Vogtsbauernhof Museum in the Black Forest

Sometimes you hear about places and build your own expectations. And when you visit those places you are either delighted or disappointed depending on which way the place turns out vis-a-vis your imagination.

Last Saturday marked my first visit to the "Black Forest" guided by one of our friends here. I had a rosy, romantic idea of the "Schwarzwald". I always imagined lazy, laid back villages with music, food and chivalry; nature at its best and traditions at their richest. I was elated by what I saw. The picture fit with that in my imagination seamlessly.

Our destination this time was the Black Forest Museum or the Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof. We traveled to Freundenstadt, and then rode the Schwarzwaldbahn up to Wolfach. The connectivity from Wolfach turned out a bit problematic. The bus stop was supposedly in the town and when we went there we realised that it had shifted to the station, bringing us back to precisely where we had alighted earlier. In the bargain we missed a bus and could get the next one only an hour later. No labour lost though. We reached by mid-day. There wasn't a very large crowd at the ticket counter and we got in swiftly.

The museum is an open air place, with exhibits housed in life size erects. Whether the labourer's cottage or the worksheds or the mills, you get to see everything as it was earlier. There are plenty of demos though their timings are a bit awry. We could not catch the ones on the mill or the black forest cooking because we reached too late in the day. We had two kids with us but they enjoyed too thanks to farm animals and a few play things that caught their interest. It was a little bit difficult to move around with a stroller since we had to leave it outside the houses and then come back to retrieve it since the exits were almost always at the back. Overall it made for a fine day outside with lots of learning.

The icing on the cake, literally, was the black forest torte that we ordered at the restaurant. It was mouth-wateringly delicious, lusciously filled with cherries, soft cream that melted in the mouth, laced with just enough rum. I think that taste is going to linger in my mouth for a long time to come.

The ruins at Calw, and a Saturday ruined

The monastery ruins at Calw/Hirsau near Weil Der Stadt have five-star reviews at travel sites. Read those and your expectations can really soar. Like in the case of all our trips, even the day ones, I had spent hours going over various sites and finding information. All in vain it felt as soon as we got there.

I think this was the first place in Germany that I was truly disappointed with. One look and I felt like returning right away. The monastery ruins are very old, and the complex has been built starting the 1st century and added to thereon. You would expect a certain, almost pious feeling at such a place. But what do we find there? A beer festival was expected that evening and preparations were on in full swing right across the Marienkirsche, with half the area cordoned off for it. Weird!

The most majestic part of the ruins were under restoration. Which meant no access to those either. They were completely covered with cloth and scaffolding. Pity there was no mention of the restoration or the beer festival on the website which I checked just the day before we went there!

Now comes the strangest part. There was a bus-stop right across the ruins. We just missed a bus and there was no bus for the next two hours! The main railway station is 2.5 kms away. Reluctantly we started trekking back. Stopped on the way at the Kloster museum. That one is interesting, some bits in English. But nothing marvelous. Or may be we were already psyched with the place by then. Luckily we found the Hirsau railway station 500 meters away and got a train to Pforzheim in 15 min.

Valley of Flowers at Kaas - Revisited

We revisited the Valley of Flowers at Kaas Lake after two years, not knowing what changes to expect this time. The area has been declared as a heritage site a few months ago and we'd heard that there were a few new rules in place. The experience left us pleasantly surprised for once.

The key was reaching there really early in the morning (as early as you could manage to start from Pune with two toddlers... though I think we did a good job!) As you drive into the beautiful view, there is a makeshift ticketing office where you buy tickets for the group, your vehicle and your camera.

The parking area is far away from the flowers, so that does take a bit of hiking. Better if kids and older people are dropped off near the flower area while someone parks the car. 

There were clearly marked trails around the flowers to avoid trampling, and a few guards were working hard to ensure order. This time we were able to take our time and explore a larger area. All of us who had been there earlier felt that there were more varieties of flowers this time and the beautiful belts of colour made it amazingly vibrant.

Food and water is allowed so we even had a nice picnic type snack amidst all the natural beauty. We were blessed with a mild cloud cover that made it really pleasant all the way. Later we drove down towards Kaas lake and picnicked again under a shady tree. We spent around 3 hours in the area in all, and when you go in a group that can't be accomplished without an adequate supply of foods, right? 

Food joints along the road are scarce (which is a good thing actually) but mind that toilets are totally missing from the scene as well. A policeman told us that mobile toilets are likely to be installed soon but no idea if that has really happened. A lone restaurant before the flowers start was the only source of relief!

Valley of Flowers At Kas Lake

At about half hour's drive from Satara city is the beautiful Kas Lake. The landscape is arguably similar to what you would see in Mahabaleshwar or several other spots along the Sahyadris in Maharashtra. However, a special attraction and a totally unique one about the Kas plateau is its Valley of Flowers. Wild flowers blossom by the millions for a very short time very year - around August end to October on this 5 km stretch of flat land. And the sight is an absolute heaven on earth.

We left Pune early in the morning; a leisurely drive along with a brief breakfast halt on NH-4 took us some 3 hours. As we neared the Kas plateau, we could see plenty of beautiful spots and a whole lot of yellow (Sonaki) flowers. You need to continue along the road until about 5 kms before the actual Kas Lake. The flowers start rather abruptly along a turn and you behold the mesmerizing landscape agape.

The flowers are hosted on short bushes about 6-8 inches tall. They are of various shapes, sizes and also colours. The place is a haven for butterflies and bees of various kinds. I think there could also be some potential for bird watching if you hit it very early in the morning. Apart from enjoying the flowers, you can relax in the true European style under some shady tree with a sandwich lunch, or even go down to the lake if the weather is good. Be sure you don't litter around and spoil the sanctity of the place.

The valley is so far quite clean and a Forest department officer was seen doing the rounds, urging people to keep off the flower beds and park in the right lanes. Thankfully there are still no wada paav or bhutta vendors and therefore only true nature lovers seen along. Visit before that changes! A place not to be missed.

Kalote lake - you couldn't imagine!

After months of battling nausea and morning sickness, Sunday seemed like a good day for a small outing somewhere close by. Besides, it was raining after a long time making it the perfect type of weather for a drive, and our new car was waiting to get some fresh air outside the city!

We had a number of limitations - good road being a major one - and a lot of places got quickly eliminated. Lonavala remained an option but it's just too crowded and boring these days. Milind Gunaji's book came to the rescue and we decided to explore Kalote lake, a little off Khopoli.

Directions to get there are pretty simple - exit the expressway at Khalapur and continue toward Mumbai on NH-4 about 4-5 kms, locate Westend Meadows on the opposite side and turn in adjacent to the complex. Continue for about a couple of kms until you reach the lake. It's hard to believe that there can be such a serene and beautiful place so close to the main road and yet so virgin. Do not expect any of the usual - thelas, hawkers, etc. There are a couple of resorts - Eden farms and another (I forget the name), but we didn't explore any of those. The only thing to do here is to sit and enjoy the beauty of the place. Others, normal and fitter people that is, can even take off on foot and explore the landscape. We obviously could not do that. Hope to go back there sometime for that part.

We got back to Pune via NH-4, again a good change from the by-now monotonous expressway. Except that the road is pretty bad at certain places and we had to come back real slow.

It was a great Sunday afternoon spent well though. This place is definitely worth trying!

Refreshingly Konkan – Part V – Murud Harnai

From Bankot, we took the road to Kelshi phata and reached Murud Harnai via Anjarle. There is a new road from Aade to Dapoli now, saving distance, and again offering fantastic scenary that is characteristic of Konkan! Especially worth mentioning is the bridge across the creek at Murde soon after Anjarle. Both Aade and Anjarle are typical Konkani villages and you'll enjoy the drive through them. It does tend to get a bit remote and lonely between villages though. And the road is not that great at certain places. It is best to avoid traveling after sundown.

Our resort at Murud Harnai was bang on the beach (something that we didn't get to enjoy at Diveagar actually) and we could see a beautiful sunset right from our room's sitout.

The next morning we went to the beach early and took a boat ride to see dolphins. The atmosphere was so serene, with the sound of the sea waves, flocks of birds of all sorts flying across and then the dolphins, gently cruising along the water revealing themselves every once a while. The shine and the grace of the species are unparalleled and I have a feeling they too are more than aware of the interest they generate among us humans.

It was time to pack up and leave soon after. The end of a holiday always brings two-fold emotions – the reminiscence of the days gone by and the regret of having to leave behind the beauty and peace and get back into routine.

The drive back via Dapoli -- Poladpur -- Mahabaleshwar -- Wai -- Pune was uneventful, except for the stopover at Mapro's in Panchgani where we had dollops of soft strawberry and lichee icecream and the jumbo grilled sandwich - their specialty.

My verdict: If you live in Mumbai/Pune (or anywhere for that matter) and haven't been to Konkan, you are really missing something in life.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part IV – Diveagar to Bankot Fort

The road along the coast from Diveagar to Srivardhan

Bankot Fort
Jetty from Bagmandla to Bankot

Our next route from Diveagar to Bankot Fort was full of scenic spots and much adventure. The road from Diveagar to Srivardhan (about 11 kms) runs parallel to the coast and is breathtakingly beautiful. We reached Harihareshwar around lunch time and stopped at MTDC's Grasshopper Inn restaurant to refuel. The fare is just about ok, but the location of the restaurant bang on the seashore adds something extraordinary to the experience. Bankot fort is vaguely visible from the restaurant, but one has to cross the creek to get there.

There is a jetty service which ferries people, vehicles as well as animals across the creek from Bagmandla to Bankot. The journey of around 1.5 kms takes 10 minutes and saves you 100 kms of road travel had you been forced to take the land route instead. It reminded me of a similar passage in Goa when the bridge across the Mandovi river at Panaji had collapsed. I must've been very young but have vivid memories of that trip!

When we got off at Bankot, we stopped to get directions to the fort from a couple on a bike. They suggested a road through the village that was obviously not a problem for them, but with our four-wheeler, we were almost negotiating through people's houses. With bated breath, we braved the bylanes of Bankot and its paraphernalia of vendors, street shops, cattle, racing poultry, pigs, stray dogs, and cats, and arrived intact at Bankot feeling really lucky! If you have to do this, I suggest taking the left turn (via a more circuitous route) after the jetty harbour and approach Bankot from the highway side.

Unfortunately after all the adventure, there is nothing much at Bankot. The entrance gate is majestic, but not unique. But the fort itself is very small and can be seen in less than 5 minutes. That's not only because it is in ruins but also because there does not seem to be any major historical significance attached to the place. The view is marvelous though and can hold you for much longer.

My verdict: The fort itself may not be that exciting, but the route is an unforgettable experience. We proceeded to Murud Harnai from here.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part III – Janjira Fort – the sole disappointment

Janjira Fort - from the ferry
View from the top of the fort

Despite the grandeur of the fort, this trip left us somewhat disappointed for very many reasons. One, the company was pathetic. The entire place seemed to be teeming with youths who had no interest in the fort or its history but were there only to make a racket and shout some or the other slogans the entire time.

Two, the place where you get the ferry from, Dighi, is unbelievably filthy. Three, no one knows what time the ferry exactly leaves. We got several different versions from people. But the truth is that the ferry doesn't leave until it fills its quorum of 50 people. On the Sunday that we went, this happened at around 10 am. Consequently, spending an hour waiting for the ferry for the three reasons above was grueling.

Four, the guide was rather sad. Some tidbits of info he gave us seemed interesting and logical, but the other stuff was so dismal that even you and I could do a better job just by the strength of our GK! Reason five was that you have to compulsorily buy a return ticket for the ferry which allows you about 45 minutes to see the fort. You don't get to see even a corner of it in that time. Besides, after we got hurriedly back to the entrance, we were waiting to board the ferry for another 15 min, which we could've spent inside the fort. The fort has 22 Buruj or viewing points, some 120+ cannons, several ponds and wells that have fresh water right in the middle of the sea, a secret passage-way, hundreds of other places – how can anyone do justice to it in 45 minutes?

Reason number six – the fort is shockingly badly maintained. For once, the Archeological Survey of India seemed to have no control on the environs and the unclean surroundings presented a very sorry picture. The main water body on the fort was fully covered in green moss and had all sorts of waste dumped into it. The fort was privately owned by the Siddhis but has been taken over by the Central Government since 1972 (according to the guide). Yet, there was no entry ticket or an organized, formal system for guides like in the case of other forts in Maharashtra like Raigad and Pratapgad for instance.

In its hey days, Janjira must have been a majestic monument that stood tall against all its conquerors – to date it remains undefeated. Today, it is in shambles and its desperate calls for attention are going unheard!

Done my way and at my pace, this trip had the potential of being etched in my memory forever.

My verdict: No comments.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part II – Diveagar

The Mandar flower
Idlimbu

Sunset at Diveagar beach

Continuing on road trip, we went to Diveagar after visiting Kude caves. The route we took was Kude – Mandad – Mhasala – Vadavali Phata – Borli Panchayatan – Diveagar. Diveagar is a place where you can get a holistic rural experience and a taste of the typical Maharashtrian food and living. It would be a pity to try to spoil it by expecting too much out of your hotel or resort. There are functional but decent resorts – MTDC Exotica, Ambiance Cottages, Pinakin Resort, Prathamesh Holiday Homes – and plenty of good home-stay places – Kelkar, Bhatkar – which you can try out. Most of the places are not actually 'on' the beach – but at a distance of about 5 min walking distance.

The best thing to do in Diveagar is to hit the beach at every opportunity you get and just sit and marvel the bounties of nature. Diveagar is managed by a conscious and aware Gram Panchayat which works to keep the beach clean. There are a few rules put up on boards at all entry points to the beach, such as – don't wear scanty clothing on the beach, don't litter around, etc. Reasonable ones, I'd say.

Another great aspect of this place is the food. Albeit, you need to plan out your stay and inform the eateries in advance (ideally 3-4 hours before the meal) to ensure:

1. That you get a meal. There isn't exactly a restaurant system and food is made to order.
2. That you get a meal of your choice. You can 'add-on' to your thali by ordering ukdiche modak, ambolis, solkadhi, fish, chicken, etc as the case may be – be sure to ask your host about the menu for the meal and what else they can provide, when you place the order. They are unlikely to 'market' their services and you might regret not asking earlier when you see others around gorging on modaks or fish that you so wanted to try.

A lot of the vegetarian eateries are owned by Kokonastha Bramhins – so also expect some highly practical talk (read straight talk) and don't get upset by it! The food that you get to savor beats it all! The non-vegetarian eateries serve fresh fish, prawns and chicken. We really liked the food at Suvarnaganesh Khanawal.

There is no major sight-seeing possibility in Diveagar apart from the Ganesh temple with a recently discovered 1000-year old Ganesh idol. I obviously did not visit the temple so don't ask me about it! However there are few places in a one-hour radius – Kuda caves, Janjira Fort, Harihareshwar, etc.

We had some rare insights into stuff from everyday life – I actually saw a Jayphal (nutmeg) fruit for the first time in life. We even visited a Poha (puffed rice) mill. Poha is made out of husked/ unpolished rice that is soaked for 24 hours, roasted along with sand and then pressed. What a revelation! We also saw a 'Mandar' flower for the first time and an 'Id-limbu' (very big lemon) tree.

My verdict: If you even vaguely enjoy road travel and beaches, do not miss out on this beautiful getaway. However, roads in Konkan leave much to be desired, so it is better to add an hour or two to your most pessimistic travel time expectations.

Some phone numbers for the eateries: Kelkar's eatery; Suhas Bapat's eatery 09423837967, 09271127337; Suvarnaganesh Khanawal (Mr. Parkar) 02147-225045.

Refreshingly Konkan – Part I – Kuda caves

The row of caves at Kuda
The view from the top
Carvings inside one of the caves

I have just returned from a road trip to Konkan and my next few posts are going to be about the places we visited. I'll start with our first destination – Kuda Caves.

Kude is on the way to Mhasala from Mandad on the Mumbai-Goa highway. If you are proceeding from Tamhini ghat, you need to take a right turn as you hit the highway and then turn left at Indapur towards Tale or Mandad. Kuda caves is about 5-6 kms after Tale. On the way, you can see the Tale fort (we didn't go right up to the top. I believe there is nothing much over there). Kuda caves are about 2000 years old are similar to the Bhaje caves I've reviewed earlier. The origins are Buddhist, but there are some Greek carvings on the walls. The only (big) difference being that Kude overlooks the sea. The view of the sea from the caves is simply superb.

There are about 25 caves and a central prayer hall. The entrance to the prayer hall has a magnificent figurine of an elephant, which is in ruins now, unfortunately. The caves are built at two levels. The architecture is very interesting, with the caves used for dwelling supplied with a window and door each, as well as a platform that was likely used for sleeping.

There is no historical or any information displayed near the caves, neither any entrance ticket. In fact, you would be fortunate if you find a single soul around the place. Best to be careful in the area. We went there on a weekday, and the only company we had was a group of youngsters who left soon after we reached there.

My Verdict: This is an adventurous stop-over on the way to Diveagar for people who are interested in history and archeology, or want to just enjoy the view. Nothing much to write home about beyond that! Sincerely wish we Indians would show more respect for our history than we appear to.

Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra - A treat for the wanderlust-ed

I've admired Milind Gunaji (despite those totally disappointing villanous roles he chooses to do in Hindi and Marathi cinema). When I heard about his book "Offbeat tracks in Maharashtra", my awe about him increased! He is not only very well-traveled but is also a terrific photographer. His show called Bhatkanti on some Marathi channel (not sure if its still on) used to be interesting.

This book is a travel guide costing Rs. 250 (second edition - Popular Prakashan). Gunaji has reviewed some of the rarest spots in Maharashtra, and presents them in categories such as forts, temples, hill stations, jungles, sanctuaries and nature parks, lakes, reservoirs, hot springs, waterfalls, caves, museums and unusual places of interest. An exhilarating spread!

Gunaji gives you a run-down on each place along with a brief history, the route you can take and the facilities available out there. The product is almost an encyclopedia and even an avid traveler in Maharashtra may find a few that s/he hadn't heard of!

The forts are the best part of the book, since Maharashtra is credited with a long and understated history of forts. I'd seen a photography exhibition a few years ago on forts in Maharashtra that left me spellbound; Gunaji brought back those memories. The museum section has very few that I didn't know of, but the section on caves and lakes and sanctuaries was a bouncer - I had no idea there were so many different places to visit in a radius of 100-250 kms from where I live! I'm least interested in temples and could as well seal the section forever, so I wont comment on those here.

One among my (small) set of cribs is that the book could have included some more information under each category. Currently, the material is a wee bit too brief and you have to look up further info on the internet to actually plan a trip here.
The maps are pretty useless, and do not add value either in terms of getting to the place or figuring out the location. It would've been better to include a center spread with places and roads marked off. More photographs would also have been welcome.

My verdict: All in all a fantastic attempt. Hats off to the man. This is a must-have coffee table book for people like us who just love to get into the car and zoom off! We've already started ticking off from the table of contents.

Natural Potholes at Nighoj – a fascinating experience

The first reaction from a lot of people about my trip to Nighoj was to ask why we needed to go up to Nighoj to see potholes when we had so many of them in Pune!

Jokes apart, I saw Milind Gunaji review the potholes or Raanjankhalge at Nighoj on some Marathi travel show on television. I thought it was an interesting place and further research on the Internet convinced us to give it a shot. We combined the trip with a visit to Morachi Chincholi village. Nighoj is about half an hour’s drive from Morachi via Takli Haji. You need to continue to the end of Morachi village and take a right turn. The distance is around 20 kms.

What we saw was something I can never forget. The place is made up of thousands and thousands of potholes, of all shapes and sizes, through which the water flows in and out as if it is playing for its own amusement. Another unique phenomenon is the white rock sandwiched between layers of gray rock that looks like ridges from a distance. We also spotted nests of the swallow bird in the rocks.

We trekked right up to the source of the river near the bridge on one side (The rocks are slippery so please be very careful). The phenomenon is out of the world and leaves you wondering how long it must’ve taken for the rocks to get worn out in this fashion. Perhaps thousands of years! Nighoj is one of nature’s mesmerizing miracles.

The place is clean by average standards in India, but can be much better maintained if some more awareness is generated and some discipline in the form of fines for littering are introduced. Perhaps a small entrance fee would also help maintain and keep the place clean. A board with some historical and other information of significance will be more than welcome.

Currently, there is nothing else in the area, you won’t get any food or water or even a cup of tea. There is a large temple complex being constructed (I wonder why we cannot have any tourist place in our country without a temple!!) with restrooms planned, so in a few months that may become available. You can easily spend a couple of hours in the area. It may be best to avoid the monsoon, because if the water level is high, most of the potholes may be hidden.

My verdict: 4 out of 5 – this would’ve got a full 5 if it had more in terms of infrastructure. Again, it is an experience for all age-groups. Best time to visit is in the winter, may be a month after the monsoon.

Morachi Chincholi – rural tourism gaining roots

We started around 9 am and reached Morachi Chincholi village by 11. To get there, you need to take the Pune-Ahmednagar highway and take the second left after the toll booth, at Shikrapur. It's best to check with villagers if you are not sure – there is just one sign board which is easy to miss. The total distance from Pune is about 50 kms. Chincholi comes from the Marathi word "chinch" meaning tamarind. And true enough the village is full of tall tamarind trees that canopy the main village road. The word "Morachi" (Mor means peacock) comes from around 2500 peacocks that reside in their natural habitat in the village, and that are the attraction there.

The village is reasonably clean and the villagers seemed friendly. We traversed the length of it stopping to ask for best spots to see the birds and learnt that we'd arrived at the wrong time! As is the case with other birds, there are higher chances of sighting peacocks early morning and early evening, when they step out of their hiding places to find food. This was disappointing! The villagers suggested a newly opened tourist center (http://www.chincholimorachi.com/), where peacocks are fed in the morning and afternoon so you are guaranteed sightings. The tourist center offers a package (Rs.250 per adult) for the entire day where they offer you the holistic rustic experience, complete with typical rural Maharashtrian food, bullock cart ride, the experience of threshing grain, et al. It sounded like a 'must-do' in our list for the future, but we didn't want to spend the whole day there when we went this time.

We decided to take a chance and continue along the road. I'm glad we did. At the far end of the village, we stopped again to ask a villager on what are the likely spots where we may get to see the birds. The guy turned out to be extra helpful and volunteered to come with us in the car to show us. At first we were as wary as any intrinsically distrustful city dweller would be. However, he seemed genuinely willing to help. It was later that we realized that his purpose in going out of the way to help us out was that he was planning to buy a car of the same make that we owned and wanted to take a 'test'-drive!! We also got a full discourse of the pros and cons of living in a village and how urban children miss out on simple pleasures in life, interspersed with stories about his own history and livelihood.

Thankfully for us, the monologue ended :) as we saw two birds, but they quickly disappeared into the sugarcane fields around. Peacocks are shy birds and won't let you get too close. We dropped him back and strangely, once we had stopped looking, we saw another two peacocks in the fields. This time they also gave us adequate time to take photographs. 4 out of 2500 was a small number, but good enough to please us urban folks!

My verdict: A full 5 out of 5 – the proximity of the village to Pune is the best part. People of all ages can enjoy this experience. If you are not planning to take the package with the tourist center, do carry food and water. Make sure you reach either early morning or late afternoon so as not to miss the birds. This trip can be combined with Nighoj / Ranjangaon (see my next post for our onward experience at Nighoj).

Sample India's superb history at Bhaje caves

The Bhaje caves

The main prayer hall

This was one of our rare spontaneous trips (given the compulsive planner that I am). We looked up some sites and set out early on Sunday morning for Bhaje caves (or लेणी in Marathi). We took the old Pune-Mumbai highway, which by the way makes for an amazing drive (I travel to Mumbai for work so often that I've developed an express highway-fatigue so the old highway was a good change).

To get to Bhaje, you take a left at Karle village (about 45 km from Pune). An old, dusty board confirms you are on the right track. Bhaje is about 4 kms from here and the road is surprisingly motorable. You can leave your car at the parking and then set out on foot for the last couple of kilometers. The other option is to take a Pune-Lonavala local till Malavali and then walk; which would be about 3 kms to the top. The climb is steep and if you are not a regular at exercise, you will definitely need to take at least one break. We were fortunate to have amazing weather that day. Climbing in the sun could be bad.

The caves show themselves suddenly from one point on, and what you behold is stunning. There is a large prayer hall and several caves that must've served as resting rooms for the monks, complete with a water storage area. The main hall is magnificient and hosts a large stone stupa... as always one wonders how people must have built them in the 2nd Century AD! Going up and down the stone stairways feels adventurous. The view is breath-taking, which I think must've inspired the architect back then! Be sure not to miss the stupas towards the right of the caves further along the road. The same road leads to Fort Lohagad, a popular trekking route. But we decided to try that some other time.

Bhaje is one of the three ancient caves near Karle. Bedse caves near Kamshet I hear are along similar lines as Bhaje. Karle caves on the other side of the road are the largest. We attempted going there last year on the way back from Lonavala but gave up mid-way. The road to the caves passes through a temple and is absolutely filthy and downright repulsive.

There is a small entrance fee of Rs.5 for the Bhaje caves, which seems to get utilized in maintaining the caves as the premises are clean and well conserved by the Archeological Society of India. I wish there was a big fee for the entire area and heavy fines for littering. There was especially a large group ahead of us - all educated looking youngsters - and pitifully we saw several of them littering all over the way, spitting, shouting; it struck me what a horrible failure our education system is for not imbibing this basic social discipline and respect for history in us!

My verdict: 4 out of 5. Bhaje makes for a great half-day trip when the weather's good. Leave early in the morning to avoid the sun. Best not to take older people along as the climb is not exactly easy. Carry food and water as the old highway hardly has any good eateries left.

Ecological Bliss – Bhigwan on Solapur Road

This was our second bird-watching visit to Bhigwan. We went there first in January 2009. With only meager information from a blog, we spent quite a lot of time in tracking down birds. Though we eventually managed to spot several species, it felt like we had to grope a lot in the dark. Thanks to which, we didn’t see any Flamingos at all. More disappointing was that we didn’t have such a great camera, and our photos didn’t turn out so good after all the effort.

With the learnings from the first experience, we set out again in December, much earlier in the winter this time. We now have a pro-zoomer camera with all the required attachments (though not yet a DSLR) and hoped to get better shots.

This time we hit the right spots at the right time. It’s important you reach bird-watching spots when the birds are out to feed. We left Pune at 5 am, reached Bhigwan on Solapur highway, and turned left for Diksal (just before the bridge at the Solapur end of Bhigwan town) just as the sun was rising. The place looked mesmerizing in the receding twilight, and because water levels were high thanks to the untimely showers in November. Continuing further, you come to a stretch of narrow road with water on both sides with you right in the midst of the birds’ annual winter retreat. It’s quite a spectacle!

At the end of the motorable stretch, we were sought out by a mother-son duo who offered to take us into the water to see ‘Rohit pakshi’ = flamingos by boat. We agreed to pay 500 rupees for a 1.5 hour trip ‘only if we spotted the birds’. I’ve honestly hardly ever caught sight of any animals in so called wild life sanctuaries. But the confidence displayed by the duo about knowing the flamingo habitats raised the spirits about a positive result this time. We traversed the beautiful Ujani backwaters in the boat for almost half an hour without any sight of the flamingos. In the excitement of searching for the flamingos it would have been very easy to miss the colony of thousands of white and gray seagulls at the edge of an island on the way or the occasional duck swimming leisurely along our boat.

At last a flock of the elusive birds. Flamingos are absolutely captivating. Their slender beaks, attractive colors, and graceful movements make them one of a kind. When they are on land, the pink and black tones on the folded wings are completely hidden. But the sight of them flying in straight, disciplined rows evokes memories of those programs on the National Geographic or Animal Planet painstakingly shot by nature lovers who wait hours to record such glimpses for us to see on television in the luxury of our homes.

Back on land, we were invited by the boatmen mom and son for a cup of tea in their hutment home. We were really touched by the warmth and hospitality from them. I forgot to mention that the duo had good knowledge of their surroundings, and was reasonably well informed about the birds and their ways. It felt like they knew the value of the life they live. Never once did they hurry us up during their boat trip, and in fact were ready to oar up to wherever we pointed out.

After a brief halt there, we visited another spot near Dalaj No. 2 village – to get there you get back on the highway and take a left after about 8 kms towards Solapur. This place allows real glimpses of the rural life and the rows and rows of farms provide urban folk like me a very rustic and lovely encounter with the hinterlands. At the end of the longish road is another stretch of water where we saw a few other cranes and birds. We were here for another hour or so, after which we started on the return journey.

Bhigwan is the sort of place you would rather want to have uninhabited, raw and pristine in its natural beauty. The moment it gets crowded and commercialized, restaurants line up and the touts spring up, the place risks losing its appeal (we Indians need not be reminded of how capable we are at that part). But if you are the types who value the ecology, are ‘educated’ enough to not litter or crowd or disturb the peace of the place, Bhigwan is just the place for your next day trip in winter.

My verdict – Go all out for it if you concur with the personality type I’ve described. But make sure you are well armed with fuel, food and water, and ensure you stock up well on the patience as well. As I mentioned before, this won’t be any luxury trip.