Beckoning the sea call- 2nd visit to Adgaon and Sarve

Sitting under the stars, with absolute strangers about whom you know nothing, singing songs together and bonding with only the vibe, with nothing else being the common factor; there’s something incredulously liberating about that. There’s only an energy around that you all unanimously feel, making you so much aware about the present, about now, about you and the happy vibe that you are sharing with the other stranger souls around. And for those brief moments you know you are happy. Happy for the moment, happy for the attuned nature, happy for the stars smiling from above, happy for the wind, happy for the shared goodness, happy for your existence. Those moments give no life solutions, but it subliminally give something even more deep and powerful which you may not realize at the moment- And that is an acute awareness of existence and a renewed appreciation and understanding for life. Life issues can be sorted later. But at that point of time, you only feel- intensely, a nuanced feel of happiness unlike anything else! And when you sense that in everyone around, the happiness doubles. You perhaps understand what living in the moment is. And that is all that matters, right? There are no judgments, no scrutiny, no guilt for what you are and what you’ve been and what you want to be. You are together, distinct souls each with its own set of insecurities, doubts, worries, wounds, obscured from each other, yet being strangely nursed by a common hope and dream. That inherent element that binds us despite our differences- a hope and dream for a happy life. And we do feel happy- in the waves kissing the shore, in the wind whispering to us, in the soft sand, in the multitude sparkling stars and the velvety sky above. You are one with the awe-inspiring universe.

This was my experience in my second trip to Adgaon, a quaint coastal village in Konkan. While the first trip was with a friend, this time it was with a random group of travelers, bloggers and social workers led by an incredibly zealous lady, Mugdha Yelkar. Representative of the Grassroutes foundation, she had organized this meet for all travel enthusiasts to come together, socialize and unwind in the backdrop of two serene coastal villages, Adgaon and Sarve under the initiative of Rayri Kinara. She had also invited a wheel-chair bound lady, Anjali Shinde. And in order to make her comfortable, she’d made the place as wheel chair friendly as possible. The purpose was to discuss the possibilities of making travel more accessible to differently abled people and make prior arrangements so they don’t face any sort of inconveniences. Imagine few shortcomings not letting you travel and explore, how unfair would that be? We as a community, need to be more thoughtful and tourism industry needs to become more considerate to the needs of physically challenged. All prior arrangements were made and Anjali sure did have a good time!

Hey girl power. 😉

We interacted, went on a ferry ride, dug our feet into the soft sand and lay down on the beach, drove through the gorgeous coastline road, sang songs together, did barbeque, ate the delicious locally cooked food, walked on the private beach at night, had conversations under the star lit sky and finally passed out on the beach- all accompanied by banter, laugh and moments of solitude amidst beautiful nature. The host family was as hospitable as always. They were so happy to see me again, it almost felt like my own family I’m returning to after a long while. The host family at Sarve was welcoming too. One of the village boys sang Powade to us after dinner. For those who don’t know, Powade are a kind of ballad written in an exciting style and narrate historical events.

Strangers became friends:’)

Chilling the rural way.

The coastal villages are so beautiful, you would want to return again and again. That serenity, those clean and almost empty beaches, the white sand, the comfortable homestay, the hospitality of the host family, the becalming air, the view from the plateau after a little trek- it’ll leave such an indelible mark on your mind that you’ll not want to return to your concrete jungle. And when you do, the yearn to go back again will prod you. This is one place you must not definitely miss!

What to do at Adgaon and Sarve?

• Hand fishing at night (I couldn’t do during my visit because the weather didn’t permit!)
• Try your hand at organic farming
• Interested in cooking? Learn the Konkani cuisines from the locals there
• Acquaint yourself with the farmers/fishermen culture
• Explore the folklore and music of Konkan
• Visit morning fish market

Do read my blogpost on my previous visit to Adgaon. 🙂

PS- Rayri Kinara is an initiative by Swades Foundation for promoting rural tourism. To go there, you may contact-

Sudesh More (Adgaon)- +91 8308701237
Subhash (Sarve)- +91 7588344157

Adgaon- A quaint coastal beauty

When you think about travel, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Do you picture airplanes and flight tickets, or a phenomenal view from the sky as you fly across gigantic ocean? Or a picture of a swanky hotel room? Or an exotic country in some far off location that you’ve fancied for the longest time? Even as you day-dream of your dream travel, somewhere in your heart, the constraints of reality keep jabbing you over the dim chances of the grand travel plans ever panning out. For some it’s the round-the-clock work schedule and others money crunch, that keeps them from setting out to explore. But the saying goes, where there is a will there is way- and that accurately applies to almost everything including travel.

You do not have to set your eyes too far. Nor do you need to splurge or have extra holidays. Take a look around. Well, at least on the google first. I can bet you on this, what you discover would pleasantly surprise you. There’s so much to explore within the country, and around cities, the lesser known places that you perhaps have never heard off, hidden in obscurity due to absence of commercialization. What they have to offer is something a real traveler would be far more interested in than checking-in in an opulent hotel room- a blend of local culture, scenic beauty coupled with fascinating and warm people. A kind of experience that can change you, you know?

Recently, I experienced this on a weekend trip with a friend, to a quaint village called Adgaon, situated in Raigad district, about 183 km from Panvel. A chanced encounter with an NGO, called Grassroutes, took us to this incredibly beautiful village where we spent an unforgettable time. Honestly, we were completely clueless about what to expect because we hadn’t seen much of the place in pictures. Nor could we find enough details when we googled. This however added to our sense of adventure that became our calling. Also, we knew that we’d be hosted by a local family. This was enough to get us on the road.

The moment we entered the village we knew we’d made the best decision. Adgaon is located right across the beach. When you are on the road towards it, on your left is the beach and on the right are the houses. Being a beach person, this got me excited like a kid. My eyes couldn’t get enough of the beauty that the place was. When we reached we were greeted by an extremely warm and genial family. Sudhesh More, who runs the homestay, was our affable host who right from the moment we arrived till the moment we left was constantly on the move to ensure that we were comfortable and at ease. He kept sharing interesting trivia about the place and experiences of his life. His wife and kid were wonderfully sweet too. We bonded incredibly well. The way they were taking care of us, it felt like home. For any guests who come, aunty herself prepares food. And trust me, you can’t have enough of her meal! It was outstanding. If not for anything else, we’d suggest you to go for only her sumptuous food. The trip will still be worth it.

After lunch we went to the beach and saw the most spectacular sunset that we’ve ever seen. There wasn’t a single soul apart from us there. I soaked in as much as I could of the solitude and the breathtaking milieu. It felt like life had slowed down a bit, for me to catch up.

We stayed in a beach facing room which was so close to the sea that we could hear the crashing of the waves and the howling of wind. At night, it seemed even more dramatic with the pitch darkness and absolute quite adding to the effect. We went to the beach post mid night, having being assured by Sudesh uncle that it would be safe. When we crossed the road and entered the beach, the theatricality of the view was so surreal, we felt we were casted in an adventure movie. The sky was lit up with countless stars, there wasn’t a single other sound apart from the waves and the wind and we lay there, basking in the best kind of luxury that there is- a rest in the lap of nature.

Next day we went to a market where bidding of fishes happen every morning. This was the most interesting part. The bidding generally starts from 500 and can even go till 20k, depending on the fish that’s being sold. It was quite amusing to watch the villagers bid. The bidding fluctuates with even 10 rupees.

Staying with locals is the best way to experience the rural culture. The warmth and kindness, the simplicity, the hospitality of the people is so endearing that you develop bonds and create memories of lifetime. You get to understand how different people are culturally- their beliefs, their lifestyle, their food, and how affectionately they open their arms for you. Also, most importantly, it supports rural tourism. It becomes a source of income for these families who aren’t clutched by the money spinning avenues of the city life. An understanding is flourished, knowledge and experiences are exchanged and in the process beautiful memories and lifelong relationships are cemented. You come back home a happy, wiser, humbler person. What more does a traveler need?

The homestay at Mr. Sudesh’s house is extremely affordable. But anyway for the kind of experience that you will get, expense would not really matter. People in Mumbai and Pune can easily plan a weekend trip, go to this little peaceful gorgeous place and rejuvenate.

So pack your bags, step out of the house and go exploring.

 

A stormy night in Dreamcatcher

It was a stormy night and we were stuck in a shack on the beach in Goa. The wind was howling, beating hysterically against the roof and the closed sheets firmly fixed around the shack. The entrance was left half open on my request. That was my gateway to musing, to introspection and simply getting awed by the astonishingly beautiful view. The rain drops splattered on me as I sipped my cocktail, thoroughly enjoying the intoxication rendered to me by the drink and the weather together. It was past 12 am in the night and the sky looked threateningly dark, growling with thunder, cursing with crashing rain. The waves in the dark seemed like white hands trying to clutch at the shore, trying to escape the sea’s wrath but failing and falling back groaning in turmoil. This was the first storm I’d witnessed in my life and believe me I was dumfounded by the terrible beauty I could place in that. I was intimidated to a degree, who wouldn’t be? By the natural forces infinitely stronger than us, with power so massive that if it struck on a whim, we’d be washed out in a jiffy. Yet, it felt strangely beautiful, eerily enigmatic giving me a feeling of happiness unlike anything else that had before. Perhaps the chaos of my heart cohered with the chaos outside, perhaps my thoughts and feelings rolled like those waves in the storm, reaching the shore of respite and happiness but again receding back in little self-doubt. I was emotionally charged up, a feverish high where my mind was effusing a whirlpool of emotions as a response to the wild weather. We were communicating, at some subliminal level, where the fierce nature was answering the questions I had which my logical mind had not even discerned. It was a soul connection maybe. It was synced in disharmony, my inner self and nature and maybe that’s why I could feel the beauty and a connectedness in that milieu.

I was there with my best friends. I had wonderful company to enjoy meaningful conversations, banter and endless laughter. I did that for a while, but then I had to retreat in solitude zone, to fully immerse myself in the ocean rising inside me. I went to one end away from my friends and sat alone, just wanting to spend time with self, enjoying the weather, the chill, and my contemplative mode. Its not that I always think when I’m alone, sometimes my mind is simply slack, not thinking anything in particular, at times even blank, but my heart is always at peace, feeling happy and at home.

So this time, sitting there alone, I felt liberated at heart even though my mind was still chained in questions and thoughts. My thoughts for a long while were self centered. Thinking about my life back in city, what I should be doing and what I shouldn’t be. The right way, the ideal way, my choices, my decisions, people I love, people I don’t. But I don’t know for some unknown reason, as time passed in my solitary sphere, I found myself surrendering to the quite around me. Thoughts slowed down their pace, merged into one another and faded into oblivion while I became conscious of only my breathing, of my calm and of my surrender. There was this one point, when my surroundings disappeared from perception, I knew it was all there, yet there was a blur and I was only distinctly aware and perceiving of the rhythms of nature, the splash of rain and the rumbling of waves. I knew it was a confrontation with the elemental, the very basic core of existence and therefore the most intimate of all experiences I’ve had. Despite myself, I had slipped into this state, guided perhaps by some higher force I don’t yet understand. It was mystical beauty, an enchantment of a kind we rarely get to experience in the city.

And as these feelings swam in my consciousness, I felt my soul levitating higher in the realm of contentment. The bitterness and angst in the storm inside my heart was gradually diminishing into the shore of peace. I felt a motherly touch of nature, soothing my troubled heart gently taking me out in a free world, whispering it’s going to be okay.

And as I transitioned from turmoil to peace, so did the weather. I returned to my friends and joined in their conversations. Also this time, a cat came and sat on my lap. I had caught all my dreams and knew I could even in future. I was high from that communion with nature.  Did I mention the shack was named the dreamcatcher?

The only picture of the night I have. Isn’t that cat lovely? 🙂