Day 1: Powai - Pen

After a lot of hectic purchasing and packing last night, we decided to leave at 4 am today. Woke up at 4:15 and finally left at 6:30, aiming towards Alibaug. Made a breakfast halt at Panvel at 9:30.

We're sitting at the ST bus stand having bread-jam when a decrepit looking man approaches us asking “Thana? Thana?” Madhu looks at him and replies “Aage jao. Tumhe idhar kuch khana nahin milega.” Man zapped.

Reached Karnala at 10:30 and stopped here for the noon, since the sun's too hot to cycle anymore. Grub at a nearby dhaba was arbit and expensive. In the afternoon, some of us slept, while the others chatted with an adivasi. Turns out the nearby fort is Raigad. Must come here on a trek sometime...

So far the journey's been peaceful, although at 10:30 there were signs of heat exhaustion. This can be avoided by starting earlier in the day.

In the evening, we woke up and left, aiming for Alibaug by night. Unfortunately (but fortunate in hindsight), Devajit’s rear tire suffered a puncture 3km before Pen. For a new cycle, this is bad. We therefore decided to take it easy, and walked to Pen and got the puncture repaired. Parked at a sugarcane juice shop while 2 guys went and scouted for accommodation. Initial results were disappointing - there were only two lodges in town, both full. One offered its terrace(!) for 200 bucks the night, the other a shady room without a fan for the same amount. Our friendly juice guy suggested we seek help at the police station. We hesitatingly approached the cops at the station, and ran into some luck - the PSI suggested we sleep - for free - in the verandah of the adjoining tehsildar’s office (in a mini-complex of govt. offices) Buoyed by this unexpected fortune, we went and had decent grub at a joint near the ST stand.

It was probably a quiet night, crime-wise, and the enthusiastic PSI came by later and chatted with us. He had a lot of knowledge about the geography of the area[1]. Suggested routes, halts and contact policemen at other places en route. Some guys bathed in the courtyard, using a hand pump for water. Slept at about eleven, quite exhausted by the day's exertion, though relieved that things were finally falling into place.

[1] The fort near Karnala is not Raigad (or THE Raigad perhaps) That’s someplace else.