Sunday, August 16, 2009

Day 155 - Aug 10 - Baroda to Pune

Aug10 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community

526 KMs Trip meter 21541 KMs

It is to pune today. Have been hearing some news about the swine flue increasing in Pune. And i thought rest of the ride will be peaceful! Just when i was starting towards pune, get a call my my dad about the breaking news in pune. 4-5 deaths due to swine flu. This is not the first time in the trip where some breaking event has happened in the place just before i go there. Like the bomb blasts in guvahati, presidents resignation in nepal, roits in srinagar just when i was enter back into the city. As always i move towards none the less.

Have a tasty breakfast and start comfortably from Dr Bharath's house. He even guides me till the highway. Its back GQ mode. Pretty uneventful ride. But the on and off rains did trouble a lot. If it rains i have to get into the rain gear and if it stops its too hot to wear the rain gear and they have to go. I am made to gear and ungear for 3-4 times. The last i faced rain was with freezing rain drops. As i head south things get greener and greener and i near the hills and thats western ghats. Already feels like home. Its monsoon riding season now. Green hills and either sides of GQ is green except the tarmac. Now i dreaded the passage through Mumbra. As i remembered the tough time we had the last time we passed there. Plus i got a heavy bike this time. After reaching Thane and wading through the traffic i am enlightened that now there is a bypass over mumbra! thats gladly taken and its a very old four lane highway on the hills next to mumbra. Just wondered was there there a couple of years back as well. Get to puna highway in some time. And its a riding pleasure. curves on the mountains and this is wide roads here. The climb up is pretty rapid and i stop at a point to take pix of the Mumbai pune expressway realizing little that i will be riding on it in some time. Its made in cement and kinda slippery in the wet weather. I vaguely remember riding part of the expressway last time. Stop a few times to get some pix. It was drizzling all the way and the mountains nearby were covered in mist. Now i guess i am to lookout for an exit. I see one towards lonavala and skip it. Hardly a couple of kms and i am flaged down by cops. I am not supposed to ride two wheelers here. But where's the exit? well it seems i should have taken the lonavala exit! how am i supposed to know! there was a small board near the tunnel it seems tell the same but, i conveniantly ignored reading a board written in hindi. Its tough you see. Well i gotta pay now. Am told a 1000 Rs fine + 700 Rs at the toll gate exit or some consideration for the cops who are supposed to escort me out of the expressway. Things settle for 400 bux and i am escorted out of the next exit and shown the way to pune with the NH4.

The NH is pretty good enough and its tarmac, bettor than wet cement surface. With pune nearing i quicken my pace and make it there by like 7.30 pm. Kinda missing the surgical mask which i have ran out of. Already see ppl wearing the masks and cloth on the face. PraveenS comes to pick me up. It was nice meeting after long time. Just as i freshen up, Ashwin, his wife chitra, Umesh an Hari come over and we all head out to a party celebrating my ride. It was a great reunion with old friends and making new friends. Plus it was party as well :) Boy am i heading south :)

Dr Bharat and me at his place before starting for pune.


Hit the GQ again..





Some birds by the Highway...





Got nothing much but to click the GQ!





More temples coming up...


Things getting green...


And i approach the western ghats...





Looks like i am on right time at Maharashtra, its green green mansoon everywhere...








Well if its green, its cos of rain and i have to gear up here...


I see a milestone to Bangalore!


Glad there is a bypass over Mumbra now, else would have been a pain to cross it...


Mumbai Local train!! been ages since i had seen one!


The mumbra township below which i was glad to ride around...


Nice roads towards pune...











The Mumbain Pune Expressway...


In no time i was on it!


Green green everywhere...


Its great riding on the expressway...





The expressway tunnel..


Inside the tunnel now...


The misty mountains above...


Western ghats water falls begin...


Could rain now...


Expressway carved out of the mountain...





Its party with J friends in the evening celebrating my ride. Its me Umesh, Chaitra, Ashwin, Praveen S and Hari from Left to right. Btw i got shot by Praveen S!

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