Not Another Road Trip to Lonavala!
It would be wrong to say that I have not enough of the mountains of Western Ghats. Living in Pune offers endless opportunities to explore the neighboring hills and hill towns. But, as any mountain lover would say, every season in a different experience; the winter is misty, the summers are golden, and the monsoon, well, they come in the entire spectrum of green, laid out artistically on the horizon. So, despite having seen it all, I could resist the temptation of a drive to Lonavala a few weeks ago.
The rain had caught on nicely in the city and my bestie and I were contemplating a road trip to any nearby place. But we were too lazy to drive or be alert on the roads. Then we decided to book a reliable and comfortable cab from Pune to Lonavala, so we could just sit back and relax, roll down the windows and enjoy the rainy views. We had informed the driver beforehand that we would be driving around all day, so he knew what to expect. After all, when you have a car at your disposal, why not make the most of it?
A sudden detour
When we started our journey, a thought crossed my mind. Instead of taking the expressway towards Mumbai, I asked the driver to detour on NH 48 and take the Parandwadi Road towards Pawna Lake. Surprised from this sudden change of plan, my friend asked me the ‘plan’. Well, I had no ‘plans’ as such but I expressed my impulsive interest in going for a fishing tour. We both laughed at my proposition but then she also realized it wasn’t such a bad idea. I had been reading about lake fishing tours on the Pawna Lake and it occurred to me that it is definitely something to try.
It took us more than two hours to reach the eastern perimeters of the lake, through the country roads and narrow dirt trails. I was glad to have rented a car with an experienced driver in Pune, who could drive on these tricky roads.
We parked the car and started walking towards the camping site. That was where the fishing tours were organized.
Perhaps it’s the rainfall trend this year or my memory failed me, but I had never seen the Pawna Lake so mighty and massive. The water level almost touched the edge of the banks. This is the largest lake of the Lonavala district and extends all the way up to the town. Its banks make for a great camping site. I saw the long array of colorful tents along the shore and remembered my night camping trip to this place a few winters ago; lying under the starry sky, watching fireflies and dozing off to the crackling sound of the bonfire. This place had gifted me some amazing memories and I was back to build some more.
My buzzing phone broke my reverie and I realized that I was standing there on the lakeshore while my bestie had already found out about fishing. We rented the necessary equipment and were accompanied by a boatman.
The day on the lake
After sailing on the water for a while, we reached the center of the lake, where the water level was deeper. This is usually where the fishes swarm and feed on the beds. I remembered this fisherman from the news, who had caught a huge bass a few years ago, right here! Not that I expected such a prize on my maiden fishing venture, I did hope for a small reward. Our boat went still and the water surface also calmed down. Now it was waiting time.
I felt a little tug on the hook and as I yanked it out of the water, a palm-sized carp came out hanging on the bait. My friend beat me with two of those. We both were thrilled at the success of our first-ever fishing day, but somehow, neither of us had the heart to keep the fishes. So we immediately released them back in the water.
The happy meal
After an hour more of such shenanigans, we came back to our car. Hungry from all the travel and activities, we headed to the famous Kinara Dhaba in Lonavala for a late lunch. After all, how can a trip be complete without a good meal on the go? This village-themed restaurant was an experience in itself. It was spread across a huge area with replicas of rural life. Even the seating arrangements were rustic enough with chaupais (coir beds) and floor searing with temporary rain shade, and swings too! We dined on steaming on Punjabi delicacies while the rain pattered on the tin roof.
As we were driving back in the evening, I played the entire day in my mind. This was not the kind of road trip that either of us had expected that day. From an aimless drive to learning how to fish, the day did turn out to be a real adventure!
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