“The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors”, said Melisandre The Red Woman. And indeed it was, mainly for my friends in other bus of which the headlights were broken and the driver was an old man. The terror was visible on their faces before leaving. The roads didn’t even had a street light and the bus was headlights-less. Good thing the driver had his subordinates to give him extra 2 pair of eyes, plus the driver was an experienced one. And mostly we see that experience beats power, so there was a little relief after sometime when we took a toilet break. But the terror was in my bus too, and that’s mostly into girls. The girls in my bus had problems riding a bus with lots of turnings. Some were vomiting and some fell sick but some were hard as steel. I on the other hand had no problem about anything except leg space. We slept through the journey, at least I slept, and we reached Kullu around 6 am.

We reached a beautiful place along a river. It was a foggy morning and an extremely cold one as I just woke and my body was stiff. The sky was partly cloudy and one can clearly listen to the sound of the flowing water. It was very satisfying moment standing there against the cold wind and low temperature along the river. I was wearing everything I had to help me warm myself, but I could not beat the cold there. On the other side of the river, there was a jungle, or so I thought, having a huge number of similar trees with yellow and green leafs. And beyond that was a view of a mountain range covered with snow. The view was taking over each part of my heart, eyes and brain. It was truly mesmerizing.

The place we reached had 12 to 15 tents with attached toilet and bed. It was a first time experience for me. I knew we were going to live in tents but I thought maybe we will hike a mountain and set up tent there, but I must say that was more comfortable. The tents on the left were for girls and the remaining were for boys. But it was not until some hours that we went inside because another group from my college were there and only after they left we settled into our tents. The tent from inside was beautiful and it had 2 large beds with blankets and an attached toilet. After freshening up we had our brunch and it was around noon that our tour guide announced to submit the fare for those wanting to do river rafting and for those for paragliding. Including me there were around 5-6 others who were not interested for both. If you are asking my excuse, river rafting costs Rs.500 for sitting in a raft and driven by the some other guy. And for the paragliding, it just that it was costlier. I watched and took pictures of my friends as they were sitting on the raft all excited and ready to taste the icy river. They were going one by one in teams and coming back all wet and shouting out of excitement. It was clear they had a lot of fun, and that was a moment I thought maybe I should have done it, or maybe I will actually DO it someday. This, and something in my previous blog if you read it, was the just the start of my story of my trip of realization

That afternoon I had THE MOST INCREDIBLE SLEEP EVER. I know I did not raft or glide, but that was probably because of the exhaustion of the night-out in the bus. Also the weather and sheets did the perfect job of awakening the slug inside me. I was more than fresh after waking up that evening, and a little regreted for not doing the camp exercises like rope climbing and other stuffs. But the regret was just a little as I was in my subconscious heaven while it was going on. We then went on a little shopping trip to a local factory outlet of warm cloths. It was for sure that our tour agent gets a commission to bring customers to their shop. But still the shop was nice and its speciality was Woollen Shall. So with the help of one of my female friend, I bought some warm cloth essentials for my family. After shopping, which was earlier than some of the others, I went out of the shop and roam around for some time. There I encountered a machine I saw once in TV, used to convert wool into cloth. It was old and had dust and wool on it. By looking at it seemed like it was not used for years. Nevertheless the machine was iconic and it was again my first time I saw this machine in my 3 dimensional vicinity.

Coming back to the tent I had no idea that we were having a DJ and a supplementary non-veg night. My mood was performing somersaults knowing that these two things were going to happen tonight. And thus the dance of a special night began. We weren’t dancers, except 2 or 3 of us, so we didn’t care how we look and how we dance. We were like a loose cannon attacking in each direction randomly without any sense. And just like that we danced, like a loose cannon, till the rate of generation of our sweat exceeds the rate at which it gets prevented by the cold. DJ was the perfect preparation of the treat coming to us. Less than half of my classmates were vegetarian and the rest had the best meal.

The night was dark and cold. It was about 11 pm and the birds were asleep with their children inside the nest. The sound of the river was louder than the rest of the day. Maybe it was running away from the dark night which was upon it. The wind was blowing taking away the warmth of everyone’s body, and we were sitting around a bonfire trying to take hold of our warmth. Our sir was telling a story and each and every one was listening to him like it was the last time they were going to listen. Then sir proposed that we should tell anything one by one, a poem, a song, a joke. And so, some versed a poem, some told a joke. It was simply a beautiful night.

Next day was early morning for us as we were about to go climb a mountain. I thought it like hiking but the route was already formed. Still I was super excited to think that after all these days, I was finally going on an “adventure”. I knew we will be going hiking so I brought my sport shoes which by the way were very helpful and convenient. And just like that without eating anything, we went on our adventure. The mountain was just across the road. We started our climbing by following a boy and his dog. They knew the route so we went along him and at some point ahead of him. There were few checkpoints where we stopped and rested for a bit. But our final destination was on top where there was a small temple. Though the destination was the temple, we were climbing just for fun and enjoyment.

As we were elevating, the view below was getting prettier, and more beautiful. The houses and shops were getting smaller, and the mountains and clouds were getting bigger. Each step I took felt like I was experiencing a separate adventure. With each step the destination was getting closer and new things were getting discovered through my eyes. Each step was telling me that no matter what, you can achieve what you truly pursue. At one point the view was of the city below us, at other point it was like a city was here a thousand years from ago, now extinct and the place has grown shrubs and trees all over it. But there wasn’t a point that was not a treat to the eyes, and as gorgeous and green as these. We were climbing and hiking together, supporting and talking with each other as the beauty of nature was passing by us. We encountered fields on the mountain and it was a surprise for me, because the only fields on a mountain I ever saw was of the tea plants in Ooty. But that time there were cabbage growing, align like military cadets. As we went above, the view of the mountains became clear and mesmerizing. It looked like a valley between multiple mountains opposite to each other. The fog was visible and the trees were covering some mountains like a cloth. The temperature was as usual low but all the walking and climbing made no effect on us. Sweat was coming for just a little while as the cold temperature and the wind was enough to make it disappear.

We reached the destination where a closed temple was present and a beautiful view giving the sky, clouds, mountains, trees, birds, and the city at our sight. We were celebrating by clicking pictures. I took some pictures of nature and the beautiful scene to show off on the social media. Not everyone of the 70 people were there on the top. Some were tired just after reaching the first checkpoint, and some in the middle somewhere. But all those who weren’t on the top, had missed certain things. After some rest it was time to get back to the camp. I had more fun coming down than going up. There was this one point which was prettier than anything I saw till now. There was a big tree with orange and yellow leafs shadowing the biggest rock I ever saw, and a river was coming down adjacent to the rock. It was a perfect place to hangout and click some beautiful pictures. And so we did the same. We enjoyed at this place more than we enjoyed on the top of that mountain. The water of the river was pure and cold, and the yellow flower petals were falling on the ground like a confetti but in slow motion. We didn’t even realised at that point that we were hungry, we wanted to be there all day long and enjoy the sound of river and the cold wind.

We reached down to our camp, had our brunch, packed everything, sat inside the bus and took off to Manali. And just as I said earlier, with our every elevation, the scenic view became more and more fascinating to see. The mountains were added in numbers and the temperature was subtracted. And as our journey proceeded, our enthusiasm level increased exponentially.

This was almost half of my journey, and the real “adventure” we had was in Manali.

So stay tuned. Thank You for reading.

SunnyOut.

Fort State: In ruins

Difficulty: Medium

Endurance Level: Medium

Things to carry: Two liters of water, snacks, Trekking shoes.

Best time to visit: Any time of the year

Type: Hill Fort

Time to Explore: Three hours

History: Jawali vally was traditionally ruled by More clan. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj captured it and brought it in Swarajya. It was later ruled by Mughals, Marathas and Britishers. It is noted that Britishers constructed this road. Like Naneghat, this route was also used for trade which connects mainland to Konkan region of Maharashtra. It must have been used a watchtower to observe the transport as well as to provide security.

Kavlya fort lies on the border of Pune and Raigad distrcits on the Varandha Ghat road. It is approximately 30 km from Bhor towards Mahad. This road divides the fort into two parts.

The path to go to left part of this fort lies 1 km before the path to the right side. A casual 15 minutes of walk on an unpaved road leads us to the top.

There is a temple of Waghjai Mata. It is a well constructed temple having the idol of goddess carved out in the rock. There is a iron gate to the temple.

Just in front, we can see the bastion on the other part of the fort.

If we walk back a little and then move towards the right side, we can spot 7 water tanks which were used to store water and also as a major source of drinking water. These water tanks are made by digging the rock and have a shed on it which causes less evaporation of water.

If we go to the peak from here, we get a mesmerizing view of downhill. The clouds were moving in and around quickly blocking the sight. It started drizzling when we were getting down and suddenly it was raining heavily. We were completely drenched while we got down.

As the rain slowed down, we got into our vehicle and moved further to see the other half of the fort. There is a board which displays information of the fort and its history.

A straight path from here leads us to the fort.

We come across few rocky steps at the start.

We need to be cautious while walking on the narrow trail. On the left side there is a deep valley while on the right side there is hill.

On the way, there are arrows painted on the stones that show the direction we need to follow.

Noticed dew on the grass which was looking refreshing.

We need to keep an eye on the trail which takes right turn after some time.

As we cross a small hill, we can spot the plinth of a structure.

After 10 minutes of walk in dense forest, we come to a place where we can see the dilapidated temple and a small water tank beside it. The temple has no remains inside.

Behind the temple, there is a board hanged on the tree. Right path takes us to Navhin peak and two villages while the left turn goes to the only bastion on the fort.

We took right and decided to explore the peak first. At regular intervals, there are display boards that lets us keep track of the route.

We have to descend a hill to reach a place where a path towards right takes us to peak and Fanshi village while left turn takes to Parmachi village. Since there have been landslide on both these routes, it is advised not to go further.

We have to return to temple and go right to reach the bastion. On the way there are some rock bricks scattered around which denotes the presence of a room.

There is a saffron flag hoisted here.

We get a bird’s eye view of the Konkan and surrounding area. Especially during rainy season, it is a treat to eyes. Such a lush green environment is hard to find in the city. Watching waterfalls all over the hills is a spectacle to behold. We spent some quality time witnessing and praising the beautiful nature.

With a heavy heart we had to bid adieu and return back.

You can watch the vlog below.

Leave only your footprints, Take back only pleasant memories.

Manali, one of the places in India which comes into the mind of a traveller for the first time they decide to travel. A paradise and a hell of Earth for the human race and others. Paradise been said as it has the most beautiful valleys and mountains, scenic views, temperature perfect for couples, and not to forget the snow fall in winters. A place where lots and lots of scenes for Bollywood movies were shot. And a place blessed with nature’s most beautiful face. Thus bringing us to it’s most dangerous face of destruction. After summer, the monsoon season doesn’t provide much of a relief to the Manalis. The rain causes landslides which leads to the destruction of roads and thus putting a barrier ahead of their lives. This destruction follows then with the daily road block for construction and never ending traffic. But nature is not the problem here. We humans are the one solely responsible for the destruction of our own livelihood. Nature is only returning what we had given them, destruction. On the other hand, today governments are trying to protect the nature and lower the sky-touching global warming. And that’s a good thing.

Our journey from Kullu to Manali was, as I said earlier, mesmerizing. We stayed in the beautiful hotel on our entire trip. It was ofcourse 3-star but for us the count was not less than 5. The view from the balcony of our room was like a picture, painted by some great artist, which made me stare on it continuously. The view was of a mountain range of which few were covered in snow. Below that directly there was another hotel in front of us that had a roof textured as a real wood. And below that a green court for badminton. It was a view I can never forget even if I want to. I was tired and excited, but again I was ready for an adventure. But that day we weren’t doing any adventure, instead we were going for shopping on Mall Road. Thus we got ready and headed to Mall Road which was in a walking distance from our hotel. The walk in that temperature was refreshing, but our vicinity was not. Apparently it rained the previous night, and due to all the destruction and construction works, mud was all over the place. We had to choose a spot to land our next step. But crossing these hurdles we reached the Mall Road. Anywhere we go, shopping areas are all same. Some were inside there AC-ed shops, and some were on the streets.

We reached a square where a tree was present that had no leafs still it was satisfying to look. Lots of people were present and there were no vehicles in that area which was impressive to see. I went with a group, roam around a bit and then changed the group and again roam around a bit. At one point I was alone and decided to go to the end of the road and see everything I can, every shop, every one, and every place. As the sunlight was fading and moonlight was glowing behind the clouds, temperature was dropping till a point I had to cover my ears and nose and had to spend my time inside any shop to keep myself around higher temperature. The streets were filled with people, mostly from other cities and countries. And as the lights of the shops shines the entire street, happy vibes were entering my mind and body, and this saturated, shiny and colourful canvas was stuck inside my mind, and every time I picture it, I think of the different people and their lifestyle in Manali, and how they get the chance to meet and talk to other people coming here from all the world. And thinking of that, few of my friends got to meet a Marathi movie star near that tree, and I thought even if I didn’t knew that star, it would be cool to take a picture with him and post it on Instagram.

Coming back again with all the struggle against the mud, we got the best buffet I ever had. It includes almost everything, from fruits to chicken. It was simply delicious. After the dinner, on special request we got the DJ on and a bonfire where we sat around with our palms facing towards it struggling to be warm. The temperature was severely down, atleast for us Maharashtrians. That night before going to bed, we called to other rooms and talked as the room service and manager. Some just ignored our call but some were terrified of placing false order and that they have to give money for that. It was fun, but not so much for them ;-|). And as I said way back earlier, the bond of friendship tightened between us. I didn’t notice back then, but now thinking of it it’s for sure that the bond was cemented and watered and it is now as hard as a rock. But the world is not a perfect one, and neither am I. As my friendship with some bonded, some other bonds were ready to be cracked and shattered by the end of the semester.

Next day, as I woke up with the noise of series of knocks, I satisfied my soul by showing her the most beautiful scenic view she ever saw, the view from our balcony of the mountain covered in snow. And for myself, a particular face was enough. We got ready and sat inside a sumo car to go on a more real, real than the previous one, adventure. We were going to Gulaba Snow Point. But before going there, we halted on a shop that rents the suit for trekking. We chose our suits and reached the Point. The place where we stopped and stepped out of the car was surrounded by mountains of different sizes and shades of blue and white. But one thing was common in them that they all were covered with snow and the sky had only a few number of clouds which paired perfectly with the mountains, creating a view that makes you go WOW. I was ready to face the challenge and climb the snowy mountain. At first, the snow was dirty and everyone was excited and filled with enthusiasm. We all were shouting and climbing and throwing snowballs at each other. But as we elevated, our number decreased and only a few were visible along with us. The time when we were enjoying and throwing snowballs was then turned into a mission with only one goal of reaching on the top (as far as we can) of the mountain. I was with a bunch of my friends who also wanted to go above.

The mountain had cement road constructed and it looked like snake resting upon a tree while his tail is touching on the ground and his body was curved to maintain friction on that tree. The area between a pair of layers of road was filled with shrubs and trees and snow was covering everything including the soil. At some areas snow was so deep that my foot was able to dive inside it till the upper surface reached my knees. It was very difficult to climb the mountain as we didn’t took the road but going up in a straight line. It was like climbing a slide but the difference was that the base wasn’t hot rather it was snowy and cold, and the angle of elevation was more. We climb by holding the trees and crawling like a baby, by holding hands and pulling each other up, by resting for 2 minutes and again forcing our legs and our spirit to do this here and right now, because that right there and that moment was an opportunity for me and for us to experience something very incredible, exciting, thrilling and breathtakingly amazing. Then, now and in my future there won't be any time that I am going to regret that moment and that adventure till the almost-top of the mountain. We reached a point where we finally decided to stop climbing. That point was, I suppose, the best place to experience a scene like it. Mountains were all around us, and everything was then covered with snow that reflected the sunlight only to show their shine to the world. The point from where we started climbing was looking like a city of ants, and so I felt like we were on the island of Lilliput. The people I was watching were probably the ants for the Lilliputians, which concludes that they were looking very very very small, and we were very very very high up.

Coming down was fun. We slide on ice and ran between the trees, exactly feeling like the character of Assassin’s Creed 3. But we did reached to the bottom and after changing and cleaning up, we had a bowl of Maggie together. It was like a newly formed group of friends, except it wasn’t a “group”. But separating all the odds and the fact that I was partially wet and my gloves were torn while climbing and sliding on ice, it was the best adventure I ever had! But I want to change that and do some more and better adventure in future as I pursue to be a Travel Blogger.

We again had a wonderful food, well not for some, and we took off for Chandigarh, leaving this beautiful place where I was lost in the fog of natural beauty that surrounded me while I was hiking, the culture and the passion in people, the views which mesmerized me every time I turn in a different direction, and the place that told me about the truth of this planet and about my life, and what I want to achieve was then somewhere inside my subconscious mind but I failed to realize it until when the day came when we had to go back to our normal life and to our home.

We were back in Punjab, although Chandigarh was the capital of both Punjab and Haryana, the all-nighter bus travel was not at all a problem now, and again that’s particularly for me. This side of Punjab was a little different from the side we visited before. Just by looking outside the window I can see the fog that covered the field and the very identity of Punjab. Further going on, one can see that the roads were perfectly build and everything was well developed. Also one can see many big buildings with logos on them. And after reaching inside the city it was almost like we were back in Amritsar, and if you have read one of my previous blogs, I don’t have to explain about this. We were tired and wanted to get out of that soul sucking, legs killing and mind f*cking bus. Even if one didn’t have any problem travelling in a bus, their human body won’t allow them to travel for so so long. But we reached our hotel and after getting fresh and again having an awesome and healthy brunch, we went exploring Chandigarh.

I know this is a very long series, but it’s my first time, and if you are reading this, then Thank You so much for keeping in touch with me. Please do comment below about my blogs and please do tell my mistakes and the type of blogs you would like to read.

SunnyOut.

They say “third time is a charm” and it was our third and probably our last attempt in finding “Betul Beach”. Believe it or not, back in those days, Betul Beach won’t even appear on Google Maps! We roamed the streets of Cavelossium, for three consecutive years, searching for this secret beach, without any success.

In 2016, after days of persuading, I spotted a bus with “To Betul” sign. Upon inquiring, the bus conductor convinced us to return to our hotel since there is nothing to see in Betul and there is no beach called “Betul Beach”. We were back in 2017! This time, Google Maps did assist but mid-way (after crossing Assolna-Cavelossium bridge), it pointed towards a jungle leading nowhere. A passerby said he has never heard of “Betul Beach” and navigating the jungle could be risky to which both Ayan and I agreed upon (and silently dropped the idea of “Betul Beach” hunt).

The next year, we decided to opt for a relaxing beach vacation where I will gaze at the endless sea and Ayan will entertain me with his enthusiasm to continuously hurdle with the crashing waves! But Goa had different plans for us! We were staying at the Lazy Frog, Carmona, Goa owned by Roy (must visit budget stay with a swimming pool, badminton court and delicious food!). One day, over a casual discussion with Roy, we told him about our “Betul Beach” quest. Now, we felt like Indiana Jones while narrating our story to him but he looked at us as if we were Joey Tribbianis!

Next, the Good Samaritan tells us that Betul is a Fishing Port and Village located south of river Sal. The major attraction is the Betul Lighthouse which is around 6 km away from the Cavelossium-Assolna bridge. The route to the Lighthouse is available on Google Maps. Otherwise, it’s a pretty simple route and can be navigated easily. Once the Cavelossium-Assolna bridge ends, you need to take a right and head straight for a couple of kilometer till you reach a crossroad. At the crossroad, don’t take any turn but continue straight until you see an uphill road on your left which leads to the lighthouse. An easy hike to the lighthouse offers a panoramic view of Betul Village and the stretch of Cavelossium-Mobor beach.

On your way back, after the downhill, you can either take a right and head towards Cavelossium, or take a left to visit Betul Port/Village. This is where River Sal meets the Arabian Sea, making it a favorite fishing spot amongst localities. The Betul lighthouse can be seen from the port and few lucky ones have even spotted dolphins here. The place is also home to the ruins of Betul Fort.

At the opposite end of the port lies a beach known as “Betul Beach” amongst tourists. In fact, we came across few articles stating this beach is owned by JW Marriott in South Goa! However, in reality, the beach is an extension of Mobor Beach (south of Cavelossium Beach). The luxury resort-The Leela, Goa shares this beach along with the famous Mark’s shack. A long stretch of white sand beach is very common in South Goa but this beach offers a lot more. Eagles and kingfishers skimming the sea surface for fish adds a flavor of wilderness balanced by the fishing boats sailing in and out of the port. When you see men and animal hunting for food at this spot, you realize they are both driven by similar needs and yet, act so differently. Both of them are primarily looking for food and shelter. The only difference is animals have learnt to live in harmony with nature while human beings have learnt to destroy our ecosystem in order to cater to their needs.

We walked into the beach cum port to find a group of kids fishing off the shore with basic fishing rods. Upon approaching them to see their catch of the day, it seemed they were running out of luck. They explained they will need to catch at least one fish if not more before the low tide hits and almost immediately got back to work. We realized what appeared to be a mere game to us meant so much more to these little ones and thus left them alone with their problem at hand. On the other side, a couple of fishermen were sailing towards the sea in their medium sized fishing boats and unlike the group of kids, they had huge fishing nets on board. Eventually, the boats sailed away far across the sea, until they became invisible to our eyes. We could not help but wonder, what does it take to be able to wake up everyday, even before the dawn breaks? What does it take to sail in extreme conditions, to catch us our meals, and yet, not being able to feed one’s own family? In front of us, the mighty waves of the Arabian Sea met the River Sal. This union was pretty evident when the undesirable brownish color of the otherwise known as muddy water from the river changed into an emerald blue delight.

Our most memorable moment at Betul was when a water-bird plunge dives into the sea and catches a fish only to be chased by another water-bird trying to snatch away its catch of the day. We had seen something like this only on television before and by the time we could get our cameras rolling, the winner had already flown away with its trophy! Our verdict is- Nature is beautiful. If you are willing to preserve the magnificent Betul Lighthouse, acknowledge the hard lives of the fishermen at Betul Port and protect Betul Beach from plastic pollution to be able to watch the glowing colors of the sunset, go ahead and spill the beans, tell everyone about this secret place. But, if you cannot respect local and cultural heritage, and care little about environmental pollution, kindly skip this place.

About The Author

We are a husband-wife duo who are sad IT professionals on the outside and Spirited Travelers from the inside. We aim at appreciating different cultures, lifestyle and food. Often, the roads taken the most suffer adverse effects of tourism and through our writing, we want to encourage our readers to be responsible towards environmental preservation. To be a part of our adventures around the globe, follow us on Instagram @ the_spirited_travelers.