Travel With a Couple

This June saw us and our group religiously (every monsoon) packing our bags and heading to explore the wilderness of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. This time the trail was to what is known as the Highest Point of Mumbai. This is an easy trek and the climb starts behind the Kanheri caves.

There will be always one picture from every trek that is worth making the cover of that album. This is that picture. A rare display of affection or friendship or whatever…

Rest of the photoblog of the trip is here.

The interesting thing about travel is not just that you get to meet some interesting people. It is also that many a times you get to learn and feel so humble. Budget travelers and backpackers often have good justification to avoid paid services wherever possible. So when we landed at the Sindhudurg Fort, which is separated from the mainland by a 15 minute boat ride, we chose to explore the fort on our own.

A few guides approached us; we refused them flat as if we’d been at the fort many times. After a while we realised that in the limited time we had, we would not be able to cover all the points at the fort. But then we did not want to miss the important ones. As luck would have it, this cute little boy approached us and offered himself as a guide. We were skeptical. But soon his innocence, earnestness, and spirit was sold on us.

And, at that auspicious moment, Gajanan Phatak, all of 11, became a guide for the first time in his life. We, his first customers. He had been following and observing his uncle who works as a guide and runs a cold drink stall at the fort, and is now ready on his own. Gajanan stays in the mainland, the Malwan town and had come to visit his uncle during Diwali holidays. At Rs 30, his requirement was very less, but we were humbled by his intention to use that amount to fund his schooling.

Phatak Junior indeed was good at his job. He took us to the main bastions of the total 52, the three fresh water wells named Doodh (milk), Shakar (sugar), and Dahi (milk), and various temples, with a liberal explanation of each and the history of the fort.

We salute this budding talent and his entrepreneurial spirit. And did not forget to contribute to his schooling fund a little more than what he had asked for.

Dang is a tribal district in South Gujarat, bordering Maharashtra. It is perhaps the tail of Western Ghats that stretches all the way up from Kerala through Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. A complete forest district, Dang in monsoons is nothing short of a bliss. Well laid and maintained roads snake through the teak forests and an occasional tribal hamlet.

Saputara is a tiny hill station in Dang, a few kilometers from the Maharashtra border. It is unlike any typical hill station. No colonial hangovers. Simple and very tiny. You don’t need a local transport.From the sunrise point to the sunset point to the lake, everything can be covered on foot. There are a few hotels, restaurants and shops. The tribal museum is also a must visit, though it is badly maintained.

Though Saputara can get crowded on weekends with visitors from Nashik and Surat, all that beautiful places just outside of Saputara are never in a regular tourist’s itinerary. The drive from Saputara to Waghai and Vandsa through spooky teak forests while raining are definitely worth one’s time.

More photos here