviously the first!!! The next day went in frolic too with new places to explore. I need to mention here the serene temple which we visited in the morning at Harihareshwar. The place is called Dakshin Kashi and is considered very holy. It felt like our very own temples in Goa. We left in the evening and reached Pune by night at around 11 or so. We chose to go to McDonalds for dinner as no one was very hungry. We were joined by Ankita whose Wagon R was to prove very useful for the next 1 day. Thereafter, we went on to fulfill my age old desire - CAD B. Chilled & chocolaty, it was ultimate in satiating a chocolate-lovers hunger! The night stood waiting for us to explore and the empty roads of Pune were more than welcoming.
A vast expanse of blue water, waves rippling on its surface, surrounded by huge, lush green mountains. I was on the lookout for some place where we could dip our waters in the serenity. We got down for a few pics at a point having an awesome background. But the water was still far away. We moved on and on. Finally I spotted a few people off the coast and asked our driver to stop the car. We found a path through thickets and fences and reached the shores. Aah, it was sheer bliss. We clicked a few more photos. 
We again went back to our car. I couldn't wait to reach Harihareshwar. Konkan was beckoning and we soon reached Tamhini Ghat. On our way we slept, yawned, again slept, listening to music simultaneously. All of us were immensely hungry. But as we had entered the Ghat there were no roadside hotels in sight. Hunger was taking its toll!!! Especially on me. Crows, Vultures, Owls, Eagles, all were cacophoning in my tummy. We finally took a breaking the fast halt in the middle of nowhere and gobbled 2 plates each of hot Pohey. The car went on the winding route and we reached Manmad. Ajinkya as usual had to try confusing himself while trying to change plans. The new query was - how to squeeze in Murud? Dude, it is 60 kms on the opposite side of our destination, its already 12 and we still hadn't checked into our rooms!!! Thankfully we stayed put and reached Harihareshwar via a small long cut. The room was below expectations but was alright since we hadn't come to stay within the four walls right? We were allotted one hall instead of the two rooms we had booked. For lunch we went to a small hotel opposite our rooms. It was spicy but yummilicious. I as usual had non-veg. We went for a hot, under the blazing sun, afternoon walk on the shore, exploring the beach and what it had to offer. The Kokam Soda that we had at the beach was amazing. The soda guy added a pinch of masala salt which made the entire drink to fizz up and overflow in the form of froth and bubbles. A few of us could manage without spilling any drop, though the others weren't that lucky. We next went on the beach, well not exactly the beach but yes the beach. Or say the outskirts of the beach. Dhawal and Ajinkya went around the huge hillock,
on the prowl for adventure whereas I, Kaustubh and Gaurav stayed put preferring to observe the beach instead. We waited and waited for the 2 musketeers to return and once back, left for our rooms, constantly arguing on what to do next. Sleep or come back to the beach? Kuku and Ajya decided to hit the pillows whereas I, Dow Jones and Gugu went on to explore the rocky structures on the beach side. All of marched in half pants. The rocks were intricately carved by Nature and went on and on and on. I Had been informed that the area was blessed with Dolphin sightings and I like an obedient fool scouted relentlessly for a sight or two. Crabs gave us ample company but were too scared to venture anywhere near us. We finally decided to climb the hill. Idea courtesy Gugu and First Climb courtesy Me! Lol. anyways, we climbed the hill and perched ourselves on a high vantage point from where we could see 200* on all sides. It was a magnificent feeling. Passersby were pointing at us but were too scared to climb up. While scouting the area we spotted Ajya and Kuku. Poor Souls were carrying our spare clothes as well as theirs and had to climb the hill that way with the heavy load. And mind you, it was a straight climb. We went still further up the hill and found a small cave. All the rock structures were formed naturally. Like pores on a sponge. I constantly kept reminding the others that the sun was about to set and we ought to be on the beach. Well finally everyone relented, but not before a few more snaps. I and Gugu sat down to build a sand castle. It was our finest creation. With a moat and a temple on top. We went a bit ahead and dived into the sea. The beautiful sea, the cold sea, the gigantic sea. A shiver ran down my spine. I submerged myself into the water and the salty warmness engulfed me. It was certainly warm as compared to the cold air. We had loads of fun in the water. We posed for pics which Kuku was kind enough to click. The mud was easy to splash around at each other and most of the times when I would scoop out a dollop of wet mud, a small shell with a live crab or a similar yucky, slimy creature would crawl out. And off it would go. The sun set right in front of our eyes, turning crimson and then the sky darkened.
The air became colder and we decided to call it a day. We changed a bit and went back to our room. We were too tired to do anything. But we did bathe. Ajya and Kuku didn't tough!!! Dinner was Chinese which was okayish. The night was awesome. 
I learnt how to play Poker and guess what? I won my very first game. The night continued and one by one we fell asleep - me being obviously the first!!! The next day went in frolic too with new places to explore. I need to mention here the serene temple which we visited in the morning at Harihareshwar. The place is called Dakshin Kashi and is considered very holy. It felt like our very own temples in Goa. We left in the evening and reached Pune by night at around 11 or so. We chose to go to McDonalds for dinner as no one was very hungry. We were joined by Ankita whose Wagon R was to prove very useful for the next 1 day. Thereafter, we went on to fulfill my age old desire - CAD B. Chilled & chocolaty, it was ultimate in satiating a chocolate-lovers hunger! The night stood waiting for us to explore and the empty roads of Pune were more than welcoming.
Monday, January 4, 2010
My Most Memorable New Year!!! - Part I
Trust me guys, when I say most memorable, it certainly is better than the most memorable one! Everything was perfect - the places, the people, the occasion and the sync! The idea was very feeble when it was mooted and a tad unrealistic as it included arranging accommodation at places which we had never been to, gathering 8-10 people and managing their time, arranging vehicles et al. Ajinkya should be thanked for managing almost everything and we co-ordinated with him from Mumbai. He actually even came to Mumbai and we met to call the listed home stay options at Harihareshwar and Shriwardhan which I managed to download from the net. Finally we managed to get da decent accommodation anda vehicle. We also managed to decide on the place for 31st night and then all I, Dhawal and Kaustubh had to do was reach Pune.
We took the 6.04 pm Sahyadri from Dadar on the 31st. The Journey was quite eventful with all of us getting hurriedly getting down at the wrong station which happened to be 3-4 stations before our destination but luckily we got in before the train left. Observing the surroundings was the in thing. One of co-passengers seemed to no have had food for ages. Her boyfriend was getting different stuff at almost every station. She even asked the chaiwallah - Arey bhaiya sirf chai kyun laa rahey ho. Wafers nahi hai kya. But the best part was when she couldn't resist the temptation and opened the cake they were carrying and ate a fingerful of cream. The train moved on and we finally alighted at Shivaji Nagar. Getting autos was always going to be tough considering it was Pune and after arguing with half a dozen autos we got one for 80 bucks. I was quite hungry then too. Ajinkya's place was a mess. I didn't know whether the mess was in the room or the room was built around the mess. But, we found place and in the next 2-3 days managed to shift almost everything within the place for us to sit and sleep. We dressed in a jiffy and were off to Garden Court off. Chandni Chowk. But we were 5 as Ajinkya and Gaurav were the new additions and we had two bikes. 
Finally, we decided to sit triple seat on one bike and double seat on two. The Double seated bike would go ahead and apply brakes when they spot Policemen. The third person on the triple seated bike would then slowly get down and the remaining two would proceed only to be joined by the huff-puffing third person who was to come running. Dhawal was the third person!!!
We managed to avoid the cops and reach Garden Court by
11.30 pm on 31st in the nick of time!
The view from the restaurant was breathtaking. It was perched atop a hillock overlooking quite some portion of Pune city. The weather was cold...
The food was over-priced and was okayish, but the entire experience of riding pillion on bikes and reaching that place with friends was spell-binding enough to forgive the incompetencies of the hotel staff. The new year was ushred in with borroed firecracker displays from neighbouring parties and for Gaurav it was in Loo that he chose to welcome the New Year! 
All said and done, we once again got onto the bikse and drove home. Of course I didn't drive. Why? Because I don't know how to! We reached home by 1.30 am or so just to be joined by one more friend... These people spent time doing all kinds of useless activities and hardly slept. I and Gaurav fell asleep by 5 only to wake up at 6 - already an hour late than the scheduled time of the driver!!!
Finally, we decided to sit triple seat on one bike and double seat on two. The Double seated bike would go ahead and apply brakes when they spot Policemen. The third person on the triple seated bike would then slowly get down and the remaining two would proceed only to be joined by the huff-puffing third person who was to come running. Dhawal was the third person!!!We managed to avoid the cops and reach Garden Court by
11.30 pm on 31st in the nick of time!The view from the restaurant was breathtaking. It was perched atop a hillock overlooking quite some portion of Pune city. The weather was cold...
The food was over-priced and was okayish, but the entire experience of riding pillion on bikes and reaching that place with friends was spell-binding enough to forgive the incompetencies of the hotel staff. The new year was ushred in with borroed firecracker displays from neighbouring parties and for Gaurav it was in Loo that he chose to welcome the New Year! 
All said and done, we once again got onto the bikse and drove home. Of course I didn't drive. Why? Because I don't know how to! We reached home by 1.30 am or so just to be joined by one more friend... These people spent time doing all kinds of useless activities and hardly slept. I and Gaurav fell asleep by 5 only to wake up at 6 - already an hour late than the scheduled time of the driver!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)