The only enthusiasts for making a weekend getaway a reality: Deepak, Sabir, Madhu, me with my wife.
I am usually a stickler when it comes to planning for trips; especially trips to the unknown. In a rare unguarded moment, not sure how but I decided to say yes to a trip to Vasota.
Yeah, Vasota. It’s a place nestled in the Western Ghats, not too far from Mumbai, with ample trekking opportunities through an evergreen Jungle. It lies amidst a declared tiger sanctuary and has been known to have leopards, bison & civets among the larger animals.
Saturday morning saw us zooming on the Pune expressway in a hired Toyota Innova with our ‘able’ driver, Ali ‘Schumacher’. Ali is an interesting character and I feel his role in making our trip memorable cannot be ignored. His ability to skid at low speeds, overtake from the left and take turns at high speeds is a talent that I have rarely seen. His constant endeavour to show who’s boss saw us overtaking many mighty vehicles. In one of these episodes, when Sabir, my colleague asked him to drive ‘aaram se’ (relax), his response was that he felt quite relaxed while driving the way he was. Overall, his ability to make us feel uncomfortable even in a car as sturdy as the Innova was commendable.
Vasota and its surrounding areas have immense unexploited beauty which is a treat to the eyes. Owing to editorial intervention, I am forced to cut short the details and focus on the highlights of the trip. So much freedom of expression!
Well, towards the evening on our first day we experienced a few things, some of which were exciting, some not as much –
- We spotted an orange coloured ‘fox’ with pointed ears in the vegetation which actually was only a local dog.
- While we continued to explore the jungle, we thought of picking up some wild mangoes to eat from the grounds which turn out to be sour. Only later we realised were to pick the tender ones and not the firm ones.
- Our search for food didn’t stop there; we came across a lot of wild mushrooms in all shapes and sizes. Eventually, better sense prevails and we decide against including them for dinner
- We passed through the thick underbrush on one of our treks, we suddenly hear the purr of a large animal. While there is an initial discussion on whether it was a purr or a roar, we later realize that it was the sound of a passing car. The ‘purr’, however, did manage to weaken our resolve.
On day two,
- We took the 1.5 hour ferry ride to and fro from the main forest: Majestic hills with mist covered tops and dense evergreen forests greeted us all along the way. The swelling waters of the Koyna, up to 150 feet deep and the periodic monsoon showers added to the experience.
- After which we went trekking along the river bank with the forest on one side and the river on the other. The views are scenic…
- At a point during our adventure, Sabir got stuck in loose sand and in his quench to find firm ground he moved away from the boat. Though in some form we managed to guide him back 
- When we got back at base camp, we were forced to bid adieu to our shoes covered in mud.
- Sabir being the victim to most things, Madhu spotted something black and slimy on Sabir’s leg…to much disappointment turned out to be just a leech. A smattering of salt later the leech was dead on the ground.
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Well, those were just some highlights of what happened with us over the weekend and the trip back home was interspersed with naps, near collisions and lots of banter.
We spotted no tigers!
- Robin
Drizzlin Crew
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