Malshej Ghats in monsoon

Monsoons in Mumbai are the best time of the season. Mumbai otherwise has the same weather all through the year but monsoon is pleasant and sometimes even winter- like! What I really love about this city is the many getaways that could just be a day trip, require hardly any planning and bring you back fresh on a monday morning.
Our just-another-sunday turned special at the Malshej ghats. Just a couple of hours away on the same route as Nasik from Mumbai.


Streams like these run all along the road trip


Magical mist playing hide and seek all around


Staring into the whiteness


Green in rock stone


Green meadows over the plateau

Though not worth a stay as the only place is MTDC resort which is not too well equipped. Definately a getaway though for a day as pretty as this in monsoon.

Brand Blietzkrieg

Ah consumerism!
Just as a small exercise I decide to document the number of brands I see after I wake up...
It's just about lunch time, I haven't even stepped out and I am still counting!

Twitter Birdy on my window

This pretty, puffy, melodious bird has been appearing on my window for a long time this summer. She comes along in a bunch with her siblings cooing morning and evening giving a pleasant distraction from the computer monitor which I feel is becoming an extension of my body part nonetheless. In all familiarity it resembles the twitter bird to me. (I know.. so much of internet!) She is so tiny and restless that it is impossible to follow her. Managed to capture her for once with my latest gadget, a Canon SX10IS.

A rogue mail, strange and amusing

My day began with the strangest mail in my inbox. This is how it goes :

" Hi, How are you doing today? Where are you now? What do u do?

I believe that you are doing well. I am fine here, am glad to meet you through mail.

I’m Anurag Bharti. I have done my B.E. in IT branch in 2007.

Basically I’m from Chhattisgarh but now I’m residing at pune and looking a job in IT Company.

I need Ur little bit help in my job search.

if ur working in IT company so I request u. please forward my resume to ur HR or in ur friends list whomsoever are working in IT company.

Even if u wanna any help from my end I’m always there. If u wanna talk with me then feel free and u can reach me on my mobile no: 9766514105,9907144118.


Yours sincerely

Anurag Bharti"

Not to forget his large size picture and CV were also attached
No clue where it came from, it however had many recipients who must be as amused and bewildered as I am.

Twist

My brother was in town and we had a nice evening. No points for guessing what I had been onto :P

Travel wishlist

Ever since being smitten by the travel bug and randomly packing my bags for anywhere and everywhere so often, these are some nick-nacs I wish were available at my local supermarket...

1. Disposable socks...coz you know what it takes to walk barefoot around all the temples to gaze at the splendid architecture..
2. Sanitizers are handy but why do I not see liquid handwash pocket sachets like shampoos...
3. I make my own travel kit from a larger pack...but wish to see ready travel kits for tea or coffee...u see it saves time at the last minute
4. Disposable toothbrush-toothpaste kits..yes why not?

Do you find something missing in your travel too...do add in your comments...

Polar bear of a kind!

I was recently presenting at the India Design Festival which was a part of the CII-NID Summit where I spotted this stranger in the parking area. It is Hetal Shukla's Polar Bear! Freaky to touch though a complete attention grabber.
Poor thing, stood still in the afternoon heat, hope it did'nt smell of all the sweat!

The letter

Ink, Croquil and some lazy time well spent...

The letter arrives


Image detail

Rackety Rack : bartans to books

The old rack for utensils in the kitchen had caught little spots of rust and was of no use. Almost decided to give it out to the radddiwalah, I still gave it a second chance.



A little weaving and painting, and it now serves perfectly as a book rack in my office!

Mumbai weekend getaway : Harihareshwar and Diveagar

No, this wasn't a trip to a religious place as it may seem. Within a range of 200-250 kms. by road from Mumbai, these are actually one of the most spectacular beaches of the Konkan belt (western coast of the Indian subcontinent). Equally enjoyable and thrilling is the drive down the Goa Highway. The ghats, the serpentine roads, little villages on the way are fascinating frames and subjects for the lens men.
As we go gallivanting in the hills, we are in for a double bonanza-The sea view emerges from the bushes on the hill side! (This is my first tryst with the coastal belt so I am obviously surprised by this view)
It is season time and we have risked coming coming all the way to MTDC Beach Resort at Harihareshwar without any prior booking. But we get lucky with the one and only room left for our new year's eve. In our excitement we forget al about the tiring journey that began early in the morning and head straight to the beach for a short walk and look around. Even at noon the water looks inviting, but we decide to keep the swim for the evening. After a mouth watering prawn curry and rice preparation, it is time to give ourselves some rest.
The golden light of the evening sun almost makes the whole setting appear surreal. The water is warm from the day as we go in for a splash and finally bid adieu to the drowning sun. We snore blissfully into the new year as our phones are out of network connectivity here.
Our next destination is a small Konkani village in Sreewardhan, Diveagar. A few kilometers down, this place is sheer heaven on earth. We halt by a 6 km. stretch of virgin beach on our way. On reaching Diveagar we land at the Patil Lunch Home and order a local thali, which is quite a mouthful. After which we think it might be a good idea to take a walk around and soak in the village culture. Primarily everyone here is into fishing. Some locals even sell homemade goodies like sherbets, sweets and namkeen. It is cool and peaceful under the dense vegetation of tall coconut and palm trees. We find a place to get into our swimwear and head to the beach as the sun gets moderate and evening is setting in. This one's even better with the huge waves that are ideal for a dip. We learn to keep ourselves abreast of the waves that challenge us each time. It is fun!
Reluctantly we sit back in the car as our holiday comes to an end still dreamy eyed about the good times we had in just two days.