[parsh]

The monsoons started the itch to do one-day/weekend trips around Mumbai. So it was decided to make one of weekend getaways to Malshej sometime as soon as possible. Torrential rains had been lashing Mumbai like never before for 4 continuous days the last weekend. Even Mumbai's lifeline locals had to come to standstill at certain places, especially the Central and Harbor called it a day finally on Mon 29 Aug. Most of the weekend plans for many people were washed out and we also decided to stay put home not to brave the torrential rains and not to get stuck amidst any situation. We were trying to find the open gap of clear days, atleast, so to say, to start off the trip. And in the near future 2 most possible days were looming ahead for the planning, 31 Aug and 1 Sep, both being religious holidays, the rush to most of the places would be much less as people would be engrossed in the rituals than traveling. So it was decided seeing any of the open days of the 2, if the rains permit, we will just dash out to Malshej for a recharge. And thankfully the rains obliged on 31 Aug and 1 Sep. On 31 Aug we just couldn't make it out but retired blissfully in the afternoons with a heavy dose of Chicken and Mutton biryani on account of Ramjan Eid. So much so, we decided, if the rains permit we have to head out early morning on 1 Sep to Malshej and so a small packing was readied with spare cloths.

So, in the night of 31st Aug, went out, topped up Innova's belly, checked tire pressures and retired to bed.

Malshej is not not new to anybody but each time you visit there it promises to be a new rejuvenating experience.

What followed the next day were some mesmerizing moments once again. A few glimpses to begin with

[parsh]

We wake up early morning Thu 1 Sep 2011 about 6:30am hoping to get out by 8am. However, things get delayed as usual and we end up starting around 10am. For food, lots of biscuits and some freshly prepared home tikhat puris are packed, with 3 water bottles and the spare cloths duffel-bag. Decently packed we set out and start off the parking at about 10am. But the next hurdle in crossing comes up to be the Kanjurmarg railway flyover which though being a holiday is still holding up the vehicles making a mess of the traffic, and for what reasons but to fill up the great craters on it with the mud...waw and hats off to the civil administration. So it takes some time to wade through that flyover. But then soon onto the smoother drive on Eastern Express Highway, through Mulund Toll onto NH3 breezing over the flyover in Thane. So far so good.

Now begins the first trials of your patience and wanting you to never to step in that road again and mind well, this is so since quite sometime now. You don't want to be in that part of the road ever unless you MUST. The road is so utterly non-existing, bumpy, you wonder that it is the prime NH and that too NH3. But your destination raises your spirits to carry on through the tormenting perils. And to top it off, if you have a senior citizen or somebody with a bad back or arthritis, you got to make sure you are crawling in 1st gear and not even thinking of 5kph. It can literally take you 10-30 mins to just cross this stretch of just about 100 meters. (They do seem to be doing something about this by putting/rather dumping muddy fillers but to what use I cannot understand.) Nevertheless, we do pass this test and carry on to arrive at the NH3 Toll, take a day return toll fare and then onto better part of NH3 upto the Kalyan phata. Ah...so far so good even with the Kanjurmarg block and the NH3 hurdles race, atleast I knew these. But now I was unaware of other more belligerent trysts with the hurdles races. I did hear about worsening of the Kalyan road a bit but was literally unaware of it personally never having to cross it so far in recent years as such.

With right turn on NH3 at the Kalyan phata started us onto the Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Shilphata Road that is to be the NH222 going ahead. We arrive at the K-B-S toll and pay up for the day return toll fare. Literally knew the road by map and just queried with the toll guys and they confirmed the same with addition that take a left turn immediately after the bridge after the toll.

This now is the upcoming 2nd tryst with the hurdles. Just as we are taking the left as instructed by the toll boy, we spot the Police Station as well and more interestingly a small thela, a moongfalli-wala (peanuts). But we had already gone ahead a bit and still the thoughts of moongfallis water our mouths and we can't help but take a U-turn at the next break in the divider and round the circle and back to the Left turn that is to be taken for NH222. We make a stop at the thela and ask for roasted fallis. But they are not ready but he has yellow ones which are salted and boiled. So we decide to pick a handful just to go on, and he gives quite a handful/paperful for 10 bucks, I must say really quite a quantity considering the other thelas in our market. We start again on the left turn and onto the NH222 that it is, having shengadanas while keeping on track (ah, I do know driving mannerisms so my better half is essentially feeding me by numbers while my hands are tied to the steering and gear knob). I would say the shengadanas were too jumpy now but alas, we soon realised it was the next patch of non-existence road on the so called NH, this time NH222. So we go over the next tryst with bumpy hurdles through the villages of Kalyan and be happy about it because we have a destination to reach and we do not want to trace our path back as yet. I would have so much loved a crane to lift my Innova up in air and land me quite some distance away and give me that flying feeling than this roller-coaster ride. Fortunately, the good taste and the quantity of the moongfallis is giving us something to go by. Whew, now that I look back, I just wish an alternate route is found from NH3 that joins somewhere on NH222 after Kalyan. Long through the Kalyan road, we reach another flyover, ah, another one man, when is this going to end.Probably they have the competition of who maintains the roads in the worst condition.

There is also a proper direction board at the beginning of the flyover that you should not miss which shows direction to Murbad over the flyover. So there after crossing that 2nd flyover, we finally come to the better parts of the NH222 and find quite a relief as the road looks very promising though with ignorable hurdles now.

Soon the road turns superbly smooth and we cut the distances literally floating. The view starts livening up with wetness and lush greenery coming up on either side with innumerable fields, many of them being paddy fields.

[parsh]

Its 6 Jan 2013 already and my travelogue is lying in the closet in Assembly line. Have to kick myself to wake up and finish if off. So much so for the lethargy. Thats what happens when you think you will do it tomorrow. Good that other things I finished immediately after I started. But the pain of not being able to make to Kaas and Malshej in 2012 was still lingering on and I thought I will finish this off for once in that urge. There are other stuff too in the closet to be dished out but that will have to wait.

Must say a lot has changed on the roads, NH3 and NH222 since the time in Sep 2011 and they are much smoother for travel now.

The log for the trip had come to



I will let the pictures do the talking now. Definitely hoping to catch Malshej again this year's monsoon.

[parsh]

THE LITTLE FELLOW...RIP his soul. The reason I say is, while we caught him frolicking around when we landed there, somebody butchered him under the tires on the concrete road immediately on the outsides of the resort just a little while afterwards. Even if the mist was to to blame, we had avoided the same thing when we were maneuvering around the area, must have been some tourist bus that did the job.



The MTDC Flamingo resort at the platue is decent and is the only place around too. The food with at the restaurant is decent at decent rates too.































The Pimpalgaon Joga Dam waters are another lovely place to visit further ahead and atleast worth a drive with the waters on one hand and the mountains on the other.

[parsh]

[parsh]

[parsh]

And inspite of all this, it still calls for more in the monsoons. Hoping will be able to do it this year again...

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[parsh]

Forgot to add the route taken (anyway, its the only one)



The satellite too shows a lovely top view. Harishchandragad though nearby, needs quite a bit of trekking.

[vasanthn21]

Absolutely lovely pictures... and the weather was fantastic, makes me want to be there right now.

Sad to know about the cute puppy. :(