Trek to Fort Peb

Trek – this sounds a lill odd to me…especially for people those who know me….. I am adventurous but also very lazy to walk….but this time I had decided would finally go for a trek…I never knew how it would be…but was quite excited….I gathered two of my friends also to join me…but unfortunately they could not make it to the trek….I was left alone…I was thinking now to go or not to go…..but then I decided I should….the trek was on Sunday 17th September’06…..I had called the trekking member through orkut and confirmed about me coming….I did all the shopping required for the trek and was set off to go…..

Sunday morning I woke up early at 5.30am then reached Dadar at 6.40 am….was supposed to meet the trekking group at a temple near Dadar station…..I saw a few people waiting near the temple….. all of them seemed quite young to me…..but then it was a trek…….we were going to a place near Matheran named as Fort Peb…..it was 2hrs from Mumbai…..all of us gathered and left Mumbai at around 7am….in the bus the trekker organizers told us a few details regards the trek and also distributed breakfast and lunch to be carried….I would say I liked the way it was organized…..we were around 30 of us…..25 guys and 5girls……

We reached the place to trek…….there were a few mountains around and that we had to climb…around 3-4 of them to reach the Fort Peb…it was one of the forts of Shivaji Maharaj…..when I saw the location it looked good…..but I never knew how to go about…we started climbing the 1st mountain…..I started getting tired there itself……when we reached almost the tip to continue….I also had a sprain on my leg…..then we started the 2nd mountain…..this route a bit tough...it was very narrow and steep…..we were walking though that now… also I was feeling like why the hell did I come…..coz walking was taking out a toll on me…..then we reached the 3rd mountain…..this was another adventure….it was completely filled with stones and it was also very steep and slippery….when I was climbing through that…. my shoes slowly started coming off and in no time…..I was off my shoes, as they had completely torn and come off….now trekkers with me were a bit tensed…I then started walking with my my socks…..first of all I was cursing for walking now I had to walk with socks…..oh what luck …..I was a bit disgusted but still the trek had to completed……then we reached at a point where we needed to climb on a rock and reach the next mountain…..there the trekking members helped us climb it…..I also got another pair of socks which a girl lend to me……thankfully they were of help……to climb and reach at one of our destination where we halted for lunch……it was a cave of Akalkot Swami……it was at a good height……the place was simply beautiful…..we still needed to climb higher after the break to reach Fort Peb…..then it started raining……so I decided to stay back…..when half of them left to go on top….I stayed down…I really wanted to go…as I had come so far…but as I had no shoes….I stayed back…coz I was not confident enough to climb on a slippery way…….

Then now was the way to go back……I was very happy we were to go down….but it was raining…..this time I had borrowed slippers/chappals from the local guide of that place who was with us…..he was given kito’s by one guy who had extra……I was now with a big challenge to come down of all the rocks, stones, mud through with the chappals…..I could not wear socks as it was not possible at all with the rain…..we started walking now….I was somehow confidently crossing the slippery areas…my track pants has become dirty like anything….to top all this it got dark…we still had more then an hour to go……there were 2-3 of them who had slipped while coming down….not major hurt but yes…..they slightly hurt…..I didn’t want to slip coz first of all I was in slippers and hated walking……slowly slowly we were going ahead with the torches we had……I had a torch in my cell used that to come down…it was even more difficult while coming down…as it was raining and also the route was tricky….but I had good confidence in the trekking group that I would reach me down safely…….we finally reached down through the rivers, rocks and mountains……finally we could see our bus at a distance….I was happy….that yes I could make it with no accidents or injury with my 1st trek in socks and chappals……..

I believe now after this experience I would like to go trekking again with the same group…..its called Jungle Lore…..it was quite a adventure I must say…….but for my good luck…I was saved by litchis, snakes…..or any other thing in the jungle…….so to wind it up it was a good trek……:)

Renewal of the 11monthts ------- ‘Lease and Let Agreement’

October 1st, 2005 was the day we shifted to the place where I stay in Andheri east now on the 6th Floor same building where we stayed on the ground floor prior to this one, we were three roommates, we got to know eachother when we used to stay in cot sharing basis in the same apartment on the ground floor. We were lucky enough to get the 2nd flat in the same building because the society also was good and the location very close to the station. Also we got the same facilities from this new owner as our previous one, with an added advantage of more privacy then the ground floor. All of us were very excited to stay in this new place and then we shifted.

Our new owner wanted us to legally sign a ‘Lease and Let agreement’ which was valid for 11 months. So as a new family we shifted on the 6th floor. We kept a new maid and also a cook. Life was going fine, we ordered things together and all are bills like electricity, grocery, gas, etc used to be paid in time. Also we were happy with the set up. On the 6th Floor the view was good, we had fresh air to breath and everything was just perfect. But as they say all good things don’t last long, we started having our childish fights and arguments. As 6months passed all are bills started pending, never the things came in time. Everybody wanted to enjoy their own luxury and comfort. None wanted to take a pain in getting the things in order. Slowly the cooking bai funda also was finished, like 2 of us quit the food coz of different reasons. Actually the main reasons being, the daily fights on who’s going to get what and stuff like that. Even the bai’s were suffering badly in this chaos. Everything was a mess, just like the way we had suffered in the ground floor flat where 6 girls were there to create a chaos, here we were just 3of us to create it. Ultimately due to no co-operation and co-ordination which is a management funda. As one of the girls was the main culprit who was creating all the fights and problem, the other 2decided to quit from this place and search for a place where we could stay alone by ourselves. But to our bad luck the places in Mumbai had become very expensive and were crossing our budget. Also it was not easy to quit to such a good place, in an affordable setup so we finally decided to stay back and face the consequences. But this time in unity, we won’t let the other girl rule us like the British’s policy of Divide and Rule as she did. What is the most important here is UNITY, CO-OPERATION & CO-ORDINATION.

So today again the 3of us along with the Owner completed the same legal formality of 11months ‘Lease and Let agreement’. This time it was a renewal of the contract at the Bandra court. We all reached there, but this time in the 3of us we had 2 teams. The ratio was 2:1.Ofcourse I come in the stronger force. The condition of the flat is worsening day after day. But still we leave our house each day with a smile on our faces and go to work as everything is normal. Actually staying outside like this away from parents, teaches us a very unique lesson about life. The need is to find a solution to this problem and stay happy. It’s now another 11months to GO.

Ganesha Festival

I remember since my childhood days I used to be very excited about Ganesh festival…I used go to my ancestral house…as we were a joint family we had a tradition of getting our ganpati in common….so I remember mom got me a new dress and then I used to take a bag of crackers along with me and burstest them along with my cousins....it used to be fun…we all cousins meet, burst crackers, played and then in the afternoon ganpati aarti and come back home…every year I used to be the first one to get ready and accompany my dad to my ancestral house…. my family ganesha is there just for 1.5days....then as I grew up the crackers thing was over…I used to go chat with my cousins and come back….but still the excitement of the festival never went…

Now as I am staying outside for my job, at mumbai from past 2years I have not been able to go home for ganesha….so for both these years I celebrate it here in mumbai at my relatives place….

The first thing which comes to my mind about ganpati festival are the Modak’s…we have different types of modaks…in marathi we make the modaks of rice and the stuffing of gudd and coconut…it’s a very tasty sweet and made only during the ganesha festival….the modaks have a unique shape…..we get even pedhas from sweet shops in the shape of modaks…..so I was lucky enough to eat them both the years at my relatives place…..so I didn’t miss on them.

I also visited a few of my aunts friends houses on the ganpati day…it is a fun festival with sweets, good food, new clothes and lots of crackers…..also the ganesha is celebrated by individuals, families and particular area people coming together. It’s also very colorful when ganesha is taken for immersion. The immersion accordingly to ritual can be done…after 1.5days, 5days, 7 days and 11days……so the festival is alive all these days….people go around to see different ganpati’s all over the place and enjoy themselves….every ganpati pendal is decorated with a lot of efforts from the people in that area….Ganesha is a festival where all the people come together and celebrate it at the best and there is wait by everyone saying…”Ganpati Bappa Morya….fudchya varshi lavkar ya”