A memorable trek to Peb-Fort

I know this post is coming after a long time which is not a very good thing if one wants to survive in the blog-world. I learned my lesson and will try to update it more regularly.

Well, I am very happy to share this post with you all. We (my colleagues Deepika, Sumeet, Anagha and our boss Dr. Ranade - the famous five) went for a trek to Peb-fort last Sunday and had a whale of a time. First we were planning to go to Rajmachi, but finally we decided on Peb-fort. Since we were working on Saturday, we had only iklota Sunday for the trek. But we decided to sacrifice our cozy beds and set off for the trek. I got up at 4 am on Sunday morning (yeah you read it right!) and sent an SMS to the other four trekkers who were supposed to join me. We all boarded 5:41 a.m. Mumbai local from Dadar station. I was under the impression that the train will be empty on a Sunday morning and we can easily get on the train and the entire train will be ours. But here comes the Bombay-life-reality. When we reached Dadar station, it was completely packed. I was taken aback to see thousands of people at the station so early in the morning and that too on a Sunday morning. Anyway, when the Karjat train arrived, somehow we managed to barge in; but we all ended up in separate compartments. Later on all five of us could manage to be in the same compartment and got seats as well (so lucky!).

So we reached Neral station at around 8 a.m. and parked some sandwiches in our stomachs with cutting chai. After we were done with the eating, we started our journey straight to Peb fort. But here comes the best part of the trek; none of us were familiar with the way to the fort. So we had to explore our way.

All set to go!

These kids helped us find the right way!!

The Famous Five (...and a half)!!

It's just a beginning baby!!

Let's take some rest!!

We started climbing up. First we came across a small Jungle where some weird fat mosquitoes attacked on us as if they were having their Sunday brunch.We finally crossed that jungle and saw this beautiful Jharana (waterfall) and had some water from it. I bet it tasted thousand times better than the Bisleri water we drink everyday. (Aaaa...not exactly but it was quite okay, I mean I didn't fall sick after having it).We kept moving up and reached the top in about 2-1/2 hours.

Have some water please!!

Let me pose for the camera!!

Wow! What a scenic place!!

On Cloud 9!!

The view from the top was mind-blowing. We couldn’t believe our eyes. We had a quick lunch there, a photo session and then started our journey back to the Neral. But we couldn’t take the same way back because it was horribly difficult and scary to climb down. We then discovered a different and easier way to go down. (We took Matheran way to go back to Neral.

Wow! It's so beautiful!!

!!

!!

It's time to go back!!

After reaching the station we had cutting tea at the same shop. We boarded 3:51 fast local from Neral station and came back to Mumbai. After reaching home I had a bath in lukewarm water as suggested by my mom and went off to sleep only to get up next day morning. I had a very sound sleep that night. My maid woke me up next morning and I looked at the watch; it was 9:30 am. Shit! I hurled myself out of the bed as I had to reach office at 10 am. I quickly freshened up and slipped into formals and managed to reach office just on time. Thank God! Sitting in front of the computer I realized that each and every part of my body was aching badly. But I had a smile on my face. And I was thrilled to have such an amazing experience that left an indelible impression on my mind. And I know one thing that I can’t forget this trek ever.

Super Summer Things to do

Have you got bored of lying on the sofa and flicking through different channels on TV and yet nothing seems to help you kill your time? Well I understand, summer vacation is on and you are confused about what to do. Here are five tips to make the maximum out of your free time this summer.
Go trekking: If you like hiking, great! and if you don’t give it a try. All you need to do is book yourself with a camp. There are many professional organizers like Camp High 5, Camp Nirvana etc. which organize regular camps and hiking at quite affordable prices. So take this opportunity to rejuvenate your body in the lap of nature and experience a whole new world.
Pursue your hobby: Yes, this is the time when you can do things you like the most. If you have a hobby go for it and if you don’t then it’s high time you develop one. Believe me if you go for any job interviews, a question about your hobbies is inevitable. And there are so many cases when this question played a key role in the final decision. Hence, don’t waste your time doing nothing. You can start reading or if you have little bit liking towards any sports, go get yourself trained at that sport. There are these Gymkhanas in Mumbai which come up with a lot many training programs in different sports during summer. You can choose the one you like the most and develop it over the period. There are other options like swimming, hoarse riding, skating etc. which you can try your hands on.
Vocational course: If you want to add some extra qualification to your name then try to find out a vocational course which suits you the best. You can try Sophia Polytech situated at Breach Candy, which offers few short-term vocational courses throughout the year. Another good idea can be to join a finishing school, which can give a whole new perspective to your personality and you can reap the benefits of the same throughout your life.
Make a quick buck: If you are one of those who have taken a hit to their pocket money because your parents have gone through a salary cut in the wake of global recession, it’d be great if you earn few bucks and support your parents. Your parents will feel proud of you and will be touched by your responsible behaviour. You can start teaching children of your own building. This is a zero investment business but can fetch you some money in a very short span of time. If you’re not comfortable with teaching the same building children, you can always call up a couple of tuition agencies to put you on students who need tuitions.
Dance the summer away: If you don’t want to be one of the ‘Pappus’ who can’t dance, then join a dance class and give a stunning surprise to your friends next time when you let your hair down in school-party. It will also help you shed those extra pounds you have put on during the exams and will get you back in shape with a perfectly toned body. There are umpteen numbers of dance academies all over Bombay which offer an array of courses such as Salsa, Jive, Tango, Bollywood dance and many more. Just google a dance academy close to your house and let your body sway to the music. So go and rock the dance floor this summer?
I hope you will be having fun exploring some of the things I have written above and utilize it to make your life much more vibrant and happening.