[tazmaan]

This travelogue is actually a staycation.

During 1st week of April 2021 when the Covid cases in Mumbai started going up everyone was worried and expecting a lockdown. But as compared to year 2020 this time the cases were all around us, friends, family etc were getting infected.

Me and my wife who are used to long staycations during summer were planning a 1 month stay in Goa but with covid scenario exploding going too far away from support system of home and family was out of question.

Around end of first week of April, 4 cases were reported in my building. The building would be sealed if there was one more case, probability of which was very high. My full family stays in the same building on 5th ,6th and 7th Floor.

After scars of 2020 lock down, there was no way we were going to spend a complete lock down in the city. On 9th April 2021 night we surfed the net for bungalows with a private pool and lots of open area and short listed a couple of them. My elder brother decided to join me so we started looking at 4BHK properties.

On 10th we negotiated with one of them and booked a property at Girivan, Dongargoan, Near Mulshi Pune for a stay of 21 days.

Same day we got tested for covid as a precaution and got our negative report the next day. We locked down the house bought hoards of grocery (The Isuzu v-cross was filled to brim) and left for Girivan on 12th April 2021. The stay was from 12th April to 2nd May 2021.

The same day My brother developed cold feet and said if the lock-down is announced he will come back home on the day lock-down is announced. This was ok with me because I had made up my mind not be locked down in a Mumbai flat this time.

As it happened the lock-down was announced a day later and my Brother stayed there for just 2 nights.

Once we reached the Aarogya setu app showed 2 cases in 5 km radius and there were no cases in Girivan as per what we were able to find out.

The property had a main building with 3 rooms, 2 living area a kitchen and a deck all of which is spread over 3 levels. The 4th room was a tree house 2 levels lower along with the pool. The multiple levels of the property made for a good work out.

Some pictures of the property.

The view from the Tree house



Parking


The view from the deck where we spent most of our time





Disclaimer: I know situation is bad all around us and I am aware of it. This stay was one of the little joys in life that makes us feel we are still alive and kicking and keep hoping for the best.

[tazmaan]

Once the lock-down was announced my brother packed up and left after 2 nights. At the same time when Lock-down was announced a very good friend of mine decided to leave Mumbai as well. While my brother was packing to leave my friend was frantically packing to reach the bungalow. The same process of the test was done by him and he managed to leave on the eve of lockdown along with his Wife and 2 sons who are of the same age as my 2 sons.

That was it, we were to stay confined at this place till lock-down was in place which was announced till 1st May 2021.

The idea during this stay was to stay fit both mentally and physically. My elder one had his exams going on so it was very important to find a spot with proper network on 4G. The entire property had good coverage thankfully. We were carrying Vodafone, Airtel and Jio sims just as a precaution and all of them worked well.

For food we tied up with a tiffin service which was provided by a very capable and hardworking local villager. The service was prompt and we were treated to one of the best home cooked local dishes through out the stay. This was one of the best service we got at a place we expected the least. Not only the meals he was also our go to man for regular supply of Milk, Bread, fruits etc. This person was God send and his name in real is Bhagwan bhai. A Lot of the rations which we carried made its way back home.

This was the only outside contact we had, the housekeeping staff was staying on the property itself.

The plan for 21 days was to stay healthy both mentally and physically.

Our Schedule mostly:
Early morning wake up at 7am freshen up do yoga/exercise.
Get the kids ready for exam by 9 am post breakfast and work from home.
Lunch followed by some TV time for kids and cards for grown ups / Work.
Early evening studies/drawing activity/quiz time etc followed by a swim till sundown.
Post swim relax on the deck have dinner with music and soak in the tranquility and peace the place offered.

The above schedule was mostly the same through out the stay except BBQ on weekends.

One thing I realized was no matter what time I slept previous night I would always wake up early around sunrise without an alarm. There were plenty of birds around and they would chirp away. With me being a light sleeper I would always wake up with the birds. Luckily I was carrying my Nikon 5300 with 70-300 lens. More on that in the next post.

The bungalow had and empty plot attached to it with steep gradients and a huge Banyan tree, we would take the truck there and the kids would enjoy swinging on the Banyan tree.

Truck on the way to Banyan tree.







When squirrels play peek a boo.



Open air Pathshala



BBQ



IPL on a portable projector under the stars

[tazmaan]

As I explained in the previous post the birds would wake me up along with them. Once I was up and when everyone else was sleeping, I would grab my camera and try my best.


Some random pictures of birds I took during my Lock-down stay. Pictures are from 12th April to 2nd May 2021.


This was my first attempt with the birds. Patience is the key along with timing.
Gear Nikon 5300 / 70-300 in auto mode.

Please correct me if I have identified the birds wrong. May be mods can later change the name if needed.

Jerdon's Leaf Bird


Spot the Nest



Green Bee Eater


Purple Sun Bird



Plum Headed Parakeet



Mostly grey francolin



Mostly a crimson sunbird



Maina ?



Minivet



Jerdon's Leaf Birds



Green bee eater



Red whiskered bulbul





Spotted Dove



Shikra



Sparrow



Bee Eater



Maina ?



Indian Robin

[tazmaan]

During the last week of our stay the lock-down was extended which we had expected. At the same time the Police started issuing e-pass for travel back home. We managed to get the e-pass for our return journey on 2nd May. The e-pass system was very efficient and easy.

Things to keep in Mind when staying at a remote location under lock-down.

1. Pack all essentials, even some things like bigger toiletry, batteries, extra charging cables etc

2. Pack spices like chat masala, pepper, Ketchup practically everything you need daily.

3. Carry all medicines even the ones you think are not needed especially if you are traveling with kids. My younger son caught a stomach bug and we were prepared for it. My wife sprained her ankle we had an ankle strap for it.

4. Try to cut off from the news and all the negativity.

5. Be prepared for frequent power cuts, carry candles and flash lights.

6. Forget Swiggy or processed food items.

7. Carry Ice pack for any injury which we luckily had.

8. Carry sun screen and lots of lotion.

9. A tool kit is always handy ( I have one in my truck).

10. Prepare for a slow life style it gets really slooow after a while. I can get used to it.

11. Carry Bug repellent and be prepared for bugs around you.

We left on 2nd May post lunch and reached home by late evening. Currently we are confined to our house as I conclude this thread. We did think of extending the stay but decided against it.

We are happy to be back in Mumbai but the memories of this trip and the experience has changed our perception.

Would I do this again ? Yes only in case of lock downs which I hope never happens again after this. However I would like to travel staying at different places like a local for 10 days.

Note:
I have specifically Chosen not mentioned the bungalow name and costs involved.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[amit1agrawal]

This is the kind of vacation I am so yearning for right now. I haven't been anywhere in the past year and currently locked inside my flat for the last 10 days (walking inside the society is banned too).

[SnS_12]

Many people are actually getting away from city limits and staying in locations for months at a stretch as anyway the current situation has ensured that we stay most of our time indoors.

Me and my wife were also toying with this idea but were not comfortable getting on an airplane or traveling too far by car as well as in case we fell sick how would we manage and would not want someone else from the family come and rescue the two of us.

So, we just went and stayed at Trident, Nariman Point in the end of March for three nights as this is a property we would have never stayed in being from Mumbai and plus we got a good deal thanks to a friend who works in Oberoi.







I am sure the view and surroundings around the Bungalow would have a totally different charm in the monsoon. Thanks for sharing.

[charanreddy]

Glad that you were able to get out of the city just in time.

However i feel that in the current state.. things go well, until things go wrong ! and then they turn to the worse.

I stay away from Bangalore city, 1 km from Sarjapura village , 4 Kms from Tamil Nadu border. ~180 individual houses in a 10 acre area. I thought things were relatively safe, until I heard 5 positive cases and 1 casualty. Regardless of where we are the threat is real. god save us !!

[tazmaan]

Originally Posted by charanreddy

Glad that you were able to get out of the city just in time.

However i feel that in the current state.. things go well, until things go wrong ! and then they turn to the worse.

I stay away from Bangalore city, 1 km from Sarjapura village , 4 Kms from Tamil Nadu border. ~180 individual houses in a 10 acre area. I thought things were relatively safe, until I heard 5 positive cases and 1 casualty. Regardless of where we are the threat is real. god save us !!

No doubt the threat is Real. The virus can make an entry anywhere anytime no matter what precautions you take. The anxiety is going to take a bigger toll on people than the virus itself.

I for one was saved from a sure shot infection during this 21 day stay. Couple of kids in my building got infected along with their family and these kids spend a lot of time with my kids. If we were in Mumbai we would have surely got the virus. Good thing is everyone has recovered in my building and there are no active cases in the building as of now.

Let's stay positive and think positive.

[Drive Head]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

This travelogue is actually a staycation.

During 1st week of April 2021 when the Covid cases in Mumbai started going up everyone was worried and expecting

WoW. This is some real "life" stuff. How much I wish my best half and daughter agrees to such a plan. Lucky, you are.

[Dieselritzer]

wow this is really a nice and a safe idea. Can you share details of the place and how to book one or find something similar?

[Dragonheart22]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

As I explained in the previous post the birds would wake me up along with them. Once I was up and when everyone else was sleeping, I would grab my camera and try my best.


Some random pictures of birds I took during my Lock-down stay. Pictures are from 12th April to 2nd May 2021.


This was my first attempt with the birds. Patience is the key along with timing.
Gear Nikon 5300 / 70-300 in auto mode.

Please correct me if I have identified the birds wrong. May be mods can later change the name if needed.

Spot the Nest

Attachment 2152689

Purple Sun Bird

Attachment 2152691

Mostly grey francolin

Attachment 2152693

Mostly a crimson sunbird

Attachment 2152694

Maina ?

Attachment 2152695

Minivet

Attachment 2152696

Maina ?

Attachment 2152705

Welcome to Birding, I got sucked into it on my motorcycling and cycling trips.

That seems to be a Red whiskered Bulbul in the nest.

What you identify as Purple sunbird is actually a Purple-rumped sunbird (male)
Grey francolin is actually a Red Spurfowl (female) [Western Ghats and Central India Special]
Crimson Sunbird actually a Vigor' sunbird
Both times the Maina is an Indian Blackbird subspecies Black-capped blackbird (T. s. nigropileus)

and the minivet is actually a Common Iora (male: multicolored species)

If you are going to this more often (shoot birds), I suggest this book to you: https://www.amazon.in/Birds-Indian-Subcontinent-Pakistan-Bangladesh/dp/819331509X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&hvadid=72705284070912&hvbmt=bb &hvdev=c&hvqmt=b&keywords=birds+indian+subcontinen t&qid=1620290774&sr=8-2

[Caadmara]

Thanks for penning down your experience! Can you please share a better pic of the bullbar on the blue truck if available? Is that a foldable bike rack?

[Herschey]

Those birds in those lush green surroundings, they look beautiful.

[autocrat]

The location is easily accessible yet the place offers privacy and much needed isolation from the busy world, congratulations on finding such a place

Thanks for posting photographs of our feathered friends, I can only imagine how pleasant it will be to wake up to their calls.

I live in an independent house in Bangalore, yet, when my neighbors were infected, it constantly weighed on our minds and stressed us out, so this is a great idea to enjoy safely.