.. of a day never to forget

How's the Josh ? asked one of them cheekily to his friend who was supposed to be his companion on the bus. He, his friend along with  their other teammates were returning from a long vacation.
As they boarded the bus which was to take them to their place of work, all of them were upbeat to be back at work, also some were tensed about since his daughter had fever the night he left his village, some had all but few days to spend with his newborn, some departing from their families, one had an argument with his brother before he left over family matter which he would resolve over phone as soon as he got on the bus.

Mixed emotions boarded the bus along with the other two thousand five hundred colleagues of them. As soon as the bus started moving, he and his friend began to discuss things that they did while on vacation.

This time, unlike the previous times he had spent considerable time with his wife, he had bought a new pair of spectacles for his mother, who he found struggling to read the newspaper. His father gifted him a shirt which he bought at the sale in the nearest town for Rs.1,000. It was quite a while that he had visited his village, met friends and enjoyed the serenity since approval of holidays was rarely affirmative by his boss. His wife had woven a sweater for her husband which she believed will protect him from the harsh and cold condition he will face at work. His mother prepared his favorite Kheer and Poori on his day of arrival. Now, that his vacation was ended, he was returning to work with bag full of memories.

High Sir !! his friend replied and both had a good laugh at the moment as they chose to sit at the back seats of the bus. His friend had only seen his son barely months old, the little ones memories had kept him occupied the entire time of his vacation. He had bought a brand new mobile phone worth Rs.5,000 for his family, so that they can talk better and talk more. Now they no longer had to depend on Sharma uncle, his neighbor anymore. He had went out with his wife after along time to watch "Uri" and returned prouder of his job. They also had a family gathering where they went out for a quiet meal in the new South Indian hotel in the town nearby. They had Idli and Dosas that day. Finding a South Indian hotel in midst of Rajasthan was itself an event ! That he also had to depart after his vacations not before he promised to his sister that he would return for Rakhi that year.

As both of them sat along others who had their own stories to tell,  the friends duo noticed that the bus had started moving. They were briefly interrupted when the Major had announced that the new tasks would be assigned to them after the morning drill tomorrow. The duo got back again to resume their chat.

About half an hour the bus had travelled there was an abrupt end to movement with the sound more terrifying than anything that they had encountered so closely in their lives before. Within a fraction of a second, the friends duo, their team mates and colleagues who were travelling with them and the bus was in ruins. None could gather, collect or understand what struck them. The brave hearts breathed their last at that moment. Complete silence filled air. Debris lying all over the road, team mates and colleagues all around, people who gathered around, watched in disbelief, the other two thousand of their colleagues confused, some crying, some taking positions for a further attack.

But this left many faces in anticipation of their son, husband, brother, father. His mother would have to now read his news of his martyrdom with the new spectacles he had bought, his father still longing to see his son wearing the new shirt which he gifted. For whom should his wife wove a sweater again. Devastated beyond imagination. His friend who had gifted the mobile for his parents, now whom they have to talk to, his months old son would have to be told of his fathers bravery and valor, sadly he is not there himself to tell them in person.

Friends, families, relatives shattered, filled with disbelief all around. The countrymen who witnessed this filled with Anger, rage in heart and mind. Unimaginable impact of the families and friends of the affected.

Their sacrifices and bravery for the nation will always be remembered and will be spoken with pride. The terrorists elements fostered in Pakistan will be given a befitting reply.

May the soul of our 44 CRPF brothers rest in peace, their sacrifices will always be remembered, all of them who have lived and made it possible that we as fellow citizens live in peace.

Capt. Vijay Batra (Sher)

Om Shanti !

Vande Mataram, Jai Hind !!


- Ram
16.02.2019

of the sweet nothings..he remembered !

.........as he closed his eyes and took a breathe, he could see nothing until she flashed on like a lightning just for a brief moment. Like even a small fire is enough to burn the forest she gave him endless stories to write, to ponder and to give him memories effortlessly.

It was a windy day, a cold windy day when he was sitting in the park, oblivious to the weather, to his surroundings and to himself. It was as though someone has robbed him of his great treasure. He sat there unmoved while the rest of the world around him moved like it did everyday. His eyes were fixed upon something. He was recollecting memories which seemed to have shaken him. Onlookers although found nothing wrong with the lush green grass which he was staring at, except him. He was time travelling.

The memories of the past kept coming back to him one after the other like a chain of bullets from a machine gun, each caused him enough pain and joy at the same time. He was wrapping himself in a time machine, deporting himself to the times when he last smiled for her. He could recollect the times when they would be dancing to the tunes unheard of, when they would meet for a brief time just to see if the other was doing well. Sometime they would have eaten each others pies and fought for sweet nothings. The other day they had a lengthy discussion on a trivial issue after which they wouldn't speak for days to come. Life had gifted her a wonderful smile with a great sense of humor which he silently admired but never said to her. He was too afraid to become a joke of his imagination. She endured every silly thing of his, right from his nose picking until the shortcomings of his anger. She was very caring as he was. Her eyes were magical or so he believed. Her smile would light his day up.

Time passed by and their bond grew stronger than before, the differences grew as well. But only for their understanding of each other kept them going despite their polarizing stands. Every time they felt like they were going away from each one, the other pulled the plug closer. One fine day they graduated and it was time to move on from each other. It was a moment in life where time froze for them, never wanting to come out of it, but they had to. Life had other plans while they had some. Her job was in a remote location, not so accessible either, he moved equally away at the other end of the world.

The time flew as everyday and the memories got more personal everyday, every time he was reminded of the things they did together but now he was to do them alone, no one was there to handpick his nay-sayings or to help him be the person they imagined together. No one would be there to fight for the pie, for he could have it all but he didn't wanted to. As he sat in the park gazing at the grass his eyes swelled and the next moment he was in tears, still oblivious and unaware if he would ever meet the person again who meant so much to him, but not knowing if they would. He sat there wondering if they would, if they would, if they would... He is still waiting..

Cheers !
Ram

Michael Schumacher: Unit of Formula One .. now a forgotten hero

Michael Schumacher

Micheal Schumacher or just Schumi was an incredible Formula One driver who epitomized driving in his era. His heroics for Ferrari is always remembered with flair and poise. His driving on the track was intense, sometimes piercing into oneself.

German born, his career began with Jordan racing team, although its his association with Benetton in 1994 that he won his first Formula One Driver's championship. It was in Benetton that his lifelong relationship with Ross Brawn began who was the then technical director in Benetton. Soon his success caught attention of the Prancing horse "Ferrari". Ferrari were desperate to be recognized as a serious competitor and to remain relevant in the racing arena. They had last won the Constructor's Championship back in 1983. They were desperately looking for a savior, Michael became theirs and they became Michael's. It was like mixing salt to water, they both gelled well so very soon and so very good. Change of winds were blowing now thick and fast.

Schumacher with Ferrari after win in Australian GP

 Schumacher was soon becoming he driver he wanted to become. His contemporaries Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Villenueve gave him a tough run for money in his Ferrari until 1999. It was until this time that the Ferrari car was being tuned again and again race after race to prepare for what would known for them to be as Golden years with Schumacher.

Unveiling the Prancing horse

Schumi famously won race after race, stamping his authority on the sport with each and every win. He would not only win the race, but would let his opponents never get ahead of his game. Be it the trickier Spa Franchorchamps or at Monza he would prove he was worth the mettle. His kitty track would be Magny-Cours where he won 8 of his wins creating a record for most wins at a venue which lasts to date.

Schumacher would love to have duels, be it with Juan Pablo Montoya or Rubens Barrichello or later in his career with Fernando Alonso. He would mostly come out on top. He led Ferrari to 5 consecutive Constructor's Championship while he himself winning all 5 of them as Driver's Championship. It was during this time that his aura was at its paramount, his driving legendary. He went past record of his idol Ayrton Senna and also being as the driver with most wins (91).

Ferrari was a monster when Schumacher drove

With him and Ferrari there emerged a scour of fanatics who started following the sport. He was instrumental in making the niche sport which was popular mostly in Western nations a worldwide mania which attracted a lot of interest.He retired in 2006 ending his long standing relatioship with Ferrari  and other friends such as Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Rory Bryne who were instrumental in his success in Formula One. It was only a matter of time which kept him away from racing and now in 2010 he returned to  Formula One with newly formed Mercedes GP  which was headed by his former boss and friend Ross Brawn.

Rubens Barrichello, Ross Brawn, Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher

His second stint at racing was not as successful as his previous one; some credit the failure to the newly formed team and car (although Mercedes GP was born out of Brawn GP team which was tried and tested), however he gave us the fans a lot to savour from his driving and memories which were reminiscence of his past glory. He retired in 2012.

On 29th December 2013 he met with an ski accident on a holiday while gliding down slopes in the French Alps above Meribel,France. He was fortunate to have worn the helmet while skiing, during the accident he hit his head onto a rock which split the helmet into pieces and saved Schumacher from grievous injuries to the head. However due to the impact of the collision he went into coma and is currently recuperating. It is sad now to see the legend in dire straits who is battling life due to a freak ski accident unknown to the rest of the world around him. I pray to God to give him strength and more luck so that he would be back to being his usual best once again.

Formula One Legend

Good luck Champ! Win the race!

Truly yours,
Ram

the legend of our time: AB de Villiers

Time and again, every decade, every era, every generation presents to us an indomitable hero, a true champion, a fighter,a winner who everyone around him and millions of them who watch them master their craft inspire masses to be one like them. We had Sunil Gavaskar, Aravinda de Silva, Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting cricketers who revolutionized the art of batting and stroke-making. Abraham Benjamin de Villiers or more popular with the name AB de Villiers or christened by his fans as ABD is a phenomenal batsman who with his incredible talent and sensational batting has captured the imagination of an true cricketing champion with his amazing pyrotechnics and breathtaking stroke-play which makes him stand head above shoulders as the best batsman to have graced the game.

AB De Villiers

AB de Villiers made his debut for South Africa in 2004 at the tender age of 20. He took up the gloves from Mark Boucher to help the South African cause. Although it was not until 2005-06 that he was taken seriously into consideration. He scored enough runs vs Ind and SL to be in contention for the team. His innings of 217 vs India in sub continent conditions marked him as the only S.A batsman to have scored a double hundred in India showed his remarkable temperament to play the long format of the game equally well. His timing of the ball which is so sweet makes one sit up and watch him close. His power hitting is something that carves expectations of him as being a gargantuan figure. Only few people in this world caress the ball as gently and at will so much so that the opposition is left awestruck in admiration at his cricketing ability.

Although he suffered a blip in form in 2005 and 2006, he returned back as a champion cricketer post 2008.He was an exceptional fielder and had the knack of picking up the things at a breathtaking pace. He was and still is an invaluable asset to South African cricket and the cricketing community in whole. What makes de Villiers tick is the fact that he has this uncanny ability to watch the ball until the Nth moment and then change his stance to play outrageous shots with tremendous power and flair. His high back lift sets the tone for the bowlers to dance on his swansong. He is a live-wire when batting who keeps the scorecard ticking consistently and a cannon-esque figure when he decides to maraud the attack with his flawless hitting of the ball. He leaves the bowlers in shreds when he makes up his mind.

En route to the fastest 50 and fastest 100 vs West Indies

Usual business in playing exceptional shots !

No total is big or no figure is unachievable for ABD, be it hitting the fastest half century (in 16 balls) and fastest century ever (in 31 balls) in ODI's or hitting the maximum sixes in a World Cup tournament (37) anything is achievable for this prodigiously talented individual. He hits the ball sometimes lying down on the ground or while dancing down the track. He is an absolute joy to watch when it comes to batting and an astonishing fielder who takes incredible catches from never thought before positions and makes run outs the more watchable. He is a cricketer who is a fan's delight, adored by millions of South Africans and many more people across the globe for his fireworks display when he is on song. He is also known as Mr. 360 degrees for his ability to hit the ball in every nook and corner of the ground.

Mr.360 in the IPL

He led his team in 2015 World Cup to their best ever performance in the tournament finishing as semi finalists in an epic semi final v/s New Zealand that led to one of the most memorable matches ever played in the World Cup. A gut wrenching, heartbreaking epic semi final which left a lasting impression on the tournament. 

Heartbroken.. post 2015 World Cup Semis loss

Be it his match winning innings for RCB in the IPL or his heroics in batting for South Africa, he has always been a stupendous success in every aspect of the game. AB de Villiers before he made his debut was a tennis player, a rugby player, still holds 6 national swimming records at school level, is an avid golfer, a guitarist, an U-19 national level badminton player, He is a recipient of the prestigious national medal from the Late Nelson Mandela for a science project,played hockey and made into U-16 side of school and a singer who has an album to his name which was released this March. He is a man with exceptional talent and unparalleled verve when it comes to committing himself to the cause.

Special No.17

Players like AB de Villiers are hard to come by in generations, and there will be fewer as complete a player as he is. He is charismatic and casts a spell upon the opposition when he begins to plunder for runs. In the present era of cricket, he is the only superstar of the sport and he does carry it off exceptionally well. Players like him need to be cherished and celebrated since we are the fortunate ones who has seen the emergence of a star who is now a larger than life figure for millions who also surely knows how to be grounded despite his huge hiatus. Let us celebrate the living legend of our times.

Cricketing Legend

Cheers to AB De Villiers !

Love,

Ram

10-09-2015

..the feel of bowling fast and my fastest best XI

Hufff !! Puff !! Hufff !! Puff !! Gasping for breath. yet he backs himself up, goes back to the bowling mark again glances at the pitch where he ought to bowl. Sees the batsman and then stares back at the pitch. readying himself up, backing himself up this time again, to get past through the defences of the batsman. Now he is back at his line up, taking deep breathes just readying himself for the next thunderbolt coming out of his cannonesque arm. He now runs in charging like an angry bull, looking for the matador to challenge him, to out power him, to win over him. And then he has his jump timed perfectly by the time he reaches his crease, the jump which one expects to reach same the height an Ostrich would when running at its top speed and then he releases the bowl at a straight seamed position pitching it at the exact spot where he has desired to bowl. Now the batsman has to come forward to play this bowl which is coming at an unbelievable speed. The batsman sees the bowl changing the trajectory by the time it has pitched and come to him, in a matter of milliseconds he has to adjust his guard ,to defend, to survive and in a blink of the eye he has missed playing the bowl, now the batsman has to wait to hear the dreadful sound of the timber. All this while when the bowler is completing his follow through after bowling where exactly he has intended to bowl, he is watching with awe and an excitement like a 6 year old. Now he sees that the bowl has past the pads of the batsman, watching the track of the seam of the leather go uncluttered, going as straight like a bullet would and then he strikes gold when the bowl hits the top of off stump, there is a winning smile on his face, a dejected look on the batsman's front. He claps and throws his hands into the air announcing the world, to make a statement of how a perfectly planned operation would span out.

The next batsman is padded up, with fear on one leg and ambiguity on the other. The bowler who is bowling fast is now smeared with confidence and pride at himself, his pace has went up a notch for the next ball, but he has to bend his back and bowl another one again, with the same discipline, line and length to be successful again. Such is the state of mind that a fast bowler goes through every time he runs up to bowl.

The world has seen amazing quicks who have taken breaths away frequently and sometimes more than that.
Here are my XI picks :

Joel Garner was one such bowler who was ferociously quick and lethal when it came to bowling. Big Bird he was named, standing at close to 7ft tall he could easily bowl the bouncers twice the same height of Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar once when questioned on how it was facing the Big Bird had said that all he could see is thunderbolts of red colour coming from the sky, given his short stature. No one could face Joel's bowl, let alone hit him. Gavaskar said that there was no use of the sight screen at the back since the arm easily stretched beyond it.

And then came Michael Holding, who was named as the Whispering Death and who popularized bowling with the art of smelling the 'perfume of the leather', he was the best bowler of his era which included the greats of West Indies bowlers like Andy Roberts, Malcom Marshall and Colin Croft, he stood apart with his lethal bouncers which would leave the batsman in tatters. He had a niche bouncer which when pitched short would rise to the batsman aiming at his helmet with vicious speed but just leaving the batsman unscathed but not before allowing the batsman to sniff the leather ball he did just let go off. Also he bowled, what was called the over of the century in the 81' test to Geoffrey Boycott.
Over of the century in 1981 Bridgetown Test vs England.

Fearsome Four: Marshall,Holding,Croft,Garner

Merv Hughes was an intimidating bowler with long and hard moustaches who put the fear in the eyes of the batsman whenever he took the ball in hand. He was fairly successful, given the Australian pitches which aided his style of bowling, which was to bounce the opposition out while keeping the tabs on runs to a bare minimum.

Intimidation.. the weapon

If we are playing the game that the talk hosts do, where in I give you one word and you say the first thing that comes to your mind, I say Shoaib Akhtar you would say Fast. His name was so synonymous with fast bowling that he became such a obvious figure to represent Pak cricket, he stood for what bowling fast felt like to be. He would keep on running hard from his run up which would be just a few yards short of the boundary to charge in at the batsmen and bowl those toe crushing yorkers with tremendous speed. He always enjoyed bowling to the greatest batsman, always making a statement of himself that he is as good a bowler as the batsman who is facing him.

Rawalpindi Express @ 161 kmph

Brett Lee's action is such a treat to watch that one would love to copy his action to himself. The short jump just before the run up would set the tone for the visual treat that was to follow. The timing of his jump before the ball would have been released, the position of his left arm just above the head his right arm recoiled back like the moment before the bullet is fired and his landing of the feet to execute the covert mission which was under wraps all this while which would have a predetermined conclusion, as to bowl at the batsman with vengeance and furious anger. He is considered to be one of the great bowlers who held the legacy of fast bowling in Australia flying high.

Binga ! set to unleash the spell

Dale Steyn was and still continues to rule the world as the best fast bowler in the world, not because he takes many wickets but because of the extra edge that he gives to his team. His near to perfect bowling action infuses such a delight to watch him bowl. His bowling rushes the adrenaline flowing into you when you see the sight of the perfectly executed bowl. He has the soul of the warrior and a heart of a lion, surely it takes something more to bowl that last over in Semis of the World Cup and to accept the defeat in the eyes of billions who have idolized him.

Flawless action and a perfect release 

Wahab Riaz, his name deserves a special mentions although he is far from being called as a true legend of fast bowling. His spell that he bowled to Watson in the World Cup had everyone get up and pay close attention to what was the best bowling display in recent years. Although the Oz's are known to have a go at the opposition, to hunt them, to humiliate them all of this in their home, but watching Wahab's display of the bowling which terrorized Watson to his core, who simply did not what was more humiliating ? Throwing his wicket away, surrendering to the bowler or stand there in the middle and become a mockery of the world. He chose to be the latter, although he was convinced there was no answer to the balls bowled by Wahab in that spell. For 30 minutes, the world watched in awe of how a fast bowler from the sub-continent can wreck havoc on the Oz's in their own backyard. So venomous were the balls that Wahab bowled that every ball he bowled to Watson had the trademark of the West Indies legends of the 80's. Once the match was over and Pak had lost, the world had found a new hero of the World Cup, whose name would be forever etched in the memories of the people who watched this spectacle.

Those eyes.. speak a thousand words.

Other fast bowling greats who surely deserved the mention but were sneaked out by the above mentioned players were Waqar Younis, Javagal Srinath, Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson to complete my fastest best XI.

Although the life span of the fast bowler is very short, prone to injuries, frequent rehabs yet inspite of all these pains the greats have overcome the nature to carve a mark of themselves in a short but successful career. Cherish the fast bowlers of your era before they become history, they give us the zest to adore the game like no one.

Cheers !!
Ram

How different would your best XI be ?

of those travelling seven days... and more

Day 1 (or rather a prologue to Day 1) 22nd Dec 2013:

As we (me & my roomie Abhin) began our weekend long trip on Sunday 22nd Dec night to Konkan coast of Maharashtra we did not have a clue what was in store for us. The decision to go to Konkan coast in itself was so unplanned. Till the day before we left to Belgaum, I was of the impression that we were going to Wayanad,Kerala for 2-3 days for hiking. But the sudden intrusion of Konkan tour came out of nowhere. Anyway, we boarded SRS Travels bus to Belgaum and decided to take on the places we wanted to visit as they come. And we got set for an adventure worth remembering.

Day 1 (23rd Dec):

                                                        

                                                                                 Heralded the beginning of our trip @ Sawantwadi

Soundless buses of Maharashtra

7:00 am it is and we are in Belgaum bus stand. We both didn't knew where and when the next bus to Sawantwadi would be, upon inquiring we were informed the next bus would be in an hour. So we hurried up to rent a room in a lodge named Purohit Palace Lodge for an hour and we got ready for the bus. The ride to Sawantwadi was worth remembering again and again as the loosely placed glass windows made spectacularly terrible sound in unison. And then when we reached Sawantwadi in after about an hour and half, we didn't knew what to do and where to go there :)So we both, Mr. Nomads set off on an discovery mission. We discovered the road to palace ourselves and went to check the palace of its past glory. It was a dilipated sight to behold after seeing the state in which the palace was maintained. The rich and cultural heritage sight of the Bhonsle clan was terribly maintained. Sawantwadi has a rich collection of toys and handicrafts on display. Brushing aside our disappointments we left for Vengurla Beach. By the time we reached Vengurla, none of the shops were open that day and we were forced to subdue our hunger by biscuits for the lunch that day. The beach in itself was so clean, so pristine and also very clear in appearance. That it was observed as a bandh in Vengurla due to political reasons, on the entire beach it was just the two of us. Just the two guys on the entire beach, felt very awkward, but heyy who was to see us ;-)

Vengurla Beach..as seen through the eyes

After playing in the beach for an hour and half we left to Malvan via Kudal. It was about 8pm that we reached Malvan. Again we didn't know where to stay or whom to trust in that place. We went by the word of mouth to a place called Pearl Regency which was very close to the beach and had decent rooms. That night we slept peacefully after sumptuous dinner. End to a very hectic day :)

Day 2 (24th Dec):

We hired an auto to Tarkarli which was about 6 kms from Malvan and found the beach was not so well maintained. There upon arriving a local approached us for Scuba diving, after a bargain we both agreed on a premium for the dive. But then the Scuba dive was to happen after an hour and half, so we both thought of trying out water sports in the backwaters called the Tsunami island. The sports were fun and kept us occupied for a good 2 hours. And surprisingly the prices for the sports were dirt cheap when compared to the fares in Goa and other prominent beaches. After finishing the sports we quickly hurried onto come to the beach that took us for Scuba diving. I was excited,so was my friend, about to experience the things like never before. The boat came,, people got in and we were set for the first dive of our lives. There was anxiety and excitement all around. Me along with Abhin and another guy were chosen to go first into the waters. "The Chosen Ones", we were given instructions on diving underwater and signs one should use to communicate there.I was the second person to go after Abhin. The moment I went in, I felt like I was watching a movie underwater in high definition. I was so awestruck by the corals and the little plants underwater that they still continue to mesmerize me when I recollect the memories. I saw an eel and other vibrant color life underwater.

Tsunami Island Backwaters, Tarkarli

Snorkelling

Geared up

Sunset @ Tarkarli, Malvan

We were to spend about 15-20 mins in water 20-25 ft in depth with the coral and the unprecedented sea life below. Amazed and awestruck by the dive we were a happy species that moment. We returned back to the shore at about 7pm and we also had to get the recordings done underwater into memory sticks. It was very dark and late by the time we left for our room, than I was to notice that the people in Malvan were a good hearted, warm and very friendly for never for once did we get a feeling that we were being conspired or cheated in any way. The people there were more eager to showcase what they had to offer than to let us explore them. This air of openness did fuel positive vibes amongst us, it was indeed one of the best moments so far for us in the travel so far. And when we reached hotel, we went on a walk on the beach and spotted the fort in a far off distance, the place where we would go the following morning. Of the time spent so for I noticed that the people of Malvan are very humble and very honest, a trait not to be found in common nowadays.


Day 3 (25th Dec):

With bags packed we checked out of the hotel in Malvan to Sindhdurg fort, built by Shivaji Maharaj. It is situated in the midst of the sea. The insides of the fort was not noteworthy however the location of the fort certainly was.

Sindhdurg Fort

..feels good to be one amongst everyone

Beautiful view of the sea

                                                    
We left to Ratnagiri by noon, it was a tiring and a long journey to Ratnagiri. We reached there by 6 pm and as part of today's agenda we had planned to visit Ganapathi Pule and leave back to Pune by that very night. With the little bit of Marathi that I could understand and talk, we finally got to know which bus to be taken to reach Ganapati Pule. Planning had gone awry of ridiculous proportions. We went to Ganapati Pule that day and stayed there in a budget accommodation of about Rs.400 for a night and we just wanted that. After travelling all day in the local buses and experiencing Konkan Maharashtra in the bus. The transport in Maharashtra and especially in the Konkan region is poorly maintained that suddenly ordinary buses from Karnataka seemed to be so very luxurious. Food in Pule was lip smacking good, so we quickly lapped up what ever came onto our plate. Being tired from the all day journey, we dozed off soon after we hit the sack.

Day 4 (26th Dec):

The Ganesha temple is a Swayambhu Ganesha i.e the idol was formed naturally over 400 years ago. The temple is located in a scenic place with massive waves hitting the shores, but nowhere to be seen close to the temple.

Ganapathi Pule

After the visit to the temple we both decided to explore Ratnagiri as we did not know what to do  with the spare time we had since the bus to Pune was only by 9pm in the night. We had about 6 hours to explore.the place. We went to Thibaw Palace and Thibaw Point, both of them were sordid with none of us interested in either of the places and also the maintenance of these places fuelled to our damping mood. We hired an overcharged auto-rickshaw to Ratnagiri fort which was spectacular in its location and the view it offered. Standing on top of the fort, the sea stretched seamlessly while the sun shone upon it. A Marine drivesque stretch below the fort fascinated us with massive waves hitting the stones relentlessly.

View from Ratnagiri Fort

Marine Drive like set-up @ Ratnagiri fort

Walls of the fort

a serene Arabian sea

That night we left to Pune in a 2 + 2 sleeper bus, the first of its kind I had ever seen.

Day 5 (27th Dec):

We had hired a cab from Pune- Matheran and back to Pune the same day to make our scheduling better as Abhin would be leaving to Dharwad that night. So we had a quick breakfast roadside on the way to Mumbai-Pune Expressway and it was a sumptuous Poha and a kadak chai that started our day. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is a class apart, with immensely wide roads and the surroundings of the highway. It made me feel for a moment that I was driving on European roads. It was the by far the best road experience I ever had. We reached Matheran by 10am and set out to explore the place on foot.

Matheran

Echo Point,Matheran

Right.. Hello World !

We covered reasonable viewpoints in a very short time, however our main agenda for the day was to do Valley Crossing between the hills, but to our dismay the Valley crossing was now been stopped due to environmental concerns. Half-heartedly we set out to explore other view points, where each of them offered similar view of the mountains. Matheran is the tiniest hill station in the world and also a place where only pedestrians and horses are allowed to commute, thus maintaining the serenity and keeping the place pollution free which made it an unique place to be at. Now the time was almost 7pm we were heading back to Pune and Abhin had to still search for reservations which eventually he didn't get. And this ended our 5 day long journey of exploring the Konakan and Matheran. Cheers to Abhin, Cheers to our trip !!

Day 5 (27th Dec):

After seeing Abhin off, I decided to go meet my cousins staying in Pune and with them I was to travel to Ambarnath to their place that very night and so the day ended with us reaching his place at 4 am ! The day which began at 6 in the morning and took us through the trekking in Matheran's woods a hike approximated to 15-20 km had finally ended at 4 in the morning. No more energy left !

Day 6 (28th Dec):

The day started on a slow pace and I was to leave for Bangalore that night. I was asked to take a local train to Sion from Ambarnath, where my pickup point would be. The thought of crowded Mumbai local trains gave me jitters and I was petrified of travelling in them, but to my surprise I enjoyed the ride. I could compare the local trains with those present in other world cities like Paris and Munich. Mumbai is a different place altogether, it has the charisma and magic in the air that makes it very special. I was in love with the city and  its sheer volume to serve innumerous people. Meanwhile I got into the bus which was an 18 hour journey to Bangalore.
And there I am sitting inside the bus, somewhere in the middle when everyone has slept reminding myself of the tour that I had witnessed and looking back at all the experiences with so many wonderful individuals and places, apparently showcasing a truly vibrant side of our nation which was truly a memorable experience.

Looking back at things in retrospection

Day 7 (29th Dec):

Finished an 18 hour journey, glad to be back in Bangalore !! Yayy !!

Cheers !
Ram