Treks, work, Malpuas and Sufi music

Quite an eventful week...starting off with an awesome trek..which was more a test of endurance than anything else, given the heat in October in Bombay and around.

This was a trek to Duke's Nose - a hill range which purportedly looked like the nose of some Duke in the times of the Raj..so was named thus. I'd been there last monsoons too and it was the most beautiful trek I'd ever done in Maharashtra. We drove down to Lonavla station and then started the trek from there which involved some trekking down rail tracks avoiding oncoming trains and serious poo and then up a hill, down it, through some plains and then on to another arduous trek up a hill for the final climb onto Duke's nose. Most of my treks have been in the monsoons and I realised that more than anything else, I should have been carrying twice the quantity of water...:-)...all the walking, climbing and slipping made for extremely parched throats. Was totally happy though, since I'd managed to get a few old friends on board with whom I'd trekked and travelled much, before.

We came across a pond on the way and jumped in for a quick swim since it was sweltering hot...reached civilisation late in the evening to find a pot of drinking water placed outside a gate of one of the bungalows and guzzled away like there was no tomorrow. Our happiness on finding that pot was'nt shaken even
when the last person drinking water saw many small frogs jumping inside the pot...guess whats done was done...and since we're all still alive a week later...it was totally worth it and a godsend:-)

some pics from there - do click on the pic for a bigger (and hopefully better) view:

I also loved this picture of mine that Vipin took - I was taking a pic of the group which was sitting down, by positioning my cam at the crotch level - and had to hear many lewd remarks over the zoom and the relationship b/w me and my cam..:-D

for more pics from my album, you're welcome to click here...do NOT crib once there..since these are about 170 pics and I did NOT force you to go there..hehe.

Loads of work over the week...some seriously-getting-wasted midweek and some lounge-ing over the weekend. Also attended a concert of Kailash Kher (for those that dont know him, its the guy that sang 'toota toota ek parinda'..and is the best when it comes to Nusrat Fateh Ali songs/Sufi genre)...the guys got a golden voice..though the girls with us were totally weak-kneed over the guitarist..some Paresh Kamath:-) . We then drove off to Mohammad Ali lane for tucking into the Ramzaan festivities by night...I had some AWESOME firni and malpua...while others went on and on about the haleem and the paya...since I'm a vegetarian, I'd rather take their word for it..:-)...damn...I'm drooling again over the rememberance of them Malpuas...guess I'd happily stay hungry all day if someone promised me those at night..:-)...hmmm...no...I retract..i'd rather have them all three times of the day..:-D

loads of sleep over the entire weekend and not a minute feels wasted..:-)..and totally enthused by the fact that there are 2 holidays this week...yaay!! Ummm..am a bit out of sorts and cranky for not being at home for Diwali...guess I should've gone..so I'll be content taking pics and lighting Diyas at friends' places.

so yeah...if I dont post till next week...a very happy Diwali and a fabulous Eid to all...!

Oh and...just found out that a few of my posts have been nominated for the blogeratti awards happening for the Personal category, Current events/Social issues category and the Travelogue category

The other nominations were a total pleasure to read...so I suggest you take a quick dekko if you have some free time on your hands..

oh...I also liked this pic I took on the trek: