PP, The Bike & The Baiko! – Travel diaries

Day 1:

The alarm goes off at 3:45 am

4:10: PP’s heading down to the bike to make the arrangements and has ordered me to be down in five!

4:30: I’m still jumping around in my pyjamas doing a last round of searching for a piece of clothing, that only this morning I decided on wearing.

Ten minutes later I’m down by the bike trying hard to not think about the missing item..you know how some thoughts can nag as much as you push them away to the farthest corner of your mind!

5:05: The journey begins.

Part 1: Dandeli

Route: Panvel – Kolhapur – Belgaum – Dandeli via NH48

Note to pillion riders: Try not blinking! Keep earphones plugged in at all times. Sing aloud! Else… There’s a high chance you’ll fall asleep and bounce off the bike unless you’ve strapped yourself to the rider 😛

5:53: We’re about to reach Lonavla in quite a magical way I must say, because we just rode through clouds! The sky looks enchanting in shades of pink and blue with some purple and orange brushstrokes thrown in for the finishing touches!

Note to pillion riders: The rider ain’t going to stop the bike for every sight that you desire to capture, might as well master the art of clicking while riding.

13:15: I’ve just woken up from my nap on a sugarcane farm! Yup, that’s right!
We’re a few kms before Kolhapur and a room to spend the noon wasn’t worth the price and distance. So, my ‘nature-lover’ husband’s suggestion gets implemented. As a precautionary measure, my earphones are on to protect my ears. For my nose, well I didn’t carry any cotton! Lol.. the scarf over my face should suffice! Before you wonder, yes, I’m aware of the possibility of ants getting into my pants but I’m trying to block that thought out.

16:30: After a lunch and a siesta, this time in a mango farm, we’re back on the road.

4 hours 27 mins to Dandeli.

I’m a summer lover in general but it’s only on this trip am I really beginning to appreciate nature.. And India, to be quite honest.
I’m struck by the beauty of these orange trees by the roadside that I wasn’t even aware is the Gulmohar! That’s when I realise I no longer feel the same way about the Cherry Blossoms in the US that I’d always been desperate to experience. The song playing on my phone tempts me to stop for a click and…. there you go! Photo taken!

19.30: It’s pitch dark, at least inside my tinted helmet. The path to Dandeli is through a jungle and I’m trying hard to block my mind that’s teasing me to look behind.. obviously my mind wins and I turn back almost certain I’ll see a ghost!

21:00: We’re walking into our homestay ‘Nature’s Nest’ that looks no less than a mini jungle! I was about to be a typical wife and tell PP off for setting the bags on the bed when I spot bugs on the floor! That’s ‘living in the wilderness’ with my slipper. That murder is on me.

Signing off.

Day 2:

Hola!

8.54: We’ve just stepped out of our room and I feel like I’ve put on a green tinted goggles!! It’s such a beautiful view! Wait till you see it!

11.20: I’m standing by the bike watching PP borrow some petrol in a bisleri bottle while the smell is teasing my nose! A few minutes into the ride and we’ve just spotted a couple of animals that looked like jackals! Couldn’t click though, we just zoomed past them.

14:00: We’ve just got done with two water activities at the Kali River! Rafting and Ziplining! Also, I’m beginning to get tanned just as desired!

17:00: I don’t remember coming into the room and falling asleep! Must have been the adrenaline and overeating! We’re now by the pool with chips and music. The manager has just offered to bring us onion pakodas!

Can’t believe it’s been two hours we’ve spent by the pool and not got into it. It wasn’t the pakodas. It was the novel that I was reading out loud for PP and me! I’ve never done this before and I must say it’s a fun activity to do often! Brought to me memories of those English classes back in school when I used to excitedly volunteer to read out from the textbook!

22:00: No network is a good thing, leaves time for many more meaningful things to do! For instance, watch Saathiya! 😛 I’d saved the movie on my phone for the trip!
Signing off.

Day 3:

5:15: Ready and out on our way to the Safari with the hope of getting lucky with sighting though chances are bleak.

8.00: We’re back to the start point after a two hour drive into the jungle in an open Jeep after having spotted no creature wilder than me!
A piece of information: The animals we spotted the other day, turns out they were the wild dogs called ‘Dholes’ and not jackals.

Day 4:

Part 2: Goa.

13:12: We just spotted the first stretch of sand and water!!! Goaaaaaa is here!

14:45: With no reservations made, we googled for a place by Palolem beach. We’ve just settled into our room with an enticing view; the blue waters welcome me with open arms! I haven’t gone into the waters yet but I’m already sure that Palolem is my dream beach!

19:45: The afternoon was all about a dip, sip and kip. Freshly showered and dressed, we’re resting on the sand under the clear sky lit up by bright stars. I see never-ending darkness beyond the horizon; silent and powerful. The music’s perfectly suited for the atmosphere and mood and I know I’m falling in love with nature in ways more than I imagined.

22:00: Signing off because my tummy is happily fed and full!
Day 4:
8:01: I’m waking up in bed to the sound of waves and I wish I could do so for the rest of my life.
10.30: We’ve just caught a table at Cafe Inn after an hour of being in the water! Kayaking; it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I was scared about being tossed into the waters by the waves but after surviving the initial turbulence, it gets really smooth and lazy! Oh, we did get thrown out of the kayak by a violent wave at the end!

14:30: It’s been two hours since we checked out and plopped ourselves at the shack. I’ve just finished the 7th chapter of Lyrebird and I’m so proud to see PP equally eager to know what’s going to happen next!

Our next and last stop is North Goa where we’ll be staying with his relatives.

19:00: We’re welcomed by six happy faces at his Mama’s place! It’s going to be a night full of craziness and laughter!
Day 5:

Good morning!

11:00: 3 adults and 3 kids set out to explore Goa! Destination: Reis Magos Fort.

13:00: Tired, sweaty and enlightened by the tour, we’re sipping on chilled lime soda before we head out to have lunch at a local restaurant that Mama’s taking us to!

15:00: Six overstuffed hippos enter home and fall asleep on the couch till Mami wakes us up with garam chai. It’s time to get out again! This time, Marimar beach.

21:30: All that running in the sand to make pathetic attempts at catching the ball drained me out! I’m woken up from my slumber by the family that’s ready to leave after the buffet! They’ve even managed to capture an embarrassing photo of me fast asleep with my head on the dining table.

Signing off!

Day 6:

8.00: We’re all packed into the car and heading to another beach; Candolim! Time to roll in the sand and get…sandy!? 😛

12:30: I just found my phone after what I thought had got stolen!!!! I went to the bathroom with my backpack only to find my pouch missing! Panic Mode ON! I couldn’t remember where I’d dumped it in the excitement to get into the waters!

Note: Candolim waters are sandy and the waves very nasty, especially to someone as clumsy as me! I had a good share of falling and gulping!

14:30: We’re back home after a heavy lunch at yet another local place. We’re scheduled to begin our return journey in a short while BUT…

17:30: We’re brainwashed by the family into changing our plans. We decide to leave tomorrow morning!

20:30: PP and I have just said our goodbyes after a lovely evening spent at our friends’ place. The evening was all about Harry Potter, Avengers and a lot of interesting information over a coffee, followed by an exotic French drink that I was lucky to have got the last peg of! For all those curious cats, ‘Pastis’ is the name; an Anise-flavored spirit!

Day 7:

4.25: The ‘Yatra’ begins. Yes, with Yatra playing on my phone. (For the uninitiated, Yatra by Amit Trivedi – Coke Studio)

14:00: Looks like PP got extra-charged up with the breakfast at McDonald’s because he’s already flown us down to Lonavla!
18:00: End of a trip that’s been an exciting, emotional and entertaining one from the word GO!

We come home and I decide to unpack before I exhaust the little energy left in me. I’m about to draw the curtains when I see something peeking out at me from below the curtains.

What do you think it is?

The missing piece of clothing!!!! 😀

To make me feel even better, the husband comments “Yeah, I knew all along it was there!!”

Aaaaaannnddd we lived happily ever after!!

Cheers 🙂