[sreepathy]

The rains have started showing withdrawal symptoms (in fact they have disappeared from most places).

So decided to put together some pictures and words -- courtesy Polo forest, monsoon in full blast and a public holiday (Janmashtami)



Right from the start, a fine drizzle was hanging in the air and the morning felt grey and misty. The cooling tower of the Gandhinagar thermal power station, a regular and reassuring sight whenever we are out on long drives, looked majestic draped in mist



Actually, it was a revisit. We had been there some five years ago during winter when the forest was untouched and unspoilt. We were the only family there on that day and we were a bit scared. In fact, a school principal whom we had given a lift to even cautioned us against leaving the car alone, venturing into the forests and leaving children alone. The place is not the same anymore



Almost all rivers and rivulets that we came across our Gandhinagar-Himmatnagar-Idar route were flowing bank to bank. For most part of the year, some of these remain bone dry. The contrast was indeed striking



A photo break. The light drizzle never stopped, so it was the quintessential monsoon drive with everybody looking forward to a great treat from the mother nature



A long drive without a traffic jam? Impossible



It was a tree this time, the poor thing couldn't take the pounding it received from the rain the previous night



There was space for a vehicle, but three or four were trying to squeeze through simultaneously. No wonder it was a half-a-kilometre long snarl



Finally it was our turn. Couldn't avoid the branches from rubbing against the car. Checked later to find that there was no harm done



On NH8. Supposedly the busiest highway in the subcontinent



The lone kabab mein haddi on the route



Tea break. Honestly we stopped because it was Honest. Honests dot most highways in Gujarat and offer decent fare and mostly importantly a fairly clean loo



The drizzle waxed and waned and kept the sun and shine away



Entering Himmatnagar, the town of courage



First close encounter with the bovine kind



Another one



A big salute to these bravehearts



Too fine a shave, thanks to the monsoon



Barren hills singal it's Idar



Inside the city. Cows aplenty here too



Horn OK please? Nah. Horns, ear-splitting or not, hardly work with cows



It's better to keep a safe distance, for yours and more importantly the animal's safety and well being



Morning siesta, in the middle of the road



There are situations when patience is truly a great virtue



The signature hilly terrain of Idar



Fog at its fag end



The hill disappearing into the sky

[sreepathy]

After Idar, everything takes a thick green hue, where water, earth, mountains and sky all merge, thanks to the fog that continued to roll



It was real donkey work negotiating some stretches



The road wrapped in green



Can't blame them, a selfie in the middle of the road



A grim reminder of the harsh summer



No distractions whatsoever



The advantages of being an early bird -- no sign of holiday rush



Literally ambushed by nature



No escape from cows in the forest too. But they were less intimidating than their city counterparts



City or forest, buffaloes are buffaloes. Don't mess with them



Layers and layers of thick foliage



The rolling hills



The road winds quite a bit but there were no surprises in store



A mountain of burden on her head



At places it felt like going through a tunnel, nurtured by nature



The road was well marked all through



The occasional blips



And pure bliss



These mountains may not have eyes, but they surely have a charm of their own



Our first halt within the forest, which was lush, green and serene



An umbrella that matched the nature's palette



Green with envy



The monsoon had breathed life into the ruins



View from the thicket



And from across the road



Vento cooling its (w)heels



Being early had other benefits too -- easy parking. A few hours later there was no place to set foot here let alone park vehicles



Eyeing the best shot. Any click would have yielded a decent photo



The stream in full flow



No clue what it is. Fishing equipment?

[sreepathy]

A road, bridge and a checkdam rolled into one



A beautiful curve. A close shot, vehicles on the road permitting



And a long one



At some places the stream was pretty narrow and shallow



The colours of happiness



A checkdam that had given birth to a waterfall



Multiple jungle trails for those who want to explore the flora and fauna high up in the hills



Had a feeling of something strange (or dangerous) hiding in those bushes and trees lining the stream



No human soul had the grit to enter the waters. There were a few drowning cases last year. Everyone restricted their movement to the checkdams



Going with the flow. On the checkdam with kids



And below



The entry point



Conveniently perched all over to enjoy the spectacle



Testing the waters



The crowd increasing gradually

[sreepathy]

Finally taking the plunge



A 'waterfall' is a very rare phenomenon at Polo. Colleagues who went a few days later couldn't see one



Amid a flood of gushing waters. No swimming gear, no one expected such a treat



Lost in his own little world



Bathing in silver streams of falling water. Good enough for a soap ad



View from the road



Out of water and off to the dam



Climbing up after parking the car



The catchment area



Another view



One more



The vantage point



Weaving webs in the sky



Time for a break, for lunch and some posing



Lots of leg work, sight seeing, some moderate hiking and serious roaming around later, found a spot that could accommodate both the car and four hungry souls



Trying hard to leave a mark



It was noon and both sides of the road were taken up by vehicles



An official in the forest department had cautioned me that during weekends and holidays they call in cops to clear up traffic. In the morning, thought that was an exaggeration. But by noon it was clear he was right. It had all the makings of a massive traffic jam by the time we were leaving


Then and now. Five years ago we could take our Alto k10 into the forest. Now, the same stretch is chock a bloc with people, makeshift shops, horses and whatnot

[sreepathy]

Return journeys could be long and boring. But nature had better plans for us



Returning by the same route, and the now-familiar rolling hills



The skies conspiring to throw us a big treat



An army of cows marching towards us. Stood still and let them pass



Another herd having its way



The fun began. It started pouring cat, dogs and of course cattle too, forcing many vehicles to pull over. But since the roads were good and visibility was ok decided to chug along and enjoy the rains



Had never driven during a downpour and it was quite an experience. The sky was falling down heavy on the vehicle and everywhere eyes could see. There was a blast of water and wetness allover and for some time the earth and sky seemed indistinguishable



Didn't push the vehicle knowing its shortcomings (no ABS etc). Played it safe all along -- kept a decent pace, decent distance from the vehicle ahead and no overtaking. But to the car's credit, nowhere did it show any anxiety



Enjoyed two longish spells of downpour before Gandhinagar. Entered Ahmedabad and not a drop of rain -- strange are the ways of nature

[GTO]

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