I Liked your log.....especially the tribal eloping and then realizing that i can still have someone better....Wow how i wish to be a part of that tribe for a while....

Tell me more on PM if u know...hahaha

I wonder what you have to say if someone reads this.You know whom I'm referring to.Don't you?

you wish that someone still dont know the site address well and i am sure u will not dare to mail or msg....haha
but i need to be cautious

I got a PAN! NOW where the heck is this village...
(Ready with the Zma-R, futuristic-Superfast-Eloping!)

Day 3-29th Dec 2008
Kms-370km
Route-Chikaldhara-Jatang(25km from Chikaldhara)-Chikaldhara-Jalna(Same route as taken in Day 1)

Will be updated tomorrow.Posting the map of Chikaldhara for the moment.

Nice Log and excellent pics there MG. all your pics are really wonderful and awesome and the way your penned down your travelogue is quite interesting....


waiting for the remaining pictures and Log.

Good Ride MG !! Yet the read the full log. And awesome pics there are my favs.

Amazing clicks MG!

The best of travel in some of the most unexplored places in Maharashtra...way to go...Now I remember you telling me about this ride...

Nice trip...and typical trademark style log makes it interesting to read

Day 3 Log and Pictures:

The start of Day 3 was not very different from Day 2.Only difference being that today I enjoyed sunrise from so called sunrise point although there was no difference between the view that I got from my hotel and from sunrise point. Sometimes I find that most of these points are publicized much more than what they are capable of. That said the moment of sunrise was very charming & pleasant.
Another sunrise in Chikaldhara




Some more shots from Sunrise Point










The people of Chikaldhara feels proud of these two wind mills that they possess


While coming back to hotel



My next destination was Kalalkund which is a waterfall some 15kms away. For that I need to take a complete different route from Chikaldhara which goes all the way to Achlapur enroute Jatang. The last section to Kalalkund was very difficult to find. Firstly there was no board which says Kalalkund or anything so the only way you can find it (More of a guess I should say) is when your tacho says you are 13kms away from Chikaldhara start asking the villagers the way to Kalalkund. One of them will definitely have some idea. Move on till you a reach a village. Then came the real surprise .

Soon after the village finished the road goes downhill.Oh wait! There is no road, there are only small and big rocks. I skidded ,slided, lost balance but someway finished the section without falling even once. Now all I can see are trees, bushes and a small lake on one side. I was like definitely I have taken some wrong way. Was wondering what to do when I saw a villager coming with his fleet of sheep. Hesitantly asked him the way to Kalalkund and he said that I need to trek some 30 minutes for Kalalkund. Asked him whether I could take my bike close to that place to which he said that I need to park their itself or at the village. From past experiences I knew that any local saying any kind of time and distance you just need to double (actually triple on most of the occasion) it for your convenience. Had a look at the watch .It was saying 8.00a.m. So one hour on each side means I will take atleast 2.45mins to come back which will make it 11.00a.m and by the time I reaches Chikaldhara and finish my leg of sightseeing and move for Aurangabad it will be approximately 4.00p.m which means I will reach there only by midnight. Dropped the plan of visiting Kalalkund and instead thought of completing the whole section of Chikaldhara-Jatang and then move back.

The biggest hurdle was to do the section again and that too in reverse direction. Had a walk on the whole section to see from where I would be able to take the bike up. After 3-4 trial I was finally able to take my bike up and moving. Leaving with the pictures of Chikaldhara-Jatang section.













The point from where I turned back for Chikaldhara




The small lake


The max my camera is capable of


After reaching Chikaldhara I visited only two more place. The first one was the left out Gavilgarh fort which I had a brief look yesterday. The next is Bhim Kund which is supposedly a waterfall( No water at this point of the year). The story goes like this. Bhima killed Kichaka here and threw his body into the valley and bathed in the nearby lake and hence the name Bhim Kund. Leaving with some pictures of both the places.

Gavilgarh Fort








Photoshoot time




Gorilla War Technique-Trying it first hand


Yes that's me.Was trying to reach the top of the other side in 30sec but this is what I managed after trying multiple times







The view from the top.It took me some 45mins to reach there.






Bhim Kund




Found that flying machine again while coming back.Joy ride costs Rs1500 for 15mins.



Commom construction on every field

Came back to hotel. Had a refreshing bath and a nice lunch. By 1.00p.m I was ready to move. Although my plan was to stay at one of the highway hotels between Jalna and Aurangabad but I called at some of the hotels in Aurangabad to check the status and no difference from Chikaldhara. Seems like everything remains packed at this point of the year. Finally after calling some 7-8 hotels found a room in Amar International for Rs2200 per night. Booked it in case I don’t find anything from Jalna to Aurangabad and left stranded in the middle of nowhere.

The hotel owner had left a note at the reception that he wants to meet me before I leave. Went to meet him and had a nice chat with him for half an hour. He told me stories of Chikaldhara and around and he also said that this is the first time someone has come to this place on a bike from as far as Satara. He also shared his photoalbum with me. In one of the picture I was shocked to see snow on a familiar looking place ( It was actually the road outside the hotel). Asked him what’s this? He said that it snowed heavily on Chikaldhara on Jan07. I was like . Never heard of snow in Maharastra. Later he asked me the places which I visited in the last two days and how I found them. I explained. To which he said that I haven’t even captured 10% of what Chikaldhara and the surrounding area has to offer. He said next time I comes I just need to call him one or two days beforehand so that he can book a personal jeep for me which will take me to all the places. Soon after I bid goodbye to him and thanked him for all love and care that he had showered over me. Also said goodbye to two of my lazy friends who were waiting for me at the gate.

I started at 2.00p.m and route was simple. Follow the same route and reach Aurangabad as soon as possible. Search a hotel before entering Aurangabad and dump yourself for the day. The last option of Amar International was always there. The next 6 hours was pure ride with occasional breaks for a minute or two for water & chocolate. By 8.00p.m I passed Jalna and this time I missed Jalna city completely(Thankfully). After crossing Jalna I slowed down to lookout for any hotel. Within 5kms I found a very new building which looked like a hotel. Moved closer and yes it’s a hotel. Stopped and enquired. Rooms were available for Rs450 per night. Checked the room and only one word “for Rs450 it was a steal”. While having dinner I had a chat with the manager and he said the hotel was opened 5 days back. Am I lucky or what and not to add the food & service was excellent. Retired for the day by 9.30p.m.

One of the ghat section


Suciiiide


Pit stop at Khamgaon


Another one at Chikli


Setting sun.It was very difficult to ride in this condition with sunlight falling straight on your face.


Final picture of the day.The most difficult of thr trip because of low light.Got it after clicking 20 odd shots

My friend good to see discovering new country, but why in the world wont you use the superb Canon 350D?, is it something to do with traveling light?

Nothing like that.See some of my clicks in this thread.Just go through the end of the first post.Ride done with Mumbai xBhpians

This is when I didn't have Canon 350D.Its nothing like carrying light or anything.In Diveagar I had the saddle bags to carry the camera stuff.

After this ride report finishes I will start with another one where you will see 350D in action.

P.S:Will add the remaining Day 3 pictures tomorrow morning.

Good going there... Liking the adventure. Those sun rise pics are lovely.

BTW, what do those two wind mills do? Is that power sufficient for that village?

Is that grass growing on tar road or is it just some black soil there?

Thank you.More pictures added.

Not very sure about that.

Yes that is tar.A newly laid badly constructed road.

Updated more pictures of Day 3 with the log.

Again a nice set MG..!! Some of the shots are really nice..!