We five (minus Pankaj) took the train from Bhavnagar, munching on snacks and playing cards until nightfall. Snehal was initially a party pooper but soon joined the fun, receiving wisdom on things she didn't know much about (haha, gotcha, Snehal!).

After a 30-minute wait, we finally got our ride and reached the homestay. We chilled, freshened up, and headed out for sightseeing. Matheran was beautiful, but we visited during winter, so it wasn't as breathtaking as expected.

We walked (and walked, and walked) to various points, enjoying the scenery and each other's company. My right leg, still recovering from a soft tissue injury, was screaming in protest. We visited the eco-point, had some fun, and then headed to Charlotte Lake, which was a bit of a rough trek. There we finally found a beautiful spot to sit and relax. Students nearby were sketching the scenery, and we were all just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. As the sun began to set, we left and headed back to our homestay.

The next day, we took the train to the starting point of our journey. We witnessed breathtaking views of mountains, valleys, and jungles from the train. We then took a taxi to Neral and a local train to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal (it seemed forever to cover those 2 hours in local). We then had lunch and headed to the Gateway of India.

It was scorching heat but the girls were not ready to miss getting clicked at Taj Hotel and gateway of India. Harshal being the polite photographer helped them (hope you get some good clicks as well). Pankaj was enjoying a cricket match in his phone. Around 3:15 pm, we boarded the ferry to Mandwa Beach. We got our tent, freshened up, and enjoyed some delicious misal pav. The weather was perfect-pleasant and relaxing. The boys played volleyball while the girls took pictures. I went to the beach, got my feet wet, and enjoyed the sunset. As the evening progressed, we played footloose and enjoyed tricking each other. The campsite was simple yet beautifully decorated with lights and soft music was running on the speaker. We even had a tug-of-war competition, which was total fun! 

We danced our hearts till the barbecue was about to finish. Again, we danced like crazy till the time of dinner. The dinner was decent and we settled ourselves for live music. The guy from Camping Tale Akshay Jain sang many songs on guitar. When he got tired, he invited people from the audience to sing. Some people sang and then again Akshay sang many songs. We also sang along with him. They have set a movie but nobody was ready to watch. We also were up till 3:30 am and then slept. The next morning was slow and relaxing, with a bonfire outside to keep us warm. We played volleyball, had breakfast, and then headed back to the ferry. 

We returned to Mumbai, had lunch, and visited the Siddhi Vinayak Temple. Some of us went shopping while others stayed at the temple. We then headed to Marine Drive, sat for a while, and enjoyed the view. After dinner, we walked (again!) to the railway station, collected our luggage, and boarded our train. As we rode the train, we had a silent encounter with the ticket checker. Let's just say it was a scary scene! Luckily, he forgave us after a warning. We were all exhausted, but still managed to play a game of Uno before dozing off. 

The next morning, we reached Baroda at 5:30 am, had tea and poha, and headed to the bus station. People except me got the bus for Bhavnagar and we departed as we could not walk anymore. Joke apart such vacations allows you to appreciate things you already have when you see the fast, poor and miserable life of others. However nature has power to heal, its always best to surrender yourself to nature and wait for the answers you seek. Sometime it doesn’t give answers immediately and you feel frustrated, and unclear in life. But every step you take out is for lessons you never learned, experiences you never had and appreciation you never gave. Kudos to Harshal for planning this amazing trip! It was wonderful meeting friends who lead different lives, yet share a special bond. To my crazy crew, until the next trip!