Another Fun Ride....

Bikes..and Long drives..... A true passion, and I share it with my group. (IIT wing junta)

Last Year in Jan, I along with my Five friends went on a unplanned trip to Goa, a 1300 Km ride completed in two and half day. Trip all of us can never forget.

Around 1 am 31st December.. I hear a knock at my door.I was watching "Kal ho na ho" on Doordarshan along with Sammy ( My room mate) at our Andheri flat.When I opened the door, I saw Dopa, Shanty and Mucchi with Shanty and Mucchi in helmets. I asked them to come inside. I asked them whats there plan and they said they are thinking of goinig on a long drive, just to rediscover the magic of our Jan ride to Goa and to bide a great adventurous farewell to 2005.I asked them where are we going and Dopa said " Hum Kabhi plan karke kahi gaye hai kya...aaj bhi nikal padege tahalne". I acted fast and got dressed up soon. This time...unlike the last time...We also..took sweaters and jackets with us to counter December cold.

I wished Sammy Happy New Year( Even thou it was more than 20 hrs left...) But I was not sure where I would be when India will welcome new year.

All set...to start another long trip..we leave my house.After reaching S.V Road Andheri. Dopa asks" Kaha jana hai....abe kisi se puche hai ki Ahemdabad road per koi Tahalne ki Jagah hai kya". Shanty replys" Abe Goa chale hai.....maja aagega". I rejects Shanty's suggestion...I tell them..Goa will be expensive..and very exhuastive. " Mucchi then says" Abe Ahemdabad road per hi chalete hai...kuch na kuch to hoga...Aur waise bhi mujhe Kal raat apne bhai ke Ramp Walk per jana hai isliye subah tak wapas aa jayege". We keep discussing various options....and felt that Ahemdabad Road option is not good one...and we should move towards Panvel, and while driving toward Panvel...we can decide where to go. We starts moving again. From Western Express highway to eastern Express Highway. Before SakiNaka...Mucchi suggest that we should cross Ghatkopar to reach highway, I say No. Mucchi take a turn at Saki Naka...and We more toward Ghatkopar....moving againsts our own decisions...and untracable to others.After getting lost...We decide(on cellphones) to meet at Aaroli CheckPost. Finally we meet each other...and decides that we should move together becoz next time if we make mistake...we wont be able to reach others becoz...our cell phones wont work outiside Mumbai. We keep Driving..Cross..Dhirubhai Knowledge city, Nerul, KharGhar....and decide to stop at Panvel McDonald.

Now its time to decide the destination.Goa pops up again. We take Coffee sips...to counter chilling night.Dopa says Lonavala...I say Alibag..., many other names pop up....but finally we decide to go to Alibag. And we resumes aur...ride....we keep driving....untill we see....a turn...which goes....to Goa...Shanty again says...GOA.....but we decide to move ahead. We keep driving....Temperature kept decreasing....we refill and again start driving.....but soon we get the feeling that we are not moving toward sea side...but moving towards hills....to comfirm this feeling.....we stop..and ask one man Alibag ka rasta.

Dopa: Uncle ji, Alibag ka rasta kaha hai??
Shanty to me: Abe Bhaiya bolna tha.
Uncle: Where u going.....yaha kaha aa gaye bhai tum log......Alibag ka turn to 40 km piche chut gaya.....
Dopa: Kya bol rahe ho
Uncle: Haan woh turn jo Goa jata hai na...wahi turn hona tha...
Me: Ohhhh....
Shanty; Yaar Goa hi jana tha....
Mucchi; Ab kya Kare...
Uncle: Dekho...Khopoli 4-5 km hai....waha se..Shivaji ke putle ke pass se turn loge to sidha rasta Pen jata hai.....aur Alibag jata hai...
Dopa; kItna km hai waha se Alibag...
uncle : 50...per abhi tum Khoploi jau...aur subah hone tak intejaar kar.....Us raste hai koi bharosa nahi....

Dopa: Kya bharosa nahi......kharab hai kya...raat mein drive karne mein problem hogi kya

Uncle: Aree...Driving ka chodo yaar....Waha Pathar maarte hai......

Dopa: kya bol rahe ho...

Uncle: haan...Koi Bharosa nahi hai Us raste hai.....Panther fekte hai.....pata bhi nahi chalega..ki kaha gaye....

Everyone...is silent....

Dopa: Lonavla chalte hai....10-15 km hi hai.....kaha pathar ka ke marege.....

Uncle.: Arre...Khopoli Jao...waha Chai piyo....aur subah nikal jao.... That road will be better for u...but abhi koi bharoisa nahi hai...

We decide to move to Khopli...which according to uncle was only 4-5 km.

now..I am behind..Mucchi....
Mucchi to ME: kahi woh uncle to apna Chuitya nahi kaat raha hai na....pata chala khopche..mein le ja raha hoon....
I tell him not to think like that....We see the signborad..Khopoli 15 km....we drive together....all of us thinking about...what uncle said to...us..


We stop before Khopoli for tea....and talk to people about road to Alibag....Chaiwala says...arre...woh rasta to theek hai...bus bada bada gudda hai....We asked him abt pathar....he says...are woh to karjat side hota hai....we ask him...is it safe to drive at this time of hr( 4: 30 am ) he says..yes....

We move ahead.....reached Khopoli...but again do not take correct trun...and move straight ahead towards lonavala...I ask Shanty to stop....and sugguest that we should confirm the road. We go to a police chowki..ask the hawaldar for direction.....when Dopa Mucchi...saw that we are talking to Police....they take a fast turn.....and run back.....after some time they came back..thinking that Thula hamari le raha hai..but we guys have a good conversation...with thula...and gives us...all correct directions.

Now we had the correct directions....Before moving on them...We stop at a Chai ki dukan....We again asked...Chai wala about the road...and pather pekne wala incident.....He says road...is good...and drivinig wont be a problem.Another coustomer at the Tea stall...says...yeah the road is good...Just to confirm...we ask him about pather...pekne wala incident...and he said " BOSS WOH to Timing per hota hai....agar galat time hoga to kuch bhi ho sakta hai".

All of the start laughing ....stilll not sure....whether to go or not to go...Muchhi se...Chalo..Lonava chalte hai...wahi room le lenge...New yr bhi wahi banayege....I strongly say now...becoz..almost every other weekend we go out to lonavala for drive....also I thought Mucchi is just bluffing....as he has to attend him brother ramp walk at Lokhandwaka complex. Shanty Say" Aaj mein Final Destination 2 dekhi hai....." Woh dekho...Traffic pole gira...aap per....." and Suddenly....all lights....went off.....All of us...starts laughing...again.....

But we decide we should not waste time...and resume with our journey.....65 Km ahead is Alibag....Dopa asks...kya karenge..Alibag mein....I replyed..." Arre maine dekha nahi hai yaar...bas ek baar dekh lenge...chai piyege...aur fhir Mumbai"

We start again...but this time....road is bad....and at the same time....we were thinking abt the Pather phekke marne wali baat. Mucchi says to Dopa "Abe agar koi pather mare...to sir daba lena....mai bhaga lunga". We keep driving.....road keeps getting worse and worse....and we cover 35 km of bad road strech...we could see....light appearing from horizons.....Now only 3o km to Alibag....We decide to drive continiously till we reach our destination. After another hr long drive...we reach Alibag beach.

Sun was about to rise...above the horizon...We sat on the beach....and watched the last sunrise...of 2005...Red shades.. sun rise above the waters..and hills...( Muchhi,,," Abe Suraj shaded hai.." )

Beach was full of life.....many people...came there along with there respective groups....Childern came there with parent and enjoyed the horse ride....also...we witnessed...a Dogs orgy..;).

We had anda pav and tea. Stop there for some more time would have resulted in wasting the whole day...and we were sure...we will sleep there on the beach it self.....Without waiting for more time...we started back... This time without...taking wrong turn.......head straight ..non stop...towards..IIT. We reached IIt around 11 am.

Alibag is around 90 km from IIT, but we drove around 250 km to reach there....But we never regreted it...our aim was to drive...and rediscover the magic of our last long bike ride....and we did that......

After driving around 350 km....all night...all we now needed was a good.undisturbed sleep....

After talking shower...I went straight to bed...and woke up...around 7 in the evening.

I added another great bike ride in my long list of bike rides.....this one too....as rememberable as others....