Wild Chinchoti Run
By Ujjwal Deywww.ujjwaldey.comDestination: A Forest
The Trip: To Chinchoti village
All Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/udey11First Published: http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp?sID=18817Meeting Point:Fountain Hotel, Thane.
2 AM, 28th June 2008
Group:Bombay BikersFriday 27th June 2008, 1900 hours:The original plan was to ride on early Friday night for an overnight ride and stay at Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary in Satara. As it seemed, the little job-bound nobodies like me left behind were not going to go too far if there was not a big enough crowd. The major chunk of our Road Warriors were on their way to Ladakh via NH8. So as it was up to me to rouse the lazy heads, and I am pretty lazy myself – I called Sunny on Friday evening to round up a posse for this long ride.
Sunny was at home and expecting Prasad to meet him so I too agreed to drop at his home for the plan. Much loud music was played and we went over the plans for Koyna Sanctuary and knew it was too far and if we didn’t start soon we would not be awake on Saturday to enliven the jungle. Prasad came by soon with his pillion friend Kunal and frantic phone calls were made.
>> Calling Ashok: Ashok was tired and nursing his problematic knee. He admitted he had bowed to parental pressure and will forgo the long ride to Satara. Prasad convinced him that we will ride elsewhere nearer to home and he finally agreed to meet us at Fountain Hotel at 2 AM. And he went to sleep.
>> Calling Nilesh: Nilesh was tired and nursing his brain after having returned from a booze party. He admitted he had no bike since his was lying at the mechanic with the engine opened up for repair. Prasad convinced him as well to come to Fountain Hotel at 2 AM by rickshaw and ride to wherever we would go as a pillion.
>> Calling Varun: Varun answered and tired as he was told us he was going to a temple – this at 10 PM Friday night. Prasad enquired further and Varun said he had crashed his new Bullet behind a tractor and the tractor’s oil box was damaged, not to mention his bike’s front fork. Anyways Prasad tried to convince him that he could come as pillion to our midnight excursion. Now the bomb – Varun said he was at Ahmedabad on the way to Ladakh with the Bombay Bikers gang – LOLz. Later we learnt his bike was fixed and he would continue on to Ladakh.
Other calls were made and tentative ride promises collected.
The small group was hungry so we rode to R Mall and ate at Pizza Hut racking up a bill of Rs 1000 for 4 people. Here Kunal had the idea of packing oregano from the Pizza Hut and taking it along for flavouring on our ride. So we half-emptied the oregano powder in a plastic bag and off we went to Sunny’s home for passing time till our 2 AM rendezvous.
The four of us at Sunny’s home watched a KungFu movie and finally I said lets ride.
Prasad suggested Chinchoti forest which is very near and comes even before Manor on Thane Ghodbunder Highway towards Surat.
So we rolled now and it drizzled lightly. First stop was in the opposite direction for the ATM. Sunny wanted to get cash and of course after we got there told us he left his purse at home. So we waited there and Prasad and I refuelled at the petrol pump opposite the ATM. Soon we were on the road and hit Thane and rode on towards Ghodbunder Road.
Saturday 28th June 2008, 0200 hours, Fountain Hotel:We reached Fountain Hotel a little past 01 AM. We got inside and ordered coffee and made more phone calls. Ashok was awakened again and Nilesh couldn’t get a rickshaw at that hour so Prasad and Sunny went towards Dahisar check naka to pick him up. Kunal and I passed time around the hotel. We were entrusted to source booze for the jungle stay. But none was available here and everything was shut shop.
Soon Nilesh joined us and told us he got the rickshaw. Now we wondered what was taking Sunny and Prasad so long as they had been informed of this event. So we called them and entrusted them with getting the booze while they were in Mumbai.
Kunal, Nilesh and I feasted on eggs now. Soon Sunny and Prasad reached as well and we feasted more. Then finally past 3:00 AM Ashok reached and ordered more food over our egg orders. I tried one meaty piece reluctantly and asked, “Is this chewing gum...”. Damn mutton pieces were more like chewing wet rubber.
Soon we decided that Chinchoti forest was where we wanted to go. But we will need swimming trunks as we intended to go to the waterfall deep inside the forest.
Of course no cloth shops were open at this hour either.
So we rolled. Traffic was sparse and there was no rain. I cruised on my Bullet Electra 4s at a leisurely pace – after all the destination was just 20 KMs away and less. We planned to spend the few remaining hours till dawn in a dhabaa, sleeping to rest ourselves. So we began hunting dhabaas. We went past Vasai and there was no dhabaa with a charpai (bed) in sight. We stopped at a shop open for business and got the swimming trunks. Now we rolled and went past the right turn to Chinchoti village in search of a decent dhabaa, towards Manor.
Soon we parked at one where trucks had parked in wet slimy mud. Here we feasted again on eggs and tea and lassi. Ashok tried to sleep inspite of the mosquitoes. Prasad and Nilesh and Sunny rolled on towards Manor to find a better place so we could be more comfortable. Kunal slept like a log – he had not slept for over 2 days now.
I chatted with the dhabaa staff and passed time teasing a kitten there and smoking cigarettes.
Soon the away team got back and they ate more. I did not eat at this dhaaba and only had 2 cups of tea. The place is not as bad as some of the places we have crashed but in the monsoon I preferred to take precaution over where and what I eat. Waking up Kunal with some effort we headed back towards Chinchoti.
Saturday 28th June 2008, 0700 hours, Chinchoti:We took the small thin road towards Chinchoti village. The mud was slippery and we went on slowly into the village. Here we found a home of a willing guide and parked our 4 bikes at his doorstep. We left our helmets at his home.
The guide was getting ready for a hunting trip and was heading into the forest so accommodated us in his plans. Kunal and I went on at his brisk pace through mud, stones and shite, uphill. Ashok, Sunny, Nilesh and Prasad were slow and we waited again and again for them to catch up.
Finally it was me and Kunal with the guide at a fork with 2 paths – one uphill into the Chinchoti predatory forest and one downhill to the waterfall. The guide said just follow the arrows marked on rocks straight down and that he would continue to his hunting. I paid him Rs 100 as thanks and sat down with Kunal waiting for the gang. Nilesh joined us soon and Kunal told us exciting narrative of the movie “The Hostel” and its sequel.
Soon 2 couples went past us towards the waterfall and other villagers went on – all telling us that yes there are bikers on their way.
When after 40 minutes the remainder group showed up we hiked again. Now Kunal and I kept a brisk pace and once he drank a can of beer he disappeared far ahead with a surge of energy.
I was too far ahead to wait for the rest and kept walking. Soon I could hear nothing in front or back and I wondered if I was lost in this jungle.
Nothing kept me company than monster zebra-coloured mosquitoes in that filthy muddy trail. They stung pretty badly and killing them was easy as they got stuck to my sweaty skin.
After 30 minutes of waiting here amid insects I decided to head back. Within minutes I found the rear group strolling towards me. They named my description of those damn mosquitoes – “zebquito”. With my insight into linguistics we were able to rename them “mosbra” – sounded exciting.
We saw crabs, frogs and ant hills on the way. Plenty of photographs were taken by Ashok’s camera. I didn’t bring my electronics due to the monsoon – I was armed with only my rain jacket which was getting irritating to drag along in this heat and humidity. Now I strolled through the trail with them at their pace and reached the damned waterfall at last.
Saturday 28th June 2008, 1030 hours, Chinchoti forest waterfall:It took us 3 and half hours to commute till this waterfall, while the guide had said 30 minutes by his pace.
Carefully navigating through slippery rocks we undressed and got into the swimming gear and into the water. The cool water was refreshing, not too hot nor cold. We all were very much energetic in there and it did not seem like we were men who had not slept in 24 hours. Kunal now for the second time climbed to the apex of the waterfall. I was satisfied being wet and sat on a rock in the middle of that pond underneath the waterfall. Ashok who still had problems with the knee and still managed to hike so far, also managed to get to the water. He got busy catching tiny fish for his aquarium. Popping out of the water caused monster flies to sting us – yes flies that stung. So we stayed in the water.
Soon the booze was out and drunkards played in the pool.
Nilesh kept getting phonecalls from his boss on the mobile phone. Finally at 11:45 AM he said he needs to be back at office. I said I will give him a ride home and called it quits as well. I wanted to get home before I was sleepy and before any rainfall or nightfall. With the way the remaining four pranced in the water I was sure they would not get out before dusk.
So at 11:55 AM Nilesh and I set towards the village. We walked fast uphill and downhill as Nilesh pacified his Boss on the mobile phone. I wanted to rest midway but as soon as we stopped the “mosbras” attacked. So we kept going. Soon we traced our route back to the village.
We told the guide’s relative at his home that the others will come later and that we will leave now. I got my helmet and some water from that home. I was almost breathless but Nilesh kept nagging me to ride.
So we rode and within minutes touched Fountain Hotel. The road towards Fountain Hotel from Chinchoti turn is in bad condition.
By 12:55 PM we were at Dahisar past the check naka and Nilesh wanted to now ride to office and not home. So he took a rickshaw home and I having seen the traffic at the check point on the opposite road decided to stop for lunch.
No decent restaurants in Dahisar but I ate the dog food like a starving pig.
When I headed towards Thane the check point of Dahisar caused me over 30 minutes for 4 KMs commute. Anyways once on Ghodbunder Highway I roared on my Bullet till I reached Mulund and then through the afternoon traffic to home by 2 PM on Saturday.
The Chinchoti drunkards returned by dusk.
Photos eagerly awaited but the nomads with the camera are still travelling somewhere so check back at the link for a later upload.
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