Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

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Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Thanks for the approval Samarth. And the attachment links are now fixed.

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Nice captures!

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Let me give you all a brief idea what Turtle Festival at Velas is all about. Its an annual festival which is conducted in the months of March and April. This is organized and managed by Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra, a non profit nature conservation body based in Maharashtra. You can find more details about them on their website About us. The local groundwork at Velas is done by the villagers who call themselves Kasav Mitra Mandal. The whole objective of the festival is to create awareness & conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley species of turtles who come to Velas beach for breeding. The festival allows people to see the baby turtles hatch out of their eggs and take the first baby steps towards their new home i.e the ocean.Also this comes with a chance to stay in a village with amazing kind hearted people with simple yet lip smacking sea food.

Back in 2014 I had first visited Velas to attend the Turtle Festival. It was truly an amazing experience. Staying in a village, away from the hustle bustle of the city with no network coverage. The experience was really an eye opener. Our fast paced city life with all the amenities, money, comfort and we are still miserable. I was newly engaged that time and had promised myself that I will bring my girl here someday, so that she can experience first hand what I did. After a bit of brainstorming with my better half we decided to visit Velas this year riding on our motorcycle “Fawkes”(CBR 250R) on 10th & 11th March weekend. Since it was the first week of the festival we made our bookings couple of days in advance at Mr.Amol Soman’s home-stay. Prepped our motorcycle, cleaned our riding gears, charged all the electronic stuff, packed our stuff in a rear top box. And we headed off on 10th March early morning at 7.00 am to our new adventure.The plan was to leave early but we really were not really in a hurry. This was more of a leisure trip so we left when we woke up.

Cameras used:Nikon D5100 with 18-140mm lens, Gitup Git2pro action camera and HTC Desire 820.

Route: Dombivli-Shilphata-JNPT Road-Pen-Vadkhal Naka-Kolad-Mangaon-Morba-Mhasala-Jasvali Naka-Bagmandla-Vesvi-Velas

First photo of the day. My wife and my ride.



After fueling up at Dombivli ,we headed with a steady pace towards Shilphata and onwards towards JNPT road. Roads were a mixed bunch of good patches and bad ones. On the way towards Karnala I did think about stopping near the sanctuary gate for a small break. I have always loved stopping here because of the trees that line up both the sides. Alas they are all cut down now to make way for the widening of NH66.I saw a lot of monkeys on both sides of road who were once perched high on the trees that are now no longer there. So much for development eh. After a light breakfast of Vada Sambhar and piping hot chai somewhere after Karnala, we headed off again towards Vadkhal Naka. The traffic situation was irritating due to all the construction activity going on.Soon the heat was catching up and we were taking a lot of hydration breaks to avoid getting dehydrated.

A rare occasion to see an entire family wearing helmets.



Open Roads!!!



Trucks and more trucks...



One of the many hydration breaks during the ride.




After reaching Mangaon and then taking a right turn towards Shrivardhan, we were now travelling through state highway SH99. The roads were pretty decent with lot of twisties in some patches and some very off road ones too. There are a lot of small villages in between so was riding a bit carefully. We stopped at a small shop in the middle of nowhere for chilled buttermilk. Its extremely soothing to have ‘chaas’ when the sun is beating you down. After couple of more hydration breaks we finally reached Jasvali Naka. By that time it was post lunch time and Harihareshwar MTDC was nearby. So off we went to put our grumbling tummies to rest with the most delicious Prawns thali & Chicken thali made in typical Konkani style. Unfortunately they were out of Sol Kadi which was kinda disappointing.

NH66



Cruise mode on!!!



And we are stuck!!!



Open roads and trees for company.



Beating the heat with chilled 'chaas'



Much needed break for us and Fawkes.



Attack mode on. Spicy Chicken and Prawns Thaali for lunch.



We headed towards Bagmandla hoping to catch the ferry for Vesvi. And boy oh boy we were just in time. I love traveling in ferries, it's an amazing feeling if you are not in a hurry and just want to enjoy the ride.After heading out of Vesvi jetty we took a right turn towards Velas and soon entered the village. It's a different feeling altogether, clean fresh air, smell of cow dung and lots of greenery. That's why I love the Konkan belt of Maharashtra reminds a lot of my home state Kerala.

Under-construction bridge connecting Bagmandla to Vesvi.



Just in time for the ferry.



And there she is.



Time to board her.



And off we go!!!



Asking around in the village we reached our home-stay. See this is the best part of a village everyone knows everybody by name. We freshened up and headed towards to beach hoping for a glimpse of the baby Ridleys. The eggs are kept in a wire mesh enclosure with a basket kept on top of the nest which is of-course buried in the sand.There was a good crowd of people of all ages waiting in anticipation for the forest officials to come and open the basket to check if the babies are ready to come out. Unfortunately they were not ready yet to come out.The organizers declared that we will have to come early in the morning next day to see if there are any hatchings happening. This was disappointing but you really dont have any control over this. After all here nature is at play.Since there wasn't much to do we fooled around on the beach clicking pictures and taking selfies. We played in the water and relaxed watching the sun set in the horizon.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. - Buddha



You see that basket. Underneath them are the eggs buried in the sand. This was clicked when we were waiting in anticipation for the baby turtles to be revealed.



Candid moment.



Innocence.



A lone fishing boat.



Sun, sand and the sea.



Thats their home where they are kept safe from predators.



You and I together at every step.



End of a beautiful day with hope of another one tomorrow.



I love the smell of rain, and I love the sound of the ocean waves.




Open sky and trees.



Reflection of the sun amongst mangroves.



Last photo of the day.



After heading back to our home-stay we cleaned up ourselves and sat down for a lovely simple homely dinner. Chappatis, Potato bhaaji, Chavli ki bhaaji, Raw mango salad, dal and rice. Although I'm a hardcore meat eater, occasionally having a simple healthy homely veg meal does not cause any harm no. And plus it was damned tasty too. I had second serving of Dal rice and ate till I was full. My wife on the other hand was craving for fish and thought maybe she will eat a little and then look around for some eatery. See this is what happens when wives don't listen to what husbands say. I had told her way before that this place sleeps very early and even if there is something available to eat it will be closed. Poor thing had to sleep with half full tummy. I had a good laugh at her expense though.After dinner we went for a walk and there was absolute silence in the air. You could hear the faint sound of the waves far away and the chirping of the crickets. We saw an entire family sitting out in the porch , granny , kids and grandkids talking and laughing amongst each other. And not one of them had a phone in their hands. This is something most of us don't do talk to each other without a phone.

Although it was disappointing not able to see the baby turtles, we still had a great time and were hoping to see them in the morning. Do we get to see them? More on that later!!!!

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Saw you on Sunday at Katai Naka. I am also from Dombivli. We should meet

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Sure why not PM me.

Thanks.

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Ridley or no Ridley,this is neat tripping

Re: Finding Ridley Again...Or Not

Conclusion....

Early morning we woke and headed to the beach. This was our last opportunity before we headed back home. As luck would have it we did not get to see the turtles again. Perhaps this was meant to be. After all it's all in nature’s hand which is beyond anyone’s control. We were really disappointed. Especially her because I could see her so bubbling with excitement and curiosity the previous evening when we reached here and now she was all sad. Nothing that a tight hug can solve. We headed back, packed our stuff and were ready to leave. Before leaving we had Poha for breakfast with the most amazing turmeric pickle. She being the shopaholic she is, bought masalas, turmeric pickle , papads and cashews from the host. She has to either pick up souvenirs or edible items from our travels.

It's a brand new day.



I know its cliché but she had to do it.



This was clicked when I had last visited the place in 2014. Posting this so that you all know what we missed.



Baby Ridley.



Time for us to head back. We slowly headed back with a heavy heart knowing we missed seeing the baby turtles but we were happy to be here away from our boring lives even if it was for one day. Being away from city life reminds you there is more to just being successful and rich in our life. Being at peace is something most of us lack. Someday soon we will be back and hopefully we will be able to see them again.

While returning back we stopped at Bankot Fort to have a looksie.



My girl all geared up for a fight...full power!!!!



Once a symbol of power and glory, now just a reminder of the past.



Arabian sea...view from Bankot Fort.



Return journey.



One last for the road.



Done with one adventure...waiting for the next.



We reached home later in the evening after an epic 400 km ride. We rested our weary body and mind with chilled beer. And thus ends another adventure and now waiting for some new ones.

See you all next time!!!