26th May 2010, 19:45
| #196 | ||
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times
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26th May 2010, 21:02
| #197 | ||||
| Senior - BHPian  | Oh, woe betide..... Quote:
 As far as the second part is concerned, I was just joking. But I get what you mean...... Quote:
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But have seen plenty of your other posts, and am sure the expectations are quite high - so now you have to live up with it!! Audit - smodit #@$%&!!! - have been told to come to office tomorrow, to complete the work. Serves me right for wasting time posting stuff here.... boo hoo... one more day of work, and no additional pay - no nothing except probably 'gaali', because the work is not going to be complete tomorrow.. how do I know? You get a bunch of four / five people to do a work, it never gets done. Give it to one or two, and thud - it lands on your table just as required! I am sure you guys in IT are well experienced with this  Before, I go home, I'll console myself with these... (because - thanks to this job, I landed here in Pune!) This is what I meant when I said the sun was shining....  Now, why the hell didn't I learn swimming - one of the pleasures in life lost.   Places like these make you marvel - how did God find time to create all these things?   Now, if only I had an assistant to delegate all these cut and paste jobs...... | ||||
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26th May 2010, 21:10
| #198 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times
| It was mid july 3 years back. I was damn bored. Wanted to go somewhere over a weekend. Far from the mad crowds of Mumbai. Let me take the pleasure of introducing two of my friends. Genda and Krppa. Yeah, that's how I call them. We'd been planning with almost 10 friends to go to Lonavala and that never worked out. For Mumbaikars, getting out of Mumbai is an ardent task in itself. I gave an ultimatum to Genda. We need to go somewhere this weekend. Some place where we can hike or trek. Krppa was game. When I suggested Lonavala/ khandala, Genda comes back and says, "Lonavala will be crowded. No point in going there". I protested that I need clean air and greenery. I need a place where I can swing my umbrella and walk around. Genda said he has a perfect place for me in mind. "Ambarnath", he said emphatically. "You mumbaikars must be crazy", I retorted, tapping my temple with my forefinger, just like Obelix. Ambarnath was the most ludicrous choice I thought, for a peaceful getaway. Did he think I went cuckoo? But Genda persisted. "Don't worry bhai. You won't be let down". on the 14th of July, Krppa and I take a local train to Ambarnath from Thane. We felt like Jack-asses. But nevertheless, went ahead. This is where Ambarnath is. 60 kms from the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus and 6 kms from Kalyan. For starters, here's the local train map of Mumbai showing the location Ambarnath  The aerial view (courtesy google maps) doesn't look good either. Ambarnath looks a typical concrete jungle.  And we took walked from the station to Genda's house and were greated by wonderful filter coffee and some snacks. I said, if at all Genda doesn't deliver what he promised, Only the coffee can save him. Genda is all smiles, while a bearded Krppa doesn't know how to react.  Soon we started walking from his home. And boy, 10 mins of walk through some pathetic places, the topography changed dramatically! @VRP. You went to conduct an Audit too? I went to conduct one too! Last edited by MX6 : 26th May 2010 at 21:13. |
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26th May 2010, 21:17
| #199 |
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26th May 2010, 21:24
| #200 | |
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
 Aha, I knew - there has to be mention of food somewhere.... No, I am not so lucky. Actually, somebody else is conducting, and I am just dancing to the tunes... | |
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26th May 2010, 21:34
| #201 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
Posts: 2,877
Thanked: 231 Times
| There was a quick shower while we sipped aromatic piping hot filter coffee. You can dream of such a thing in Kodagu (coorg). But doing that in Ambarnath was something I never imagined. Suddenly I sensed that Genda is having a couple of tricks rolled up his sleeve. This is what greeted me as we walked on the single tarred road. Damn I hate the electric poles and the cables. Visual aberrations on an otherwise perfect canvas.  Me: Where does this road go Genda? Genda: Up that cliff.  Me: What's beyond that cliff? Genda: More cliffs. Me: Like this?  Genda: Like this. Me: What's that structure there Genda, near that tree?  Genda: Some structure. Let me tell you. Genda is a typical IT guy. He gives 100% correct and concise answers. But they are of no use whatsoever. And you feel like why the hell did you ask the question in the first place. We crossed a nice lake where kids were spashing their way to glory.  I couldn't believe that this is just 40 kms from Mumbai International airport and 25 kms from Thane railway station. This place is simply unbelievable. Looking at the kids in water, I felt sad that I didn't get my swimming trunks. |
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27th May 2010, 09:37
| #202 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 85
Thanked: 60 Times
| @vrp great pics. @mx6 that was nice find. You were no exception. Nobody would have believed it, that something like this exist in Ambarnath.  |
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27th May 2010, 11:17
| #203 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,891
Thanked: 42 Times
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27th May 2010, 11:35
| #204 | ||
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
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More pictures on the way. But I'll wait for MX6 to complete what seems to be an interesting aside.... | ||
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27th May 2010, 11:38
| #205 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 85
Thanked: 60 Times
| BTW Anyone has taken the following route? Ratnagiri - Purnagad -vijaydurg.. This is an interior route. Not able to find much info on this route. It will be helpful for my upcoming interior konkan ride from Bankot to Banda! |
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27th May 2010, 12:31
| #206 |
| Senior - BHPian | Jugalbandi.... Clash of the titans? I am thinking how it would look, if we embark on a jugalbandi... It will definitely clash and readers are bound to be confused - but I can't resist  We tear ourselves away from this spot - after all, the destination is pretty far off and we are not even sure where our journey is going lead us...  And, the road ahead seems to start climbing and climbing.... brings back the memories of my stay at Rajur - near Akole, Ahmednagar. AP saheb, if you are reading this, can you please help me recollect the name of the ghat after Bhandardara (after Kalsubai) , which goes down and down towards Ghoti/Igatpuri? For those of you who had seen the 'driving in Bolivia' pictures, this will give you an idea how it must be there....  Suddenly, we see this - and jam the brakes! And have the most delicious breakfast ever - steaming hot vada pav, kanda (kekda) bajji, delicious tea - straight from the oven...  Nothing like the rural ambience, the smell of kerosene stove, the items being prepared in your front - to start the saliva flowing.... hehehehe... Strangely the road is called 'Pandarpur Road' - what is the connection I couldn't fathom.... |
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27th May 2010, 13:03
| #207 | |||
| BHPian  | Quote:
Yap I remember that, was about to PM you today. Bad News wifey working this weekend also  . Will call you to let you know further status.Quote:
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27th May 2010, 14:52
| #208 | |||||
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
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Thanked: 231 Times
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27th May 2010, 14:54
| #209 |
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27th May 2010, 15:27
| #210 | ||
| Senior - BHPian | Quote:
Great people never claim themselves to be great - in fact, many have greatness thrust upon them...Quote:
 . Afterwards, we felt bad - nothing to do with the stomach, but more towards the heart - and I don't mean the bill either. Because, this place where we stopped was actually a bus-stop and there were several people waiting there. The first lot was meant for ALL of us (three of us + four villagers). These village folk never complained about us hogging the whole thing. We said sorry - but they were graceful enough to act as if they weren't waiting for food. Imagine a similar scene in Pune and people waiting for a seat in a hotel - had we jumped the queue, it would have led to fisticuffs!! Fortified, we now look ahead to the rest of the trip. It was daunting. There were very few vehicles on the road - just a couple of ST buses and three or four jeeps. Made us wonder whether we were on the right route. And the villagers were not very clear about the location of the caves. May be time to brush up my Marathi - my 'leni' (cave) could have sounded like 'loni' (butter)!?    That was the road we had to take; and the pass we must cross; see this panorama, to give you an idea what I am talking about... we had just climbed the mountain on the right; we have to take the pass which is at the apex of the (inverted) triangle and get down and reach the next range of mountains in the background!  | ||
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