Trip to Konkan

Last weekend we took Sanyas from the big, bad world of Internet and SMSes and took off to the hills of Konkan - to Dapoli, where my cousin Chandan and his wife Pratima own a beautiful farm house.


Lazy city bums though we are, we woke bright and early and left home in the wee hours of the day - at 840 am - and hit the road with Reona.





We took it easy, stopping every now and then to take in the breathtaking views of Mulshi Lake and Tamhini Ghat.







We hit NH 17 at Mangaon around 1045, and then took off into the Konkan hinterland at Lonera Phata, passing some beautiful landscapes past Ambet and Mandangad, before reaching Dapoli at 130, to a sumptious lunch of prawns masala and fried fish.





Sanam, of course, took the opportunity to catch up on her sleep! As you can see, she is a seasoned traveller!









Here you can see some beautiful mushrooms, almost a foot high, that I found near Ambet.








Then it was time for a siesta, in the company of many of our feline co-inhabitants of the farm house.







In the evening, we went off to Chandan-Pratima's new nature resort project, perched in the hills of Dapoli - we stood there in the wind, watching the rain clouds hit our feet, the turbulent but strangely peaceful Arabian sea crashing it's waves on the coast far below.






Then we went off to his mango orchards, and climbed up the watch tower, taking in even more of the breathtaking views and fresh air, while Sanam continued with her homework!

















The next day we woke to rolling mists and hot tea, and after a quick wash, went back to the hotel for some serious work. Siddha and Chandan Bhai discussed the architectural and engineering issues, while my expert eyes and ears took in every detail, providing the much-needed feedback at the right time! :)

At 11, we had seen enough and more importantly, our stomachs were growling their discontent, so back to the farm house for some hot tea with masala omlette.



And then, finally, it was time to leave. Siddha left for Goa, while the rest of us hit NH17 for Mangaon, and then the meandering curves of Tamhini and Mulshi for Pune.




It was an unbelieveably romantic drive back - the mists, the light rain, hundreds of beautiful waterfalls lining the road, crashing down from the majestic peaks, and small groups of happy holiday makers, enjoying their day off from the hustle and bustle of the city.

At 550, our holiday had ended, and we were back - and while we had had an awesome time in Konkan, it did feel good to be home!