Dapoli....live by the Beach...Dance with the waves....

You know you are facing summer when the best season of the year parts goodbye …..And the heat is ON. You review your office performance and think you did well. Your boss thinks otherwise. Fed up with the appraisals...the action plans and bla blab la……you tend to find ways to break free……

In April 2013, I faced a similar situation ……so what did I do?

Just called up my buddies, arranged a plan to live by the beach and dance with the waves.

I did just that….We choose Dapoli …

DAY 0 - The Journey  ......

We started in the midnight from Mumbai.

The amazing Silence of the gratifying Friday night added a frill to our travel.  Ours was a group of 12 who had met each other after a considerable time and exchanged our recent developments re-remembered a few inside jokes and re-lived a few old moments.

At first we were a bit jittery about the night travel, but the almost empty roads allowed us through a smooth ride in the considerably large vehicle, that took us pass the NH 17 and we reached the vadakhal naka sooner than we expected.  Some of us in the journey felt asleep, while others like me were curious and with the help of cutting chai on the way managed to stay awake. Some others watched a movie that was played inside the vehicle. After another couple of hrs we passed Mangoan, through an array of small villages where we started seeing daylight. At this point we also passed a beautiful road surrounded by trees which was through fog and mist. This was a pleasant surprise at this time of the year.

Every nearby village had a water body; some were with the boats some others with the people washing their clothes. The red colored State transport buses passing our vehicle by a roar gave me the feeling of being at my native place time and again. Really these vehicles are the hallmark of our state, reaching to the most untraveled and difficult parts.

Sooner than we thought we got a glimpse of the beach when our vehicle moved closer to our hotel. The hotel had a nice garden and a huge space for recreation right next to the beach. 

DAY 1 - Water Sports & Fish Market ......

In the mean while, as we got ourselves freshened up, we ordered for breakfast. Though the journey was a bit tiresome, the lovely unmanned beach of the morning was tempting enough for us to take a little stroll with the sound of the waves. There was a boat nearby and we clicked a few snaps on it.

Much to our delight the breakfast tables were arranged right next to the beach which looked remarkable through the trees on the edge of the coast. The heavy breakfast of egg burji and the pohe with a nice hot tea did the rest in keeping us more than awake.

And what was lined up was even more exciting. We visited the port nearby to buy the fish which was out from water hours ago.

The port was full of just-caught fish, spread and stacked all around. Pomfret, Surmai, prawns, huge size prawns, king size prawns, all fresh out of water, tempting stuff. Capitalizing on the huge size of our group and requirement, we managed several round of negotiations to buy fresh Surmai, pomfret and prawns fish for a 1000 Rs, a fairly good deal as we were all from Mumbai and most of us fish eaters. We then took the fish to our hotel for the preparation of Pomfret and Surmai Fry, adding to the chicken and egg dishes. As the lunch would be made, we set out for the water sports activities at the Murud Beach.

The Jet-Skiing and banana ride were the activities we started with in the sea. And then there was our own customized version of the banana ride that we repeated. The Jet-skiing machine pulling our banana float, took us  fairly deep in the sea and then we dropped ourselves back on the way or were pushed out of the float, whichever we found more exciting. This whole exercise was coupled with a series of ice-golas, lime juices and coconut water at the small stall. Further we moved to the hotel for lunch.

A vintage konkan cuisine comprising a chicken, added by luscious Surmai Fish, the Pomfret fry, the prawns and a spicy egg curry.  It was mouth watering stuff and all hungry foodies like us bounced on it. After a full-filling lunch, it was time to relax in our own ways, some at the hotel and some below the coconut tree.

An hours’ rest was good enough for us to come back and this time not just to wander to play football. The beach was clean, flat as a deck, and kilometers secluded. Not a single soul was around, which gave it the kind of private beach feeling that we wanted.

It was 4.30 pm, but the beach was still virgin and we started tapping the ball with our feet passing it at each other. The enthusiasm was unmatched and we had the fun of or lives, sprinting, tackling, screaming as we played the most beautiful game on the planet with the company of likeminded friends.  This exercise, both mental and more so physical went along unbelievably for a good 40 minutes, much to our surprise considering our daily lifestyles of comfort.

After having drained so much, it was a perfect setup for us to enter the waters and chill ourselves a bit. By this time there were a few other groups in the beach getting them wet and having the fun of their life. The water was not much cold and we started splashing it on each other’s bodies. Finally we all took that dip from head to toe in the water and started the series of games and fun one does in sea.

Some of us had preferred to stay at the beach and relax and watch the sunset. They could capture the beautiful shift of colors that took place at the merry sunset.  The next moment, just as if God was painting this picture, a couple of bullock carts arrived from across the beach. We could luckily capture that amazing scenery in our own cameras, which in the past was only seen in art galleries. Thank you technology …. 

The night was beautifully set and it was time to sit there and relax listening to the sound of the waves. We took our table out of the hotel to the beach and had a setup there, for some really special moments. The time spent at the beach was a total stress buster and had setup stage for the evening event. Our bodies’ rejuvenated just ideal for rounds of drinks that followed at the hotel garden space. After a delicious dinner we again went back to the same spot on the beach and literally lied down facing the sky. 

The moon was setting itself nicely with a significant amount of light, noticed as it was the only source.  This was the best part of the whole trip.

DAY 2 - Cricket the Beach and Temple Visit..

The resurgence of our bodies and minds had got us up in the morning the next day, and it was a good time to play beach cricket on the hard deck. As our game was on some of us, actually all of us also enjoyed the ATV ride along the beach. 

Soon a bullock-cart passing by with a free ride was on offer and only few of us would miss that.

After the cricket and the rides we soon checkout of the hotel, we were on our way to the Anjarle temple of Lord Ganesha. The temple is situated on a small hill and it could be noticeably seen from the approach road which passed over a connecting bridge. The beautiful array of coconut trees near the Anjarle Beach created an awesome view indeed.  

The temple is a beautiful structure with a Lord Shiva temple just besides it. A few meters from here are the Lord Ganesha Footprints mini-temple, where according to the locals those footprints are of Lord Ganesha himself.

As this mini-temple is on an adjoining small portion of the hill it offers a majestic panorama   of the Anjarle beach and the coconut plantations. At the temple there are various local food items sold and we bought many of those along with the konkam and Lime juice.

We were nearing lunch time and had a long journey back so we moved from the temple looking for a food outlet on the way. Nearby Anjarle on that Sunday many local restaurants and lunch homes were full to their capacity and would take time for our orders. So we proceeded on our way back and found a good place in Mangoan for a nice and quick lunch.

We also tried a flavor of various Pans in a Paan Shop near the restaurant, amongst the last experiences of this fun-filled trip, which we knew by now was coming to its end. A further journey of about 3 and a half hours and we were back to Mumbai, with memories to look back upon the dance with the waves, the playing with the tides and the living by the beach…

A Joyous Journey into the Merry Trails of Khodkona Village

Imagine you are travelling  on a highway in the outbound areas connecting the cities .......you tend to look around and see mountains ...your mind starts identifying patterns and shapes more humanly....so much so that you start talking to them......

Asherigad Hill- Spot the Single Coconut tree on the Hill if you can 

Does this happen to you?  It does to me and more often  than not.....this time in the winter of 2013 on the NH-8 at Palghar.....and popped into my eyes was  the hill of Asheri Fort........

The 'Waghoba' Temple

What is most significantly noticeable here  is a single coconut tree standing on an adjoining hill.....at such height....rarely does one see a coconut tree at such a height..........

The way to the top starts from the beginning of the Khodkona village marked by the 'Wagobha' temple and a few small 

houses.      

The Trail begins

On the Way Up

The trail begins with a large number of various trees which were pale in February and the dry leaves laid on the path make crackle sound as you walk on them, very similar to the munching of chips. 

Further as the ascend starts smaller rocks appear never too high to really bend your knees. The cover of the trees shadow the path in the interim.

  

The 'Waghoba' Structure again

On the way there are stones with faded marks showing the way to the top.  

After an hour or so you gain sufficient altitude to look back and enjoy the views of the endless fields ......Here you see another 'Waghoba' Small structure.......cut into its shape from a stem of a tree itself.....paint dubbed by the vermilion..... 

 The climb up from here becomes steeper.... 

Steeper Hills 

The Secret Route to somewhere...

There is an opening here which seems to be a secret route. By our understanding it must have led to the fort in the earlier times...but now the path seems dead ....

  

Moving up from here you reach the best part of the trail...a 15 feet high rock patch with a narrow way to make it to the top. Here you can get that rock climber's tickle in your stomach where you actually  root your feet as well as your palms into the notches in the rocks to grip and almost crawl your way through.

The Rock Patch around 15 ft 

View of the valley from here as you pass the hurdle justifies the worth of the effort put in to do so.......

View of the Valley 

Rajachi Topi or  Portuguese reminiscence

Here one can see a mark of the territory of the King of the Fort...with his crown carved in a rock as per the natives..but historians claim it the reminiscence of the Portuguese Rule ..

Steps Leading to the Fort

The path leads way to a series of steps in the upward climb and  you reach to a flatter portion on the top of the hill roughly around 2 hours from the base.

The top is a blessed with a couple of lakes and many water cisterns around 14 of them located around the periphery.

The Clear Lake on Top of the Hill

The Lake with  a Lotus Plantation on Top of  the Hill

The Cave Temple at the Top

It also has a cave temple and the locals tell a interesting story  about an immigrant Monk who stayed at the top of the fort for a good couple of years. 

As per the natives, the Sadhu along with a few assists which included women are responsible for the development you see at the temple, the marble seating and the collapsible steel gate. It was a good place to sit and gulp in some of the roti rolls, bananas and sip in the juices......

Hindu Holy Book of Bhagwat Geeta

The cave is big enough to shade 8 to 10 people comfortably and is also breezy....There is a leftover of the Holy Hindu Book 'Bhagwat Geeta', very much in distort , the legacy of the Sadhu...

Just above the cave temple is a vast bed of flat rock where you can lie down looking in the blue sky....and loose yourselves..Its an amazing moment that one can experience with the varying breeze at that height and fillers to the eyes full of blue and green...the whistling sound of the air and the sigh of relief in your breath....things come to life here and its a perfect place to ponder....

On the Top Rock Bed

If your move around you can explore areas most of which are impacted by the Sadhu......I had a mix feeling about this guy. Frankly he was good in making some developments, but at the same time being a fake preacher ( as natives claim) and influencing the villagers is not a good act. The villagers were clear enough though about their ideas when they got him and his gang out of the place by complaining the local Tehsildar and the help of the police ........

Whatever it was the story was  interesting.......

View of the NH8 and the mountains beyond

It added a bit of flair to the panorama  that we enjoyed on the top as we moved around .........You can see the NH8 from here clearly passing in between this hill and the range of hills on the other side with articulate peaks ..

The descend down the hill is comparatively easier with the views in background especially when you meet the same rock patch area and the steps. 

Baskets

Down at the base some quality time can be spent in the houses to get a feel of the village life.The silent house ventilated naturally with the shingle roofs make you realise the sudden cooling effect just as you enter it throw a narrow door.

Inside the Village House

The smell of the cow-dung laid for the floor finish took me back to my childhood days when I visited my native house in konkan. The heaps of  fodder kept for the cattle, the wood cut for the fire. The basket made from the coconut leaves. Everything was here.....and just a few kms away from Mumbai...





Finally I tried to move from there with a heavy heart and began to walk towards the highway. In the way I met an interesting creature.....in fact it took time for me to realize that it was something living as it was just leaves moving due the air is what I initially thought....

Dead Leaf Mantis - Now that's a tricky one ..... Spot it if you are sharp enough...

But it had a pattern due to which we could make out that it was the dead leaf mantis .....and could capture it too...Man....Only seen on National Goegraphic before ..this animal was a definition of how one can adapt oneself to fight for survival in this journey of Life...........

This merry trek in the Khodhona Village will be remembered for the interesting facets of LIFE that I discovered.....

The Memorable Trails of the Karnala Fort & the Bird Sanctuary....

Every other trip I made passing through Panvel on the NH17, in front of my eyes passed the thumb like mountain peak covered with dense forests at its base. It said to me all the time, “Are you good enough to be here? Up here?” 

The thumb appeared not quite as the thumbs up, but more of what we call in Marathi as the Thenga  as if saying you haven’t quite made it yet.) 

It’s the Karnala Fort, located about 10 kilometres away from Panvel ST. Stand, One trek I had started my trekking with but for some reason or other, left unaccomplished. I couldn’t wait anymore as I wanted to get this off my back and even though only four of us gathered we set ourselves to the trek to the Karnala Fort and the visit to the beautiful bird sanctuary nearby on 2nd December 2012. To my company were as always were Zohan and Tarun, with another member Joy who was on a trek after 2 years.  

Karnala Fort and Bird Sanctuary Map with Spots
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

We reached the Panvel ST. Stand exactly at 7.30 am, one of the advantages of having a small group and one without a girl in it. It was winter and the cold morning called for a hot cup of tea at the stand. Just standing for a minute or two in front of those lucrative bhajis and vadas was enough for us to fell for those. We also packed a few along with some grapes and bananas.

 An auto rickshaw ride worth 200 Rupees would take us to the gate of the bird sanctuary. We dropped the idea of a sharing six seater, as it would drop us only halfway leaving no option for the further half path, so we choose the former one. It was only a 15 minutes drive with a loud trouncing music played inside the rickshaw. It was a greatly un equalised typical Kumar Sanu number from the 90s, melodious yet remixed to the extent possible, but to be honest enjoyed by us. 

Karnala Bird Sanctuary Booking Office
 Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Suddenly a belt of cool air surrounded us as we moved into the forest area which was well marked by a board on either side of the road with warnings of Not to disturb the wildlife habitat. At a point 500 metres away from the sanctuary gate, the driver kept moving on at good speed and mistakenly took us further, but we managed a u turn back.   

The sanctuary gate was marked by a vehicle barrier and a good parking space nearby where 15 cars could easily be parked at a rate of 50 rupees per LMV.

At the gate while Joy booked the entry tickets, something intriguing caught our sight. No it wasn’t any of those rare birds the sanctuary has. Nor it was any of the other not so rare birds, if you know what I mean. We were staring at a board which had a list of people fined for breaking the rules of the sanctuary ranging from 100 to 5000 Rupees. The 5000 was for offering bananas to monkeys, well were carrying a few of those in our bags and certainly didn’t have 5000 rupees with us. There weren’t any ATMs around either. Next to the board was the list of rules and regulations to be followed and the park employee at a check post a few meters away reminded us about the ban on plastic bags and bottles in the sanctuary.

Karnala Map with all the Trails
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Finally we started our trail and right in front was the map of the trail and the forest area; the map which reminded me of something. It reminded me of my  first trek back in Feb 2009 when all that our group managed was to get ourselves stuck in a path which is prominently stated as the steep shortcut in this very map.  So the next thing we do.......we again went for the same path the Steep Shortcut.

 The Mortaka &  Haryal Trail 

Haryal Trail Begins
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

It begins with a nice oval bridge with wooden members over a gentle water body which forms a remarkable scenery for starters. 

Oval Wooden  Bridge
 Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Suddenly you move into a whole new different world. There was very little water in the pond as it was winter.Here we met a photographer alone who waited to capture the events of the woods.

Wooden Watch House
 Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla

The freshness and warmth here got us excited and our moves along this path were noisy and cheerful with giggles, until we realized that we were a disturbance to a couple who had silently set themselves to capture the birds in their SLR camera.  The man seemed a vintage photographer, with a sharp beard and a graceful Hat on his head, which moved steadily as the eyes tuned to the SLR lens searched for the tiniest of bird movement and the ears for the slightest of chirps. The lady beside him supposedly his wife assisted him with the accessory stuff of his gear and also gave him clues.  What a perfect couple we thought and moved along further.   

Mortaka Trail Starts
 Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

It’s a beautiful place for nature lovers with a good flock of birds, immensely varying in species, colour and shape, some sturdy others delicate, busy with their eloquent chants in the silence of the cold morning.

A Spider as big as a Palm
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

One comes across a lot of webs built by spiders  of sizes as big as child’s palm beautifully coloured, with shades predominantly brown & black and dots of yellow and red. Most of these webs were in the way of the trail only visible with the varying angle of the sunlight. 

Hugely Spread Web 
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Dew settled in the grass
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

We tried to avoid them by leaning down and making our way through as we didn't intend to harm the natural habitat to the extent possible.At our feet were many of those webs built around the grass but had become wet due to the dew.The dew had nicely settled on the grass near the trail, a much better settling of dues than that in our daily course of life, pun intended. 

At regular intervals around the trail there are steel indicator boards planted with the pictures of the birds that belong to this part of the forest. Also several trees carry metal plates each with a tongue twisting botanical names and a commonly used name. 

Various Rare Birds found in Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Variety of Trees in the Sanctuary 
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

By now we were quite away from the roadside and the occasional sounds of the trucks passing the highway had diminished. We reached a sleek tree with a circular plate with paint dubbed on it. It was unclear as half the colour had blown away and only thing left on it was ‘END’. 

Plate Indicating Path End
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

We sort of neglected it to move further down and found ourselves at a place where paths of two water bodies crossed. None of these paths seemed as clear trails, but we chose to take the one on our left as it appeared closer to the peak. 
A moment in that space was a real experience of the woods, with a dense array of trees and the significant movement of birds which we could spot. But as they were distant enough we could not exactly recognize any from the boards that we saw earlier. While our efforts to spot them were on we heard a very significant sound. This was the wood pecker........the continuous sound with a high frequency of the strong beak which, as shown in the images is tapered to the tip, almost like a metal chisel, used for pecking woods for food or nests.  The sound repeated after a regular interval resembling the one from a rusted hinge of a wooden door opening in an ancient in a horror movie .

Rocky Path Formed by Waterbodies
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

We kept looking for the bird but pretty much in vain. Boy...Bird watching is a patient exercise...I mean the actual birds. The hip hazard arrangement of the rocks formed due to the flowing water in the monsoon, made us stretch our muscles as we passed through. 

The rope Climb up the Slant Hill
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Soon we reached a point where a steep hill climb appeared as a way up covered with a tinge of pale grass and soil loose enough to make an average adult slip. But to our rescue in the climb were the aerial roots of the trees on the slant, which were slim yet tough enough to take our weights. Soon we reached a flat plot with trees dense enough to hide the panorama around us. We were stranded in what would appear as a circular patch from Google earth, roughly 30 meter in radius. All we could manage to see were monkey movements above us on the branches of the tall trees.. Here again we halted as we had realised that....

 “WE WERE LOST”....

Short Break with Grapes & Bananas
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

A few grapes and bananas down our throats were a good food for thought, as we decided that only way up was to go back from where we started at the base. One enticing thought of moving straight down the steep woods with a 30 meter rope that were carrying had come to our minds. But it was accompanied by the fear of ending up in a no man’s land if we were to meet a valley in between two humanly inaccessible hills. So we turned back to the same path that we had come from for returning to the base. Moreover it was only so we could still complete the trek by the normal path.  The 80 degree steep patch was now more fun as we were moving down from it almost like rappelling from a rock. It took us only 20 minutes to reach back to the Haryal trail boundary, where again on our way back we met those spiders and birds.


Here we actually spotted the beautiful Black Drongo, the glorious black shiny coloured bird with a long tail feathers. We were lucky enough to capture this not so shy bird, but from a distance and only in our normal digital cameras. The Black beauty sat on the branch roughly a foot tall shining in the morning sun.

A Black Drongo Bird Spotted
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

So many undisturbed spider webs right in the way was a good sign to know that this path is certainly less travelled, especially by the human kind, but somehow we missed that initially. Only because of the beauty of the natural that we fell for and little did we regret.



The Karnala Fort Trail 

The Karnala Fort Trial Starts
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

The huge well lead us to the Karnala Fort trail where we started our way up. The sanctuary has bird cages here and this part was the most populated with many groups and couples who had primarily come to visit the bird sanctuary. At this point Joy had started to crumble and sat down at a place where he decided to stop. “Down this early dude....” a remark by a guy in one of the groups returning must have made him livid. Obviously he was not aware of what we had done earlier. But after a few steps forward he thoughtfully decided to quit, perhaps a 2 year gap in the treks had left him daunted. 

An hour or so on the path with small stones dusted by the arid soil and with benches at equal intervals took us to the top of the adjoining hill. Most of it was shady which helped us wait at times take photos or put down some of the real fruit juices; an extra ammunition carried by Zian.

The Karnala Fort Thumb Pinnacle View from adjoining hill patch
 Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

Finally when we moved out of the shades, a long trail which is on the top edge of the mountain open to the sky with valleys on either side awaited us. And in front of us was the pinnacle of the fort with the Saffron Flag of Swaraj on it and a few more groups around its base.

Temple of Goddess Karnai 
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

As we approached the peak on our right we found the temple of Goddess Karnai where we paid our homage and moved further. A smaller adjoining rock leads the way to the main pinnacle through steps carved in it. Here there are very few remains of the fortification left, of the fort which as history has it, was captured by  Shivaji Maharaj from the Portuguese in the 17th century, then lost to Aurangzeb and later re-captured by the Peshwas. Finally the East India Company captured it in the early 19th century.

Water Cisterns at the Pinnacle Base 
Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla

The base has many cisterns with water claimed as potable. There were a couple others groups one of which included a family mostly populated by women and a proud nine year old girl which we learned when we interacted with them while taking their photos which they asked us to in their camera. This group had also occupied the best spot where one could sit and enjoy most beautiful view of the valleys and mountains As they moved on we almost captured that spot to relax ourselves and break for lunch at about 2 pm. 

Some Leftover Fortification
Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla

The timely intake of the juices and banana fillers had left us with very little hunger.Moreover it wasn’t that much demanding endurance wise either; it’s just that we had made it a bit more difficult than it actually was. We could have waited there for long, but as Joy was waiting below, we started our descend at 2.30 pm. 

The Pinnacle Base
Courtesy : Zian Lakdawalla

The way down was one of the easiest and with only a group of three we made it without any hassles whatsoever in an hour’s time surpassing the couple of groups that had started before us. At the base we found Joy completely relaxed after a good couple hours sleep and acquaintance with all the locals so much so that he played our guide for the rest of our time in the sanctuary. He showed us the cages with the Himalayan parrots, the peacocks and the peahens. ‘The sanctuary claims to adopt the birds for treatment’, he went on ‘and after a certain period they are left free in their natural habitat. There also a cage there with a tortoise on the other side of the road. And there are good washrooms too.’ The look in our eyes made him realise that it was time for him to stop.






Finally we moved out at the gate of the sanctuary where we got the company of our ancestors which were present in good numbers as if to bid us Adieu.

At the Base after the Trek
Courtesy: Zian Lakdawalla

An ST bus arrived and stopped 5 metres ahead of where we were standing like most ST buses do. We took the bus which would take us to the Panvel ST. stand. 


Inside the Bus I just kept thinking of that steep Short-cut feeling just a little anguished of not finding it and cheated twice and felt like Bryan Mills from the Movie  'Taken', and said to it ......



“I don’t know where you are....But I will look for you, I will find you, and I will capture you.........” 

Image Source www.theweek.com

At a Glance
Trek -Karnala Fort & Bird Sanctuary
Height above mean sea level - 1240 feet (Google Earth)
Trek Category - Very Easy
Base Village -Karnala , Panvel
Transport Panvel to Karnala by Autobus or Private Vehicle
Time to reach the top -About 1 hour from the base
Shelter -Caves at the top
Other Features - Bird Watching