Pedaling on the shore, in the forest and on the mandovi river side can mesmerize any body...

Cycling Kya Cool hai!!!

 “Cycle runs on the fat and saves your money and environment. Motor Cycle runs on money and makes you fat and pollutes the environment”, says tiger Solanki an ardent adventure enthusiast of Mysore City.

 

It’s been ages since people have being cycling but off late the buzz of cycling has hit the graph high with people from all ages cycling might be for pleasure or for sporting activity.

 

Cycling is passion I have garnered since last two and half decade and I have explored many things en-route, you get a chance to interact with people and see the different perception of life while pedalling and visiting different destination.

 

One such opportunity knocked at my door in October 2015 by Mr.Ganesh Kshirsagar of Nagapur who said will you like to join for a cycling program in Goa periphery for about 260Kms initially I was reluctant and later after a thought I said yes and then the excitement started, the apprehensions how the cycles will be which I am going to cycle etc, but to our surprise when we landed in panaji on Dec 28^th 2015, we were given Merida cycles which is supposed to be best in the market.

Come Dec 29, 2015, we set forth with familiarization tactics with the cycles and sharing the technical details was Ms.Pushpa Patel a cyclist from Mumbai. Later on we all went for a ride of 12kms in the city where the lady gave a thorough knowledge how to pedal and what gear you should ride when you are ascending and descending and it was perfect practical class for all the thirteen cycling buffs.

 

Team: The team consisted of ten male and three females from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamilnadu  and Karnataka. The cycling program was organized by Youth Hostel, Panaji, Goa.

 

Cycling: It was the first day of cycling from Panjim to Assolna stadium for about 50Kms first we pedal to dona paula, from there we take a jetty to Margoa Port and via International Airport and BITS goa we reach Velsao Beach, followed by pedaling on the seashore covering various beaches like colva, varca, benaulim and Mabor Beach and from there we come down and descend to Assolna stadium. A day filled with joy, happiness and seeing the serene beauty of the sun set. Though having seen sun set many times but the sun set at the shore always mesmerize a person says Ms.Gauri Khante Fiske, Veterinary Surgeon from Nagapur.

 

Day-2: The day was more interesting as we were going to stay in a Netravali forest and got to see the waterfalls, we started as early as 7am and little did we knew that cycling is going to be task as we started to ascend the uphill and as we reached the tip of the hill looking at the golden grass, we forgot all the strain and we all clicked pictures and the sun rise falling on the golden grass from the small hill was the perfect picture for everybody. But you go to be careful as it has ticks; one has to be careful later, we visited Gopinath Devesthana at Netravali and where one can see the bubbles coming out in kalyani when one claps. It was reason to figure out what was the scientific reason but due to paucity of time we didn’t go in depth into the subject and proceeded to Netravali forest check post where our shelter was arranged in a Hanuman temple.

 

Savari Waterfalls: We walked inside the forest for 3Km, the chipping sounds of the birds, hauling by monkeys, gurgling waterfalls, it was a perfect year end program for any adventure enthusiast who will like to spend the year end in the pristine nature.

 

Year End: It was 31^st Dec 2015 and away from the Hungama of partying and the night went on so peaceful that all the cyclist in the morning greeted each other on new year eve, Mr.Varun Khushwa of Udaipur, Rajasthan, said I have never observed new year so peaceful in life.

 

Day-3

The day was filled, lots of anxiety will we reach the destination in time and will be able to reach the falls in time, but friends believe it or not cycling from the Netravali forest to Dudh sagar water falls had lots of ups and down with our junior most cyclist being chased by the street dog, he got scared and started cycling fast and dog to chased him to scare him and in the mess he fell down right in  front of me, we then dressed his injuries and never the less Master Kunj of Mumbai was ready to cycle, with distance to be covered 51kms.

 

But despite scorching sun, still we were not exhausted as we were pedaling in the forest cover where on one side we had the tree cover and on another side sun trying to surge inside and the humid condition and light breeze will give you a cooling affect.

 

But the cyclist were disappointed after seeing the surging crowd in dudh sagar water falls, says Mr.Rashid Khan, a student of SRM Engg college, Chennai.

 

Day-4

This was one of the best days of the cycling as we pedaled about 63kms amidst the Bondla forest where you can hear the chirping sound of the birds, roaring of the leopards and hauling of the monkey greeted us, one point of time we could see the dung of the elephant, it was little daisy how to get away in case we encounter but later stage we realized it is tamed elephants of the forest department says Mr.Shreyas Kondibyle of Mysore.

 

This was amazing day we had ascending and ascending,  but later part of the day we had the most fantabulous ride of the life when we descended for the 6kms which was the most risky part of the life, one mistake and you will break your jaw for sure says Dr.Veera Hembade of Mumbai.

 

Finale:

We were all staying in a open field in a tent and the people around were so excited that all of them started sharing the reminiscence of the cycling expedition, few even went to the extent of sharing their mobile numbers and email id’s and Mr.Azeem of Nagpur had to remind them that still we have last stretch to pedal to reach the YHAI Base camp, Panaji.

Dhanu @ Basanti

But the charm of pedaling near the Mondovi river mesmerizes any individual says Ms.Dhanashree Sumeet Gandhare of Nagapur.

 

The team members were Dr.Veerashri Hembade, Dr.Gauri Khante Fiske,          Ms Dhanashree Sumeet Gandhare, Mr.Ganesh Kshirsagar Master Kunj Dedhia, Mr.Udit Janardhan, Mr.Rashid Khan, Mr.Prateek Srivastav, Mr.Varun Khushwa, Mr.Azeem Ahmed, Mr.Sahil Bhansal, Mr.Shreyas Kondibyle and Mr.D S D Solanki.

 

 

Article by Tiger Solanki, An ardent adventure enthusiast of Mysore.

Editors Comment: Sharing of the cucumber, pine apple among the bikers, eating in some body’s house with warmth hospitality like he parting his vessels and sharing coconut water, basanti going and asking for the salt and one point of time she went and asked for the chips and the person gave away the packet only, uff all this is nostalgia.