Last Sunday, 5th November 2006, we went to Kashid beach.
We got up at 5 in the morning and met below my apartment building. We were four of us, myself, Zack, Arati and Alok, all in mood to spend a full day in water under clear sky. Zack would take his bicycle with him. He would ride his bicycle and we would take bus/cab to the points. We reached Gate Way of India at 6:30 and took first ferry to Mandawa from where a bus will take us to Alibag. It was a pleasant one hour journey in sea and got to see sunrise (which happens very rarely). It was nice and fresh feeling with pleasant wind. We reached Alibag at 8 where we met Zack, who had come cycling from Mandawa, and had breakfast. We took a bus to Kashid roughly 25 kms from there again Zack cycled down there. We were on the beach by 11. We took half an hour rest as Zack was tired after one and half an hour of cycling and all of us had narial-pani (coconut water). It's really very nice, clean beach above all less crowded. The main road passes just over there and the other side of the road is hilly reigon and here you have white sand and clear water. What next ! we changed in our swimming cloaths and jumped into the water. Only Zack knew swimming but fun knows no boundaries. We were literally there in the water for about 2 hours, playing with football which I had carried with me. Sun has come out quite strongly, so we had to came out. We sat there on the beach till 3:30 as it would have been difficult to travel besides it was pleasant there on the beach. We ate some snacks which we had carried with us and ordered for bread and eggs. There's no eating place over there. We got back to Alibag at 5. First we planned to go out to a fort in Alibag (not really only remains are there) but later we ended up just taking rest and eating there in one of the restaurants.
We planned to take last ferry back at 6:45 from Mandawa for which we would take a bus at 6. Zack went ahead with his cycle and we were waiting for the bus. Suddenly we were told that the bus ic cancelled as the ferry trip is cancelled because of bad weather, though sky was clear over there. Now we were left with only one option to take the bus to Mumbai which takes five long hours and is quite exhausting. Anyway we had no other choice but where is Zack. Since he wouldn't know the ferry is cancelled untill he reaches there. We decided to wait for him. It was 6:45 in the evening. We ate some snacks and found out the bus timings. The buses to Mumbai were at 7:30, 8:15 and 9. First we decided to wait till 8:30 and take 9 pm bus. All of a sudden it struck to us that we could call to some guy at the other end, that is in Mandawa, and enquire about Zack. But hard luck! most of the guys had come back after the ferry got cancelled, in a bus (in effect the last bus from Mandawa boat zetty). They told us that they saw him (he could be identified uniquely, tall, bearded with bike). We had hope that he would come back or at least he would contact us. He had my phone number but there are no phone booths on that route besides it was dark now. We again went to bus stand to look for more possibilities. The last bus would leave at 9:30 to Panvel. Not too bad, from there one can get local trains to CST. We waited till 9:15, no luck, he is nowhere to be seen nor did he contact us. Our patience ran out and we decided to leave him on his faith. We guessed that after cycling almost 100kms on that day he must be tired and would have opted to stay back in some hotel. We took the last bus to Panvel and 11:54 local from there to reach back our home at 2 pm.
But where is Zack? We thought that if he doses not turn up by 2 next day we would go back to search for him. But he was there next day. His part of story: He took wrong turn on the way to Mandawa and got late to reach there in time for 6:45 ferry. He thought that we have left and so he would stay back.
Well a nice trip mixed with adventure.
Anupam
