I am buying a new 1 TB HDD, that would be enough for all the photos?

@pkm: It was nice meeting you after a looong time too!

@darthveda: No need.. 28-30 GB should be enough

he is here already??

dude.. do tell us when you are back in banglaore.. it will be a pleaseure to meet you. I think you are already here. Thought i heard Keerthi say something like that.

"Not in achievement, but in endurance, of the human soul, does it show its divine grandeur and its alliance with the infinite." - Edwin Hubbel Chapin

And this is exactly what you've shown all of us today Mr. Praveen! Hats off to you and your fantabulous effort!

Nope, he must still be in Bijapur. He should be in Bangalore in about a week or so.

oh ok.. think we should plan a "Welcome back Praveen G2G/R2G" ?

Thanks for the info glad to know that i am alive

No sir not yet, will be few more days

Same here avin. Will take few more days to be in bangalore.

Too great a words for me Wheel_Spin. Just sharing my travel


Day 156 - Aug 11- Tamini Ghat and Karloi Beach

Aug11 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share and Plan your Trips

344 KMs Trip meter 21885 KMs

Joined PraveenS And Ashwin on monsoon ride on the western ghats. Its been long time for me on a group ride and this will be great fun. Plan was to ride out by 10.30 but the typical laziness and we had to change the engine oil too. Finally hit the road by like 12.30 Ride out of the busy pune streets and out on the hills. Its rain country and we are soon made to crawl into our rain gear. It all felt familiar, riding on broken roads with rain and the hurry to get there. Take a break paradise resort before Tamini ghats for a quick bite. Which turned out to be a long break. But the time there was well spent. The resort had a great view. We then move on towards Kundalika view point. The space now opens up give a treat to the eyes. Its light and glowing green every where. Never seen such bright grass before. Many waterfalls adorning the hills. We then take a detour for the Kundalika view point. It was a small road with lot of loose asphalt gravel. Now it take it slow its difficult for me with my heavy bike. It was great riding for some time in a forest kinda canopy. Then it opens up to a platform on the left. It looks great but i was told the best is yet to come. We park our bikes and walk a bit down and there it hits me. The great canyon view there. It was very unexpected for me and was a great surprise. Loved the views around there. I doubt the guys would ever move back to bangalore Spent some quality time there and took some more detours on the same road to get near lake.

All this made sure we are squeezing on our precious daylight. Now we make a run toward the beach. Rip through the green paths. It was great with light green grass on either side of smooth black road. Make it to NH17 by 5 pm and have a tea break. Its hot and not raining here. Get out of the rain gear and make a fast run towars Karloi beach. Ashwin had discovered it on his solo exploration ride couple of years back. And we are taking on the daylight. Its six by the time we are at the village. Ashwin leads us through the narrow village streets and we offroad towards the light house. We have to leave our gear below as its too narrow to climb up the the actual light. Make it up for an awesome view of the rocky karloi beach and the karloi fort ont the other side. The light house is activated and we are given some gyan of the place and surrounding light houses. it seems the just 12 watt bulb is enough for the job. The beams can be seen till 40 kms! Its all the magic in the reflectors. This was a three second light house and there are other light houses near by with 4 and 5 second intervals in beams. That is how different light houses in the area are identified by the ships nearby. With the tour done we are out of there and now ride down the slippery grassy path on to the sand. Fight it out for few feet and then we have traction on hard sand. Ride out to the rocks and park our bikes. Its hardly 7 pm and we spend almost like 2 hours just enjoying the place, chatting and clicking away. 9 pm is the time when we make up our minds to leave towards home.

Have dinner at a pretty looking restaurant on the NH17. We feel like calling it a day but bed's a 120 kms away. Its time for some late night ride and its a quick paced ride taking turns leading. It was fun ride and we stop for a tea break near the express way. And another quick riding session to pune and make it to homes by 12.30 am. It was an awesome reunion ride as we three had ridden together almost 4 years back.


Quite a contrapation on a bike in pune..


Praveen S up for the ride..


Ashwin joining us...


Praveen and Ashwin again..


Its rain country so have to get into rain gear soon...


We stop at paradise resort for a lazy quick bite


The resort's got quite a view..


The Praveens doing the big talk...


Ashwin and Praveen view gazing...


This is the view...


The monsoon ride continues...








Guys waiting while i click...


Many lakes enroute...


green green every where





The farmer and his bulls...


Guys taking a detour for Kundalika valley view point...


Water falls everywhere...


We are there...


Getting down to the view point...


Its a mind blowing green canyon...


Cam just cant capture the depth of the place...





Our steeds up there...


All of us at the view point...


The canyon again..


Spot the differences in the two zmas! one tour retrofitted and the other ralley stripped!


Continue for another place...


its glowing grass riding to get to a lake's edge...


the way we came...


bikes at the lake...


thats mine


The shooters....


We have to leave now...


Ashwin leaving the scene


To get a bettor shot...


The shooter...


My poser bike...


PraveenS joining us...


Ride back through the forest kinda place...


Its open, its green and its great... Guys are also exited as this is their first monsoon ride this year...


More water falls


Anoter canyon view...


We take the green path...


Praveen taking a slippery detour....


Another water falls


Ashwin showing us a drag strip below on the plains...


The rain steads...


Another cool break...


Another lake enroute...


The green mile!


The monster that blocked our way...


The green mile again...


We reach the Karloi beach and offroad to the light house...


And we get in...


We have to leave our stuff here cos....


Its too narrow up there...


And it gets narrower on the top...


Our steads below...


The Karloi beach...


And we discuss!


The Karloi fort on the other side...


The Karloi cannon


Ashwin timing the light house's light's beam on my face...


Time to hit the beach...


And we fight the sand...


Settled for the evening...


Bikers on the rocks!


The light house coming into action..


Some light play...


Its dark and the light house's 12Watt light glowing brightly and it reaches 40 Kms it seems!

Following pix by Praveen Shirali:

Me there...


At Kundalika view point...


Ashwin's bike at the lake..


All our bikes...





We shoot each other...


Bikes on a break...


A colorful wet dog..


At a stop...


Me fighting the sand at Karloi beach...


Working with my cam...




Following pix by Ashwin:

Me at the paradise resort...


At the lake with my bike..


The cam's gotta be used...


Praveen Shirali working with the cam...


Riding out from the small dam...


Looking for a target


There was nothing up there


Working on the light play...


Ashwin captures the beams of the light house...


Cows lit from the light house's moving beam of light...

Superb Pics there..

Thanks Rockyy...

Day 158 - Aug 13 - Pune 2 Toseghar 2 Mahabaleshwar

Aug13 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

244 KMs 22179 KMs

Had moved to my childhood friend prakash's place the previous evening and had party till late in the night. That got me slow to start today. PraveenS had chalked out awesome route and quite a fill for they day. Bid farewell to Prakash and started pretty late and its 11.30 am by the time i leave pune. PraveenS says i can still make it. Since i had to leave the luggage somewhere to see placed around Mahabaleshwar, the schedule was to ride till satara, turn right to checkout toseghar windmills and ride north towards Mahabaleshwar. Sounds simple. With on and off rains, its a pain to get in and out of rain gear. Any way reach satara on the GQ and turn right in search of Toseghar. PraveenS had given simple and effective directions and i surely found my way around. Crossed a tunnel and it was super green on the other side. It was already 2 pm and i kind have to make it quick. Guess will have to skip visiting Sajjangadd fort due to short of time. It was again green every where. Every bit of mud was covered with light green grass. It was beside the road, on the mountains and every where. It glowed when sun escaped the clouds and shined on them. Now i needed ask around bit and i doubted if any would would understand the word 'windmill'. But on trail and error found out the hindi 'pavan chakki' which everyone around knew and directed me towards the place. Could see a few far above the mountain table plateos. The weather is but dull and windy. Atleast the windmills will be happy. As i ride up i see more and more of them. I see a farm to my left and there was a bad road leading to it. The windfarms on the opposite mountains looks attractive and thought of heading there. I head there they were still 10-15 kms with bad roads. Thought would check out the one i passed.

I was told that i can ride into the farm, and after a bad patch there was a decent road leading the farm. It was great up there on the table with lot of wind mills. The farm extended quiet some distance and had drop off on the edge of it. It was amazing up there and the windmills were quite huge. Just rode around lazily and walked around a bit. Could hundreds of windmills far across on the adjacent mountain plateaus. The cloud was playing around and would give glimpses of the huge farms afar. Felt like being in a alien land. It was 4 when i started to ride. Though short of daylight you got the have food when hungry. Come back to the satara town as directed and take a left towards Kaas village. The road again climbed up and with great views all around. Then the road lead to on top of a flat ridge with drop offs on both the sides and there were lakes on both the sides as well. It got windy and it was strange and beautiful place to ride around. An option was to return to satara to stay for the night. But going back all the way was kinda not acceptable. Rode on gazing at he beauty. Wishing i had started early and i could ride at ease taking more breaks. But its not possible racing against the daylight. Get near Bamnoli lake and there were options to ride around the highly designed lake or take a boat. It was already 6 pm and taking a winding road around the lake for not feasible. So boat it is. It turned out to be bit expensive but with time running i had less options as well. Plus there were scares of swine flue even in this remote village. I was told all stuff were closed at mahabaleshwar cos of the same. Called PraveenS to checkout options and re reassured me to continue saying the words "tell them you coming from pune, they will run away from you" hehe. The boat was arranged and paid for.

It was a big metal motor boat with a high nose. Thought it was impossible to put the bike in and it was actually! But their idea was to put the front wheel in with the rear wheel dangling. Now now are we sure? none were. The bike was hoisted nonetheless and all including me used a lil brain to tie the bike to secure it on the boat. It was kinda scary imagining the bike rolling into the water! One person even sat inside just holding the bike preventing it from rolling out. The other wise pleasant evening boat ride felt apprehensive. The half hour felt real long. We make it to Tapola with bike still on the boat and 3-4 ppl gather to bring the bike back. Pretty relieved seeing the bike standing on its own rubber. Mahabaleshwar is still 35 kms away and though just a lazy ride in bit of dark would take me there. Stopped couple of times for some clicks too. It got darker and the unexpected happened. It got misty and i mean misty. With gaining darkness in the twilight, it was getting harder and harder to ride. Would just get blinded if i turn on the lights. It got tougher and challenging as it got darker. Was riding less than 20 kmph with just the pilot light on. Then i saw local biker standing for a break. When i complained about lack of visibility, he suggested turning off all the lights and riding on indicators!! And what do you know it worked! The indicators worked a blinking fog lamps. Due to a malfunction in the indicator wiring it remained on without blinking later! good for me. It still was tough work with my dead tired and hungry. A big vehicle over took and i just stuck to his tail for the last 5-6 kms. Must say it was one scary ride. Any way made it to damp and wet Mahabaleshwar. The power was out as well. Hotels were expensive and found one for 500 bux. settled in the room and breathed a sigh relief. The target for the day was achieved. It was just about finding food and could not work on logs as i was pretty tired.


A few clicks of pune city from the previous day...





Awesome urban view from PraveenS's home's balcony...





Prakash and me...


Some protection against swine flue!!


He has a CBZeeee....


I hit the GQ and ride towards Satara...


Awesome roadscape around pune...





Nearing the tunnel...


Just about to exit...


Now i am on to the famous Kambakti ghat


View from above...


Fantastic oneway twisties...


the road gets back to being flat...


I get off the highway at satara and ride towards Toseghar...


I like riding under the canopy...


Beautiful landscapes around...


First of the windmills spotted...


Ride uptowards and past sajjangad fort...


Almost all the mountains are green layered...





Quite a few mountain top plains...


Getting nearer to the windmill farm.


It starts to rain..


Pass a windmill farm...








One to road to get into one...


A huge farm on the other mountain top plain..


Ride into the farm..


A huge windmill yet to be assembled...


More pix on the windmills


the people working on one looks so tiny...


Me standing near a step of one...


On the edge of the huge natural table...


Hundreds of windmills on the other mountain top plains afar...


I ride away from the toseghar towards Bamnoli and views around...


Satara town below...


lot more greenary....





Its just plain grass on the plains...


Awesome plain near Kaas with drop offs on both the sides of the road...


Ride towards Bamnoli...





Lakes and lakes everywhere...


On a small break enroute...





At Bamnoli town...


Riding to the edge of the lake...


The Bamnoli lake..


Bike has to get into one of those lakes...


A freaky dog skull...


Bike hanging on the edge of the boat...


From inside...


He is holding the bike just in case it rolls out!!


A supposed to be pleasant boat ride...


The boats engine..


View at the lake...





Bike on the shores of Tapola..


Some water scooters lazing around due to lack of tourists...


Riding towards Mahabaleshwar...


Green green mountain slopes...


Quite a busy shape of the elangated lake...





It gets real misty to ride...

Nice One Praveen. Great Pics. I love all green green parts. Beautiful places.

RIDE SAFE. YOU ARE THE TOURING GOD.

God bless you ya....
You are incredible & most facinating thing is How your body is supporting... different type of foods, climate, drinking water..... damn you have steel body....you are better than ZMA machine.....

Great to read your log...... Just keep going......

In a line, when you will return back, I will be very unhappy

wow... pune and nearby areas does come to life during monsoon.

BTW, even the hill near PV's house is glowing green!