One Day Trip to Kashid Beach, Alibag, Maharastra

Last weekend on Saturday, we had gone to Kashid Beach (location on wikimapia), it is a good one.

Getting Ready for the trip
My company Geometric Ltd, gives a quarterly budget, which we can utilize in our own way like going to hotel, this time we thought of going to Kashid Beach (also spelled as Kasid), Alibag, Maharastra. Few days ago itself, we decided for everything and yes we were having regular meetings to know the status.

We finalised on a 50 seater bus at around 23/- per km. We earlier expected around 40 people to go, but finally only 23 team members (and their families went there).

We had lot of snacks (like bhujia/namkeen/biscuits/choclates) purchased by my friend. Another one got the delicious Kaka Halwai "Bhakarwadi" and Kachori. She also bought the delicious idlis with nariyal-chutney.

Well we zeroed in on Saturday 22nd Dec to leave for Kashid Beach as the weather is cold this time.

Saturday 22nd Dec, Leaving Pune
The bus went through various routes in Pune to pickup few people and the bus reached office by 6:30 am. Rest of the team members caught the bus at the Hinjewadi office of Geometric, where we all started our journey at around 7:10 am.

We took the route via ExpressWay Lonavala - Khopoli - Pen and Kashid, as the route was good and we didn't want to spend our most of the time in "bus".

As the bus started, we had a lot of hulla gulla, Then idlis were served to everybody, who were just waiting something good to enter their stomachs. After eating delicious idlis, the two teams were created and the "antakshari" started. I don't know many songs, but still if some song was being sung, I was lip-synching :)

After Crossing ExpressWay
After we crossed the jam on the ExpressWay (near Lonavala), we took the Khopoli exit. By that time, the urge of having some tea/coffee started in the hearts of the guys n gals. We stopped at the dhaba to have tea, also opening few packs of namkeens to be eaten. After spending/relaxing there for half an hour, we moved on towards Kashid beach. After Pen itself, we could smell the salty water in the environment. The pungent smell of fishes was already existing there.

Reaching Kashid Beach
We finally reached Kasid beach at 12 noon (yes 5 hours journey with half an hour jam and half an hour break). All guys were ready to take a dip in the Arabian Sea. We changed our clothes, so that it was easy for us to play the games without getting the "better clothes" spoiled. We played Volleyball, flying disc, ring etc. there. Wow it looks too good to be at the sea and sitting with the waves striking at the back forcing us to be more on the sand. and again we trying to go back in the sea.

Lunch
By 2 pm, we all were bit tired and went to bus, where we had Juices to get relieved of the scorching sun. Another friend had arranged for the lunch nearby. We went for lunch and by 4 pm our lunch was over. It was a good lunch with "goli like gulab jamun) in the sweet. Papad, Rice, Mix-Veg was good. But food was 100/- per head.

Back to Sea
We again ventured in the sea @ 4 pm. Playing various games like Volleyball, flying disc was really a fun. The intensity of the waves had increased now. Everybody was ready for the snap, which my friend was taking. He knows very good photography, for which we really admire him. My daughter really liked the sea. We know this because we saw the same thing last year December, when the family had gone to Diveaghar, Srivardhan and harihareshwar from Pune.

After teams played their best volleyball, disc and other games, we looked at the sun indicating us to go back to Pune (it was sunset time). At 6 pm, the sun said bye bye to us and beach. What a big-reddish sun it was. It was seeming that Sun is letting us know that I am going but moon would be coming soon. Enjoy it. It was our last trip of year 2007.

Back to Pune
We went to the hotel, where few of us took bath and cleared our body from sand, so as to prevent sea-borne diseases being activated. We took the tea-cum-snacks @ hotel only. At 7 pm we again were back in the bus to move to Pune. This time bus driver drove fast the bus and we touched the Pune Office by 11:10 pm. We all were tired.

Few of us had our car/bikes parked inside the premises, which we took off and went to our home and bundled ourselves in the bed.

It was really a good way to enjoy the end of 2007 and the born of year 2008.

Happy New Year !! (in advance)