Two Timing, Am I ?

Today let me take you with me on a small part of our Road trip.

For those who follow me it's no surprise and you guys already know it from all the posts and my random rants that I am a nature girl at heart ... 

In nature I lose myself and find myself again .. I breathe.. I rejuvenate .. 

And this feeling was strengthened and factualised by our recent road trip which we were advised strongly against by our Dr. Reason - I was very weak with low bp. Which was lower than low and I was advised strict bed rest. Still me being me went with the trip  ( well in my defence everything was booked and this trip was planned from a long time and we were in such anticipation and I love road trips and Goa ) as I thought we 'll do it as it's just from Pune to Goa... ( well that was irresponsible but adventurous though ) 

The whole way hubby took care of me like no ones business. Fussing about my rest, my meds, my snacks, ( could I get any luckier, touchwood I have won myself  a jackpot ) Coaxing me to sleep but no sooner than we took to the forests and mountains they just kept me going and like that .. like just that.. I was feeling so live. The magic of nature is marvellous beyond understanding ... it's wonderful, just leaves one astonished at it's beauty, sights, abundant life and a strong will to keep growing to keep living and giving. 

The crisp air, the smell of moss laden trees, gurgling waterfalls, chirping birds,  what's there not to like... not to fall in love.. not to be fully alive and aware.. not to replenish and rejuvenate every sense of the body. 

I was healed ... if not completely ... in my mind ... in my will to be one with nature .. in spirit.. I was one with nature.

It helped me like it does always. It loved and accepted and nourished me like it does always...
I wanted to get out of the car, touch the leaves, feel the cool gurgling water, smell the wild daisies.

Just like that my love affair continued .... ❤

With my hubby as well as nature... I was two timing and how ... but sometimes a girl just gotta do what she gotta do. 😉

Monkeying around, are we ?

Mountains are calling ...

Specks of green..

And I did get out of the car... didn't get to play in the waterfall, well whom was I kidding .. I got out and just that was enough to get a smile to my sick, tired af face.
P.S. how cute is he 😋

I want to be here forever in these mountains, where my soul belongs amidst nature.

The Magic of Mystical Mountains beckons me on ...

Forever a mountain Girl ...

They have my Heart...

Check out this small video ... a glimpse of magic ...

on that note ..

xoxo
Bhakti

Weekend Date

As you all know by now, I am a sucker for nature. Take me into the wilderness and I am happy as a puppy (hehe ;)).

Anyhow, so hubby dear took me on a perfect date- a small hike at a nearby hill, watching the sunset and then a yummy dinner amidst beautiful setting. 

Oh! I almost forgot we started off the Saturday with some shopping (yay) and some heavy duty true blue Maharashtrian Food. 

Unedited yumminess, I am drooling right now. Kolhapuri and rustic maharashtrian food is my weakness. These kolhapuri Thalis are my all time favorite. 

We decided to try this place for the first time having heard rave reviews from food communities. 

New Milan Khanaval is located in the bylanes of Sadashiv peth Pune. This is the king of kolhapuri cuisine, best tambda rassa ( red curry) I have ever had. The after taste tickled me for more and more. The chicken masala and chicken fry preparations were amazing I loved the chicken masala more. The pandhra rassa (white curry) was nice but I have had better. There was also alni rassa (chicken broth) which is very rare to be found in Thalis, it was nice. It was such a heavy meal bursting with flavour that by the end I had stuffed my stomach to the point of no return. I barely could walk and was supremely high on food. The place served excellent biryani as well but that's for another day, another story and another date with food. This place is really small. You might have to share table with strangers. Worth it all. Go early when they open or late so you don't have to wait forever. I am in heaven with all this food. 

Happy me !! 

Could you believe we could have this monster after this? Yes we had it though. What can I say we are foodies who become eating demons come weekend. 

Awesome coffee shop at Conrad Hilton Pune . 

Mesmerised 

Sunsets ❤️

He makes me so happy ❤️ 

Amidst beautiful setting at The Asian Box
I love such quaint places. It's a little place with character. Lovely food and pretty ambience. 

It's an oriental place and we decided we were in a mood for some Thai as well as Burmese cuisine. 

I love this dish. Spicy Thai chicken. Crispy chicken coated with perfectly got Thai spices along with some capsicum. I can keep munching on this baby. 

Lettuce chicken wraps. 

Yummy and so filling. Must try. 

Burmese Khowsuey - I never really am a fan of Khowsuey from outside as my hubbys family hails from Burma and I am used to eating home made authentic Khowsuey, recipe of which has been passed down in generations. 

I just like to eat Khowsuey outside just to see what they serve and experiment but it is always so different from the authentic one made at my place. 

So don't judge on my review. The Khowsuey was good however I have had better outside at other places. Saying that I still loved their curry which was more inclined towards Thai curry and couldn't help slurping on it. 

We clean up good, don't we ? :)) 

Sweet endings ❤️❤️

I am so grateful 🙏

How was your weekend? 

Until we meet again.

Keep smiling and stay cheerful!! 

xoxo

Bhakti 

Weekend Diaries- Lohagad in Rain

No sooner than the first drops of rain kiss the earth, the entire scene changes with this love affair.
This romance is abundant in and around Pune. No wonder with the first showers of rain people start flooding the monsoon getaways around the city which are resplendent and dancing in all its glory.
This weekend we decided to get enthralled with one such beauty.
Pune city is surrounded by lots of hills and forts and the best way to enjoy these attraction in all its grandeur is by trekking. There are number of trekking groups and camps available with whom you can go. However we decided to do this on our own with a bunch of friends, some of them being good trekkers and leading the way. Me and hubby being amateur with a slight asthma problem, we zeroed in on Lohagad which is a fort to be trekked with moderate difficulty.

Lohagad (the iron fort) one of the many Chatrapati Shivaji's forts (king) is situated close to Lonavla it being 1,033 m (3,389 ft) above sea level.
Train goes to Malavali station, where the fort is located within 10 mins walking distance. 
From Pune to Lohagad by car - 1 h 47 min (75.6 km) via Mumbai - Pune Expy
We started from Pune at 8 am and reached the fort by around 10 am with leisurely breaks. 
Car goes till the base of the fort from where you just have to climb the stairs, but we decided to leave our car at the base of the hill at the car park and trek the whole way up.

On our way to Lohagad 

Breakfast on our way, hot bhajias and vada Pav in rains. 
Do have breakfast as you will need the energy and carry some snacks with you to devour on top of the fort.
There are quite some thelas (stalls ) at the base of the fort as well as at the parking where the trek begins. I suggest carry some snacks from the highway and be careful with drinking water. The taste at these thelas at least on the weekend was not that great, and hubby as well as I had severe stomach infection after returning back.

Selfie in rain, rain God was with us. The weather was beautiful and prevailed the entire time. 

At the base, starting our trek❤️❤️

The entire way was dotted with gurgling waterfalls and mesmerising landscapes. 

The soothing sound of water flowing combined with chilled, crisp and fresh mountain air kept us motivated to keep going and exploring the beauty which just kept growing by bounds and leaps. 

Cheers💗💗 to some Color co ordinated snacks on the go. Complete sugar rush. 

You will get a few stalls selling bhutta (corn on the cob ) my favorite, we devoured some in the rain, relishing every bit of the experience.

Slow and steady does the trick 👫

Wonders of nature, creatures of the wild, he was so gorgeous. 

Finally atop ❤️ 
We took around 2.5 hours to climb the entire thing right from the base at an easy pace and we took approximately the same amount of time to descend.
So its a convenient day trip from Pune as well as Mumbai.
Do take a pair of extra clothes, we were drenched to our core, even after all the rain paraphernalia.
Locals give you a changing room for a decent amount.

Views from the top. There is a small temple on top of the fort, one well/pond and a tomb. The views are splendidly magnificent from anywhere you see. 

It was so windy on the top, that one couldn't keep steady. It was beautiful worth all the effort indeed. It was pouring heavily but that neither dithered us from our path nor the huge crowds of people who thronged the fort. 

We enjoyed our victory with some snacks, we had carried, as the strenuous climb left us ravenous (wish we had carried something more filling like sandwiches or rolls). 

Happiness on conquering it together. 

The whole gang ☺️

Until we meet again with a new journey 💚 

A small clip for you - 

xoxo

Bhakti 


other weekend diaries 

Sinhagad in Rain 
Drive in the Rain 
Merry in Mulshi 
A Small Hike with Big Happiness 
Adrenaline Unlimited @ Della Adventure

Bike ride to Mahabaleshwar

I love to travel is a known fact. I am a wanderer I feel. The best way to make me happy is to take me out for a trip, however small or big. That's exactly what hubby dear did, he told me to get ready early morning last Sunday, packed few things and announced that we are going for a small trip and that too on the bike.

How I was happy and excited, extremely curious though. I am one of those type of people who can't take in curiosity for a long time. Curiosity kills the cat symptoms and I started randomly guessing names for our destination which were close enough for a bike ride. 

To my extreme surprise I realized that we weren't going to any of those destinations but embarked our journey which was headed towards Mahabaleshwar. Mahabaleshwar is our favorite neighboring hill station. We have to have at least a couple of trips to Mahabaleshwar within a year. 

This was our first bike trip to Mahabaleshwar and I was really excited. 

We had a fabulous time and this was an awesome surprise, which I totally loved.
Days like this and moments they get along just make life so beautiful and spontaneous. 

Check out our trip in the snaps below with what we exactly did and how are trip turned out to be -

All prepared

First Pit stop

Breakfast

Misal and vada pav = best breakfast

Highway

Next stop

I love to be on the road

Reached Panchgani

1st stop

Chilled ice creams on a hot summer day is bliss.

Finally - Mahabaleshwar

Strolling in the market, buying Mahabaleshwar goodies.

Roaming around

Nothing can beat the local Nimbu soda at scenic points.

Posing for you all comfortable in my casual attire.

If this is where I relaxed everyday -- dreams

I just love Nature

Foodies Heaven - lunch

Dessert is not far behind

good bye snack

Returning back after a wonderful day. 

Some tips and facts by Hubby Dear :

Pune to Mahabaleshwar is 120 kms.

One can go there for a day trip and return comfortably by evening.

Plenty of accommodations for an over night stay available.

for your bike trip

Make sure your bike is in perfect condition, before embarking on the journey.

Travel Light.

Do carry your sun gear, cap, scarf, a jacket for the windy evening.

Do carry a bottle of water, candy, a napkin.

Make regular stops and keep yourself hydrated as well as stretch your legs and back a bit.

Stop at places which are frequented and crowded.

Do try and leave early morning from Pune and leave from Mahabaleshwar before dark.

Cross the Pasarni ghat in sunlight.

Do not travel on the bike after sunset.

One can enjoy Mahabaleshwar for its climate, nature, beauty, different points, markets, food (a complete post on the same here)

An awesome trip and some more memories to treasure.

xoxo

Bhakti