I had a rather busy last week juggling my work and work related travel.
But soon I came to realize that the traveler in me was rather craving for it and not dead yet.
Soon I had a feeling that I was trying to seek attention from the world around as I was desperate for my acceptance by the worldly bodies and accept my return.
In the days to come I also came to believe that I was just sunk in the viscosity of my own conspiracy towards making things right and putting them in place.
Soon I embarked on a journey which made me realize and accept some age old belief that “You meet your destiny often on the road which you take to avoid it”
So I was here with a dear friend of mine to set things in our own way.
Visit to Goa:
Goa has always had a heavenly place in my heart for reasons more than its scenic beauty.
This time it was for sure to make an impression of a lifetime rather an imprint of our own mistakes and goof ups.
Trotting through its roads on two-wheeler, Goa never looked so beautiful and vulnerable.
Be it the beaches or its people or just the feeling of being around in that heavenly place it soaks you in its zeal and embraces with humility.
The streets were lively and gay with all sorts of people and spirits.
The Beach Diaries:
You don’t find such blessed souls on any other coastal banks of the country.
In fact I would rather say Goa should not only stay as union territory but should be declared or entitled as an independent country for that it offers an emergence of that secluded feeling that has become rare in our day to day life.
Tete-a-tete with the nature and its daring rawness, Goa spills all the color that may be missing even in a rainbow.
The beaches are serene, surreal and enigmatic. The calmness and familiarity they offer are the quintessential elements for a blissful life.
Covering a row of beaches and settling in its aroma of freshness and tranquility we learn a lot from this pristine place where paradise could be just an understatement.
Every sight is so alluring and tempting that I can only imagine or rather leave alone the desperation and leer that my dear friend carried throughout the journey.
Be it the carnival like feeling at Baga or be it the homely feeling of the Anjuna or divine calmness of Morjim, Goa is surely a blend or rather amalgamation of earthly feelings and heavenly bliss.
World comes to a standstill when you visit such places and you wonder if this is where the worldly motions are controlled from.
Our next destination was parlem which extends to the Maharashtra- Goa border.
A place where paradise seems to have existed before it extended further.
A small islandish place which provides a perfect getaway for that divine feeling and become one with your spiritual self.
The view of the sun bidding adieu to the world with a promise to come home next morning blanketing it with the starry night to provide coolness to the blazing soils and souls on the earth.
Such experiences always keeps one bound to a belief that there is almighty, who paints such beautiful masterpieces everyday making it the most divine sight for one of its most beautiful creations. We can only feel humbled and negligible in front of his enormity and opulence.
Back to Mumbai:
This was one of those few moments which can be defined as comedy of errors or rather negligence.
Never before I had felt such an outrage for my friend but at the end of it I truly enjoyed the experience of my journey.
After failing to board any public transport back to Mumbai and given that we were on a budget vacation so affording a flight ticket was beyond our idea.
Thanks to my friends desperation to reach Mumbai I had to agree in unison with his decision.
Soon we embarked on a journey without a foresighted plan and found ourselves waiting for a truck to take us to our destination or at least somewhere close to it.
I remembered a moment from Dil Chahta Hai where the character Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) credits his pain and trouble to a truck journey sitting on a pillow that he embarked to return home from Goa. However, it may be painfully true but given our own choice we had nothing to complain but flatter ourselves with the adventure streak hidden within.
But this doesn’t end here; it was just a start of this so called adventure. After leaving the first truck just close to Sawantwadi we found ourselves at the border security post close to Maharashtra-Goa border.
The officers didn’t prove of any help as they shrugged of their shoulders and turned deaf ears or rather cold to our request.
Notwithstanding the situation rather repercussions of our decision which had started to raise its head high we were lucky to be graced with another truck driver which was more god sent than coincidental. We managed to convince him quickly than we thought and begin our next lap of journey further at 1.30 am.
With a little uncomfortable and tricky sitting arrangement we managed to continue our journey towards belgaum through ghats and forest that laid between the winding roads and darkness.
Soon the truck cabin felt more safe and comfortable and even an ideal place to catch some much needed sleep.
The soothing sound of the truck’s engine and soft music playing in the background made it even more mesmerizing and felt like lullaby.
This troubled night passed with more ease as we sunk ourselves in the moment and continued our journey further.
As the hours passed, light broke through the night giving us a new hope to continue further.
Soon we were at Sankeshwar on the national highway for our further journey and our god sent truck driver bid adieu to continue his journey towards his destination.
We found another truck driver inquiring, who further managed to drop us at Nippani which was 40kms away from our location. At Nippani we further moved to the bus stand from where we boarded an ST to reach Kolhapur which was 20 kms away from the location.
On our way to Kolhapur my dear friend changed his idea of emergency which was the reason behind this whole journey. Soon it occurred to him that he had never been to Mahalakshmi temple and insisted to visit the same. I had to oblige as there was no purpose left for further turmoil that we had experienced throughout.
I think some things cling on you for as long as they want to, with or without our consent.
Same can be said about our journey, after visiting Mahalakshmi temple to seek blessings from the goddess we continued our journey for Mumbai from Kolhapur bus stand. Little did we know that our trouble was not over.
Soon we found ourselves caught up in a crowded ST bus heading to Mumbai. Being a Sunday everyone was in a hurry to return home and no tickets were available for reservation till 8 in the evening.
To add to our troubles the bus we boarded had its own set of issues. It felt as someone was conspiring against us and made this happen, everything worked like a well scripted story. The troubles and problems were in place and so were the incidents and errors.
It was learnt that the conductor of the bus was a new chap and unknowingly carried a ticket vending machine of the reservation bus to a passenger bus. Further adding to his trouble he had issued tickets to all the passengers who had boarded the bus from the origin charging them double the rate of that of a passenger bus.
Soon the passenger had realized this and kept the bus stranded at Kolhapur stand until they were refunded the extra amount. After much convincing and few arguments the staff managed to calm the crowd and promised them to reimburse the extra amount at Satara depot before another conductor takes charge of the bus. By that time 90 mins had passed and finally the bus had left the stand to reach Satara.
But the bureaucracy is never deprived of its own red tape and confusions, and further when money is involved it becomes all the more challenging.
Once the bus started its journey we relieved ourselves or rather convinced ourselves that this was the last trouble we had and the road ahead will be smooth sailing.
But destiny had different plans for us, after reaching Satara depot we realized that the trouble was still peeping through and soon it was standing high and strong before us.
It seems that the communication had not reached the staff of Satara depot and they refused to co-operate with the passengers. We had already lost another 45 mins in this drama and decided to move on rather than suffering further.
This time it felt rather easy to board another bus which was waiting to take last minute passengers and was occupied only by the reserved passengers. Soon after a 2 hrs run we were in pune much relaxed with an idea of better options to return home.
My dear friend as usual was not satisfied with the whole adventure and decided to have his own little adventure. After insisting that he would move ahead further towards kalian he refused to accompany me in a private share taxi which I managed to get at cheaper rate and which promised to take me home at the earliest.
My dear friend decided to spend his adventurous night at the railway station waiting for the train to arrive which will drop him at Kalyan as he resides in Badlapur. On the other hand I continued my journey from a private share taxi which delivered as it promised taking me home in mere 2 hrs. Spending night at a friend’s place as it was a 2 in the morning. A small welcome celebration at his place with another friend in attendance as they were aware of the turmoil we had been through made my day and made me forget all the tiredness I had throughout.
A little resting time and next day I was ready to embrace life with cheer.
On the other hand, my dear friend managed to reach home at around 5.30 in the morning and soon left for his work.
So this was a short description of my adventure which was rather an effect of bad decision than mere accident. Completing a journey of 9 hours in 24 hours can’t get any worse. After all who wants to lead a normal and boring life.
While writing this I still have that soreness running through my butt, but without regret…
But soon I came to realize that the traveler in me was rather craving for it and not dead yet.
Soon I had a feeling that I was trying to seek attention from the world around as I was desperate for my acceptance by the worldly bodies and accept my return.
In the days to come I also came to believe that I was just sunk in the viscosity of my own conspiracy towards making things right and putting them in place.
Soon I embarked on a journey which made me realize and accept some age old belief that “You meet your destiny often on the road which you take to avoid it”
So I was here with a dear friend of mine to set things in our own way.
Visit to Goa:
Goa has always had a heavenly place in my heart for reasons more than its scenic beauty.
This time it was for sure to make an impression of a lifetime rather an imprint of our own mistakes and goof ups.
Trotting through its roads on two-wheeler, Goa never looked so beautiful and vulnerable.
Be it the beaches or its people or just the feeling of being around in that heavenly place it soaks you in its zeal and embraces with humility.
The streets were lively and gay with all sorts of people and spirits.
The Beach Diaries:
You don’t find such blessed souls on any other coastal banks of the country.
In fact I would rather say Goa should not only stay as union territory but should be declared or entitled as an independent country for that it offers an emergence of that secluded feeling that has become rare in our day to day life.
Tete-a-tete with the nature and its daring rawness, Goa spills all the color that may be missing even in a rainbow.
The beaches are serene, surreal and enigmatic. The calmness and familiarity they offer are the quintessential elements for a blissful life.
Covering a row of beaches and settling in its aroma of freshness and tranquility we learn a lot from this pristine place where paradise could be just an understatement.
Every sight is so alluring and tempting that I can only imagine or rather leave alone the desperation and leer that my dear friend carried throughout the journey.
Be it the carnival like feeling at Baga or be it the homely feeling of the Anjuna or divine calmness of Morjim, Goa is surely a blend or rather amalgamation of earthly feelings and heavenly bliss.
World comes to a standstill when you visit such places and you wonder if this is where the worldly motions are controlled from.
Our next destination was parlem which extends to the Maharashtra- Goa border.
A place where paradise seems to have existed before it extended further.
A small islandish place which provides a perfect getaway for that divine feeling and become one with your spiritual self.
The view of the sun bidding adieu to the world with a promise to come home next morning blanketing it with the starry night to provide coolness to the blazing soils and souls on the earth.
Such experiences always keeps one bound to a belief that there is almighty, who paints such beautiful masterpieces everyday making it the most divine sight for one of its most beautiful creations. We can only feel humbled and negligible in front of his enormity and opulence.
Back to Mumbai:
This was one of those few moments which can be defined as comedy of errors or rather negligence.
Never before I had felt such an outrage for my friend but at the end of it I truly enjoyed the experience of my journey.
After failing to board any public transport back to Mumbai and given that we were on a budget vacation so affording a flight ticket was beyond our idea.
Thanks to my friends desperation to reach Mumbai I had to agree in unison with his decision.
Soon we embarked on a journey without a foresighted plan and found ourselves waiting for a truck to take us to our destination or at least somewhere close to it.
I remembered a moment from Dil Chahta Hai where the character Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) credits his pain and trouble to a truck journey sitting on a pillow that he embarked to return home from Goa. However, it may be painfully true but given our own choice we had nothing to complain but flatter ourselves with the adventure streak hidden within.
But this doesn’t end here; it was just a start of this so called adventure. After leaving the first truck just close to Sawantwadi we found ourselves at the border security post close to Maharashtra-Goa border.
The officers didn’t prove of any help as they shrugged of their shoulders and turned deaf ears or rather cold to our request.
Notwithstanding the situation rather repercussions of our decision which had started to raise its head high we were lucky to be graced with another truck driver which was more god sent than coincidental. We managed to convince him quickly than we thought and begin our next lap of journey further at 1.30 am.
With a little uncomfortable and tricky sitting arrangement we managed to continue our journey towards belgaum through ghats and forest that laid between the winding roads and darkness.
Soon the truck cabin felt more safe and comfortable and even an ideal place to catch some much needed sleep.
The soothing sound of the truck’s engine and soft music playing in the background made it even more mesmerizing and felt like lullaby.
This troubled night passed with more ease as we sunk ourselves in the moment and continued our journey further.
As the hours passed, light broke through the night giving us a new hope to continue further.
Soon we were at Sankeshwar on the national highway for our further journey and our god sent truck driver bid adieu to continue his journey towards his destination.
We found another truck driver inquiring, who further managed to drop us at Nippani which was 40kms away from our location. At Nippani we further moved to the bus stand from where we boarded an ST to reach Kolhapur which was 20 kms away from the location.
On our way to Kolhapur my dear friend changed his idea of emergency which was the reason behind this whole journey. Soon it occurred to him that he had never been to Mahalakshmi temple and insisted to visit the same. I had to oblige as there was no purpose left for further turmoil that we had experienced throughout.
I think some things cling on you for as long as they want to, with or without our consent.
Same can be said about our journey, after visiting Mahalakshmi temple to seek blessings from the goddess we continued our journey for Mumbai from Kolhapur bus stand. Little did we know that our trouble was not over.
Soon we found ourselves caught up in a crowded ST bus heading to Mumbai. Being a Sunday everyone was in a hurry to return home and no tickets were available for reservation till 8 in the evening.
To add to our troubles the bus we boarded had its own set of issues. It felt as someone was conspiring against us and made this happen, everything worked like a well scripted story. The troubles and problems were in place and so were the incidents and errors.
It was learnt that the conductor of the bus was a new chap and unknowingly carried a ticket vending machine of the reservation bus to a passenger bus. Further adding to his trouble he had issued tickets to all the passengers who had boarded the bus from the origin charging them double the rate of that of a passenger bus.
Soon the passenger had realized this and kept the bus stranded at Kolhapur stand until they were refunded the extra amount. After much convincing and few arguments the staff managed to calm the crowd and promised them to reimburse the extra amount at Satara depot before another conductor takes charge of the bus. By that time 90 mins had passed and finally the bus had left the stand to reach Satara.
But the bureaucracy is never deprived of its own red tape and confusions, and further when money is involved it becomes all the more challenging.
Once the bus started its journey we relieved ourselves or rather convinced ourselves that this was the last trouble we had and the road ahead will be smooth sailing.
But destiny had different plans for us, after reaching Satara depot we realized that the trouble was still peeping through and soon it was standing high and strong before us.
It seems that the communication had not reached the staff of Satara depot and they refused to co-operate with the passengers. We had already lost another 45 mins in this drama and decided to move on rather than suffering further.
This time it felt rather easy to board another bus which was waiting to take last minute passengers and was occupied only by the reserved passengers. Soon after a 2 hrs run we were in pune much relaxed with an idea of better options to return home.
My dear friend as usual was not satisfied with the whole adventure and decided to have his own little adventure. After insisting that he would move ahead further towards kalian he refused to accompany me in a private share taxi which I managed to get at cheaper rate and which promised to take me home at the earliest.
My dear friend decided to spend his adventurous night at the railway station waiting for the train to arrive which will drop him at Kalyan as he resides in Badlapur. On the other hand I continued my journey from a private share taxi which delivered as it promised taking me home in mere 2 hrs. Spending night at a friend’s place as it was a 2 in the morning. A small welcome celebration at his place with another friend in attendance as they were aware of the turmoil we had been through made my day and made me forget all the tiredness I had throughout.
A little resting time and next day I was ready to embrace life with cheer.
On the other hand, my dear friend managed to reach home at around 5.30 in the morning and soon left for his work.
So this was a short description of my adventure which was rather an effect of bad decision than mere accident. Completing a journey of 9 hours in 24 hours can’t get any worse. After all who wants to lead a normal and boring life.
While writing this I still have that soreness running through my butt, but without regret…
