DRIVE TO GOA…. VIA NH4

I was driving to Goa the first time… All along we had either travelled by the buses that ply to and from GOA and in the recent past the trains were the best option.. The train journey to Goa is beautiful… But 'sleepy head' that I am I do not manage to catch most of it…

This time since I was driving to Goa I decided to make most of the travel and not catch on my beauty sleep during the journey…

We began from Parel in Mumbai at 4.30 a.m… and my cousin had decided to travel via the NH4 and not the conventional NH17… The NH17 has too may turns and the road is too narrow along the way…

Driving on the NH4 was a delight… ( Even my cousin vouches for this since he drove all along) ... We had received minimal instructions and were told to reach a place called Nipani… Well let me share clear instructions now, not very detailed but good enough to enlighten one…

Once you begin from Mumbai one has to drive to Pune obviously via the Expressway and then one catches the NH4… The better way to look at is to reach Kolhapur from Pune.. and then come to a place called Nipani... Watch out for Tawande ghat on the way…This is post you cross Nipani...It is one straight route .. Beautiful roads all along and many toll posts along the way… But the drive is every penny worth all the toll taxes you pay along… Once you cross the signpost indicating Tawande ghat keep your eyes wide open… Because here one has to locate Hotel Satyawati Palace on the left side of the road… At this place one has to take the right opposite the hotel.. If you miss this right then you touch Belgaum…

With our eyes wide open we did locate the hotel.. and took the right turn… Then one has to reach Sawantwadi from there and then the destination – GOA…

On the route connecting NH4 and Sawantwadi one has to pass Amboli ghat which is the only big ghat on the way… But the drive on the ghat is not bad at all…The road that cuts in from NH4 to Amboli is a little bad… Bumpy and a little narrow as well… On the way it is advisable to ask for directions because there are forks on the way and we found it advisable not to take chances lest we lose our way… Once you reach Sawantwadi you get on to NH17 and then you enter GOA…. You drive through Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Amboli Ghat, Ajra, Sawantwadi, Goa... Three states Maharashtra... Karnataka and Goa...

Less than 10 hours coupled with two breaks in between we made it to our destintaion GOA… Of course I did catch on my forty winks in between…

AM I GOING TO GOA or NOT?

I could not contain my excitement…
After more than two decades and innumerable trips to my hometown GOA… This trip would be different… It had to be because we had well planned this trip… Here I am referring to me and my husband.. Well it was not the first time that we had visited Goa after marriage but the first trip was a short one to attend a marriage…

I was excited… we were looking forward to this one… But the first deterrent turned out to be a shorter holiday since my entire leave was not approved… However I decided to make the most of what I had… The next blow was even harder… My dad developed Bell’s Palsy exactly 8 days before we were to go… He was admitted… hospitalised for three days and we were really worried… After a lot of reading and research on the subject I was all the more determined to go since this would be a good break for my dad… The entire family together.. My uncle, aunts, mom, dad, my fun cousins, nephew and of course my dear husband…

But then started all the drama.. My mom was not too keen, my uncle and aunt only aided her.. But persistent that I was, I told them that I would take him alone if they choose not to come.. Well in the end … it was my way.. The entire family on the way to Goa….

But we were 10 of us… Two groups if I could divide us into.. Two distinct groups.. Let’s call one as the traditional group and the other the fun group… While we left on the 17th of May to drive to Goa they boarded the train on the 19th.. And from here on the fun begins…