The Monsoons are here and a weekend getaway beckons the "phukatias". You don't choose a good destination, it chooses you. After lying low for a while we were off again, and this time Daman awaited us in all its glory.
The monsoon is not amongst the best times to travel by road, but as they say, wherever there is a problem there lies an opportunity. So we threw caution to air (read umbrellas out of car) and went storm chasing.
Just look at our faces and you'll know that we had fun. Do any of us look like worrying about the office the very next day.Come to think of it and a vacation is nothing but a fool's paradise.
By the stroke of good luck and some bargaining we managed to get a good hotel. The view from the window was fantastic, just a perfect setting for a fun filled day ahead.
It was a good 200 km bumpy road ride with the rains chasing us like a mad dog. One couldn't help but think about that Audioslave song "So get yourself a car.. Drive it all alone............Get ourself a car..And ride it on the wind."
To say that only three of us were travelling would be unfair. The car was as good a companion as one can be. Mandy download this Rollingstones song as a tribute : "I got a brand new car ..And I like to drive real hard..........I got a brand new car..And I’m feeling good so far"
Hey look ! We finally managed to sit in a straight line..jpg)
Come after me! i know the way out.....Eh? Didn't we pass through the same place an hour ago.
May be this way the hotel staff wouldn't notice that we are stealing towels.
Why are they driving the car at such speed ?....And why is it looking exactly like our car?
This ad-maker deserves a prize. A lifetime ban.
I think we should have covered 10 yards by now. Our daily walking quota is over.
Based on actual events :
The "car on a slope trap". Little do they know that the hand brakes have not been pulled.
Guys i must have dropped the car keys somewhere here.
HeHeHe ...where should i hide the keys.
I think i'll try Base Jumping. Will you join me?
(later that night). Boy! that was some jump. My back still hurts.
Look Ma! I won.
From where did you buy the Cup this time ?. Can't believe your folks bought the story this time too !
It might have been yet another "customary" trip to the "customary" destination of Panvel with a stay at the "customary" resort had it not been for some 'on the move' planning by V.B. The dilemma was to find an unknown place within the confines of the all too familiar Panvel. We chose Zoia not by choice but because of lack of it. 
Even though all the initial signs suggested we were all set for a repeat of the Karjat trip, Zoia turned out to be far better than our expectations. The pool, the spa, the pretty doctor , IPL ..what else can one ask for. But as they say " A half-truth" is a "whole lie".
The approach road had a such a rustic feel to it that it became almost damaging to the auto mobiles, which we learnt at our great expense the other day. The petrol tank got punctured and Panvel's oil well got richer by 10 litres.
And it wasn't only "sweeto" who was bleeding , the atrocious pricing was bleeding our pockets dry. After pulling a few strings to get a good discount (long live the Indian middle class) and a long deliberation by the manager we were offered the same price which they offered on phone. A packaged bottle of water cost Rs 40. The food was at best mediocre. 
But at the end of the day ,we had good night sleep , a hearty meal , a good swim and more importantly a day away from office. And the dogs had their day.
Nothing is more terrible than activity without insight. (Thomas Carlyle)
If Thomas Carlyle had been with us , he would have been inspired to muse the above "gyan" by our Karjat trip. Credit goes to Mandy for planning a trip which had the feel of an unplanned trip to it. There were notable gaps in planning and action -
Plan - Everybody to meet early in the morning.
Action - Everybody met early in the noon.
Plan - Breakfast at a dabha outside Mumbai.
Action - Breakfast at a tapri outside Mandy's house.
Plan - To take the shortest route out of Mumbai towards Karjat.
Action - plan was good , but no one knew which one was the shortest route.
Plan - To have a wholesome lunch at karjat.
Action - Skip the lunch. Forget the food , there is not a soul in sight . It's off-season !!
Plan - End the evening at karjat.
Action - Enroute to Panvel, planning where to spend the evening. Lonavala or the good old Ashoka.
Although time is never a problem with us , we choose to don the hat of a busy professional on our outings and try and save time wherever the opportunity arises. Driving at speeds of 140+ kmph is not a need but an ecstasy. Vishal got the first hand experience of being a Taxi driver and drove for hours at a stretch , him being the only one on the trip who knew how to drive(although there were plenty of back-seat drivers).
The highlight of the trip was the feeling of being the favourite sons of the goddess when by an extraordinary stroke of luck we witnessed the most splendid "darshan" we had ever expected. Even if it was for a day there was the feeling of being closer to god than devil.
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