There was a squad from my office who where planning to do this konkan coastal ride. But they planned with their car, since my plan is canceled I thought of joining them. This happened on 16-December-2010. The very same day we had a party at night and because of this party, I have to sleep late and get up early.
Next day came, it was very cold and I took a swift bath packed the necessary things and carrying a huge bag behind me started my bike. The tank was full for the previous planned trip. The petrol was peeping out of the tank. Well lubricated still like the one which I got three years back.
Early in the morning I think it was about 5:00 Am. My travel day started.

The trip started with a formal this photograph near Vikroli link road. I was on my bike and the other squad was on the car. We started to Panvel. Mean while I was accompanied with one of my friend who is also a part of the trip.

We met some bulleters of Thane Bullet Club. There where almost 20 Bullets galloping. We had a short ride talk. They where planning to go to Kolhapur. They accompanied us till Panvel. We stopped for the first tea in the ghat road of NH17. The climate was very awesome, very suitable for a bike ride.
We could find some traffic in NH17. Regarding the NH17 Travelers mean it as a mum because it has no dividers and you have to face the opposite traffic too. But the nature in NH 17 is awesome. We could find some bad roads and some good roads. I cannot maintain the speed of 70’s as planned. We planned our first visit to Alibaugh. I was leading the squad behind me; suddenly I felt that the pressure in the back tyre is not up to the level. So stopped for checking it by the time “Brown Mani” Crossed us.

We almost spent an hour in Alibaugh now we are planning for kashid beach. On the way to the kashid beach we went to a Korali fort and a light house. I have to say some thing about history the fort.
This fort was built in 1521 by the Portuguese with the permission of the Ahmednagar sultanate. In 1521, taking advantage of the confusion in the aftermath of the death of the Burhan Nizam the Portuguese tried to take over the fort. However the sultan retaliated and sent some of his best men to reclaim the fort. Subsequently a truce was reached in which the Ahmednagar sultanate occupied the island and no further fortification of the island took place. Only a wooden cross remained on the island as a sign of its former rulers.
However in 1594, Abranches, a Portuguese captain with 1,500 soldiers and 1,500 natives took possession of the fort. The besieged soldiers of the Sultanate tried to block their way by putting a dead elephant at the main gate and a dead horse at the inner gate. But in the end they had to surrender. The Portuguese won the fort but not having enough men to stand guard there chose to destroy it leaving only the central tower and a battery intact.
Before its destruction, Korlai had been described by travelers as a "magnificent fortress as strong as any other in the world". On the inland side - the only place where it was susceptible to be attacked it was protected by a ditch and could only be accessed by a drawbridge. The main entrance was guarded by a bronze lion and the highest tower by a bronze eagle. It housed 7,000 horses and as much men.
Some parts of it were rebuilt later but now had a garrison of only 50 men. The church within the fort was used for worship on Sundays and holidays. Korali fort was also strategically very important as it guarded the mouth of the bay. Sambhaji the son of Shivaji tried to take it over but failed and had to withdraw his forces on 6 December 1687. The fort was taken by the Marathas who held it from 1739-1818.

Don’t think I am a great archaeologist it is sourced from Wikipedia. Before entering in to the fort there was a light house we paid some twenty bucks to enter in to the light house there we found a light house keeper. Very kind and responsible man he took us to the top of the light house and explained every thing how it works and how the ship makes use of the light etc. But the bad thing is he didn’t allow us to take a snap of him. We took some photographs there on the top of the light house and started moving to the fort.

When we started climbing the stairs we asked the keeper how long with it take to reach the top of the fort he said it depends up on your stamina. I would like to make a confession here; one of our commorades was an athlete (he Mentioned himself as an athlete showed the snaps of his medals in his mobile, what a man!!!!) during his college days and has won lots of prizes in the field especially in 100m, 400m and the long jumps. Unfortunately, our beloved athlete had to pick up new battery for cam from the car, hence we left him and climbed the fort, the fort was not that high, it had hardly 400 steps, I would say its little difficult for an untrained leg, because of the steepness & the height of the stairs. 5 of us climbed the stairs without any halt, reached the top and were waiting for the athlete (meanwhile we were, as usual, clicking photos). After around a good 15-20 min our athlete gave his entry. To be honest, he just looked like a dog which had not tasted water for a couple of weeks. He was panting, sweating, legs trembling and running out of breath. The moment he reached the top, he just collapsed. It was a sight never to forget and could not be erased from out memories. The bad thing is we failed to take a snap of this dying Homo sapiens.

The Great athlete and Ganesh

After that we roamed around in the fort for more than an hour and then bidding bye to the fort we left to Kashid beach. We reached Kashid beach by 2pm every one was hungry and tired after the trek and drive so it was time for lunch. But Chandru was not in a mood to eat he said after eating you cannot swim and so we will swim and play in the beach and then we will have our food but I was not supporting it because I didn’t have any thing in the morning so I ordered for a buriji pav and waited for it. One by one from the car came to eat with me we almost ate buriji pav for 400 rs. The one who said I won’t eat and swim ate 5 plates of buriji pav.
We had very great time in the Kashid beach. Ganesh who was accompanying me in the bike did not enter in to the water. We where planning that some how we should make him enter into the water. For that sake we went for banana ride the ride was very adventurous. I don’t know to swim still thought of taking the risk. Before entering into the sea our banana capsized some how we managed to enter into the sea our plan was to preserve the banana from capsizing. So we made a counter steer and managed to sit safely while the steep turn was made. But there was another person sitting behind me who is employed to capsize the banana. Pulled me and I became the reason. I tried to place my foot down and the sea was so deep so I couldn’t get something in my Feet. First time I didn’t believe on the lifeguard but when I came up above the sea level I believed on it.
Some how I managed to get on the banana after that one by one started getting on. When the last one was trying to get on he capsized the banana this happened 4 times. Finally the boat driver stated shouting. He called Ganesh and me to the boat. The climbing style of ganesh was awesome it cannot be described in words. Two legs and two hands were on the boat hanging like beef in the butcher’s rod. The bad thing is here to we missed the pics.

This kashid beach became the most memorable beach in the trip. Late in the evening we where traveling to murud janjira for the night stay. We had a chance to witness the beautiful sunset in an unnamed beach. The sun is looking like an orange tablet disappearing soon. We where trying to take the snap of that and took it successfully.

By 7:30 in the night we got a nice place for accommodation, a very nice 2 bhk house for 1200 rs. We rested that night got up early in the morning by 5:30 Am My self and Hareesh went out to enjoy the climate the sun was just peeping out and the climate was very cold. We where searching for a tea shop finally found out one after one kilometer had a tea there and went to the sea shore to admire the nature.

Then by 8 Am in the morning we started out the journey to the next place. Our next target is to reach Murud Janjira fort. But on the way we stopped in a small ghat road to take some snaps, a great surprise was waiting for us there. A navy chopper came there to drop some one. There was no official helipad there so he was searching for some place to land it. The chopper was flying still just above the sea level. As shown in the 007’s Movie. We took some snaps of that chopper but the sad thing is we couldn’t go for a ride on it.

Later on we moved from there our plan was to sarve by a jetti but unfortunately they didn’t allow the cars in the jetti so we are started to cruise all the way to Deviyakar. We went in to all haunted roads in the middle of the village we didn’t get any high ways. I should surely mention about the roads there. It was very pathetic no where we could find a good road. We don’t know the language nor the direction or the name of place where we are standing. On the way we crossed a long bridge a beautiful bridge. We stopped there to take some snaps.

There my bike became very popular every one sat on it and had a snap.

From there we travelled to srivardhan our main aim on that day was to board the car and my bike in a jetti and cross at least a single brook. This happened in srivardhan. We where almost 5 Km from Harihareshwar but we didn’t visit. They said that the last jetti is at around 4 and try to catch it. It was almost 3:30 pm and we have to go for a long way. So we pedaled very fast to reach there and some how when we reached there the last jetti was about to leave we boarded on the last jetti. There was a white color indica behind our car.

We took some snaps in the jetti. Note the car behind our car, while porting in the next shore hareesh made a mistake and dashed the car behind and the owner of the car was shouting by the time the jetti almost touched the shore since our car was the first one we ran up fast picked up every one and went in the front. The owner was chasing us I went to hareesh and said to speed up. He to did the same, Hareesh’s car was on leading behind him the white indica and the behind indica I was there following a T bend came where we are suppose to take left but because of fear we took right which led us to a small beautiful village. We asked the villagers over there how to go to Rathnagiri. And where this road goes? They answer was we have to travel all the way back where we took a wrong turn and continue the road a head. They said there is a sea shore near by just go and visit it. So we visited it. It was a awesome seashore where we found the birds which have migrated all the way from some foreign land for breeding.

With a grieved heart I dedicate this blog to my uncle and his family.
My humble request to readers “If you plan any thing just execute it. If time passes away you cannot roll it back!”