Saturday@Kihim Beach

Yesterday..again a time to enjoy the mufatiyaa holidays..we planned to spend a day on Kihim Beach (10kms from Alibaug) and decided to use sea route..inspired by The Pirates of Carribean..ha..ha...
As decided with Santosh,the trip started at 6.30 am in morning from Vashi stn..it was still dark when we reached there..we boarded a less crowded local to CST...and we were at CST at 7: 30am..there we decided to have some snacks for the breakfast because pet mein choohe kood rahe thhey..he..he..and we knew we are not going have these stuffs till we reached the Kihim. After that we took taxi for Gateway of India...after reinnovation structure looked more clean and polished..
When we reached there was very long Q to get the ticket for Alibag ath ferry counter..lagta thaa akhhi mumbai hi alibag jaa rahi thi...huge rush...somehow we managed to get the ticket for 9 :30 ferry...the one way ticket cost varied from 65 to 100...we still had 40 min..so started taking stroll along promenade of Taj....had gone there first time after 26/11..all the entries to the old building was blocked by plywood sheets..saw the burnt spots of Taj..felt sad...and lots of sadness...feelings..which i am unable to express....
Phir..we went to point where ferry was to be taken..we were jostling for space to get inside the ferry as..it was like taking the mumbai local in 2nd class in peak office hour..somehow we managed to enter the ferry amongst men,women, children..the cricket kits..bags full with snacks..and what not....

The view from the ferry of the mumbai skyline is really awesome..it makes you feel really exciting watching it from Ferry's upper deck.

We reached Mandwa Jetty around 10:40 am..from there it was a free bus ride to chondi phata (10kms toward Alibag) for there we took auto to beach..well 3km ride costed us 40 bucks...so we were at Kihim beach finally...around 11:15am...it was low tide and water had just started receding..the sunkissed beaches have been always my weakness...and i really wanted to jump into water..at the very sight of it...
We hadn't made advance booking for the rooms...we went for search for room for the day so that we could takes shower after our sea bath...and change the clothes...there were couple of shabby bathrooms maintained by gram panchayat...which we decided not to use...i still ponder..why the administration can't have pay and use toilets...
Next, 1hr i was looking for room..everywhere..rooms were booked...at last i managed one by paying 1000 bucks for 5-6 hrs...yaar if you go there on weekend..make sure that you book the room in advance to avoid this mess of finding rooms...after finalizing the rooms.. we dumped all in the room and ran towards sea and straight in the water...gush..what a feeling..we were in water for whole 4hrs..this was my wife's first sea sojourn...and with every wave hitting her she gulped few ml of namkin water...the amount of salt she consumed ..i think she would be salt free for at least 15 days..ha..ha...

we had lots of fun at the beach..parasailed...mud bathed...sunbathed..50 meter sprint..and more..

Uske baad yaara..we had sumptuous lunch..chicken thaali...and rested on the hammock....
So time had come to good bye Kihim...we hired auto for 130 bucks to Mandwa Jetty....soon we were on ferry back to mumbai...the soft wind blowing across the faces while on deep sea was really romantic... and we really felt if we could be there for whole night on the upper deck....but...
Soon we reached back to gateway fo india..it was 7:45pm and we were tired till the heels...took the taxi..back to CST...in 10 mins we got the Panvel local..and all four of us dozzed off... till we reached Vashi...then back to our homes at Koperkhairne...
still 2days in hand to spend....ha..ha...

Signing off...Cheers !!

Punya Earning day

On Saturday...it was the day when we (my wife and family friends) went on punya earning trip in Mumbai...started with sudden idea to go to Siddhivinayak....so bang at 8:30 am we were at ganpati bappa's darbar..the crowd was less..so we were able to complete darshan within a hr....uske baad..phir se sudden plan to go to mahalaxmi.....so from ganpati's durbaar to mata's darbaar...we reached mahalxami....wahan pe majaa aa gaya...was suceessfully able to stick the coin on mandir's back wall... with some effort..saying goes.. if you are able to do that you are able have mata's aashirvaad..he..he...sayad is baar main hi "millionaire" ban jaaon

Uske baad went phir se sudden idea from someone...yahaan tak aa hi gaye ho to..Haaji Ali ke durbaar mein bhi chalte...all of us nodded in agreement...so went to Haji Ali's darbaar...
I had gone there a year back.....noticed few changes...There's reinnovation work going....it is really a good effort on the part of the concerned people to take this decision....

The crumbling walls were really not a visual treat at dargah..which is such a world famous place...Also this time i found lesser number of beggars on the pathway.....

It was a great experience to have mathaa teko at all the three religious pace within span of 4hrs....got all the aasirwaad and punyaa..he..he.....
uske baad Dadar mein sumptuous lunch at Pritam da dhaba...

In the memory lane

Yesterday,I was browsing through some channels..happened to see some travelogue on Leh-Ladakh...uske baad pucho mat... it was the trip down the memory lane..my honeymoon trip to Ladakh....an accidental and unforgettable choice...words unable to describe the nature's paradise.....

I think every Indian should at least visit once, and enjoy the nature's breathtaking beauty.....snow capped brown Karakoram ranges...and the black serpentine roads between them...with no population in sight....scenes were really intidimating..eerie silence all along..the way to Tsomoriri Lake..197 km from Leh......

I'll be posting shortly my travelogue on Leh....

Few days in 2009

hey...i am back...

When the new year started..we all hoped that it would be very happy and prosperous, unlike the painful 2008. But somehow the painful baggage of 2008 seems to be on...

Satyam becomes aSatyam with millions of hopes dashed in few days... perfect case study for B school curriculums on the ultimate human greed.

Our neighbour Pakistan still in denial mode...and ready for war...Nobody knows "what's next".

On the job front still the painful reccession is on and eating away the jobs like termites....and pinkslipped folks praying almighty for the divine intervention.....

Yesterday, I chanced upon to see the pirtaed DVD of "Slumdog Millionaire"....what a beautiful film...Danny Boyle has really "slapped hard" to the bollywood biggies..with this film...stole the thunder...except director everything in this film is Indian..

The protagonist "Jamal Malik" is really the symbol of hope and faith and epitome of perseverance...where he bears all the brunts of the life to become a millionaire...

With this hope me signing off for the day ...