Before the sun decides to cover itself with a blanket of fog and water gets chilly, the Toyota Liva and we decided to wash the heat off our skin
The mornings aren’t the same these days. My negligence to come out of the bed must be taken as compulsive lethargy owing to earth’s revolution and thus the change in season. Simply short, winter is almost here and before it makes the last leaf on the treetop fall, we decide to capture the ghat and beach while they are still in all their grandeur.
For the same I decided to visit the most scenic ghat close by and with a companion which offers good fuel economy for that long run, ample cabin space and good drive quality to beat those winding roads. Solution, the Toyota Etios Liva.
The mission to be accomplished by mid-day was rafting. So, after some Google hunting and basic preparations we set off for the river Kundalika, a small stream flowing from the Sahyadri range to finally merge with the Arabian Sea. About 80 km from Pune, the rafting spot was located just before Kolad. As we reached the spot told us by the adventure group, much to our dismay, the river was nothing more than a couple of inches over the pebbles of the riverbed. But at the stroke of the hour of nine o’clock, Tata Power’s Mulshi dam project released their excessive water and the river was swept off its misery. And thus the river decked up to offer some splashes to me and my fellow rafters.
Before we set off for an adventure, we were taught some basic rowing and survival techniques. And off we went for a 14-km long adventure trail. The water was friendly in the beginning, with just a little current making our raft go ahead. As we progressed towards the first rapid, the trainer made us practise all the rowing techniques and commands which we might need later. As the raft steered clear of the first turn, we saw that the water dipped suddenly a little ahead and rose back to the usual level instantly. So, that’s what they call a rapid, I reckoned. As our trainer ordered us for fast forward rowing, I knew that I was nearing it and what I recollect happened a while later was being under a strong but not very high wave, which left me all drenched, happy and satisfied. Funny as they were, the trainer and his group of friends had given some peculiar names to the rapids – morning headache, Rajdhani Express and, my favourite, Jim Carry! Wonder if Mr Mask felt funny when our raft tickled his belly and came out.
It was all going well until we met these rapids on our way, but this turbulence wasn’t there to stay for ever and we came out to find a clear and calm river after struggling through those rapids. Our arms hurt because of all the fast rowing and, much to our relief, the trainer signalled to us that we could now swim in the still water. But the joy achieved after a couple of dips in that comfortably cold water didn’t last long and we were told that the effort to row back the final km would be all the rowing done so far combined, as there were no waves to support the raft. Nevertheless, we rowed and reached the bank.
After that tiring journey, I just wanted to get into the comparatively cooler cabin of the Liva, stretch my legs and make the a-c vents take the sun off my skin and it felt good when the Liva agreed with me.
After a quick lunch, there was another big question. Whether to head back to the madness of the city or extend this bright weekend and pay a visit to the closest beach. I checked the fuel range and the fine economist that the Liva is, there was more than enough fuel. So off we went to Alibaug.
After the broken ghat road until Kolad, the road to Alibaug was an improvement and, as good as it is, the Liva handled well round the corners and turned ghat driving exhaustion into a pleasure drive. Good legroom at the rear made the drive comfortable for the passengers too and ample storage space made sure that there was enough room for all our knick-knacks.
After a 45-km drive, we could see the direction boards assuring that the beach was in close vicinity. Alibaug, being a small tourist place, we didn’t expect anything lavish, but a decent hotel offering good authentic Konkani cuisine is what we were looking for and we got it too. Arms aching after the morning’s rowing and the belly happily settled with a good meal, the laziness recurred and we had to drag our feet to the car.
The Kihim beach, we were told, was about 12 km from Alibaug and with good roads, good mileage and scenic surroundings, we didn’t mind going that extra bit. The road took us through tiny lanes with coconut and palm trees on the sides and old houses, everything being so laid-back that we felt envious of the local people who took things at a slow pace and were part of no rat race. And there it was, standing right in front of us with all its glory: the Kihim beach. The beach is also famous for its thick cover of coconut trees and is home to various rare species of butterflies, birds and flowers. After strolling on the beach for some time, something very interesting caught my attention.
After jet-skiing, kayaking and paragliding, para-sailing was what I was yearning for, but what we witnessed wasn’t exactly that, but a little different and interesting. Instead of a jet-ski pulling the parachute, it was being pulled by a Jeep and the chute followed the car up in the sky. More like para-moto-sailing! Being up in the air and pulled by a car, with the sand underneath felt strange instead of being over the sea. But since we went during the lean tourist season, whatever little something we were offered was most welcome. A single run at the length of about 300 meters was all that a single ticket bought me and after a smooth landing, I declared the end of the activities for the day.
The return from the beach to Pune was rather uneventful after whatever I experienced through the day. We took the first exit after Pen and joined the Mumbai-Pune expressway and matched our pace with the cars around. Making a snapshot of all the major recollections from those activities, I thereby strike off two more things from my ‘things to do before I die’ list. There are still a lot many left and a lot many weekends to spend. What say, Liva?
Good legroom at the rear made the drive comfortable for the passengers too and ample storage space made sure that there was enough room for all our knick-knacks
Story: Gasha Aeri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
