28-May-2005
I had been to Tikona, today. I wasn't decided about it till 10:30 pm Friday, due to the lack of companions. Finally at 10:30, I made up my mind and off to Thane station. Firstly there was a long queue where the passenger train tickets were being sold. I joined that queue and within 15 minutes I was at the ticket counter. I purchased a ticket to Kamshet and the guy at the counter did not have change, or rather didn' t want to part with change.
These kind of railway officials would make anyone's blood boil. The ticket was 22 bucks. I paid 30, but he returned the 10 bucks and told me to get change. I went outside to the paanwala and purchased 3 packets of Milan Supari. Then I recalled that I was staying off Supari, so exchanged those packets for eclairs. Went back to the counter and got the ticket.
Off to platform no 5, where I purchased 4 litres of water. Didn't want to suffer from dehydration like PrabalGad trek. :(
The Pune - Pandharpur passenger arrived exactly on time. I got into the last compartment which was full, but not sufficiently crowded. Managed to put my sack on the rack and secured a seat on the floor. After a while, I put my floaters underneath a chair and managed to secure a place on the sleeper. I dozed off in a sitting position and when I woke up the train was leaving Lonavla station. I had managed to consume about 2 and a half hours of sleep on the sleeper :) Next i got off at Lonavla and sat on the floor. Got off at Kamshet. There was a family who pointed me to the bus-stop. The time was 3:15 am.
I noticed that there was a wineshop that was open. I went there and spoke to the guy for a while. He told me that there would be a hotel on the highway which would be open at this hour. I could get a bus at 6:00 am for going to Kale Colony and from there on I could hitch a ride till Gewandhe village. Gewandhe is also called as Tikona Peth by the locals.
Having decided that there was no point in standing at the bus stop, I walked till the hotel that the guy had mentioned. Ordered a tea and was chatting with the locals who told me no bus till 6:00 am. The time was 4:00 am. So decided to sleep at the hotel. Slept till 5:30. There were a lot of mosquitoes and the spray that my Atya had gifted me turned out to be useful.
After waking up, I had one more cup of tea, used their bath-room. I had not packed anything apart from two electral sachets. So I purchased some tiger biscuits from the hotel.
It was time to catch the bus. So I waited on the highway, where the bus was supposed to pass through, but a jeep reached their earlier. I hitched a ride on the jeep. There were several people hanging onto the jeep's frame and I was one of them. In the next village, where some people got off from the jeep, I managed to secure a seat. It was not any better than hanging from it.
Next stop Kale colony, (pop 2000 +). I got off at Kale Colony, looked at the hotels which were waking up. None of them had opened and the two of them told me that breakfast wouldn't be ready in an hour. I decided to skip breakfast and purchased some Kanda-Bhaji at one of the joints who had actually managed to beat the others by starting to serve food. I packed the bhaji and got into a milk-van, which took me till Tikona Peth. I had read previous accounts of this place. So I knew that the easy route to the top was from behind the village. I met one local who told me that his son Dattu would show me the route to the top of the fort.
I managed to find Dattu and he agreed to show me some part of the route. I paid me Rs 50/- and told him to pick some raw mangoes for me. I then proceeded on my own towards the top. I reached the top and had those bhajis. They were really tasty. I also ate a couple of chillis accompanying the bhajis. I also ate one raw mango that Dattu had given me earlier.
Trekking up Tikona did not take more than 45 minutes. I was glad that I was still able to trek alone. I also realized that my sack was near empty. Then from the top, I also took stock of the difficult route, so that I might try it on next time. There have been a couple of accidents on that route. So its not worth going alone. If you plan to try the difficult route, better go in a group.
From the top, I did some bird watching. Mostly eagles, hawks and some swallows. Also noticed a green beater on my way back the trail. It was fun and though I missed company, it was ok. I had not taken my camera along otherwise I would have posted some beautiful pics. The Tung fort is visible from Tikona. Lohagad and Visapur can be seen in the distance. Its possible to do both Tung and Tikona one the same day, but I did not attempt that.
Tikona has a two beautiful, clean water tanks. The water here tastes good. I could have done with just two litres of water instead of the four that I purchased at Thane station.
Coming back was easy. I hitched a ride till Kale Colony. Then the jeep service till Kamshet highway. From the highway, I took a ride in a truck till Lonavla. Upon hitting lonavla, I was tired of eating those glucose biscuits. I went into an ATM and withdrew some cash. Then off to Smoking Joe's for a pepperoni pizza.
Purchased some chocolate fudge at A1- Chikki. Proceeded to the bus-stand at Lonavla to catch the Borivli bus going via Thane. Could not be seated till Khopoli. At Khopoli I managed to place myself in a seat where I could doze off till Kalwa. There was a traffic jam at Kalwa. This particular chowk always has a traffic jam. :( Then got off at the Vandana bus-stand. Changed my shirt and took a rick home. The time was 5:45 pm.
Trekking alone has some benefits. One benefit is no need to share your snacks. The second is that if you get lost, it will be due to your own choice. Not some fool, who decided to take the route that you disagreed upon.
I had been to Tikona, today. I wasn't decided about it till 10:30 pm Friday, due to the lack of companions. Finally at 10:30, I made up my mind and off to Thane station. Firstly there was a long queue where the passenger train tickets were being sold. I joined that queue and within 15 minutes I was at the ticket counter. I purchased a ticket to Kamshet and the guy at the counter did not have change, or rather didn' t want to part with change.
These kind of railway officials would make anyone's blood boil. The ticket was 22 bucks. I paid 30, but he returned the 10 bucks and told me to get change. I went outside to the paanwala and purchased 3 packets of Milan Supari. Then I recalled that I was staying off Supari, so exchanged those packets for eclairs. Went back to the counter and got the ticket.
Off to platform no 5, where I purchased 4 litres of water. Didn't want to suffer from dehydration like PrabalGad trek. :(
The Pune - Pandharpur passenger arrived exactly on time. I got into the last compartment which was full, but not sufficiently crowded. Managed to put my sack on the rack and secured a seat on the floor. After a while, I put my floaters underneath a chair and managed to secure a place on the sleeper. I dozed off in a sitting position and when I woke up the train was leaving Lonavla station. I had managed to consume about 2 and a half hours of sleep on the sleeper :) Next i got off at Lonavla and sat on the floor. Got off at Kamshet. There was a family who pointed me to the bus-stop. The time was 3:15 am.
I noticed that there was a wineshop that was open. I went there and spoke to the guy for a while. He told me that there would be a hotel on the highway which would be open at this hour. I could get a bus at 6:00 am for going to Kale Colony and from there on I could hitch a ride till Gewandhe village. Gewandhe is also called as Tikona Peth by the locals.
Having decided that there was no point in standing at the bus stop, I walked till the hotel that the guy had mentioned. Ordered a tea and was chatting with the locals who told me no bus till 6:00 am. The time was 4:00 am. So decided to sleep at the hotel. Slept till 5:30. There were a lot of mosquitoes and the spray that my Atya had gifted me turned out to be useful.
After waking up, I had one more cup of tea, used their bath-room. I had not packed anything apart from two electral sachets. So I purchased some tiger biscuits from the hotel.
It was time to catch the bus. So I waited on the highway, where the bus was supposed to pass through, but a jeep reached their earlier. I hitched a ride on the jeep. There were several people hanging onto the jeep's frame and I was one of them. In the next village, where some people got off from the jeep, I managed to secure a seat. It was not any better than hanging from it.
Next stop Kale colony, (pop 2000 +). I got off at Kale Colony, looked at the hotels which were waking up. None of them had opened and the two of them told me that breakfast wouldn't be ready in an hour. I decided to skip breakfast and purchased some Kanda-Bhaji at one of the joints who had actually managed to beat the others by starting to serve food. I packed the bhaji and got into a milk-van, which took me till Tikona Peth. I had read previous accounts of this place. So I knew that the easy route to the top was from behind the village. I met one local who told me that his son Dattu would show me the route to the top of the fort.
I managed to find Dattu and he agreed to show me some part of the route. I paid me Rs 50/- and told him to pick some raw mangoes for me. I then proceeded on my own towards the top. I reached the top and had those bhajis. They were really tasty. I also ate a couple of chillis accompanying the bhajis. I also ate one raw mango that Dattu had given me earlier.
Trekking up Tikona did not take more than 45 minutes. I was glad that I was still able to trek alone. I also realized that my sack was near empty. Then from the top, I also took stock of the difficult route, so that I might try it on next time. There have been a couple of accidents on that route. So its not worth going alone. If you plan to try the difficult route, better go in a group.
From the top, I did some bird watching. Mostly eagles, hawks and some swallows. Also noticed a green beater on my way back the trail. It was fun and though I missed company, it was ok. I had not taken my camera along otherwise I would have posted some beautiful pics. The Tung fort is visible from Tikona. Lohagad and Visapur can be seen in the distance. Its possible to do both Tung and Tikona one the same day, but I did not attempt that.
Tikona has a two beautiful, clean water tanks. The water here tastes good. I could have done with just two litres of water instead of the four that I purchased at Thane station.
Coming back was easy. I hitched a ride till Kale Colony. Then the jeep service till Kamshet highway. From the highway, I took a ride in a truck till Lonavla. Upon hitting lonavla, I was tired of eating those glucose biscuits. I went into an ATM and withdrew some cash. Then off to Smoking Joe's for a pepperoni pizza.
Purchased some chocolate fudge at A1- Chikki. Proceeded to the bus-stand at Lonavla to catch the Borivli bus going via Thane. Could not be seated till Khopoli. At Khopoli I managed to place myself in a seat where I could doze off till Kalwa. There was a traffic jam at Kalwa. This particular chowk always has a traffic jam. :( Then got off at the Vandana bus-stand. Changed my shirt and took a rick home. The time was 5:45 pm.
Trekking alone has some benefits. One benefit is no need to share your snacks. The second is that if you get lost, it will be due to your own choice. Not some fool, who decided to take the route that you disagreed upon.
