A Drop of Experience - A Poetry About The Rains & Experiences

I got the opportunity to visit the Zenit Waterfalls in Khopoli this week, and when I reached the base point I had this feeling of deeper connect between the monsoons and having experiences and jotted this down. Would love to know what you think and about your monsoon experiences. It's called "A Drop Of Experience"

It’s time to tie down your laces, it’s time to let go.

Shake up your traces, and pull past the ropes.

The rain drops are falling, down your window pale.

Life is at your door step don’t you want to keep awake?

Memories are stagnant, and your feet keep you still.

Living a life of detachment, that only you can call fulfilled.

Falling are the droplets, of the little world that awaits you.

Washing you through ripples and skipping past your day’s blues.

Thundering are the sounds of boredom that keep you up at night.

Echoing the peaceful breeze that blow’s past your lonely plights.

Shinning like a rainbow, that colours up your greys.

Don’t be stuck rehearsing tomorrow, when you’re not out living today.

Rainfall is a remedy, and stepping out into the green is the key.

You’ll find locks that fit right, only if you’d reach out and see.

It’s a blue world now landscaped in sorrows and the sea.

The only experiences, that won’t pass you by is the one that soaks you and your being.

Monsoons are forgotten absorbing you in despair.

Not showering you into a time loop that you’d be able to quite compare.

This feeling of rejuvenation may seem quite away.

Not as far as you’d stand from your window, hoping the drop of rain would take you away.

Away? Yes, far away. Into the forgotten grey.

Into a world of realities, where experiences lasts a life time.

But moments don’t last a day.

So step out and let it seep in.

Let the rain fall take you away.

Hope you have a great week ahead, filled with travel and adventure.

Edited & Written by Alvin Anthony

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Breaking Into A City Fort - Sion Hillock Fort 2015

I’d like to bifurcate forts into two kinds of places based on where they are located, either a city fort that’s located within the lifeline of a city like Mahim Fort, Wadala Fort, Bandra Fort and also Sion Fort. And Forts like Lohagad, Shivneri, Peb and others that are on hill tops and away from cities either near forests or villages. Sion Fort being a city fort has a view of buildings, offices and streets. It was located on a hill, and I was told by many that it's not really even a fort (Which, I’ll beg to differ with.) it's just a big garden. I still did decide, to make time on a weekday afternoon (Oh, the heat. Evenings and early mornings I guess are better times to go at.). Also, this was a solo trip I decided to do, because it was really spontaneous.

I first took a cab to the base point of the fort. There's a street vendor lemonade guy right at the entrance of the fort, that makes really nice chilled lemonade for 5 bucks a glass. The fort/park timings are usually from 6:30 to 12:30 in the mornings and 4:30 to 8:30 or so in the evenings. I was there at 11:30, and to my surprise the gates were closed. I was so bugged and pissed off, and wanted to hurt someone. But the lemonade guy told me how there are new guards who mess around and close the gates very early and open it late and don’t take care of the place as well. He told me if i’d still like to go I could climb up the wall and jump the gate and go (How exciting!). He mentioned how there a lot of students and kids who break in and play and study in the park and around the fort. I realised how this was my calling to break into forts and live the thug life. I soon began to lift myself and climb  the wall at the side of the gate. Soon I was in, breaking into a fort for the first time ever. I climbed the stairs that took me to the larger entrance and the park. It was a very well maintained park with good tracks and seating arrangements. I saw a lot of youngsters studying for exams and kids running around. There was also a lot of birds chirping and squirrels running around. I soon began to climb towards the fort. There is huge entrance like structure at a height that you’d see stairs guiding towards. Also, there is a guide down from the top for during rains for a waterfall to be formed and water to stream downwards. I climbed the stairs spent some time at the entrance, which was windy and bliss.

Soon, I could see the fort, from a distance as I walked towards it. The fort was built under the regime of the English East India Company, between 1669 and 1677, atop a conical hillock when Gerard Aungier was the Governor of Bombay. It was notified in 1925 as a Grade I Heritage structure.When it was built, the fort marked the boundary between British-held Parel island and the Portuguese held Salsette Island that lay to the north across the creek. The hillock is situated 500 metres from the Sion railway station. At the base of the hill is the Mumbai Circle office of the Archaeological Survey of India, and a garden – the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyan. There is a lot of cement and other attempts to try and help the fort to survive, as it looks to be depleting. You can see a lot of Mumbai from the height. And the fort is really beautiful as it has its old and lost vintage feeling about it. It has a lot of rooms, and entrances. It looks mighty from the bottom and has various openings for cannons and attacks to be done from.

It was a great solo trip to do alone. I think I should backpack and head out myself more often. It surely is a more self reflecting and beautiful experience and a change from groups and heading out with fellow travellers. I think the Sion Fort, may not have the charm of a village or a hill top fort. But surely is well kept and has an essence and life of its own. It is one of the most loved and adored forts of Mumbai. Yet there are a lot of people that still do not know about the fort. Its a shame that there are such beautiful historical figures right next to us and we still do not take out the time or make the effort to go visit them or consider it to be cool.

Pictures of the Fort (Sion Hillock Fort 2015):

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.893067357423710.1073741836.855590067838106&type=1

 

This is Mr. Happy (Or you can call me Al) signing off, until next time.
Have a great day, and an adventurous weekend! :)                        

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Alvin Anthony

 

A Beautiful Cave With A Peaceful Heart - Kanheri Caves 2015

It’s good at times to just pack your bags call a few people you love and head out exploring and visiting new or long lost places. Kicking back your feet, doing things spontaneously not having a schedule, and just having places in mind that you want to catch glimpses off. So this was one of my first of such kind of trips, backpacking to the Kanheri Caves in Borivali, a place I had visited at an early age as a child (And, I really did not remember much off.) with a few good friends that made the trip even more memorable. A short yet memorable trip was about to get underway.

It started off with me calling Sheldon, and saying “You’re free, I’m free, lets do this.” We soon spoke to Dua and Jean, and gradually the next morning we were catching a train from Bandra station and heading out to Borivali. Me and Dua enjoyed some cold lassi, idli’s and morning vada's at a few stalls close to the station as we waited for Jean. As soon as she arrived we, caught a rickshaw and head towards the park. (You can usually take a bus too, it’s pretty close to the Borivali East station, and right on the highway if you're travelling by road.). We reached the park and soon began our long walk towards the caves. The weather was pleasant, you can see others walking, jogging and reminiscing the beautiful morning and nature too. Cycling around (Renting them) is a good option too, unless you have people who do not cycle, or wish to learn to cycle in your group then you will need to walk.

So after a long walk of conversations, jokes and enjoying cold cucumbers we had finally reached the base point of the caves. I have been to a few Buddhist caves in the recent times, and they all have this beautiful feeling of peace, harmony and beauty in them. You’d feel like you’ve finally gotten home after all these years. There are numerous amount of small caves you can explore there once you enter. You’ll see a lot of trees, monkeys and remains from the olden days. We saw two snake too! (If you’re lucky/ during the monsoons) The caves are quite well maintained and taken care off. These caves are as old as from the first century BCE to the 10th century CE. Around a 109 caves are carved here out of basalt. All caves have a stone plinth for a surface. A huge congregation hall with huge stone pillars contains the well crafted and beautiful statue, the Buddhist shrine. Some of the caves were use for living, studying and meditating (Vihara’s). The larger caves are the ones we're halls used for congregational worship (Chaitya’s). Avalokiteshwara are the most different figure. The large number of viharas demonstrates the well organized establishment of Buddhist monks.

This Cave was also connected with many trade centers, such as the ports of Sopara, Kalyan, Nasik, Paithan and Ujjain. Kanheri was a University center by the time the area was under the rule of the Maurayan and Kushan empires. There are about 34 unfinished paintings of Buddha within the Caves. Nearly 51 legible inscriptions and 26 epigraphs (Cave 90) are found at Kanheri, which is very beautiful to see. I was really put to ease by the architecture and work put into it by the monks, surely historical. Dua was mentioning how it is a bliss to visit these caves during the monsoons, as there a lot of waterfalls and small streams that flow across the park, and the weather also is bliss. (Must go again!). There are also various bird and butterfly watching spots (Clubs too) across the park that one can visit or spend time at to enjoy a little bit of nature.

We head back after exploring. We took a bus that dropped us at a central point. We then, by feet climbed up stairs that a lady told us can help us see all of Mumbai, yes just 100 steps and you can see all of Mumbai (Note to self: never believe random stranger aunties, or ask them where steps lead too.). We climbed up to see nothing, then head back and saw Deers (Many kinds), Vulchers and Peacocks. They were beautiful to see, and touch and be with up close. We even fed this really beautiful looking deer a banana that Sheldon was carrying with him. Was really nice to see them all chill at the shade of the tree, trying to enjoy the warm summer. We soon then later grabbed a bite and head back. Cause it was time to goo home.

It was a nice experience this, not going with a group running around having a schedule. It was nice to just spend really long hours talking at a place, fooling around, being at peace and just being together. Its sad to see that even though the cave is so close to the city, and to our lifeline (Unlike the other far off places I usually visit) there is not as much importance given to this place. Yes people do visit now and then, and you’d see it buzzing with locals and nature/history lovers. However, I really feel this place should be adored for how peaceful, beautiful and home like it is. I really hope to do more spontanious trips, and local trips in the future. And learn more about important and significant places right around the corner and backyard. Hope to do more trips and getaways with these guys too. (Hi5! Love you guys.)

Pictures of the Caves (Kanheri Caves  2015) :

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.880508555346257.1073741833.855590067838106&type=1

This is Mr. Happy (Or you can call me Alvin) signing off, until next time.

Have a great day, and an adventurous weekend! :)                                                                                     

                                                                            

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Thank You

Alvin Anthony