So, it all started with a plan for Goa but as they say it has to cancel, after all Goa it is. I wanted a small vacation for so long but again unable to find a companion and decided to make a solo trip anywhere in southern part of India. Fortunately one of my friend from school was posted there on INS Shivaji, one of the best location as one can imagine and he was happy to host me. I made my bookings two weeks prior to my travel for Delhi-Pune and return Mumbai-Delhi along with my stay at Panchgani Zostel which is said to be the largest container hostel in India.
Flight from Delhi to Pune takes around 2 hours and much cheaper. I stayed at my friends place, however hotel prices slash during peak monsoon.
"And the earth itself. It smells different in different places. But its loveliest fragrance is known only when it receives a shower of rain."- Ruskin Bond, Rain in the Mountains
Rainy day and got more companions from Pune added for our local sightseeing. Rain, clear road, good company and long drive, what else someone can ask for?
Fog clears and again make its way with gushing sound of wind.
Every place has its own beauty.
Roam around anywhere and you can spot people enjoying the monsoon.
Lakes are water bodies are everywhere that you don't need to look for any specific place to hang around.
Its about 30 minutes drive from Lonavala to Tiger Point, but fog and rain can surely slow you down.
Chilling weather and drizzling water, guess what comes on mind!
Again 15 minutes downhill there's Tata Lake which is worth spending some time.
At the end of another day you might need a nice classy hangout. Downtown there's a place German Bakery, great enough to get some drink or food. And if you're visiting on Saturday then you can catch some live music too.
When in Lonavala or even nearby this place, Bhushi Dam is a must visit. It attracts major tourists, specially couples, and even you go alone you'll have some good time for sure.
You can spend as much time as you want until 5:30 pm. You may run out of energy but still won't get bored.
And remember to take the exit from backside instead, you'll witness some of the nature's beauty.
Now I don't want people to feel jealous but take a look inside the campus of INS Shivaji where civilians are not allowed unless you know someone.
Weather changes are very frequent and surprising.
Days comes to end but rain never stops.
I planned for Panchgani same day, however thought of spending the day seeing whatever Pune has to offer. Train is easily available every 30 minutes and takes around 1:30 minutes to reach Pune.
Situated in middle of the city at Somvar Pet, it is 15 minutes ride from Shivaji Nagar railway station.
And most importantly the place is not crowded which makes it good place to hang out.
Another 5 minutes walk from Shaniwar Wada is Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple which is over 100 years old and locals say that the wishes made on Mouse's ear which is placed in front of temple comes true.
The Ganesh idol is 2.2 metres tall and 1 metre wide adorned with nearly 40 kilos of gold and insured for sum of ₹10 million.
And don't worry if you are not able to visit all seven wonders of the world, Pune got it all under one roof.
Don't know if there is any cave comes under wonders of world, but sure enough it will provide you roof in case of heavy rains or crouching heat.
Also, I don't know when this statue came under wonders of world, maybe they wanted to show the major attraction from the world.
Having few hours in hand and no idea where next to go, I decided to visit a temple which can be seen from any part of the city and it happens to be Parvati hills.
Yes, upon reaching there I was amazed by the scenic beauty and decided to spent some more time there as I got quality companion those who helped me throughout the day. Almost whole city can be seen from this place and it is totally worth watching sunset which is mere a textbook thing now.
Recently I read about India's biggest container hostel which is set up in Panchgani by Zostel and it is only 3 hours away from Pune. Every hours bus runs from Swargate bus stand and you will have some scenic experience if you are daytime travelling.
Zostel is around 3 miles before Panchgani at Dandeghar, they will follow up on this once you make your booking.
And its not just a one-day-stay-place. One could use this itinerary before getting started.
This place is on the edge of the hill, you'll surely get the trill of exploring this place.
Its a architectural beauty in itself, look at it.
And look at its interior. The common area where you'll have access to different games
You can ask them for trek or cycling also and Zostel will arrange it by themselves at very affordable cost. Since I was running short on time I decided to go for cycling only.
And the places we discovered was unimaginable, take a look.
This place is literally in the clouds and you don't have to time lapse to see the effects, you can even feel it in the still image.
The wind so strong that one needs to hold onto something, wind that is carrying away the clouds and chances are very rare to get a peek on the Sun.
And cycling way back to hostel is much easier since it is a ride down hill.
On the way back to Pune I got a ride, that's the beauty of spending time in a hostel and making new friends.
Its a clear and straight expressway connecting Pune to Mahabaleshwar if anyone plans to visit further.
I reached Pune by evening and then took train to Mumbai for my return to Delhi. It only takes 3 hours to reach Pune and then another 4 hours from Pune to Mumbai.
And the first thing I wanted to see is the famous CST. Well I can say that it looks much better than they show it in TV.
I was planning to see a bit of Mumbai but was short on time and decided to see whatever comes in way to my hostel in Mumbai.
One thing to be noted that, taxi fares are sky high in Mumbai as compared to other cities I visited, and if it is night time then you have to pay some extra charges too.
Hopefully nobody wants to miss the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, even if it cost some extra bucks.
And again headed to hostel for rest which is nearby Airport and budget friendly too.
Hostels are the new cools, they are trendy and its fun to meet new people every time and listen to their stories.
So, it is end of another trip and last thing I saw in Mumbai is Airplane traffic. Well, heard about Mumbai traffic anyway, lol.
And as soon as flight took off, I could see the whole city, the coastline, famous landmarks slowly vanishing away in heavy clouds.
Well, I was planning for Goa but god always have the best plans for you. I have met so many new people that I haven't met in last few years.
A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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