Life or something like that

Over the past few days, I realised...

2024-02-12T23:54:00.001+05:30

Mosquitoes have survived every catastrophe that has hit Earth since the beginning of time. They must serve some greater purpose than just maintaining the ecological balance. World Peace is definitely not one of them.

Although, just imagine when a group of mosquitoes meet (swarm, is it?) , what would they be discussing? Attack strategies, optimum hiding places, defence moves? Or something more complicated like which age group of humans to focus on, most targeted body parts, or how to hide in plain sight?

On the other hand, mosquitoes are fantastic creatures. They don't discriminate, they are found almost everywhere and they are so *insert shocking word* resilient!

They should also be credited for making people clap at times. Next time you want an ovation for a speech, just release some mosquitoes into the audience.

I had written a previous post about mosquitoes. I'll share the link in a bit .

The point is you can always count on them to fill in the gap in a conversation. Just like the weather. A conversation starter, filler and an ender! Wow!

Now that I've shared a few lines on them, I can move onto other topics.

Like how I didn't find the police station at it's usual place back home.

Have I lost the police station?

That's hard to say. As it was never truly mine.

It must have shifted in my absence.

It had to. Because the building that housed it, is almost on its last legs.

You need a sturdier place to lock up the criminals.

Which is sad, in a way. Because it says that you can always expect criminals to be around who need to be locked up.

Okay there are other uses for a police station. Like getting your passport verification done.

Which makes it a place of hope. A possibility of going to another country.

I'm happy to share this place of hope and reformation is housed in a newer building in another area. Though the identity of the old place has been stripped, it will always be remembered for what it was. And the new place is going to become what it can be.

Hmmm.

P.s. the link to my old post dedicated to mosquitoes is here

https://amluckyorwhat.blogspot.com/2011/04/real-reason-why-dinosaurs-are-extinct.html

Its a Start.

2024-02-06T23:17:00.001+05:30

IF I were really creative and funny, and could follow the goals I set for myself, one of them would be to try and write down atleast ONE interesting bit of my life. To share with you, ofcourse.

It's not fun having a running background commentary to your life with no one to applaud. Or without a background score. Or canned laughter.

Although for some reason, "kya Karu hai kuch kuch hota hai" background score is playing in my head with SRK shouting "Anjali, Anjali!"

So coming back to my goals - which is not to be misunderstood as resolutions - let's see how much can I entertain you. For the world is my stage!

And the only image in my head is of My little one, Rudr, playing at the airport.

Due to a family emergency, we had to fly back to Mumbai. Unfortunately, Indigo was the only airline available at that time.

Because so far, 95% experiences so far had been miserable. They are just not people friendly. Okay, a delayed flight may be out of their control. But connecting with tired, waiting passengers is definitely in their control. I often wonder what do they teach in their "flight attendant school" apart from how to apply perfect makeup and have great hair-do. Definately no coaching is given on how to make those facial muscles near the mouth curve upwards. What's the point in giving safety instructions when in times of emergency I might be cautious to ask for help from a grumpy employee.

But that's just me.

But children are oblivious to such things. Rudr made the waiting Gate his playground. He was busy making dust angels, riding a pretend train on a railing, banging his head carefully into the nuts and bolts to check how much does it hurt. And trying to fit into gaps where I can't reach him in case the airlines decides to start boarding.

More importantly, how he was amazed at the size of the Mummy airplane and was trying to find the Daddy airplane. We were traveling in the Baby airplane and Rudr started crying as he wanted to go in the Mummy airplane.

He settled down when I explained to him that the Baby airplane would feel sad if we left now.

He tried so hard to stay awake by making clay airplanes, playing with the seatbelts, trying to talk to our co-passenger. And was so excited that the Baby plane is running fast so it could fly.

I hope I can always remember to come to his eye level to see the world how he sees. Even if it means getting on all fours at an international airport.

Happy New 2024 and still ticking!

2024-01-11T07:58:00.002+05:30

Only a gap of almost 17 months between my last post and this one..

Frankly speaking, I was thinking of going silent completely, never to visit this page again and stop regale you with my antiks (this is not a spelling error. It's a hilarious cartoon on YouTube!)

Because "what difference does it make" etc..

But I couldn't abandon my (virtual) baby.

Plus, I got over my existential crisis after I read a few of my old posts and re-realised how funny I can be!

SO!

I've moved.

To Hyderabad.

Whoever knows me may imply this as a plan to actually be besties with Prabhas. And you'd be right.

After Salaar, all the more!

There is something about him...

Which you won't be privy to. I'll share that with him when I meet him. 🙂

Hubby is not at all threatened by this. He knows how his wife is - focused, crazy and a true believer who loves him (hubby)

Plus it was Hubby's wish to explore new territories. I was being a very supportive wife. And agreed to his plan of pollination. I'm viewing it as Pollination instead of Uprooting. I mean, that's harsh!

I can totally feel connected with multiple places on planet Earth. Because she's awesome! Hello Earth!!

This is also what therapists of my calibre do. Make a lemon pie, lemon chicken, lemon rice and lemon tea out of lemons.

When life gives you lemons, make a feast out of it!

Although right now, as I type this...I'm living a refugee type situation. Surviving on peanuts and water. Because the cooking gas cylinder ran out. Not because of my corny jokes. 🙄

A replacement cylinder is hard to come by because of the recent truck drivers' strike due to the revised driving laws. Just don't kill anybody, drivers! That's just basic human courtesy.

Anyways, if you want to follow your human courtesy instincts, just message me for my address. Swiggy delivers here. Peanuts and water can give you only so much strength and mental functioning.

When I decided to skip watching Salaar again with my friends, I knew in my heart there must be a greater reason for this sacrifice. I was needed at home to ration out the supplies when the gas calamity struck.

Next time for sure, Prabhas!

That's all I can muster up for now. Swiggy me something so I can whip up another story of all the missing time in between.

After all, we can all do with one more story ❤️

Oh Hyderabad... what IS this thing between us?

2022-08-24T09:56:00.001+05:30

Have I shared that I've visited Hyderabad 4 times in the past 13 months?

You'd think I really love the city.

Or it's just Destiny's way of making sure Prabhas (sigh) and I cross paths sooner or later. And become besties. After all, who wouldn't want me as a best friend in their lives?!

I even know the HOW of our meeting.

Baahubali, are you listening??

But that's a story for another day.

This is a story of how I survived my last trip to Hyderabad. This time we travelled by train. Minus dear Hubby.

The journey is never an issue. Trains on time. Enough food and water and tea to survive.

Even our darshan to Malikaarjun Jyotirlinga was so awesome.

ZERO queue or waiting. We literally walked in, prayed to our heart's content and walked out.

It was the stay in Sri Salem that was the true icing on this adventure.

We did book our darshan ahead. But we were unable to book our stay as nothing was available online.

We are optimists. We knew there would be a room available once we reached there. We only had to find it.

Jha ji was very patient and she combed through the lodges and hotels, but alas!

The driver finally made a call and headed towards a "Santram" . There were many around. It's basically a place for communities. People from the same community can book accommodation for very low prices.

We found someone at the reception and with our Hindi and their Telugu, we upgraded a temporary, no-electricity room to two rooms with electricity.

We were running late for our slotted darshan time so we changed, dumped our bags and left.

When we got back, we took notice of our surroundings.

Imagine an unfinished building, with construction still going on, building material spewed around and at the edge of the town with empty roads and the mountains for a view.

It's inhabitated but we don't really understand each other except for sign language.

We walk up to the second floor, open our rooms and are greeted by a huge photo frame of a deceased couple over the bed. And a miniature photo frame of Lord Shiva and his family on the opposite side.

There are no curtains, no ventilation, no air-conditioning and water leaks at the washbasin.

Although the rooms did have a double bed with questionable bedding, a balcony and a toilet with a working bulb. And in all fairness, there was a sign that said "Do not use the wash basin. It leaks"

Since we dined before retiring to the room, our only concern was not getting eaten by mosquitos, not having wild animals or humans climbing up the balcony and not dying of the heat. Oh, and not getting possessed.

Thankfully, I always come prepared. At least for mosquitoes. So we used it liberally, and took a chance by keeping the windows open for ventilation. Only because the windows had grills.

And prayers to keep us safe from any visitors from the other realm.

I also made sure we were sleeping more towards the side of the bed which had our heavenly protectors looking down at us.

There's power in prayers and an unwavering belief system. So we slept well. And woke up in the morning to find ourselves bite-free, possession-free and no one waiting on the balcony.

My baby was definitely having a balloon of a time, exploring and playing. This is inspite of having a fever. Children are just so resilient and bounce back. I did try the bouncing bit.

Thankfully, we only had to pack up and leave. And we did just that. To head back to Hyderabad and a more familiar territory.

I had enough of adventure without my partner in crime. So we just stuck to chilling in the house till it was time to leave for home sweet home.

I'm wondering when will the Universe plan my next trip to Hyderabad...

Chapter 4: Did my wife grow a pair ?

2022-06-10T20:48:00.001+05:30

After MaBo's latest atrocities, Mrs. MaBo used some sense and put some distance between herself and her husband.

She moved into the next room, declared she'll make meals for herself and her in-laws only. MaBo can fend for himself.

MaBo's father was willing to take Mrs. MaBo and move to another place. But he was afraid his son would doubt his intentions towards his daughter-in-law.

The news of MaBo's atrocities spread like wildfire among their families.

Some threatened to beat some sense into MaBo. Some asked that the new bride be immediately dropped back home where she can be safe .

Mrs. MaBo's dad finally went and got her home. It still isn't clear why she couldn't come back home on her own. She only lived about an hour away from her parents.

While leaving, Mrs. MaBo threatened MaBo of slapping him with 6 different charges.

MaBo was far-sighted. He was ready for such situations. He had saved screenshots of Mrs. MaBo's correspondences with the so called boyfriend. To prove that he indeed had been deceived.

What will happen next??

The story still keeps unfolding as I write this.

The probable outcomes are:

1. They file for divorce and quietly go their seperate ways.

2. They file for divorce where they try to slander and shame each other and then go their seperate ways.

3. Mrs. MaBo files criminal charges against MaBo and then the court grants them seperation with Mrs. MaBo getting an alimony and MaBo getting a jail sentence.

4. They again get back together because seperation and divorce means ostracised by society.

No. 4 seems the most likely outcome because the latest update is the parents are trying to patch things up between the kids. There is a shadow of doubt that more money may exchange hands.

Because "izzat ka sawal"

No. 4 will also translate to offsprings in the future. And some more beatings and humiliation to be borne by Mrs. MaBo.

Until one day, either she walks out of the marriage or he leaves her for someone "pure".

Or she turns up dead.

Because people like MaBo don't change. They only get worse.

The End.

Chapter 3: I am a forgiving person, I'll take my lying wife back

2022-06-05T22:55:00.001+05:30

MaBo had managed to talk to almost all of Mrs. MaBo's relatives..like her parents, her sister, her uncles. And also to his dad, brother and cousins.

Somewhere along, certain people agreed that it was Mrs. MaBo's fault that she lied. Or hid her meaningless past. She should have been forthcoming about it, even if it didn't matter.

MaBo was always upfront about his demand of a rich, virgin bride.

Given this, it's only fair that he now marries his new sister-in-law.

Hmmm.

MaBo's dad and dad-in-law tried to make MaBo understand to give the new bride a second chance. She never really meant to deceive him.

Even though her sisters and some other family members (on MaBo's side) knew what was happening was really bad, all their advice of standing up for yourself fell on deaf ears.

Because as per Mrs. MaBo too, she deserved to be treated in this insulting manner because she lied to her husband.

After lot of pleading, MaBo decides to give the marriage a chance.

This was only a chance to humiliate Mrs. MaBo further. By hitting her and raping her.

Because that's what she deserves for lying to her husband.

Is this the trailer of Mrs. MaBo's life?

...

Chapter 2: I've been cheated out of a virgin bride.

2022-06-05T22:54:00.001+05:30

Mr. and Mrs. MaBo left for their happy times. A couple of days passed in marital bliss. On the third day, Mrs. MaBo leaves her phone unattended while she goes to freshen herself up.

Mr. MaBo sees this as opportunity to play Sherlock Holmes.

His "Watson" was one of his cousins. Who had looked up Mrs. MaBo on Instagram. He had noticed some suspicious photos on her thread...her with some boy. Dated atleast 5 years ago. And like all concerned brothers, he updated MaBo prior to the wedding.

MaBo's antenna was already quivering. Mrs. MaBo had insisted earlier she's never been in a relationship. MaBo had collected facts from his other girl cousins (who also happen to be a DOCTOR like him) on how to ensure a girl is still a virgin.

For instance:

1. Do girls bleed the first time they have sex?

2. Is it possible for the hymen to rupture without having sex?

The girl cousin was sensible to say these questions are ridiculous. But she answered them as well, sensibly -I might as well add.

Sherlock MaBo also had his checks in place. On how to determine if a girl is a virgin.

" The Two Finger Test"

I don't think I have to explain that one.

Oh, and previous prospective brides ALLOWED him to test them.

I don't know about Mrs. MaBo though.

Although I know her dad was ready to "gift" him his cash demands. Which the previous prospectives fell short of.

Coming back to the story, MaBo found Mrs. MaBo's chat history. And then she was history.

He accused her of lying to him that she didn't have an affair. That she cheated him out of a virgin. That his offsprings will be impure. That she's not a Sita while he is such a Ram.

Now what was to happen of him???!!!

Wait a minute!

MaBo had a brilliant suggestion. He'll divorce her and marry her younger sister!!

Voila! That way he'll be saving their family's pride and honour. Else Mrs. MaBo's sisters would be labelled as a divorcee's sister.

Such Shame!!!

And so... armoured with this wonderful proposal, MaBo has set off to convince his family and Mrs. MaBo's family, how MaBo is a true gem of a person.

Will MaBo save the day...once again?

Chapter 1: I will only marry a virgin .

2022-06-03T22:25:00.001+05:30

The world is an ocean of diversity. Ethnicity, socio-economic, geographical..are a given. But what is most diverse , is Human Nature .

This is a true story.

Of a man-boy from a well-to-do family, with a good education, an excellent job and no common sense.

Like all boys, when they reach a certain age, this man-boy - we will call him MaBo, wanted to get married.

He only had a few simple conditions:

1. The girl should be a virgin .

2. With that logic, The girl should never ever had an affair.

3. The girl should treat him like the king he is.

Now you'd think that MaBo would have died a bachelor. But surprise, surprise!

After a few years of rigorous search, the family found a match!

The surprise part is not that virgins exist. It is that someone in their "right" mind thought "here is a good match for my daughter. Some amount of chauvinism is definitely a sign of a real man!"

After the initial meetings by the families and the soon-to-be bride and groom, dates and venues were set. Invitations were sent out . The D day arrives .

A little about the bride before we continue. She is well-educated, simple and has live a sheltered life. She's from a very affluent family, is the eldest of 3 sisters and was looking forward to be Mrs. MaBo.

In all fairness, I have first hand information about MaBo as my source is (unfortunately) related to MaBo.

Information about Mrs. MaBo is through the grapevine.

Both families have large extended families. All of them descend for the wedding.

Mrs. MaBo 's family has been super "generous". They spent lavishly on the wedding, giving "gifts" in gold and cash and whatnot to MaBo.

MaBo was feeling so blessed to find such a match that he wanted his younger brother to marry his fiancee's younger sister. So that even his younger brother can share the abundance of blessings 🙄

Mind you, junior MaBo already has a steady girlfriend for donkey's years. And MaBo knew about that along with everyone else in the family.

The sister rejected the preposterous proposal.

Since no feelings were hurt, MaBo finally had his dream wedding with his dream girl, who would support him on his climb to fame. He already has the fortune as he married the goose that laid the golden egg .

It was a happily ever after of the modern times.

Or was it?

Escape artistry - Road trips diary

2022-05-24T11:52:00.001+05:30

Hey there! We are all well and hearty and I hope you are too. It's been a while since I shared some stories. So here's one...

Disclaimer: the events are completely true. Let's see how good your imagination is 😌

Road trips are an experience. Especially when you decide to travel 752 odd kms with a 1 year old in tow.

"Why would she undertake such a task?" , you ponder...

Because, a) I put down my life savings in a 7 seater beautiful, moving home. If you see how we travel, you'd rightly think we live here. Not that the old home was giving any major trouble. But after 8 years, it was time to retire it and go for something shiny-er.

b) After said investment in the mobile home, we decided to take her out and let her stretch her road legs. Yep, it's a she. She's lady like and elegant and is very... accommodating. I'd like to christen her Karry.

Also, when cousins decide to marry within 15 days' notice, it is anyday more sensible to travel by road than book flight tickets where you'd have to consider selling off your left kidney. I'm partial to my right one. I did think of other body parts that could be sold. But I don't have other spare ones.

Plus, it's more of family bonding time. And it is important to attend weddings, right? Where else would you re-wear your fancy fancy clothes?

And c) My hubs is ready for such adventures!

I won't bore you with the details.

Like the pit stops for nappy changes. And then again for eating food. And yet another one for the adults to relieve themselves. Or the relentless, yet sensible driving by hubs.

Don't worry, I'm not gonna recreate the pre-wedding day, or the actual wedding day, or what happened after that. I can just put the link here so you can view it for yourselves. Because we actually live in a time where everything is live-casted and replayed over the Big Web.

Although, I'd like to share that we cousins did go out to restuarants and pubs and long drives. This included the newly weds. They were cool like that.

But what I'd like to share is the incident how we escaped the hotel that we thought was providing us lodging for a fee. Whereas they meant to keep us trapped for God knows what reason.

When we had enough of Hyderabad, the city of biriyanis, we loaded our bags and started off towards home.

This time around, we thought we'll rest it out properly if required. Because Hubs was the only person confident enough to take the wheel.

As night fell, weariness also started settling in. And we started looking for a decent yet economical place to crash. Our expectations were minimal. Clean room and beds. We found one on the Highway itself. It was decent enough. With the only catch that there was no AC.

Which was fine since we planned to just catch a few zzz and being bone tired, we accepted what we got.

We didn't want to stray away from the highway.

It did seem like we were the only occupants. The manager said he's in the opposite room and we can wake him up for anything - especially when it is time for us to leave.

We climbed into our beds and were lulled to sleep with the warm breeze, the noise of the passing traffic and the buzzing of the mosquitoes.

I'd set the alarm for 5 am. I woke up 3, watched Netflix for 2 hours and was waiting for Hubs to wake up, feeling rested. He woke up at half past 5 and we washed our faces, getting road ready in a matter of minutes. We hadn't bothered getting any luggage into our room.

Hubs went to wake the Manager and we walked 2 floors down. The manager came and unlocked the door.

But what was this? The door refused to open !

It seems it was also LOCKED FROM OUTSIDE !

The Manager went upstairs to his room to call the watchman or the waiters, whoever had locked the door from outside. To kindly come and let us go!

10 minutes passed. Then 20.

Hubs went upstairs to check on him again. I was busy entertaining Babudu. By the end of the 24th minute, I had reached the end of my patience. I went and pulled the handle, kicked the door . Even fidgeted with the nut and bolt.

Viola! One of the nut was loose. So I unscrewed it. And layed it on the table, proudly. Hubs came and saw it and rolled his eyes at me. Murmuring something about destroying public property. He went upstairs again to see what's happening. He , in fact, was looking for of the window of the 1st floor, contemplating jumping down. Because there were no windows on the ground floor.

In the meanwhile, I decided it was upto me to spring us out of this hellhole. So I started working my way through the other nuts.

They didn't stand a chance against this nut.

Patiently yet deftly I worked my way through the weak links. Pop! Pop! Pop!

And I rattled the handle open while pushing the screws out and pulled the door real hard!

Just like that, the screws fell off the lock and the door to freedom opened! I had also saved Hubs from the jaws of death (or a few broken bones) by putting my quick wit to use.

Hubs and mom in law were in awe of my criminal skills. The Manager praised me, grudgingly. I'm sure he was obviously thinking about his losses. But we were out of here!!

All those hours of reading and watching crime and thriller series did pay off.

You know what they say - education is never wasted.

I'm still a super star in my household. I'm waiting for my Babudu to grow up so Hubs can regale him the tale of how I single-handedly rescued our family from a life of disappointment and slavery. Of all the stuff that superheros are made of.

Karry, this is just the beginning.

The Journey So Far

2021-04-14T20:46:00.002+05:30

Lockdown came. Lockdown went. A new lockdown is knocking on our doors again.

The days of Quarantine are not completely behind us. But the world as we knew it, has definitely changed. Masks are the new accessories. Offered with apparel, gym memberships and even with new job offers. Have the mobile companies started offering them yet? I'm not sure.

My world is also undergoing a change. I should rephrase it as "Our Worlds" - I and my dear, beautiful husband.

So we are pregnant. Yay us!

Before you get into the "Lockdown product" mindset - let me tell you, yes - we did "utilise" our home time effectively. But this was a completely planned move. When you love each other so much, you do want to create something out of that special love. Not because it is the next step or because it is time or because your parents pressurize you. But because you choose to make the love more tangible.

What can be more tangible than something that is 50% your DNA and 50% your partner's DNA?

A mini US!

This post is a small peak into the journey so far - from the knowing of this nugget of information and the days following until now.

When we confirmed our happy news with the doc, my first thought was "Oh no! House arrest now!" Yeah, we were still in semi lockdown mode. But now our mothers would insist on more care and precaution. So should we delay relaying this news to them? Hubby was sensible enough to say "Don't be so dramatic. They will be cool"

Guess what? They were. My sis was super excited since her baby will have a cousin to play with (and bully) I did not have as many restrictions placed on me (like an Indian household would). I found out that I did not have the energy or the inclination to do anything. I spent most of my time with my eyes closed , napping peacefully like an angel (not snoring). Leave me unattended for more than 10 mins on a comfortable surface and you'd find me curled up, fast asleep.

Thankfully, I did not have any morning sickness (or afternoon or evening sickness). I was super blessed in that department.

I also did not have any major cravings or dislikes . Sure - set me up with Arun's Orange ice cream or Sreeram's Belgium Chocolate ice cream once in a while. Or the sweet tutti frutti buns. Or Chedda's Potato chips. I am happy as a clam. Of course, you need to also turn on Netflix and Amazon Prime, showcasing murder mysteries and psychological thrillers. The darker, the better.

So either our baby will be a master criminal or a master detective. Either ways, A MASTER .

Although, I have also balanced it out with a very healthy dose of reading the Harry Potter series (again), the new Bahubali series (yes, I am a big BIG fan), Anne of Green Gables and similar beautifully woven stories.

Two of my close friends are also pregnant. And my cousin. Everyone with a gap of 2 months in various order. So we ended up comparing notes, suggestions and motivating each other. By the time I updated the post, one of my friends and my cousin delivered - beautiful baby boys! We await our turns patiently.

I spent majority of the first trimester sleeping. The second trimester was a mix of activity and rest. And coasting the third one now. At the beginning of the 9^th month now. Every second thought now is “Is it time yet? Or now? Or noooowwww…..”

We changed doctors too! The first one barely spent any time with me. The waiting time was excruciating. But I was the fastest patient - in and out. He also did not take my questions seriously - any question I would ask would be met with a "don't worry, you are fine, it is too early for us to talk about it"

What also bugged me was my husband wasn't allowed in the doctor's room. He hasn't (so far) seen our baby on the black screen, heard the heartbeats (like that of a galloping horse) or concerned any fatherly/husbandly concerns to the doc.

Yes, I understand you are taking precautions for the pandemic we are facing. But ONE visit just to experience these things will not cause anyone any harm!

We wanted the father of my baby to be in the labour room with me. Now the old doc (Dr. SS) wasn't ready to consider this at all!!

I had enrolled myself for a Hypnobirthing* course to empower me - with my friend, colleague and overall awesome person - Jacky. I had a bucket-load of fears and concerns and preconceptions and nightmares! I knew I had to address them and hubby was very supportive (and participative) in this cause. One of the important points that Jacky shared with us is to "Just Ask"

Just ask and intend to the Universe what you want. And the Universe will give it to you. So we asked for a scenario when we can have Vipin with me in the delivery room. Since Dr. SS was a no-go, we decided to change our doc. And new doc, Dr. SD - was all-go!!

She encouraged husband participation, informed us about things that we didn't know about, clarified doubts and was supportive of having the husband to assist in delivery. She also enlightened us that I would require some bed rest.

The last sonography, under Dr. SS, had shown that the placenta was little low. It wasn't dangerous (yet) but it required me to stay put, not do exercises or travel...which would allow the placenta to travel higher up in the womb, go behind the baby. Our first year anniversary was coming up and we had planned to celebrate it in Mussorie. Dr. SS said he doesn't have a say in the safety - it is upto the family - if they are okay with me travelling, he will prescribe tablets to help my uterus relax during the travel time frame. I was 20 weeks in with my bun. And so we went for our honeymoon (again). The vacation was a blast and I was as nimble as a goat on those hilly regions.

We met Dr. SD after we got back - with all the reports. And she said the travel wasn't a smart idea and went on to explain the importance of the placenta and why it should be higher up in the womb. She said she wouldn't have recommended uterine relaxing tablets as well, since if there was an emergency - I wouldn't realize it at all! She asked me to halt all physical activities for a month, elevate the side of our bed where I place my legs and allow gravity to do its work of pulling the placenta up.

After that visit, we did not go back to Dr. SS. I thanked the Universe who guided us to Dr, SD and allowed Vipin to be more participative in my doc visits. The placenta moved up beautifully - thanks to some rest and lots of visualization techniques. And I was allowed to resume light activities just in 4 weeks' time.

We are in the middle of our third trimester now. And it feels like the best one so far! I feel energetic and happy and hopeful and blessed. My family and friends are just so caring and loving and aware of my needs - let that be a helping hand to get off the couch or a hug or feed me something I crave or just walk over to the cafe for a glass of beetroot juice...mmmmm

I have enjoyed 2 baby showers - a traditional one and a surprise one planned by my sweet hubby. I got to play dress-up for both. But no dancing allowed :(

Hubby and I sneaked away for another quiet getaway to Taj hotel - just for a couple of days. Mostly to enjoy the delectable food that the nearby places to the hotel had to offer.

The only thing that I missed was carrying my niece. She's one year old now and she has started to crawl and walk with support. The way she hoists herself up on my dress and asks me in baby language to pick her up! As it is advised not to carry heavy things, it seems babies and cats fall under that category. So I have to sit in a place and ask my sis or mom or hub to put her in my lap. And then we watch Krishna the cat play.

We celebrated Vishu (our New Year) - in a manner of speaking. With the new lockdown rules, my sis and niece couldn’t join us. It was just the four of us and Krishna (our cat) Though he stuck to his own diet. We missed them terribly. But we are all thankful for all our blessings and our lives which is indeed bountiful.

The Universe and the Divine is indeed within me and around me. I imagine I have a complete universe in each cell of my body. And they are all working together in harmony. There are only things to be thankful for.

Everyday has been such a beautiful experience. Learning, knowing, growing, improving, sharing, feeling or simply smiling and breathing. There are many more such days to come. And I look forward to living it fully.

*If you are interested in Hypnobirthing, please check out Jacky's website - https://www.lyfesimply.com/hypnobirthing.html

She's wonderful!

The Quarantine diaries - 1

2020-03-29T23:37:00.000+05:30

Day - Unknown.

I have to hurry up.

The husband has left the laptop unattended while he is distracted with a hindi movie on Amazon Prime.

I am also plying him with 10 year old red wine.

So I have enough time to tell you what is happening.

Husband has been nice. He helps me out when he is not attacking enemies on the sly.

Couple of days ago he made the rice to go with the dal gosht. And before that egg masala.

But the vessels have been licked clean long ago.

And the bones are cleaned of any flesh.

I am tossing a coin to either save the bones to make a soup or feed it to the dogs.

We have to be wise about this situation, right?

I mean I have couple of dozens of eggs and half a dragonfruit and apple. And some wheat flour and rice and dal and milk. Should be enough, right? For the next couple of months? That is what I hear and read on whatsapp...lockdown can be extended and such...

Those forwards are reliable information for sure.

Oooops. I forgot. Almost.

I have to share my food (and milk and wine) with my husband and my cat.

Thankfully, the cat hasn't started dipping into my wine stash yet.

Days and nights have merged into one. With the curtains pulled closed and the air conditioning running at 26 degrees, it is just about bearable to sit on the couch and watch Mindhunters.

I can sure spot a sequence killer. It is not our building sweeper for sure. But I leave the trash out first thing in the morning. I mean, why take the chance of interacting with another human? Why give him the chance to explore his potential of being a killer?

The corona virus is the only sequence killer of my times. And I really want to not draw any attention to me.

I use my hypnotism skills and take husband out to buy some essentials. Like maggi and salted chips. The stores are out of peanut butter. I shouldn't have given into that craving and emptied the jar out.

I wish I could use my skills with my cat and ask her to clean up her fur from everywhere. Maybe in another lifetime.

I gotta go now...Husband is looking for his laptop.

We haven't started getting on each other's nerves yet. But I am slowly fattening them up. The kitten and the husband. In case of emergency or in case I run out of food, I am willing to sacrifice one. Except they are both hairy. Anyway, this is only an in case of emergency plan.

Hopefully this time will pass soon.

I don't know.

My clocks seem to be broken. In all rooms.

TTYL

Stay home, stay safe

me 💓💓💓

5 am mullings...Weighing in some issues

2020-02-04T07:38:00.000+05:30

A lot has happened in my life so far.

One of them is me becoming more heavier in mass. This is visible as my volume doesn't fit into the clothes that I easily used to slip into.

For my height, this can soon turn into a complicated physics problem.

Especially when you add lethargy and excessive thinking as factors.

Now I am not an inactive person. I do put in 5 hours of workout (roughly) 5 times a week. I can twist and turn into a wannabe pretzel with enough warmup. But obviously that is not enough.

Some would say that I am heavy with happiness. As long as I don't have to buy a new wardrobe to fit in my happiness, I am fine. But uh-uh.

SO even though I KNOW I SHOULD do something about my "condition", there is something that pulls me back. Cardio / running is the easiest way to melt that extra something. But it is JUST SO HARD!! Especially compounded with all that thinking...

...I will start from tomorrow..

..What if I injure myself..

..I should love myself just the way I am..

..Extra weight means extra layer of fat means extra cushioning while cuddling..

..My ankles hurt..

..I look funny running..

..My boobs hurt from all the bouncing...

...What is that uncle looking at??!!

..What is that aunty looking at??!!

..I can never be as agile as them..

..What if I get dehydrated?..

..Should I carry my phone? or Wallet? Or both? What about my keys?..

..I don't sweat gracefully..

..I need a new pair of shoes.

Then, I will start!

See what I mean?

I am trained as a Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist (among many other things, of course😉)

Yet, all that awareness and positive thinking and goal visualizations take a back seat when it comes to making a change.

Especially when it comes to doing something you just don't like.

Yup. I hate running!

Okay, maybe hate is a strong word.

I dislike running.

I don't mind walking, working out, yoga, crossfit, MMA.

But you ask me to run and you might as well release the hounds of hell to see some action from me.

I just don't get it.

What is the purpose of running? Where are you headed to? How can you keep running for miles and miles?

I respect people who do it and love it.

But I just don't see myself as one of them.

Anyway, desperate times, desperate measures.

So when I woke up today at the godforsaken hour of 5 am, I was thinking I might as well start today. Move some limbs and activate the sleepy metabolism into cannibalizing my own fat.

While I was stirring the eggs for my husband, I had an epiphany!

Why do something I don't like?

Why not do something I like?

If intense workout is the answer, I can up my heartrate through dancing as well.

And that is something I love!

And why stop there?

I might as well make use of the Yogance subscription I have and finally complete the course!

So this way, I am doing something I love and not spending anything on it.

Yay me!!

Here is where it gets better...

Instead of hitting the bed after sending off my love to work, I went out for a walk.

Which slowly turned into a slow jog.

I covered 2 kms. Which is 2 more kms than I did yesterday.

Again, Yay me!

And while walking/ slow running, I was mentally writing my blog, planning my day, hoping this becomes a habit and so on...

If I can continue this for 21 days, just maybe I will get somewhere.

The idea is to do something.

I realized I don't have to do the conventional things to get (more) fit. Like running. I can do ANYTHING that increases my metabolism.

And therefore, I have decided I have to complete atleast 10,789 steps everyday and burn atleast 497 calories everyday. For a month. (Although I am wondering if I should take a break on weekends or not...hmmm)

Writing this down makes it more real now , especially since I am sharing it with you 😀😀

I also want to share what transpired in the last month, and that is the story for tomorrow!

Have a happy day!!

De Taali - Tahuli Reverse Waterfall adventure with Mumbai Voyagers!

2019-07-23T16:22:00.001+05:30

This is how it begins...one step at a time.

Last October (2018 .. if you come back to read this post, post 2019) , I had purchased an awesome pair of boots. Then I was bed ridden for a month and my boots were busy accumulating dust.
Yesterday, I finally got my reason to lace them up!
You see, these magical boots were destined to be inaugurated for my trek with the awesome Mumbai Voyagers!

The destination was set - Tahuli, for a reverse waterfall trek. The clothes, colour coordinated. The food and water survival kit packed. The right attitude in check. And most important - the alarms set in 5 minute intervals (plus personal wake-up calls arranged!)

We were a tributary of 14 and we were to merge with the river which would make us 40.
With a reverse waterfall to look forward to, metaphors of water bodies are totally acceptable!

Like the usual drill, we all converged at Dadar station and together headed towards Kalyan station. Here, we were joined by 4 Country Clubbers and a part of Kakshak Fitness. Special mention of Kakshak Fitness because roughly 45% of the group comprised of Kakshakians!

Planning to the T! Which Train to board...

Train boarded!

At Dadar station. One would think the platform is full of only MV-kars! One would be right.

Such happy faces !

We spent some time at Kalyan station loo, emptying out our bladders and filling it up with fruit juice promptly. We were waiting our transport which would herd us to the starting point of our trek.
I would like to mention that JD, sadly, did not join us for our trek. He did come to Dadar station to see us off before handing us our packed lunch. So considerate. When I boarded the train and waved out to JD, I did think of asking him to run along the train and use my hand to jump in (replay Shahrukh and DDLJ / Chennai Express) . But JD's slow run would have to be a fast sprint because we were in the first compartment and he would have run out of platform before the train completed its first whistle. SO plan cancelled.

BUT Abhishek was there to guide us through the ups and downs of the day -literally and figuratively speaking. We also had Coach Vipin and Siddhant and KD as leads. So we were in good hands.
The only thing we did not have was suitable trekking weather!

I don't think the clouds understand that we have monsoon here, in Mumbai. Or maybe the Universe understands it just too well and is playing a dry joke on us.
Anyways, we all had left our cozy beds on a Sunday morning. So we might as well go ahead and conquer the day.
And take some beautiful pictures of ourselves in the setting that nature was providing for us. Green and clear water is a rare thing.

Abhishek and Dr. Jha setting the Strike-a-Pose mood!

Squatting like nobody's business.

The mountains are calling... aaja re...

After our poha, chai and introductions to the many CAs, some lawyers, HR professional, diamond merchant, cop, business owners, students, doctor - we left for the mountain.
We had an official doctor (Jha ji), official photographer (Jeyesh and his great lenses!), official fitness expert (Coach sir) and official head baskets (myself included!)
There is still opening for official lawyers and CAs. You can apply with MV.

MV ka high Al-TEA-tuide specialist! Girls, don't look so worried,other posts are openmying up!

Jeyesh capturing a moment!

Crammed in like anchovies in a jar!

Enthusiasm was top-notch. And it was evident by the boisterous singing by the group - lead vocalist Dr. Shweta Jha. She put the speakers to shame. And was the only one capable of singing after a few hours spent in the heat and humidity. And yes, she's a practising doctor since the last 5 years with a tremendous record for healing.
I know - it is hard to believe that after you saw her being the poster of wild child of nature.
But believe me - since I am also a product of her treatment from last year.

We all trudged along the rocky paths, jumped small streams and came to our first halt. I did a bad job of jumping across and went splash with my new boot. Only to realize that my boots are water proof! Yay! But on the halt I realised I am feeling way more tired than I thought.
Closing my eyes bought me relief. But it also bought in a sinking feeling that I may not be able to manage the day:(

Shailesh ji giving me a hand, while I hold up the line

Shambhavi sharing some much needed survival tips with me while Coach sir looks on.

Thankfully, Shambhavi (she's the sweetest!) and Dr. Jha along with Coach sir, realised this better than I could verbalise.Because hey, lionesses like me don't admit to weaknesses!
Jha ji used her skill to press all the right pressure points and Pooja (Anil's sis) helped me make the climb up.
Unfortunately, like me - another trek buddy Deepak, too succumbed to the heat. Abhishek and the other leads did a great job of taking care of him.
I wonder if this had anything to do with our BPs falling. Or dehydration.Or both.

We came across a lovely spot with flowing water, where we all parked our bottoms before our Leads started prodding us with sticks to move along and graze on higher grounds. The more nimble, hydrated ones took off, while the dehydrated and tired lot made their way up slowly but surely while popping in orange and imli sweets and munching on apples and drinking electrolytes.
But soon we ran out of water. The Leads then decided that those who can make it to the top should go carry on with that Lead. And the remaining will start their descent along with the other Lead.

Taking a much needed break

While clicking some much needed photos

With smiles all around!

But not before Shailesh Bhai whipped up some tea to refresh those who truly needed it! With limited water, he managed to make a few cups. No one complained - we all readily shared.
And soon it was time to start the descent.

Again, thanks to Dr. Shweta, I managed the descent. And every 10 minutes I kept asking her-that did we really climb so much?! Because it seemed much steeper and slippery than I remembered. And longer too. But I can't really be trusted with my senses since most of my focus during the climb was not to faint! Yup, I was in a trance. Pooja led and I followed.

Pooja. Hi!

One step at a time.

Since it seemed like an endless loop of my worst nightmare, I had the foresight to set the distance tracker on my semi-fancy health band. Just to have an idea how far this nightmare stretched.
Now folks, I'd like to view myself as a person with sunny disposition and full of positivity and energy. Yes, I am often viewed as deluded. But hey, it is MY head with all this awesome thoughts running and I star and shine in all of it! What is important is I have my range of happy and scary thoughts and all of them helped me put one foot in front of the other - like a baby hill-goat who is a slow learner and testing out his footing on the pebbled slippery slopes, defying death and gravity. Moresoever, I hadn't said my goodbye speech to my loved ones (like I usually do! )

I managed to get down with injuries limited to a bummed knee and a thorn-pricked hand. Not everyone was as lucky as there were a few slips and trips.
Minnie, I am sure Varsha can still hear you laughing while you attempted your climb down. And Chintamani did it at his own pace. Ckru and Darsh kept it up with their focus and banter.

Soon we came across an oasis. Oh wait. We had halted here before. The flowing stream-wala place.
I quickly (as quick as a dehydrated , low on energy person can - snails are faster) found the farthest corner to dip my feet in the cold water and lick my wounds. It also happened to be the shadiest corner. I soon resembled a scaly reptile on the rocks.

The brave and fearless get captured

So does the official photographer.

Chintamani setting an example on how to be keep cool and calm

Shailesh ji on the lookout for the perfect tea making spot.While Minnie is cracking herself up!

Arvind ji finding his spot!

Chirag perching on the rock, contemplating about things unknown. Or wondering what Amee has made for dinner.

Darshu ben striking her practised and perfected pose. With Pranati.

Ckru just happy to be getting somewhere!

Varsha and Dr. Jha trying to fit in the frame. Both are sweet as honey! UPDATE: Oops Dr. Jha can't handle honey. She's allergic and is currently recovering at home. Get well soon, Shweta rani!

Some kiss the ground, some kiss the water.To each his own!

There are so many new things I did on this trek. Like not caring that I am drenched wet just to beat the heat. Or my water-proof boots were getting wet as I walking through the stream. Or that I was drinking fresh stream water right from the source!! And I haven't contracted any life-threatening diseases yet! But the water so so clear and tasty and coooool! mmmmm
I did cross my fingers hoping it is only water I was drinking and not someone's ahem residue !!
Anyway, when one is dying of thirst, one is willing to drink almost anything.

Soon we all were sunning, soaking, relaxing, playing, smiling, joking and making the best of our break. We were also waiting for the other trekkers who went to the top. They returned , still all cheerful and energetic (awesome, guys!!)
Since they also were human, they too wanted to relax and chill (and take pwetty pcitures) in the beautiful stream, we spent some more time here.
Shailesh Bhai, by popular demand, whipped up some more tea. Specially now since there was no dearth of water. And the tea powder carrier also magically turned up!
I don't have much details about him, except everyone was like "Aare when did you come? We are waiting for you?!"
They were just so happy to see him❤️ So happy that it even started raining for a good ten minutes!
Darshu ben and Ckru were ever so considerate and sneaked me some tea even before I could put in a request 😘

Ganging up!

The boy in blue - Tea sachet carrier! And Vinod ji - cadbury carrier!

We sipped on some more awesome chai and I managed to snag a biscuit to dip in the tea. Because chai and biscuit are meant to be together for ever and ever! Thank you Pooja 😘

We all packed up and made sure we left no trace behind! (The MV way)
Abhishek said the slow ones should start first. And promptly looks at me! 🤨
Okay so he knows me quite well by now - after 4 treks. But still, be little less obvious about it.
No one likes the bitter truth.
I guess I should be thankful they did not print Slowmeow, instead of Sowmeow 😀

We again started down, with Dr. Jha belting out tunes in Assamese and Minnie laughing at the absurdity of the task that was getting down. I can still hear Varsha and some others yelling at her to focus. Easier said than done 😜

Finally, we reached a point where I had grown up and could walk on my own. Like all good parents (not living in India), Dr. Jha let go of her grasp and mentally asked me to fly! But not before crossing few slippery baby streams. Unfortunately Varsha had a bad fall. But she just bounced right back with a smile on her face! I just walked real fast as soon as I realised I am not going to tumble down to a certain death!
I am glad to share that I was one of the early birds back from this gruesome experience. I was waiting to get my feet out of my boots, change into something that wasn't moss infested and sticky and maybe just teleport myself into my bed.

But as luck had it, I got 2 out of my 3 wishes. Which is indeed good luck! We decided to Ola it out from Kalyan station. Because frankly, all the stamina I had left was to swipe and accept the ride.

I did not even get a chance to say proper goodbyes. And this was probably the first time there was no MV group photo 😞
But that is okay. Because:
a. We all made tons of memories!
b. We really all gelled well - no one threw any tantrums or had unrealistic demands. Everyone had a killer attitude!
c. We all got great pictures for our personal FB and Insta accounts
d. We all learned about ourselves.
e. I surely do appreciate Jaya and Deepa aunty and Shivam and Anil and Pooja and Chirag and Vishal and Dhanashree and baby Wolverine and Bhoomi and all those who pushed themselves and reached the top! (Sorry, I don't remember your names)
f. MV did not leave anyone behind and made sure all their trekkers were taken care of. Because that is the MV way.
Hats off to you, guys!

Made it to the top!! Woo hoo!

Baby Wolverine (also made it to the top)

Anil bhai has more girth and adventure in him. Keep it up!

Jaya and Deepa aunty are just so full of energy and enthusiasm!

Water water...

I also learned that trekking weather (in India) is unpredictable. Just like our moods and attitudes. But some are in our control. And all we can do is make the best of any situation.

There are a lot more events lined up by MV. I sure hope I get to participate in more of them. Hopefully, easier ones this time around. As this one was definitely a Devil's Circuit for me 😁

Thank you guys, I am using your pictures. I just preened and posed like a wilted lily. Clicking photos would require skill and at that point of time, all I could think was, O sun, please don't kill!

Devil's Circuit

Ckru just summarised the entire trip!

p.s. Thank you everyone, it was indeed memorable. I skipped on the having the last wada pav and chai before we parted ways. Also hoping to see you all sooner than later. And no offense to anyone. Peace and love, the MV way.

Bye bye Thailand! Thailand diaries 4

2019-04-11T23:28:00.001+05:30

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to board.
Something, something...goooodddbbbyyyeee!

So yeah. My work trip has been wrapped up in a nice little package. Yesterday was quite packed with training as well. I'm well versed with the jargons now.. VSM, DGS, UPH, ABC, XYZ. See? I'm very good with abbreviations. Did I tell you this was a Lean Study? They teach you and train you to be more efficient. And save money .
Like me. I am typing this out while waiting to check in at the airport, and for my coffee to cool down, sorting out my ideas which I'll finally upload using the free wifi.

"Hmmm , how did u save money ?" You might ask me. Well, my nice colleague bought me this great coffee. Thank you, Vel! (His name is Velmurugan)

So after the training, we went out for dinner to this beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL place called Good View.
Okay, so they weren't really creative with the name but it is such a beautiful place with yes, a good view . It was set against the river. And was completely made of wood. And had winding paths and gardens to take you to the deck where you can sit and enjoy the evening 💜

We had a scrumptious dinner of seafood, clicked a lot of pictures, I sipped coconut water and watched others have beer . Coconut juice, as they call it, is more of my poison than beer . Well, wine is. But it wasn't available. But I'm not complaining.
Because I came across SO MANY CATS!! 🐱🐱🐱
So I was like yay! Click, click, click! Pet, pet, pet ! Sigh, sigh, sigh 🤗😊

We retired to our hotel and packed to check out the next day.

Which brings me to today. We rushed through the day like a tornado as we had to "complete" so many topics! But I don't think we did justice to the topics on hand. We will have to do a lot of self study and then get back to the people in charge. Sigh. 😔
Maybe another trip to Thailand is required 😁

Today is the start of the Thai Spring festival. So everyone was in a holiday mode. With everyone sporting colorful clothes and happy attitudes !
Thai people are very friendly and polite and courteous. Interacting with them will leave you with a smile on your face . And when they are so nice to you, you also are nice in return. Smile a lot, nod a lot, say thank you a lot. I likes!

BUT I still can't wait to get back home and zzz in my own bed. See my own special people . I have no idea how some of you do these work trips over and over again, sometimes traveling alone , or with colleagues . It has it's charm for the first few times. But I know for sure I rather make these kind of trips with my family and loved ones than alone.

So I'll see you soon!
Good bye!

P.s. do not expect any material gifts. Because I'm the greatest gift to you 😁♥️

See Food. Thailand diaries 3

2019-04-09T21:58:00.001+05:30

Hello from the bubbly sssssiiiidddeee!
Like the ones in a tub! Not in a flute.
Just relaxing after a long day of training on Lean Management. And binging on seafood. Mmmmm

Change of plans. I decided to get out of the bath earlier. On second thoughts, it was better to be alive, dry and cozy in bed than to be slowly broiled in hot, hot water.
Imagine tomorrow's headlines..."Beautiful Indian girl found herself in a soup she couldn't get out of! "

So children, from this experience we have learned that however relaxing it sounds to soak in a tub of hot water, do not do it when you alone . You feel more dehydrated and drained after the bath, than you did before. So keep a bottle of water with you.

Enough of life lessons now. Back to my day(s) in Ayutthaya.
Yesterday was pretty hectic with factory visits and trainings. We were so into the day that I didn't have enough water. Which finally built into a massive headache as the day went by. We finished the day and Mike, our main trainer and a lovely gentleman, took us out to dinner .

The Summer House is a beautiful place to enjoy dinner. It is set by the banks of the river that flows by Ayutthaya. And as the sun goes down, it starts becoming cooler, allowing one to sit outside for the dining experience. Which is what we did.
When the others were talking shop, I drifted away along with the gentle breeze and the promise of rain.
Unfortunately I couldn't enjoy the food there. My headache kills my appetite. So I sipped on water and munched on a few slices of apple and took a million pictures .

With the evening coming to an end, we called it a night as well.
To wake up to a whole day of training. Which was interesting. Plus I had lots of water to drink . Which qualified me to enjoy my evening adventures with Ball, our trainer for the day!
She's very bubbly and loves seafood. So she took us to her favorite seafood haunt.
And we binged on clams, lobsters, oysters, snails and the best of all, crabs!!
You know its great food when you are elbow deep in shells. That was me today 😄♥️

So far, so good I'd say.
What do you say?

Cheers, folks!

Hi-utthaya! Thailand Diaries 2

2019-04-07T22:09:00.001+05:30

I landed in a jiffy. A blink of an eye and I was in another country. The good part of that is obvious. The not so good part is the lack of enough zzz's .
And when you've downed 187 ml of red wine, it makes keeping your eyes open just as difficult.

BUT when you are fast walking to reach the immigration slash baggage counter, your eyes automatically stay open. I guess sleep walking is not my thing yet.
And as luck had it, we got our passport stamped with Visa on-arrival in less than 20 minutes.
That's because we got into the pay-extra-200-baht line where you don't get the receipt for it . I was totally okay with it because that meant getting to a soft hotel bed earlier by 2 hours. Which is the time it would have taken us if we had to choose the regular line. Plus currently, the Visa fees of 2000 baht has been waived off. Yay, savings of 2000 baht!!

We had been given specific directions with diagrams (I kid you not) as to how to find the driver assigned to us . But for some he was not there. Which meant I had to call the hotel to find out what happened. He turned up after ten minutes and we were finally escorted to our car.
And 90 minutes later, I opened my eyes to Kantary Hotel.
I got my own hoity toity apartment room and immediately connected to the free wifi to call up my loved ones and assure them there was no need to send for Liam Neeson.
After visual tours of my temporary abode, I moved out to satisfy my hunger pangs with an American breakfast .
Which led me to the next part of my elaborate plan . Sleeping. For couple of hours before we went out exploring Ayutthaya .

Two to three hours is good enough to cover some of the popular tourist destinations. And so our Tuk Tuk took us to few of the ancient temples around - ancient as in constructed in the 1300s , to the Elephant Village where I took a small tour on top of a patient and happy elephant, and to the Floating market! Great places to visit to get a taste of Thailand. Especially the Floating Market for the food! I loved the Thai cuisine that I was brave enough to order .
And then we quickly ventured to have a quick peek at the Night Market.
That's another dimension of reality with so many food items to choose from!!
Which I wasn't brave enough to try, given my delicate condition .

Oh! Did I tell you it rained?! It did in the afternoon and by the time we stepped out, the weather was way cooler and wetter . Since I'm not made of sugar, I had a lovely time 😄

And I managed to use the fitness centre facilities as well! It works 👍

The down side of this hotel is the food hasn't put a smile on my face yet. The upside is the view inside and outside my room.
And now I'm too sleepy to talk anymore.
So until tomorrow, my little beasties 💜
Sleep well .

Thai, Thai! Thailand diaries 1

2019-04-07T01:26:00.001+05:30

After a very long time, I'm getting my feet wet in the international waters.
Nope, not going swimming or deep sea diving after watching Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara - which in fact I watched for the first time yesterday.
It is a feel good movie, no doubt. Have money, feel good. 🤭🤪

Yolks apart, my tummy has been giving me a hard time. I never thought I'd be the type to have pre-flight gitters. But I did.
My little but very brainy sister pointed out that my tummy ache was nothing but it was the unnecessary stress I was taking for the journey to the island. I think it's an island, I haven't checked the geography of Thailand yet.
That's because usually for trips, it is my partner-in-crime, my little brainy sister who does all the background checks on the places we are gonna unleash the twin terrors on .

This time, the first time ever, I might as well add, it is for work. Sigh. I hope it is not all work and zero play for us. I have a colleague traveling with me. We are headed for a "training ".
I've to give myself a talk . To put on my game face. And to not gawk at everything. And be aware of the place. I usually go into my wonderland mode .
And yes , I've been instructed not to be over helpful and offer to take other people's luggage under my wing. I'm told it could be a grey area. A very grey area.
Don't worry sis, I have your voice and instructions ringing in my ears.

So I've managed to combat most of my gitters, hoping my unlocked suitcase arrives with all items intact, waiting at the doors to board while I quickly update this blog of mine after a very long time!!

See you soon, my dears!
Hope the food suits my sensitive tummy 🤪😁

Some ups, a major down..And I go on!

2018-11-18T19:50:00.001+05:30

As far as trips go, my trip to Delhi this past week was pretty uneventful.
Yes , Delhi and uneventful in the same sentence. But it is true.
I am going to credit it to the start of my journey from home.
When I actually woke up at 0330 hours to leave at 0430. To catch the 0730 flight.
Isn't it interesting how the journey to the destination takes the same amount of time as leaving home to reach the airport?
I always marvel at that .
Which is one reason I hate travelling out of Mumbai to places in India by air. Trains, I'm totally into that. If it has to be air travel, it better be outside India. Atleast it makes the travel time to the airport worth it!

The above narration was 2 weeks ago. Since then, Diwali came and went. I went to Matheran for the first time in my consciousness years ... because I might have astral travelled there before. And now I'm on bed rest. Yup, true story.
Let's rewind a bit...

Delhi was a blast. Because of my sister's awesome company and living it up in The Leela hotel. Not because of the levels of off-the-charts pollution . We bonded over airline food, yummy kebabs, hotel buffets and cups of tea. Food always brings family closer together. Yes, we worked as well. To an extent . I looked at this trip as more of a paid vacation. And just like all vacations, I carry my workout clothes only to get them back unstained and wrinkle-free.
It's an art, I tell you. Procrastination.

But that's okay. Sleeping in always wins the day.
Except my sister decided to request separate beds instead of a king sized one! No hugging her and sleeping 😫

By the time we got back, it was time to take it easy and bring in Diwali. Which translated into an impromptu road trip. Ninu, Vip and me shortlisted Matheran as the destination. Because it was close enough for few hours on the road without tiring everyone out yet far enough to qualify as a road trip. And new place to visit for all of us.

The trip itself was smooth and uneventful. They tried to pay me to not sing songs when confined in a moving metal box. But it ran short of a few millions , so the torture was on. Both ways. Then they were happy when I fell off to sleep.

What was eventful was the journey from the car park to the top. See, since we were first timers , we were haggled into taking horses to the top. Scaring us into believing it's a 4 kms elevated walk. And we'll get tired. What's a few 550 bucks per person and so on...
Remember how my buddies clamped up on loosening their wallets for me - their dear friend? That helped here. So we decided to inquire and walk a bit ahead before jumping on the horse and setting off into the sunset.

Walking ahead we came to know that it's about a kilometre and half stroll and would maybe take half hour maximum. Yes, we are trekkers and whether it was half km or 4 shouldn't matter much. But the mindset was that of slippers wala vacation mode. Anyways, we set of walking..singing songs, clicking pictures, saying hi to the monkeys.

After not much huffing and puffing, we reached our pre-booked hotel. Or cottage room, for use of a more fancy term. It was strictly okay. We weren't really expecting much. But cable TV really added the much needed charm to the room! Since none of us channel surf at home, this was indeed a novelty.

After resting our backs for a few minutes, we decided to check out the holiday spot. This place is interesting. As many of you already know, there are no vehicles allowed up here. And even if it were, there is no road here to manoeuvre ! It's like a long corrider with off-shoots of other corriders which leads to sight seeing points. And the amount of people packed in one place.... woah!
Matheran is definitely not a place to come to find yourself or solace and peace. If you are not bumping into other vacationers, you are being hassled by vendors to buy something or shouted at by the coolies or horse riders to get out of the way! My lungs were in shock ... as compared to the air they were processing a week ago, this was a party for them! I'm sure they high-fived each other and burst out in a song and dance routine! That's what it felt like 😉

There are 57 points that you can visit in Matheran. To complete your itinerary. After visiting one point, we decided to call it a day. Because they are all the same thing. And it's better appreciated on treks , on the other side of the fence.

We were more fascinated by the bag stores and the shoe stores. But we ended up buying neither. Syrups and wooden boxes were our kryptonite.
Speaking of which, RIP Stan Lee. You are the true Marvel.

And food. We had Maggie and corn and tea and still had space for dinner and tomato flavoured peppy!
We retired to card games and reruns of Sunny Deol movies.
Hot water alarm knocked at the door at 0800 hours. Let me say I was the only sweet smelling flower in the group. The others were of the sweat smelly deo sprayed variety !

We thought we'll capture some more of the pollution free air in the morning. But the people chatter made us change our minds quickly. Decided to breakfast quickly and tumble down the way we came.
I made sure I bought some boiled peanuts ❤ while Vip bought some berries. We had these so called cleanliness officers trail us for a bit... waiting for us to litter . Which is really stupid since if by chance we would have dropped anything, it was totally biodegradable. On the other hand, they do not move their asses (not the animal kind) to pick up the plastic bottle and wrapper trash! Money minded keepers of nature 🙄

But I got a chance to feed the greedy monkey that was following us. Okay so I didn't share my peanuts, but gave him some berries. Such a smart fellow, he dusted off the salt before eating it. And was eyeing my peanuts as well. But sorry boss, my peanuts are for me only!

We left from there and made it back home before 1600 hours. Which gave me plenty of time to debrief from the vacation mode to the work mode.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I injured my back the following weekend. And I've shared an intense relationship with my ceiling since then! This was the universe's way of telling me to stop and smell the roses. Or appreciate my bedding a bit more.
So it's been a week since I've stepped out of my house. Spent a lot of time just existing. It's been fun. Really.

And I'm super thankful for the people in my life. Family. Friends. And God. That's what makes everything rosy , even when you are pricked by thorns.

Conquering Siddhagad Waterfalls

2018-10-13T16:00:00.000+05:30

The end is the beginning...always!

It started off as any other normal day. Any other normal trekking day, that is.

Waking up at odd hundred hours, getting myself and the back pack ready, friendly squabbling with mom while she tries to drown me in milk and other things called breakfast and me trying to sneak out before she realizes I haven't cleaned the vessel out (as she intended....)

This time, there was twist to the trekking.

We were to make the journey in out private vehicle instead of public transport.

Not that I have any qualms about public transport. But not on a working Saturday. And not in the direction of the crowd. Junta who travel in the train will understand my sentiments.

Vip and Ankush were already loading the vehicle with hopes and dreams and the songs for the way. They smartly re-routed the vehicle to have tea at one of our favourite and recommended places before we set off into the sunrise!

We were to meet rest of the gang at Kalyan - a place so far away from where I stay that I visualise myself being teleported. Because actually imagining travelling the distance is very traumatic!

There was some degree of coordination happening..I am not really aware of it since I was catching up on some zzzz's . Although I must confess, put me in a rocking vehicle, I am out like a light! Yup..rocking vehicle. I find it veeeerrrryyyy difficult to snooze when I'm up in the air. Given the wonderful conditions of our roadways, you can imagine our drive.Speaking of which, I don't have any wish to GO to the moon. When I have all the crates right here on earth, I quite enjoy the moon's beauty from a distance.

We reached Kalyan and parked ourselves in front of a restaurant. By now, you should be well-versed with my style of travel - when is the next eat break and when is the next pee break?

So while we were waiting and contemplating the pros (easy to digest) and cons (half fried onions) of upma, I played it safe and had couple of medu vada lost in a bowl of sambhar. Plus coffee.

See, I know you must be wondering why am I having coffee when I love tea.

That is because making a good cup of tea takes practise. And making a great cup, is a work of art. I really don't expect even a mediocre cup of tea from local udipi restaurants. Because you know - unwashed vessels, either too much milk or too little, or too much sugar.

So why torture my senses (I taste it with my nose first. True story) early in the morning?

Order coffee. ANYONE can make a decent cup of coffee!

(no offense to any coffee addicts here. But I am sure all tea lovers will agree with me)

Akhila and her entourage trailed into the designated meeting point just as we finished paying for our meal.

It has been 4 days since I wrote last...work gave me no time to update my fun times! But I hope to finish writing today.

Like I was saying, Akhila and her hubby, Ravi and friends Amit and Supriya and Noddy joined us. Noddy was super-surprised to find Ankush there...he told her he'd be unable to come for the trip! While they quickly revived themselves with some breakfast and tea, we made a small trek to the nearby public toilet. For some reason, the hotel allowed only women to use their restroom. I was made aware of this wonderful fact after I finished my outside-loo trek!

Nonetheless, I am not complaining. Because after we wandered about in the wrong direction and a sweeper shared some disheartening news that there is no public toilet outside anywhere but inside the station, we were correctly directed to a loo just meters away from the hotel. We completely missed the big red board! And made our way through a small lane which was attached to a parking lot.

Though I was initially wondering about the sanitary of what I was about to encounter, all my fears were laid to rest!

Place was clean with plenty of water - two important things we often take for granted but do not find it easily when out on events sucks as treks!

SO yes, this loo is recommended for all my readers of the female variety! I don't know if I can recommend for the male variety because my loo buddies did not share any impressive impressions! Nothing fazes them or impresses them anymore...

...what fazed me from my writings was work. and then...

I GOT A NEW PHONE!!

It is a newsworthy announcement because this is my phone after 6 years. There is nothing wrong with my old phone, don't get me wrong. Some say it is a bit slow. I am good with slow - slow and steady wins the race, right?

Now I have another purple phone!! Yay me!

Akhila's friends were to join in as well. But for some reasons, they had to drop out. So finally there were 8 of us. We had six wheels in between us! A two wheeler and a four wheeler. Amit and Supriya had already covered 50 odd kms on the two wheeler! And guess what - they were ready to do another few more kms. Which meant we didn't have to depend on public transport or hired services! We were going to be the masters of our own destiny! Not that you can be masters of someone else's destiny...unless you are mafia.

And we set off! Fed in our destination on Google Maps and followed the blue arrow...

...except that the red dot for the destination was wrong!

Yup you read it right!

If you are travelling by road, you have to key in " Narivali , Murbad" and not "Narivali, Maharashtra"

In hindsight, there was no need to key in the village name. The trekking site was good enough. But we had consulted another website and it mentioned that if you want to head to the waterfall, better to mention the village - Narivali - which is the base for the trek. So we ended by imitating like our ancestors rather than creating our own way!

Nonetheless, we found a helpful villager who incidentally had in-laws living in Narivali, Murbad and was ready to show us the way. We (re)gratefully turned him down and settled for his directions. It soon set us straight to our actual destination - which was another 60 kms away from where we were.

Since we had our own vehicles, we were soon zooming by and leaving all bullock carts behind to eat our PUC registered vehicles' dust!

Along the right path now!

I think there was a lot of catching up occurring in the car...think being the operative word since I dozed off...moving vehicles = me asleep. And when I woke up , it was to snack. I think the key to keep me up during travelling is to munch on something or the other. I would have to broaden my snack bag to include varied items! I mean enough of nuts and bananas already!!

Akhila had made herself comfortable in the last row and didn't even wince (out loud) when her head bumped against the roof. Oh, the perils of being tall!

Noddy was working off her phone...it involved tractors and few secret missions happening simultaneously at a few secret locations. And I was mostly using my awesome listening skills to interpret the dialogue between the rest of the gang.

Supriya and Amit refused to allow anyone else to ride the scooter...I guess it was more for the love of adventure than the love for the scooter :D

But let me put it this way...if it hadn't been for Supriya, it would have taken us couple of extra hours to reach our destination!

Moral of the story is we all need more Girl Power in our lives!!

When we arrived to the Bhimashankar sanctuary, we were in for a shock!

The barrier was down and the "officer" at the junction informed us the place is closed till October!!

Now we simply didn't get lost, and found our way to this place only to be told we aren't gonna be allowed inside. No sir, no can't do!

SO all the boys got down and then before the girls could join them, the officer was convinced we appear to be civil and mean no harm to the fowl and fauna around, he allowed us to enter the sanctuary for a mere sum of Rs. 300/-

Mind you, this was a good bargain. Considering that entry is usually free.

And we did not even have to resort to "Do you know who my father is " lingo.

I was quite excited to move through the sanctuary. Especially after educational boards that were put up, citing the various animals and birds that can be spotted in the jungle! I was personally hoping for a leopard or two.

Note - I don't think Ola or Uber would make this journey. All terrain vehicles are recommended. Or just walk.

All-terrain road coming right up!

As we drove along the dirt-tarmac-mud road, we began to take in all the sights and sounds that surrounded us...mostly greens with flashes of white! Greens were the beautiful trees all around us. And I excitedly discovered that the whites are Langurs jauntily crossing the road to meet their mates!

They were quick and agile and got out of our line of vision to hide and watch our progress uphill.

I am sure few of them were betting if we would make it up or not. Because the road was not all there.

If the Langur had to stand erect, he would easily tower over my 5 feet 3 inches! And carry me away, if required. Which is why I stayed inside the vehicle at all times!

And sorry - no pictures :( they were too quick and we all were too happily distracted.

Soon we made our way to the base - Narivali village. Which consisted of FOUR houses. I kid you not.

1. 2. 3. 4.

And they do not provide any food. The other website (mentioned above) said that the locals would cook for you for a payment. But unfortunately, the villagers did not have extra food to spare for travellers who are out for a fun day.

It did not deter us nor did it dampen our enthusiasm since we were carrying snacks and water.

The waterfall was another kilometer and half away. Which can be covered in vehicle or foot.

I chose vehicle over foot. Supriya, Noddy and Akhila (the real trekkers) opted for foot. Like I said - Girl Power!

Watch out, beasties! Beauties on their way!

First look of the fabulous view! And the mountains as well :D

The girls were advised not to touch anything or tease anything. If they did spot a leopard, to make a dash for it - not to pose for spotted selfies! And soon, we all made it to the waterfalls.

Since it was already 1300 hours, the sun was high in the sky - with humidity shooting through the roof. There was not much cloud cover. We had initially debated to do the trek onwards or not. But looking at the time, the limited food supply and the weather, we decided to conquer the levels of the waterfall.

Take away crab, anyone?

That purple speck is....me, of course!

Look at that view!

Woman on top!

Fish food!

But first...fish pedicures for everyone!!

Having fish nibble your feet is a hoot! Well, atleast I was giggling away to glory! All the fish shunned Akhila. Not because they were allergic to her, but she had the cleanest feet with barely any dead skin.

Soon all of us clambered up the rocks, some more agile than the rest. I was like a snail - slithering up slowly but steadily. Thankfully, I made it without slipping anywhere and watched the remaining - who were way faster - treating themselves to the cold waters ! I had an internal debate for a whole minute...like wet clothes, hot sun, catching a cold and so on and so forth. Until someone said they can see a rainbow inside the waterfall.

And that's all the motivation I needed! I made my way inside the waterfall...where INDEED I COULD SEE A RAINBOW ALL AROUND ME!

Rainbows are the coolest!

Water falls.

Totally worth wet clothes and catching a cold (which I didn't catch, by the way :D )

All of us spent ample of time under the cold, forceful yet refreshing curtains of water, posed for hundred and ten pictures.

Ravi is a natural at posing..he has all of Shahrukh Khan's (the actor) poses down perfectly! And Ankush did a great job catching all our nonsense on the camera...lots of patience this boy has.

Heading up there!

Noddy holding fort till we turn up!

But the guys beat the girls to it!

Except all the girls rock the wet look :D

Groupie!

And various poses for achieving nirvana. Take notes.

Giving it a rest.

Shahrukh!! Are you getting this??

Someone get him a Shivling please! STAT!!

Balancing each other out

So happy to be here!

8 on 10 for trying, Ankush. But Ravi takes the cake!

After a while we reluctantly made our way back to the starting point.

Except on the way down, Akhila found a natural slide!

This girl has some guts!! I am totally awestruck by her...she positioned herself and weeeeee....slid down the bumpy rocks into a shallow pool of water! Totally Essel-Worlded it!!

And of course, set an example for the remaining troops! There are videos of it..except I don't have a copy currently.

They all had a go...except Vip and me. He because of work reasons. I because I'm a scaredy cat!

I had enough time under the water and the sun and wanted to change into dry clothes. Everyone else wanted to explore further and go on top of the waterfall. There was a trail for that. We decided to part ways for a while...they went exploring and I went to feed my tum tum.

Because ek photo against that back drop toh banta hai

Same caption as above!

Ditto.

The trail that led up

Since we were the only humans around (for atleast 1.5 kms), privacy wasn't an issue. The jungle was my changing room. Quite liberating, must say!

And just as I got into dry clothes, it started raining! Thankfully, I was using the car as my screen and jumped in quickly!

Just before the clouds burst open..

Watching the rain wash away the heat and bestowing temporary coolness while sipping Glucon-D (orange flavour) and chewing on nuts was enthralling. Soon, the remaining troops joined rank and took turns in changing.

I set off for a small walk and plucked some wildflowers. And of course adorned my hair with it :D

After ensuring no bees are after my homey, we clicked some more pictures, ate some more snacks and set off towards the base.

This time, no one wanted to walk back. So all of us piled into the waiting vehicles and made our way back.

Super happy to be here!

The troops! All clean!! Nest time, we'll do the trek :D

No bees in my bonnet!

Capturing the view.

Fruits and nuts can hold you up for a certain amount of time. We are all wired to think lunch or dinner are meals that would satisfy our hunger. And 8 of us were similar in that respect.

As soon as we reached the market, half hour way from Narivali, we sought out a restaurant and order rice rotis and chicken and mutton and veg curries. The food was awesome - given that we are starving! A little spicy for my buds bu still awesome.

There was a very timid dog there and she would come out to check for food every time the owner had his back turned away. When he noticed her and pointed his finger, she would slink back to her "room" . I am happy to share I managed to feed her few chicken bones!

For our journey back, Noddy and Akhila decided to take charge of the scooter. Supriya and Amit had spent lot of time on it and deserved a break. And they had to go home on the scooter. The next stop was Kamat restaurant in Kalyan.

Hats off to Noddy and Akhila to maneuver their way through the highway and city traffic! And that too at night. Because not only did they arrive the destination before us, they also did so with a cheery attitude!

We parted ways from Supriya and Amit at this juncture and headed home.. This time around I was awake and played the DJ and navigator!

Even though there was some degree of traffic, we made our way home in less than 2 hours.

After travelling with MV, I have come to get used to a certain way of trekking. As we parted ways, I realised un-organised treks also has its own charm.

When you are with a group of like-minded people who have a great attitude and can laugh at themselves, even getting lost becomes an adventure to reminisce about. And each adventure or mis-adventure (like the fabled Hampi trip, right guys? wink wink) gets added on to our memory banks, making us feel richer for our experiences and our friends.

It was a pleasure being with all of you. Thank you!

Until next time, then

A stroll through the pastures of Irshalgad with Mumbai Voyagers

2018-09-22T11:52:00.003+05:30


This is the Beginning. Photo credit - Jeyesh

September Sixteenth. Two Thousand and Eighteen.

This date marked my third outing with Mumbai Voyagers (will be referred to as MV, henceforth)

p.s. this is how you make a three hundred word essay into a thousand word one. #tipoftheday #seewhatIdidthere 😸

I wouldn't quite call myself a Trek Junkie. Not yet. A Nature Junkie, yes. A Cloud Junkie, most definitely!!

So after I enrolled myself with MV for their organised trek to Irshalgad , I was waiting for the WhatsApp group to be created.

Because that is where the tone and the pace of the trek is set. The newbies are not really excited about it. But me. I am a whole different story! Okay, I admit I wasn't excited about another WhatsApp group when I went on my first trek. But after you get to know the MV guys, they don't remain just some random dudes who you decided to hang out with on a holiday, trekking. They become buddies who you look forward to meeting again for the experience they are gonna provide - not just the places they take you to, but the entire package - from the meeting point at Dadar (Central line platform heading towards Karjat) to the ending point at at Dadar (Central line platform heading towards CSMT)

(The M is for Maharaj. Even I was unaware of it until the trek. See how educational treks are!! Especially treks with MV)

MV takes it job seriously - you get the Train Itinary - because they know we are lazy to actually look it up ourselves!


Setting the mood, laying the bait... call it whatever you want!			But something to look forward to :D

I was looking forward for Sunday morning to dawn. A little disappointed that Ckru wasn't joining us for the trek. She had some other commitments and hopefully will join for future treks. She's the sandwich that keeps us together and she was missed on the trek.

I was looking forward to some amazing times, which of course included Tea! 5 cups dedicated to me 😸 But I was also anxious because of my knees. They've been acting funny lately. The punchline is to die for!

I was up and awake at 0352 hours since I had set up a personal wake up call service. (for more info, DM me) I had the foresight of having a bath and then snoozing for a few hours. I also contemplated sleeping in trekking gear. But my mom's looks convinced me otherwise. Since I had extra 10 minutes before leaving for the station, I used it wisely to do my hairdo.

I find it important to mention this since usually my hair is plonked up in a messy bun. Or left open.

Hairdo-ing it up means I took the effort to comb it. Yay, me! Baby steps to being a responsible adult!!

Darsh and Coach Vip were already at the station and we left to catch our train. Darshu ben's baby cousins - Jahnavi and Chintu - were to get in the same train like us. They did, except in some other compartment. Darshu ben was freaking out slightly. She's pretty good at masking her emotions, but I know better 😁. She was entrusted by her family to take care of her cousins. Losing them at the beginning of the trip would not sit well with them. Thankfully, we zeroed onto them at Dadar station. And Darshu ben made sure she kept an eye on them!

We met our MV lead, Abhishek, who was waiting with an integral item of the trek - bags full of food a.k.a. survival kit. Few other people joined us and so did JD, our other lead. Shailesh bhai was already there, sipping some tea.

The train arrived and there was the usual struggle to get in and grab a seat to park our seats on. Except, there weren't any. I have no idea where do people travel to at 0624 hours on a Sunday morning. And before you point out the obvious, I don't think anyone in our compartment was heading out for a trek!

But we MV-ites made our circle of trust near the door and chatted for a bit till the crowd parted like the Red Sea and we all got comfortable sitting on the metal benches.

We were about 12 of us and another party of 10 or 12 were to join us at the starting point.

Once we reached Karjat station, we sought out the ladies washroom. Because when you can go, GO. There wasn't any facility available during the trek. Unless you didn't mind being one with nature. I have no qualms about it, although I am not really looking forward to be caught unaware by the local bears or other wildlife with my pants down! Not that I have any solid intel about bears or wildlife being present in Irshalgad. But one can never be too sure these days.

By the time we got back, the famous MV kits were being passed around. They are these yellow cloth bags with lunch and snacks and lemon tang packets and biscuits. I was a little disappointed to know lunch was Veg Pulav (they tried to up-sell it by calling it Biriyani. But we all know it is pulav 😜)

I was expecting yummy theplas and chilly pickle! drooooooool

Not being picky or judgy here, it is just that being a product of the South (of India), theplas are not a part of my regular or irregular meals. It doesn't come in my gamut of food-to-order-from-swiggy.

Although, I do relish it when I am handed a plate at any friend's place or in recent cases, when out with MV.

p.s. please do not OD me with theplas now!

I was Huuunnngrrrryyyy, with a capital H. When you wake up at 0352 and are surviving on only a cup of milk and few dates, you tend to get famished! Atleast I did. When the promise of tea came up, I quickly gobbled up my butter-chutney sandwich (courtesy, MV) and relished my tea.

aaaaaaahhhhhh!

Getting to ground zero was an easy task. I never knew Karjat was so diverse in its geography. Or of what little I saw...so many fancy plots with fancy bungalows and fancy flower fields! There was even a ND's Film City which I so want to visit now! And a huge-dam that appeared to be spanning atleast half of Karjat/ Khalapur - Morbe Dam. With all the unfortunate events in Kerela, all I could think of was to keep this dam intact! Said a small prayer, worry not.

And guess what? There was another round of breakfast!

Well, actually this was the first round. But I had starters already. So Darshu and I shared a box of poha. And then we got down to business with introductions!

This was the only time I have no idea what the new people did for a living. The 9 year old cutie is a student. That is the only thing I am sure of. No idea if we had a cereal killer in our mix! Kindly excuse my breakfast pun!

Coach Vip took center-stage and made sure all our limbs were stretched and warmed up properly! Although, when you look at the pictures, it seems like we are lined up to break out in the native koli dance.

Follow the Leader!

Left leg aage aage, right leg peeche peeche

And we set off with a spring in our steps...

And many more steps later

JD had mentioned that the trek was only some 3 or 4 kilometers. It was the terrain that we have to be careful of. No tree coverage as we climb. Only small shrubs and other foliage.

What he did not mention was at certain points while climbing, you'd get a general sense of giving up, curling up under the nearest rock and calling it a day! Or that was the story playing out in my head.

You see, though rains were predicted, it must have been a prediction for an alternate reality.

Because of which there was high humidity. And the sun was getting brighter as we kept climbing.

Yes, there was cloud cover. But the humidity was a spirit-dampener !

I was huffing and puffing towards the destination. Some were like me and some were like billy goats! Just kept going!! I kept sipping on Tang and Enerzal mixes but it just wasn't enough!

What kept me pushing was the entire self-talk of mind over matter. Plus the gorgeous view as a reward when we kept going forward!

Our youngest trekker, Jahaan (hope I got the spelling right) and his mom were ahead most of the time. Jeyesh, with an amazing knack for photography, managed his savvy camera (DSLR, was it?) AND the trek! He kept clicking pictures of the place and the MV-ites! And JD kept yelling Candid pictures, candid pictures!

Aman was another enthusiast who also doubled up a a motivational icon for MV. Over couple of years, he has transformed himself and has lost 40 Kgs - choosing a healthy lifestyle!!!

He was about 130 kgs.

He got his fiance along and this was Dr. Deepti's first trek.

Though I did not spend lot of time getting to know them, it was very sweet to observe how patient Aman was with her. He tackled her fears, motivated her and ensured they complete the trek together...all with a cheery attitude! Love rules, doesn't it?!!


Our youngest enthusiast and his awesome mom!

Love conquers it all

There were few more couples..sorry guys, I didn't catch your names but remember your enthusiasm and colour of your t-shirts - if that makes any difference 😁 I remember few of them were eyeing the Himalayan summit (eventually... YOU can do it!!)

And Yes, MV will assist you in preparing for it.

There was also this group of boys with Jeyesh. I hope your group selfies came out well 😁

Hi Guys!

Aloha to you too!!

I remember 2 names - mostly because I have cousins with similar names!

Vinod and Nitin. Vinod made the best of his day, after working nights (phoreign clientele) but had no sign of fatigue written on him! While he was a repeater to the MV ways, Nitin was new.

A model (citizen?) and HR professional, he took in all diet digs very sportingly! He was also quiet as a mouse. Maybe that's how he saved his energy to complete the climb - unlike my blabbermouth self!

I think this is an awesome picture of Vinod! pic credit - Jayesh

Futile attempts for Candid shots! See how all are trying to contain their smiles (Except me)

Shailesh Bhai had superb enthusiasm and trekking technique. His most recommendable technique was making the tea appear out of no where! Now it is being recognized as High Al-Tea-Tude! Maybe Urban Dictionary can give it a thought.

Very thorough with his work, Shailesh Bhai.

And keeps his word too.

And then there were Darshu, Chintu, Jahnavi, Coach Vip and me. From where I saw this group, I was the one who probably needed to be dragged up the peak. I managed it on my own two feet - which is mighty commendable ! The remaining seemed to just hop, skip and jump and made it to the top. At least that is how the movie was being played out in my head. So to distract myself from this near-death experience, I resorted to polishing my gujarati speaking skills. Darshu, Chintu and Jhanvi were enthralled by my speech. Or maybe the content of my speech. Or just by my silliness.

Us + JD

Adding character to the pic

Either ways, it made the path seem less daunting. Also the pretty yellow wild flowers helped!

By the time we reached the top, I had honeybees buzzing around me in search for sweetness. I know I am a sweet person. But this may have something to do with the flowers I put in my hair!

Yup, I am pretty good at entertaining myself that way.

Can't contain the excitement of making it to the top!

Yay!!! Floweres!! Wild wala!!

And the icing on the cake? THE VIEW (of course!)

Every time I was gasping for breathe, I had to turn around and look at the magnificent beauty right in front of my eyes! Yes, it was a humid day. With not enough breeze. And hot sun. And tonnes of sweat nourishing the plants around. But all the discomfort paled in the face of such beauty.

I wouldn't call the place untouched. Because of the wayward plastic bottles and such. But the view!

The water in Morbe lake appeared so marvelous. And at certain junctures, everything was so still that even the water had no ripples. The reflection of the heavens above was so pristine in the water!

Even the man-made structures looked magnificent..

For me, the sky was the most memorable. You should have seen the sky!

So BLUE! With all the white fluffy clouds!!!

I 💖 the sky and clouds.

They just do things for me.... maybe one day I'll write about it 😄

So yeah, the phone I borrowed for taking pictures has 90% pictures of the sky.

And then the amazing contrast of the greens and the blues!!

Sigh.

I can close my eyes and picture the perfection every time.

I mean the Creator has the perfect HDR mode for Nature. I cannot remember the number of times I lifted my eyes and said WOW!

Because most of the time, I was trying not to fall over my own feet.

This way, guys!

Bola na - ekdam mast!

The Top

We all made it to the top. Not the very top because it was technical climb and not all were suited for it. I don't quite remember if I knelt down and kissed the rocks or just passed out due to sheer exhaustion! But I was quickly revived when someone said Have your lunch!

What also whispered life into me was that awesome cup (s) of Masala Tea!

Thank you, Shailesh Bhai!

The fabled Tea Pot

Shailesh Bhai getting creative with the M and V! Thank you, once again.

We spent some time wandering about, clicking millions of memories, soaking up the sun (read that as getting slowly roasted), trying to download some bhangra song to dance on, gulping down water to revive our dehydrated systems!

Coach Vip was so dehydrated that he got a bad thigh cramp. We thought we'd have to roll him down the slope.

Okay fine!

I thought we'd have to roll him down the slope. But JD spoiled the fun and he shook off the cramp.

We decided to make our descent. And I have JD, Coach Vip and Shailesh Bhai to thank for getting me down safely. And this time I did not even bid goodbye to anyone! Imagine if something had to go amiss.

Thing is, though I'm a bit dramatic (okay fine, over dramatic) in my writings, I had bad knee pain for a while. And I really thought this trek would do me in. But we have to push ourselves, right?

Going up was comparatively easy on the knees. But coming down was a killer!

My legs were shaking. And I could take baby steps only. Because they allowed me to take their support, I could make the descent quickly. If I was left on my own, I would have probably sat and wormed my way down. Or on my fours!

The pit stop for limbu-pani was refreshing! And so was the halt for the MV official photograph!

Because. The Background.

AAAALLLL of Us!

Jumping with Joy! Or scared poop-less because of the slithering thing in the grass.

We finally made our way down! The MV-ites who had their own vehicle made their way back to their homes. While we waited around for Aman to come back as our change of clothes was in his car. I used this time very wisely to sprawl on the veranda floor of a villager who had kindly allowed us to use their rooms to change into non-sweaty-dusty clothes.

Requests of going to the loo were washed away when she said that they go to the fields to relieve themselves.

That meant waiting till we reached Karjat station.

I had no issue since I had contributed to nature while on the trek. Because, you know...when you gotta go, you gotta go.

With Aman's arrival, we changed quickly and made our ways back to Karjat station in the cabs. And were lucky enough to get a train back to CSMT quickly!

Though the train was crowded, we managed to make some space and hang out with other fellow passengers. We offered them nuts and dates and biscuits. But they politely refused. Must be because of the fact that some of us looked and acted a bit deranged.

It is a known fact that when you are out in the sun, you tend to get baked.

It was clear by the way JD and Shailesh bhai were fighting over a melted bar of Cadbury. It was squeezed out of its wrapping, compared to poop, but relished licking every bit of it!

I am not judging you guys. Just marveling at the love for melted chocolate!

We parted ways at Dadar station, with a bag full of memories and stories. I also carried some anticipation of the next treks. Because this wasn't the end.

It is always a Beginning.

The dare-Devils

Helping Hands

I am in on your planning, Team MV


This was such a joy. Thank you, Mumbai Voyegers.

P.S. Jack and Keshav, missed you guys.

P.P.S. It has come to my attention that almost all the pictures above are from Jayesh. Thank you for allowing me to use it here!! Great joy to have the day captured through your lens!

Chakala Vakala! All the way to Vikatgat - Peb Fort trek!

2018-07-13T17:41:00.000+05:30

0345 hours is an ungodly hour to wake up.

This is when my personal human alarm woke up to wake me up.

I snoozed my brain for another 20 minutes and woke up in a panic!

Because, you see my readers, I had decided to spend Sunday - the official day for rest - with an awesome group of people. So what if I had to travel almost a 100 kms or roughly 3 hours to do so!

Fun is fun. Adventure is adventure. Things like sleep, food, rest - they don't matter.

But things like having a bath before leaving the house, stuffing your face with banana and milk, wearing the poncho the right way...these things..they matter. And I had to do all this in 20 minutes or less. Seems like a lot of time to some. Although, you know how it is before you have to leave home at a designated time. Suddenly things go missing (like the socks you had to wear) or you remember you had to take an emergency kit along (band-aid was on top of my list)

This is where I thank and exhibit my gratefulness to my human alarm clock who takes 10 minutes to dress up and leave home. Thank you for sacrificing your sleep. This is why I carry extra food in my bag - to show my appreciation.

Hope there is are couple of wet eyes at this point....

Moving on!!

I was to pick up Ckru on my trusty 2 wheeler while Darsh and T'Vip were to meet us directly at the station. It was raining. Because that is how the hypothesis goes - when you have to go to school or to work, it will always rain. Which is true since it has been proved time and again.

Thankfully, even though I was late in picking Ckru up and I am sure she was sure that we'll miss the train, we made it to the station in 60 seconds flat with 300 seconds left for dilly dallying.

You are welcome, Ckru 😘

And we were travelling to.. DRUMROLL please..

Vikatgad to Peb Fort!

Yup yup yup...

I have taken a special liking to the Mumbai Voyagers. The Farsighted Four have organised Monsoon Treks for this season and yesterday was to Vikatgad. You can find more details on their website -

http://mumbaivoyagers.in. I'll try to add a picture below (if I find it 😜)

The adjective used to describe them is not because they wear glasses (except JD , who rocks it)

It is because:

a. one for the schedule that they have put up

b. for the view that they had to get people from far and near together .. with varied backgrounds but with a common goal - enjoy nature while living with a sense of adventure and purpose.

You will encounter more adjectives that I will use to describe them, because one is not enough 😁

Since MV had shared the train schedules as well for this trip, all I had to do was hop on and hop off the trains. I didn't give a single thought to any alternatives. That's how thorough these guys are! All you have to do is make sure you follow the schedule. Which I managed to, thankfully.

Though the trains were late, we reached Dadar station around 0610 hours. Next, we were to board a train to Karjat. Another 1.5 hours of train travel till we reached out destination, Neral. The journey was over in a jiffy since we were busy cracking jokes at each others' and other co-travellers' expense.

We reached Neral and immediately stood in queue to use the public washroom. Travelling for 3 odd hours in comparatively cool weather does that to us girls (and guys, I think)

I would have shared my views on "letting go" over here - but that would be too much info. Besides, we just met!

Anyhoo, the lady manning the public toilet was making a killing by charging Rs. 5/- per pee!

The guys had to pay just ONE buck! But when you gotta go, you gotta go. Also, this was the last place where we could visit the washroom. Next loo break was when we get back after the trek! Unless you are ready to go behind the bushes...then no worries.

The MV team served us hot breakfast-on-the-go containing of Poha and tea. Followed by our personal MV bags with packed lunch and snacks and promises of more if we so desired. Since there are no commercial places selling eatables near the trek area - I mean you would expect at least couple of tea stalls in the jungle, but imagine the reality that it wasn't so! - MV ensured that none of the Voyagers go hungry. It is good planning on their part and dedication to lug all the food around for everyone! That's why they have an extra special place in my food bag.

With all the breaks done with, we proceeded to our pre-hired and pre-paid for autorickshaws. They knew where to take us, so we sat back and enjoyed the ride.

The view when the mountains came up. It is the most beautiful and humbling site I have seen after a very long time. Mother Nature always stuns you with her creations. And this time was just as promising and breathtaking as ever.

The greens and the browns on the mountains - more greens than your eyes are used to seeing, the clouds hanging low like soft fluffy blankets waiting to be pulled over the sleeping mountains, no sign of the sun but with a crispness in the air that you cannot resist but fill in your lungs deeply. That is how this view was. And we were getting nearer each minute. Yay, us!

I will share some pictures below - taken by the other awesome participants - I think I should call us Voyagers now.

When I saw the place I was so thankful to have found the MV team. Because until them, all the names I kept hearing for treks seemed like pieces of fiction from the books that I devour. I mean, I know I can go for treks with others or by myself and all. But I am a big believer of destiny. So THIS was meant to be. All of us Voyagers were meant to meet.

I did not think of conquering the mountain by reaching the top. I thought as being lucky to have been given this opportunity to experience a unique journey today. What ups and downs it had in store for me, for us was yet to be discovered. But right now, was just perfect.

We got into our scared circle/ oval and we introduced ourselves. This gorgeous group was quite balanced age wise - with MV's youngest trekker on her first trek! I was hoping she has a great experience and becomes a regular soon. We were a mix of teachers, students, homemakers and professionals.

While Abhishek, one of the Fantastic Founders, was running the rules and regulations to the group, I discovered I had a problem. It was called Seperation of Sole from the Shoes. It is as good as the soul leaving the body. Because no sole, no shoe.

This is an illness which many trekkers have encountered before. And surprisingly, it always crops up WHEN you are trekking in the middle of nowhere. For some reason, I had fevistick in my bag. And JD helped me to fix my shoes temporarily. I was told it would not hold for long - since we may have to walk through water. JD assured me not to worry since they had rope on them. I heaved a sigh of relief in my mind when I realised that they can use the rope to tie my sole to my overall shoe. Not me to a tree and leave me there as a lesson to all future trekkers!

Surprisingly, I didn't fret about it too much - the chances of being shoeless. I had faith in the organisers that they would be ready for any contingency! Not to say that we must test them 😸

This, seriously guys, was the first and the last time it would ever happen to me. Lesson learnt.

Lesson no.1 - Do not take any of your gear for granted. Always double check them - especially your shoes.

T'Vip was in charge of warming up all our body parts. I say parts since that's how systematically he worked on them - the head, the upper body and the lower body. We were all nicely stretched out and raring to go! With a whole lot of other trekkers from various other groups. It seemed like all the nature enthusiasts around Mumbai decided to descend on this glorious spot on the same day.

As long as we all safely reach our destination in piece and harmony, all was cool.

Oh, I meant peace!

And we set off towards the search of Phantom's legendary Skull Cave seated in the depths of the Deep Woods of Bangalla. That is the plot in my head.

So I took a break from writing. That was 3 days ago. I couldn't go back to sharing my wonderful memories because the part of Mumbai where I live (yep - full mystery here) was hit by seasonal but torrential rains. The area was flooded with water creating havoc as never seen before. Property damage is the highest. Thankfully, no human lives were lost. Some poor beings that were not human were affected. But this sure wasn't the way to go. We faced power cut for upto 36 hours and NO INTERNET CONNECTION! 🙀
On the brighter side, human spirit and attitude was high with neighbours and strangers coming out to help each other, free food and water being distributed, and enjoying the rains in general with small boats to help each other tide over these trying times.
Some smarty-pants did try to take advantage of the situation - imagine selling a regular candle for TEN bucks a piece! It was better to tell them to shove it up where the sun doesn't shine!
Oh! and this was my very first experience in wading through knee - and in some places - thigh-deep water. I completely ignored the dead mice swimming by. I did wonder about its' little mice babies... sigh. The horrors.
I shall not share what else my mind refused to acknowledge. Because the drain pipes everywhere overflowed. Some through people's houses.
But I surely shall say that some inhabitants of our wonderful city live in this kind of filth day in and day out. They cook, clean, bathe, sleep - everything - in the same vicinity as this filth. Yes, of course - choices, fate etc play a hand in it.
So we are waaaayyyy lucky and blessed to be where we are and enjoy the small comforts of life.
Like a safe, dry, disease-free place to live in. And friends and family who care.

Back to my novella..
in
3...
2..
1.
0

As I was saying, we started walking towards our destination. It was fun - jumping through slushy water, trying not to slip, holding hands, tugging and running, having it drizzle on us - not too heavy and not too light - just perfect.
Our first stop on the flat surface had all of us clambering for pictures. I mean who in their right minds will let go of this opportunity. Besides, how else will we show the world we came, we posed, we conquered?!
I , of course, blinded everyone with my dazzling smile. You could say it could be spotted from miles away - in all directions.
This is where we broke open our Tang packets from the MV survival kit and mixed it with our water. Walking for 15 minutes does take a toll on you. And we set off again.
To another clearing where we jumped with joy and almost rolled on the grass.
Everyone was so happy to have completed another 15 minutes in the 4 hour trek that we were in for!

Actually, looking back at it now, I can say that time held no meaning here - in the open. This place was so beautiful that every time I turned my back, I would forget what I was talking about and just look and be in complete awe.

I didn't really know how far up we were headed. I mean, it is one thing to look up at a mountain. And it is another thing to scale it. I would look at the top, feel intimated and then just focus on the task ahead. Which is what happened when we voyagers came to a two-hour standstill at the mother-of-all-rocks-I-have-encountered-so-far.
When I said that it looked like all the trekkers from Mumbai had decided to trek today to Vikatgad, I was not kidding. The place appeared more crowded than the Mumbai local trains.
But our Fantabulous Four (three actually, Keshav was MIA) knew the drill. They came prepared for all sorts of emergencies. And about 300 odd people trying to scale huge slippery rocks to get to the other side of the mountain alive, sure does constitute an emergency. Because , obviously everyone wants to go first.

I don't know which pool of patience they have their water from or bathe in - the leads and the volunteers - official and unofficial ones - had patience in heaps! Abhishek, JD and Jack sat like Buddhas on their little rocks. While Vipin, Vikas got knighted by JD and Abhishek to take their own special place on the rocks. I must have made an error with the name of the volunteers - please forgive me - o reader-cum-volunteer. Do correct me, if this is so.
I made a mention of their patience because it is not an easy task to pull up people of all shapes and sizes over rocks those are as big as the dome of Taj Mahal or some people's egos. Yes, as a climber you have to find the nooks and corners and grab on to something for dear life.
It was these human rocks that we all hung on to.
There was another trekking group who's leader shared MV leaders' initiative of some kind of order and decorum to get the trekkers onto the other side.

Lesson no. 2 - this is where you stop thinking and only DO. If you go to think of how to scale the mountain / rock, you will only keep thinking. The answer to that HOW is actually - One step at a time. Plus, don't keep looking up. it gives you a neck pain. Ask me.
This is what I and my buddies did. Right foot up. Left foot up. Pull body up with help of human rock. Repeat process. Of course, I called out to various Gods before I began the mount (or the descent). After that, the lead is my God. You have to put your trust in them.
And these guys - you can trust them blindly. They will not let you fall. They will not allow you to be left behind. They will ensure everyone makes through the obstacles. Total human pillars of willingness, determination, strength, kindness and humor.

All 30+ voyagers crossed the boulders with minimum injuries. Big thanks to everyone who helped us cross over. But also a pat on the back of all the Voyagers who never said "I cannot do this"
Everyone from Sahanya to Shailesh bhai , from the most experienced to the most inexperienced, from the unfittest to the most fittest - everyone just thought of moving forward. They all believed they could. Even when their deepest insecurities hit them, they were still willing to try, still willing to put their faith in the Leads. I think this made the group on the whole quite special. Each had something that could be offered to another - let that be a joke, an offer for a cup of tea, encouragement, or a helping hand.

In the 2 hours that it took us to cross over, I learned Lesson no. 3.
Whenever you rest, hydrate and munch on some energy-releasing snacks. I didn't carry enough water since we had enough between the four of us. But I carried my stash of dry fruits, dates and energy bars. It certainly boosted my energy levels to keep on going forward.
I also tamed down my fear of heights. Not that I am petrified of it or anything. But who in their sane mind wants to stand at the edge of the cliff with nothing to hold on to?
I sat down near the edge. Reduces the fear drastically. Looking over the beauty of nature and thanking my lucky stars to be able to experience this, I also told myself not to fall off to sleep. Because that surely meant becoming one with nature. SPLAT! and tomorrow's headlines.

This was probably the most time consuming part of the trek. Because of all the other trekkers also waiting to cross over. Not quite to the other side. After that, we kept a steady pace and kept climbing and walking and sliding and crawling till we reached a series of metal stairs that could take us closer to our destination.
Lesson no. 4 Mentally be prepared to understand you are at a great height with nothing to hold you safe. Only then, either look down or look back. Else - all eyes forward .
Since I knew this, I took a chance to keep looking backwards. Not downwards so much. Once I was sure that I am on firm ground / ladder step, I would turn back to take in the view.
Though there was a constant cover of dense fog covering the mountains, when the veil lifted, it just took my breathe away - each and every time. It was just so beautiful!

We soon were on the last bit of the climb to the top of the mountain. They found an alternate route to the top. Which, frankly would have taken me 20 minutes to cross if I had to be left on my own. Since Jack was leading me, I crossed in 2 minutes flat. I was the second person from our group to reach the top - where our ancestors were waiting to greet me. Monkeys!!
It was quite foggy, so we couldn't see much. There is a temple on top this mountain. I gave up the thought of doing the victory lap around the temple with the biting cold wind slamming into my face.

This was supposed to be our main pit stop for lunch and other snakes. I mean, snacks (sorry Darsh, it was too good to pass up on 😀) We huddled in a circle, with food items coming out of our bags one at a time. Shailesh bhai did try to conjure up some tea but it was too windy to try any experiment.
But the thought matters. Which was enough to warm me up.

Believe me when I say this - I am the first person to feel the chill. I am also that person who doesn't step out of the house without raincoat/ windcheater, umbrella, water proof bags, extra dry clothes, medicine kit in case of cold etc. But this time, I braved the cold and the rain with no raincoat or umbrella. And for some reason, I wasn't feeling cold either. In fact, I was helping others warm up.
This was after we finished our break and climbed down the rickety metal stairs. The rickety metal stairs represented the start to our downward descent. A lot of us - including me - were happy we didn't have to go down the same way we came up.

We started our way down. It was not so bad. But I had to tell myself to be careful because I can be as slippery as an eel. Not a sure-footed mountain goat for sure. I sure admired these people who just ran down like they were born to do this. And then we hit another road block!
There was another set of rickety metal stairs - the only way to get down. And again about 150 odd people to cross over. Our leads took their places, made deals with leads of other groups and started sending people across.
Since this involved a wait, I sat down and decided to unwind.
It was here the exhaustion caught up to me - the lack of sleep and lack of hydration. I did try to stick out my tongue to catch some rain water. But nope - not much luck here. And I started feeling cold.
There wasn't much that could be done. I ate some dates and rested my eyes.
Lesson no. 5. Deep breathing always helps. And it is always mind over matter. ALWAYS.
And this is what I did. Relaxed my mind and let go to fight the cold. I drifted off for a bit - thankfully I wasn't near the edge. No splat! for me.

I was the second one from our group to get down and had decided not to falter and hold everyone back. Just go ahead and cross. Although, the condition of the stairs makes you want to just fold over, I pushed back every S-O-S thought, got on all fours and just got down. It is easy when you focus only on the next immediate step.
After that, it was one steady walk. The idea was to lean towards the mountain and not away from it.
We passed under many small waterfalls and saw many at a distance along the way. The trail of people looked so colourful from a distance! Like a snake (snake only, Darsh! 😜) slithering !

Before I knew it - ting ting ting!
We were ringing the bell that marked the end of the trek! We climbed onto a set of old railways tracks - part of the Matheran abandoned train line. It was almost 1800 by the time we finished the trek. We had spent almost 9 hours out in the mountains, and almost touched the skies. But yet our spirits were high. This could be seen in the happy faces in the photos below. (Yes, I will make an effort to post the pictures!)

This marked the end of the climb and descent. But we still had to follow the lines and walk to the road where the taxis would take us to the the station. And to the public toilet. It was the Promised Land, in my case. My buddies ran ahead with their giant steps, while I trailed behind with my baby steps. I couldn't keep up and decided to keep a steady doable pace, instead of slipping and falling somewhere. The waterfalls were distracting, which is why I took longer to catch up. That and the plot in my head where nobody loves me and my friends leave me in the jungle all alone to die in extreme weather conditions with no food or water. cue in melodramatic music here
Oh! Thanks for lugging my bag around T'Vip. You rock! 😁

And just like that, I could do my business in peace after 10 full hours. A quick change of clothes helped me gain some sense of civility. But since there was no mirror to confirm this, I believe this is a myth. Ckru and Darsh got wada pavs - which I inhaled quickly. And then boarded a train which was soon resembling a music box. Because of the awesome singing skills of the group.
I, unfortunately, couldn't keep my eyes open to enjoy this moment for the 90 minutes that it lasted.
Which is when we arrived at Dadar station to part ways...

As a parting thought - there are so many memories to carry forward. Some in my head, many as photos. And all of them are nothing short of a gift.
Thank you Team Mumbai Voyagers and group Voyagers! It's been a real pleasure!


M V logo that rocks!


In between missing Tangs!

Camouflaged JD!

No Breaking Legs. Just Myths

Cheesing for the camera!

The Bell that just had to be rung!

Slithering like a serpent!

A true Voyager. @shailesh ji

The Man and the Mountain.

Always forward.

Life on the tracks

Nothing short of magnificent.

Taking a breather before we climb again.

That's us - jumping with joy. You may need to tilt your head. Or the screen.

Thank you for sticking with me on my verbal journey.
And None of the pictures belong to me - I am borrowing it from the awesome set I went with.
Thank you for that.

Almost forgot this gem -

We miss you, Nandini

2018-06-27T17:16:00.000+05:30

Our factory has 3 doggies to protect and defend the premises.

They are actually just a lot of noise to keep the stray buffaloes and humans away.

But once you stand in front of them, let them sniff you and you pat them, - they are ready to welcome you each and every time they see you!

Sonu is Nandini and Monu's mother.

All 3 have their unique personalities.

Maybe someday I will talk about the other two.

Today is dedicated to Nandini.

In her memory.

Nandini was initially named as Nandu - since we thought she was a male pup.

After closer inspection, we figured out she's a female. And we made the name sound feminine.

She looked different from her sibling and was the naughtiest of the lot!

She also turned out to be the largest of all 3.

When I say naughty, she would get herself in all kinds of trouble!

Fights with other dogs, chase the local kids, get herself cut on a barb wire, and even stoned at!

Yep, she was prone to mishaps.

The stoning incident made her lose her sight in her right eye.

And after that incident, she calmed down a whole lot.

Not getting into any kind of mischief.

Unless it is within the protection of the factory gates!

And even though she would get hurt, she would still be up and walking about to greet us.

Sit patiently while she awaited her turn at petting.

Not even growl or bite the vet who came to treat her with injections and pills!

As big was her body, her heart was even bigger.

Nandini developed a skin condition. She looked like an Alsatian with her original coat of fur. But the infection made her loose all that fur and she became patchy. The vet was called in and her treatment started. The infection would disappear, only to reappear when the weather changed.

But even that did not dampen her spirits!

I had to apply a coat of ointment on her body. When she realized I was holding a bottle with her one eye, she would run and I would run behind her! Only to be caught later and then she would stand patiently while I administered the dose.

Oh and bathie time!

She would make herself so heavy that it was impossible to get her to take a bath!

I would have to lure her with treats, lay them on the ground like a trail similar to that laid out for Hansel and Gretal...and THEN trap her in a corner to bathe her. It was a back-breaking time!

Nandini fell violently ill the other day and passed away before we could figure out what's wrong through tests. She was there one second, and in the next she was gone.

When I walk into the factory, I expect to see 3 sets of tails wagging at me. When I walk by, I expect 3 heads to follow me in the hopes of getting a treat.

Nandini was the only one I couldn't train to act on the command "sit". I am unsure if that is because of her eyesight or her stubbornness - her way of showing us who's the boss!

I miss having her big face look at me asking me to pet her. I miss having her push the other doggies out of her way for more food. I miss her running away from me because I may give her a bathie.

Nandini, you were a wonderful doggie and you were our favourite Fatto. We tried to keep you healthy and safe but failed somewhere. I hope you can forgive us.

I know you are in a better place.

Because all dogs go to heaven.

I hope you become friends with Angel and have lots of fun.

We miss you💓

In the search of glowing flies with Mumbai Voyagers!

2018-06-12T18:09:00.000+05:30

I had signed up for a trek to watch fireflies.

For a long time, if anyone asked me, I couldn't remember the name of the place where this awesome phenomenon was to take place.

I was like, "It starts with a P..."

Yeah, I am good with giving out clues that way.

Also, as far as I was concerned, I am going for a trek with my friends, one of whom, Ckru that is - was familiar with the organization conducting the event. And hence this event was vouched for!

As is the trend these days, What's App group was made which formed the platform for sharing much needed information. And since repetition is the key to successful recalls, time and again I got updates on when to reach the venue, what to carry and what not to, weather information, even what to expect (lot of rain) and what not to expect (fireflies) as well as a feel of the group dynamics!

Very important for me since those who know me, know that I am on the quieter side..just like a mouse. Squeak!

Speaking of the organization - Mumbai Voyagers.

This is their website http://mumbaivoyagers.in

More insights (personal ones) will be revealed later.

DidyaseewhatIdidthere??

No?

Okay, will tell you later...*

D-day arrived and just as promised, there was rain. This time around, I had made up my mind not to be bothered by the elements. After all, I am not made of sugar and spice. Given that fact, I shouldn't melt away, right? Can fly away, but definitely not melt!

Ckru and yours truly had slogged over the kitchen table to carry some travel snacks. Because we are always hungry.

The rest of the gang - T'Vip, Reetu, T'Darsh and her little sis met us at the station which had an incoming outstation train that would take us to the starting point - Panvel.

I know what you are thinking. And No. This is not the "P" I was referring to.

Take off time was 1500 hours with threats / promises of being left behind if the participants did not turn up in time. Our gang reached there at 1400 hours. With a whole hour to spare, we did what we would usually do when we have time on our hands - eat.

We stuffed ourselves with a dal khichidi - the lunch of champions!

And raced back to the meeting point at break neck speed!

On arrival, there was a drove of people to greet us.

Well, in reality it was the other participants in the event and the organizers were handing out the Welcome Kit. And guess what?

A never-before-occuring-incident occured. I won!! Rs. 100/- off on my next adventure.

All because my kit contained the elusive Lemon Flavoured Tang.

Yay, me!

This was an obvious sign that greater things are coming my way. And I am a big believer in the greater order of things.

From here, we were herded like cattle, NOT.

Nothing dramatic happened here. We were asked to stick to our groups and climb into waiting rickshaws, to be shuttled to the designated starting point.

The drive from Panvel to DS (designated spot) was about 45 minutes away. I used my time wisely - and cat-napped it. We arrived to DS and were asked to walk to a clearing where the event would officially start. I mean no event starts until there is some kind of introduction, right? Or ice breakers?

It was quite refreshing to know that the 30-odd people that made this group were from such diverse backgrounds. From students to would be CAs/ CSs to doctors to lawyers to economists to researchers to fitness trainers to advertisers to HR professionals to engineers to psychotherapists and hypnotherapists. The last part is me. And there is only one of me. The "s" is only for emphasis, as you can see!

It was refreshing because even though everyone was from different backgrounds, the goal was the same - to be one with nature through embracing the elements - rain, mud, feeble sun. And hopefully watch fireflies.

The expectation was simple. Have fun.

Abhishek Prakash, one of the founders, also known as Sir introduced us to some rules:

1. Never go ahead of the lead a.k.a. a person who wears the "LEAD" t-shirt

2. Never stay behind the last lead.

2.a. Refer point 1 and 2 over and over

3. If you know you are going to be slow, stick to the first group so you get longer resting time

He also made sure all our extremities and the trunk is warmed up through some basis movements. Promises of pain were made. Of course I was humming "Put your right hand in, put your right hand out, put your right hand in and shake it all about..." The boogie in the woogie was yet to happen!

It seems Sir was also actually a professor teaching budding minds about economics. I hope he imparts knowledge on how to triple your money..I would contact him in a jiffy!

JD a.k.a Jalpesh Darji was the lead Lead. He was to take us sheep up the treacherous slope (not really treacherous) to the base camp, if I may call it so.

Base Camp was Prabalmachi (yes!! this is THE "P" )

JD came across the serious types, I-take-no-poop-from-anyone kind of person in the first interaction. I learned he must have to keep that facade while dealing with big groups. But he had his own way of turning anything into an occasion!

I did not have much opportunity to interact with Keshav Gupta and Jack Rajgor. Although I will remember Jack as Ishita's brother. And I'm sure at least one of them thought I was a weirdo. Which is actually quite true.

It's also interesting how all four have a background or a day job involving money and numbers.

I was towards the end of the group, trekking along with Ckru and Abhishek, trying to listen to the sound of silence. Trying being the key word here. For some reason, songs were played off speakers. Abhishek explained that it helps as motivation and to get people moving. I understand that bit.

Although, it doesn't gel with my idea of being one with nature. But since I am the ignore what I don't like kind of person and have the ability to get lost in my own head, the loud sounds didn't bother me much. Of course I couldn't plan any stealth attack on any unsuspecting prey. Sigh.

There were regular pit-stops for everyone to fill up on air and water. And pictures. Soon after 3 to 4 such breaks, we made it to the top.

Let me tell you this. The view is to die for. Go any closer to the ledge and the wind will help you accomplish the rest. The weather was that good with the sun playing more hide than seek. The wind was cold and crisp and the slight drizzle of rain added just the right amount of chilled refreshed feel that you require after sweating it out.

The great mountains loomed in front of us. Those were other treks - longer and more difficult. Not to be attempted on this day by an amateur me. For the moment, I was happy looking at the sights - the tall mountains and the deep drops of the valleys.

Hot tea and maggie made the moment more worthwhile. Because...chai pe lo fraands!

And good chai rules my roost!

We further walked a little path to finally reach the camping site. The tents were all neatly lined up like ducks in a row. The beddings all ready for the tired and weary. All I did was pop my upper body inside, pull the zip down and changed my wet t-shirt. Because I was all brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

After getting into drier clothes, I was marginally less brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr but I decided to strut around in my purple windcheater. It kept me dry, warm plus purple!

I was being my usual quiet curious self and checking out various views and making memories. The others were making their kind of memories. This is when JD walks up to me and kinda tells me off for "wandering about alone" and to "stick to the group" . I patiently heard him out. Then formed my own speech and walked up to him and explained to him not to worry and I understand his point of view. I like some peace and quiet once in a way, hence the wanderings. People are welcome to join me as long as there is some quiet to listen to the mountains and the wind and the rain. Basically, nature at its' best. I wanted to ensure that I will not go far away on my own am usually VERY level headed. I also ensured him that I am not suicidal. He pointed out that the wind may not be so understanding.

Point driven across, JD. Anyways, I am a scared-y cat and stay away from ledges. Unless I have crawled up to the ledge on my belly. Which was something I was unwilling to do.

Mostly because purple will turn brown.

Suddenly there was some commotion because YAYAYAY Fireflies were spotted!!

Yes, I know that is the reason we made the trek high up. But remember - I said that chances were slim to none and we were told to expect nothing? Because fireflies fly away when it rains too much. Like any sane fly should. Else, light bujh jayega.

We were quickly asked to gather some torches and follow the leader. It was too dark - I am not sure who I followed. But I was guided nicely into the middle of the thicket and voila! twinkle twinkle everywhere!!

They were there all around us! Some flew across our faces, some resided in beards, some sat on shoulders and some flew carefree as ever.

One of our organizers called in for silence so we could watch the magic unfold in its entire magnitude.

Thank you for that MV!!
*edit - It was Abhishek Sir who called for pin-drop silence. In this case it was fluttering of the wings of the fireflies silence! It definitely came in through years of practise of handling miscreants - like us😁
He also pulled up some yogi baba stuff of reflection and introspection. He seems like a regular Guruji to me, as time passes me by! 😜

After that, there was the usual photo clicking and video making and shining torches on each others' faces 😁

We came back to our campsite and wandered about to watch more gathering of fireflies. And avoid the crabs. The crustacean kind. Not the horrible STD kind.

Yup, the place was literally littered with white crabs. It was about 20 cms long - right pincer to left pincer. Yes, I travel with a measuring scale. And they were strutting around and trying to sneak into tents and maybe shoes or bags...I dunno. I stayed away from them and let them enjoy their dance of death. Because I haven't seen two crabs making love. So must be death only, because I have witnessed crabs with a pincer or claw missing.

Soon there was a dinner call and we moved in a file towards the place from where the fragrance of cooked chicken was wafting. Mmmmmmm chicken curry and rice rotis and dal and rice .....

I had a feeling this was the same chicken I had seen running about in the evening. Hmmmm.

Stomach was sorted out. Oh and the yummy sandwiches got demolished just before dinner.

Now to trek back and enjoy camping activities. This included singing around the camp fire, dancing in the rain around the camp fire and basically have a lot of fun!

I was a sleepy cat by now and was seeking a warm corner. But I must hand it over to all the other participants as well as the 4 musketeers who were full of energy and enthusiasm and kept singing and dancing and until all that was left were soft burning embers.

The groups dispersed - some in tents, some kept patrolling the property for wayward fireflies, some kept singing songs and we handful took shelter in the cottage made of brick and mortar.

Mostly because it was dry and cosy. I kept swinging out of sleep and wakefulness, went out to watch some fireflies weave their twinkling magic, sat and watched the twinkling far away city lights and then went in for another snooze. What to do - I love my sleep!

I witnessed something so beautiful...when we turned off the lights of the room, the ceiling was lit up with fireflies!! We had our own personal viewing...and I spent the remaining night gazing up the ceiling, all thoughts of sleep lost forever. And when the glow dimmed was when I fell off into a deep slumber 😴

Morning came when JD played the Shiva song 💓as the alarm

And the Four, got us up and about with bags slung over our shoulders once they announced Breakfast will be served in 15 minutes.

We left our camp site, I bade goodbye to the mountains and headed towards hot tea and poha.

I also discovered JD's unhealthy love for dates. The eating kind. Not the ones you go out on. Although I don't know about that yet...

Dates = khajoor. That Date.

He also kept a close eye on me. I am still unsure if it was for my khajoor or my tendency to wander off. I'd like to believe it is because he discovered I am such an awesome person and doesn't want me to go rolling down the hill.

Which was quite the possibility since it was drizzling and I am not really know for going down smoothly. NO PUN intended.

This was also why I bade goodbyes to all my friends - it was nice knowing them in case I reach DS in bits and pieces.

Drama was always my forte. But it also was reverse psychology. It got everyone to make sure they help me get down safely 😁

Because I am not the one to portray damsel in distress and ask for help. Playing mind games suits me just fine!!😈😁😁

And it was fun getting down! Each one shouting encouragements to another. And in my case, JD ensuring the dates are still safe.

Our group was among the first to descend. So we had lot of time to unwind and get drenched in the rain.

Our auto fellows made an appearance with a tank full of Lemon Juice! Yummiest ever! I had 2 glasses - in spite of it being soooo cold. I don't do cold well.

What happened next was unbelievable !

A garba dance off took place! And boy-o-boy!!

These MV guys know how to show everyone a good time!

Of course I was a by stander - didn't haven enough time to pep talk myself into getting into the groove. But the others!!

They were magnificent! They just let loose and claimed the road as their own.

Oh yes, this was being unleashed in the middle of the road where the autos had halted.

With not a care in the world, these lovelies were certainly a sight to behold!

Soon the party broke, only because the pants were getting itchy and a hot bath and a warm bed seemed like a dream come true.

We headed back to Panvel station and everyone disappeared like wisps of smoke!

I did not get a chance to say my goodbyes, but I'd like to say that this was a great group with no whims and fancies and a great attitude.

JD, Abhishek, Keshav and Jack ensured we had a memorable trip! Where each step I took can be weaved into a story! You guys have found your calling - to help others make beautiful memories. SO basically you guys are into social work. Which is awesome because you help others!

And it is just added bonus you love what you do. Because it shows!

Thank you.

*hopefully you have stuck reading till the end. Because I don't write reviews. I write stories 💓💜💓💜And thank you and credits to all the awesome photographers! I am using some of your work here...please let me know if you want photo credits and I will update it!

Lead the way!
Pic credit @ Shailesh Bhai
He ha special place in my memories since he magically appeared with a cup of tea.
Just when I was almost dying for one.
p.s. I am always almost dying for a good cup 😄
Keep scaling great heights, Shailesh ji!

Awesome sky and clouds!!
(this baby is mine :D)

Cuties all the way
pic credit @ Vipin

Small joys involve a good scratch!

All of us!!
pic credit @ Vipin

2 out of the 4 founders!

What a View!!

The 3rd Musketeer - JD

Dance around like you just don't care!
The garba dance off!

Hanging out!

The 4th one is in pink!

See you soon, Miracle Doggie

2018-06-06T14:25:00.002+05:30

They say angels have wings. The Angel that I knew had black fur, four paws, expressive eyes and a very big heart.
But she flew nonetheless. Into my heart. She converted me. Into a dog person.

She was the happiest soul I knew. And loved unconditionally.
She'd bark when the doorbell rang, run to the window when you ask her "who's come, Angel?", and do a tap dance when you say "let's GO"
Because chances were , a drive was coming up!

When Angel went for a walk, it involved being dragged by her from car to car. She'd want to know which car door would open so she can go for a drive!

She'd be ever so hopeful... Let that be for a drive or for a piece of chicken from your plate! And heaven help you if she fixed her pleading eyes on you... You'd probably give her your plate!
Even when she's unwell and unable to move properly, she'd attempt to go to the bathroom to relieve herself. And feel guilty if she let go anywhere else.

She'd play fake attack games with you... Gnawing at your hand. And then quickly give you a kiss. To make up for any pain she might have caused you.

She'd come and snuggle between your legs while you sleep. Or on top of your long hair...rendering you motionless! You don't want to roll over her or chase her away. You feel lucky she's chosen you to sleep next to today.

The beach was one of her favourite places! The joy of running wild and then having that cold bowl of water!
Or biscuits dipped in tea!
But she hated baths and vets equally! She'd run and hide if she knew either was coming up!!

Following you around for food or sitting outside the loo...in fear that you might slip out of the window! You'd think she's your little Lamb, following you everywhere!

She stayed around for so long.. For her humans. She knew how happy she made every one. Her amazing spirit contradicted all medical reports!

But Angel's little body could do only so much. She needed her rest. And when she was told she's done her part in our lives beautifully and she can let go, was when she stopped struggling and allowed herself to go to an undisturbed sleep.

Now she's part of the stars that look down on you, strutting around or driving around in Heaven with only joy and no pain.
I'd like to believe that my daddy has company and is taking care of her. Including giving her chicken liver and lollipops and long drives!

I'm glad I had the opportunity of being a part of Angel's life! Because she truly was a miracle doggie 🐶
And I believe in miracles.

Not just one moonlit night!

2018-01-03T18:38:00.000+05:30

After two whole years and five whole months and 8 whole days and 7 whole nights and 12 whole hours and 11 whole minutes and...

Okay, that's a whole lot of exaggeration right there.

Although, what I mean to say is that a whole lot of time has passed between purchasing a telescope and playing space gazer.

I do not use the word space lightly over here. By SPACE I want to convey that I am interested in the infinite area that is beyond Earth. I am being very specific here so that no one confuses it with staring into space or being spaced out , which basically means I have checked out (temporarily) from reality. Which has its own merits. But that is a discussion / monologue for another day!

For some reason, I think it is mostly lack of initiative, I never used my telescope of a whim. I could have used it to spy on people / birds / animals - but that doesn't interest me much. Unless, I do not have unlimited internet package and I am missing out on my regular dose of Mentalist on Amazon Prime. Then I have to focus my lenses on that house which is watching some form of digital entertainment. I am learning hypnotherapy. SO if I am able to project my thoughts to the viewer of that household, viola! BONUS.

(Disclaimer - this is not what hypnotherapy is for. And NO. I will not do that to you. I think.)

What I did use my telescope was for group exercises with friends. Where we would hang out on lonely, dark places, hoping the cops don't chase us away. And also hoping that we spot aliens looking for a parking spot. Using the telescope, so far, has always been a group activity.

Even the last time I used it to do star gazing at Naneghat, which you can read it over here, it was with a very helpful group! I appreciate what they do a lot. One of the things they did was to motivate me to start using the telescope more often.

Okay, okay...I admit I used it only once since then. And that was last night. But it is one time more than not using it at all! See, a positive silver lining 😼😃

Which brings me to the event at hand. I, single-handedly and successfully, set up my telescope and viewed our beautiful moon through it!! Fine, I used both my hands!

But I did it in near dark. I did ask myself why did I forgo getting the torch. Until I realised that, hello! phone torch! I also learned that I am not that good with screws in the dark. No pun intended.

Because it is difficult to try and find the hole and .... you get my drift.

I did face a small roadblock as to which lens and eye piece to use. I called up dear ManoRanjan. He gave me few suggestions. And using my brains, I did some good guess work. To get the desired result!

I was and am so happy that I danced a small jig then and there on the moonlit terrace. Deliriously happy - that is what I was. That the biting cold did not matter. That I was still in work attire till 2300 hours did not matter. That I had a cold and was hungry did not matter.

I wanted to share this epic moment with someone! Someone who'd understand what this means to me. So I called them up and told them about my achievement.

Of course for proof I needed photographs. So with shaking hands and crossed fingers, I tried to take some pictures with my trusty phone camera. I was ready to give up breathing so that I get one perfect shot!

I got a few shots, far from perfect. But it does not matter. Because the experience of actually seeing it, the perfections and the imperfections, was JUST WONDERFUL!

I am aiming to get better at it. Until then, here are some of my perfect imperfect moments under the sky!