happy endings and new beginnings...

happy endings and new beginnings..., originally uploaded by radicaleye.

Happy New Year !
the first picture of this year is the memory of my new year morning.. traveled outside the city to karjat, spent a wonderful night with friends barbecuing and chatting away till the morning... drove around to this wonderful restaurant in a nearby village with pet geese and ducks.. breakfast was never this interesting ! welcome 2012 !

dreamy cottage

dreamy cottage, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

dreamy cottages surround the lake and we wondered how different it would be to live a peaceful life here and breathe the clean pure air...

lakeside

lakeside, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

as we drove further down the tranquil road around twists and turns, we reached the center of the lake...

shepherd and his favorite calf

shepherd and his favorite calf, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

whom he specially pulled along because he wanted me to click a picture with him :)

shepherd

shepherd, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

by the paddy fields near the arthur lake

pristine

pristine, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

another one !

blissful

bliss, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

and another one.. and i can go on...!

waterfall

waterfall, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

another one...

heavenly waterfall

heavenly waterfall, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

almost every corner you turn driving around arthur lake there are chances youw ill spot a waterfall.. its truly breathtaking !

arthur lake

arthur lake, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

driving further up and down the beautiful hills, we see the amazing Arthur lake ! its surrounded by the greenest and cleanest forests.. lush and untouched almost...the Arthur lake gets its water from the Pravara river and is full year round...with mist over mountain tops it was was unreal.. almost like a dream !

wilson dam water

dam water, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

the dam water overflows and is at ground level and its wonderful driving the car through it!

wilson dam

wilson dam , originally uploaded by radicaleye.

Bhandardara is situated near the Pravara river and is gorgeous all over. It also has a few "sights to see" where you may spot tourists.. rest of the town is pretty vacant and peaceful..this is the wilson dam which was lusciously overflowing...it provides water areas all around during the summers..built in 1910 over the Pravara river its one of the oldest dams in the country. I can imagine how amazing it must be to watch the waters cascade down when the gates open..we weren't around at that time and yet it was gorgeous !

another view from room balcony

another view from room balcony, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

since we had the corner room, our balcony offered two awesome views.. this was the other side...

view from room balcony

view from room balcony, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

Bhandardara has only 3 resorts to stay at, so ensure you have your bookings in place when you head out ! MTDC resort at Bhandadara is usually prebooked. Anandvan (http://www.anandvanresorts.com/) is another gorgeous and luxurious resort. We stayed at the Yash resort (http://www.yashresort.co.in/) which is run by an elderly couple and has a cosy, comfortable and homely feel to it, nestled between the hills and offering great views of the valley. The room was nice, the balcony was what we loved the most.. and the service was great too.

keep going

keep going, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

driving through

evenings, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

every turn is a photo op on this route during the monsoons, especially Bhandardara and the surrounding stretch.. since the place is not a common tourist getaway with a plethora of lodges and guesthouses, it still retains its virgin beauty and charm that will mesmerize you every step of the way ! make sure you have a booking before you land up here as there are only 2 resorts besides MTDC, all of which are often full.

road to bhandardara

Untitled, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

the road from Mumbai to Bhandardara is straight and well paved.. for most part is the 2 lane NH3 highway which is a smooth drive. Just after Igatpuri, look for Ghoti and take a right that will take you to Bhandardara in about 30 mins.. the road is decent, except for the spots where the rain has eaten away the tar, the views are breathtaking and the greenery refreshing !

roadtrip

road to ratangarh, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

yes, the road was calling again, and now it was time to head towards nasik, to bhandardara, near igatpuri...the weekend was long, the fuel tank full, the weather beautiful and the road inviting.. so off we went..!

banksy lover

banksy lover, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

im back after the disappearing act ! and this time, with something Ive hand made... at a t-shirt painting activity at work, I decided to paint a banksy rat... declaring my undying love his work !

sunset once more

, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

needless to say, I couldn't stop clicking.. it was a beautiful drive...

sunset

sunset, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

we decided to drive towards dandeli from goa... the drive was fabulous with great roads, vivid views and a divine sunset..

hard rock

hard rock, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

the next day we took off on a ride, no particular direction, just drifting and reached morjim, we had heard a lot about this beach in goa.. it was no time to hit the beach, afternoon, but we had a good look around and drove on... looked like a nice clean and not so crowded beach..the highlight ,needless to say, was THE HARD ROCK CAFE :)

the view

view from our room, originally uploaded by radicaleye.

after a long ride from mumbai to goa, it was worth it to settle into the familiar room we always rent out :) the view is breath taking and everyone is friendly... relaxed the evning away...staring at the gorgeous sea..