Explore an Abandoned Aircraft This Weekend near Mumbai! #TravelSecrets - The Happy Getaway 2017

Explore an Abandoned Aircraft

This Weekend near Mumbai!

If you love exploring and finding new places, this read is meant for you. It’s always quite an adventure to venture into the unseen and find things that are lost or forgotten. And it’s a treat when you stumble upon these things unexpectedly without any prior notice. This week, The Happy Getaway brings you a guide as to how you can get to an Abandoned Aircraft of Sahara not too far away from Mumbai left at the Marshy Grass lands of the outskirts of the city. If you love exploring the unknown and discovering the lost, then this point is surely a destination, you’d like to jot down in your diary.

So, I’ll tell you how I stumbled upon this place, in the first place. I was off a few days ago to visit a waterfall in Khapoli, with a few others. And on my way on the left hand side we suddenly noticed a huge Aircraft parked in the middle of the fields. At first we wondered if this was from an accident like in the movies, where people were stranded and needed to be rescued or was it just a haunted place where locals would forbid you to go from. As we drove a little ahead we realised that further from the aircraft was another large building that looked like an abandoned factory of sorts, which was quite frightening in itself having huge clown like figures and moss all over its walls.

 

After making a stop close by we decided to the adventurous thing, and explore. So we parked a bit away and began exploring. There are two entrances to reach the Aircraft I would suggest the one near the gate of a resort which is comparatively less mossy (subject to rains of course). And there’s the other way which we took that leads from the spooky building but is super mossy (so be careful) and leading up to electricity towers that you walk past to reach the aircraft. So first we walked through the factory and realised on discussing with the caretaker, that it use to be a water park that couldn’t pay its due’s and now the bank is holding the land as ransom. Seeing majority of the park, demolished and left in pieces we decided to not venture further.

We then walked through the mud, muck and puddles and soon reach concrete land. Yeah? Concrete land in the middle of the fields, that’s right so unexpected. And we then further went on to walk to the aircraft. And no it was no dummy, make believe aircraft. It was huge, like any real aircraft you have seen and been in. Yet out of shape, old and dusty. We looked around, to soon see that the door was shut and birds had nested itself in the wheels. And yes, the wheels were taken out too and it was supported by a stand like structure now. We then saw an old man (we assume is also a caretaker), walk suddenly in surprise and tell us more about the aircraft. How it was bought by someone a few years ago, and is used now for shoots and commercial events. Had Ac attached and a stair way through which one could get in. He said we were unlucky and just a day before there was a shoot and we could have gotten to see it from the inside. (Darn!) But well, it was still quite a lot of fun to run across something mid journey and get to know about it.

So I can’t lie and tell you that it isn’t a scary ordeal and that you should venture doing this alone. Because you wouldn’t see people for miles and miles accept a few care takers around, who to be honest don’t look to be the most trust worthy. So I’d advise you to take care, and preferably take someone along. Cause exploring together of course is always a more fun filled experience. Also would be advisable to explore during the day, as there is little to no lighting provision around the aircraft. But you never know, maybe there’s a shoot happening the same day you visit, and your able to explore the insides of this abandoned aircraft.

Would love to know your experiences of visiting abandoned places and how you managed to find your way through. I hope this article inspires you to go visit the aircraft or some abandoned place near you, sure do tell us about.

Hope you have a safe, happy and adventurous weekend.

Edited & Written by Alvin Anthony

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A Lost & Depleted City Fort - Riwa Fort 2015

It’s fun sometimes, to pack your bags and head out exploring. To climb new mountains and visit unexplored places. I often look for places and research about lost forts and historical monuments. I look up places around me, that id never have had visited If I didn't know or have this interest in travelling. I recently came across this fort called as Riwa Fort, Google maps seemed to know where it was located. And Wikipedia had a paragraph or so about it. So I was like, what the hell. Let’s go check this out. So before I head out for my day filled with work, meetings and other not so fun things I decided to visit this fort.

I took a cab, but its easily accessible by train too as it is located very close to Sion Station. Took me 15-20 mins from Bandra, but could take lesser by train. So firstly, this is not an easy fort to find. Even though Google Maps has it marked down, it did take me quite some time to locate this fort. I went through circles, a slum, around the talav and finally near an Ayurvedic center is where I located a gate that had stairs going upwards. After being lost for a while, I finally began to ask people where is the god damn fort? I showed them the map too. A few suggested that it must be on the hill. And since nothing else seemed more likely. I started climbing up the stairs. I met this cleaner or chacha (Uncle) of some sort who had flashy red eyes and a stinge of the alcohol he was drinking and pointed towards no particular direction and said haan beta Killa Killa. (Hahahahah!). So the base layer has some plantation circles happening by the center. And the higher you climb (which is not very high.) you begin to see remains of the fort. It’s hardly even a fort. If you like big walls and a lot to see this is probably not for you as there wasn’t much to see at all. There's just a few stairs if at all they count as remains and a Bastian built with black rock which stands tall on the hill. Fort Riwa was built by Britishers after the attack of Siddi of Janjira on Mumbai in 1672 AD. After Siddi’s attack, Britishers constructed chains of new forts around Mumbai. This fort is one of them. It is located quite close to the Dharavi slums and Sion.

Mahim creek divided the main islands of Mumbai from Saashti Islands. Saashti Island was under the regime of Portugese. In those days trade was carried through the Mahim creek and Saashti islands. The main aim to build this fort was to keep an eye on the trade activities in the Mahim creek and also to protect themselves from the potential threat from Portuguese and Marathas from the north. The fort was built by Jerald Augier in 1672 A.D.

So this fort historically seemed to be used only to keep watch, and it being on a hill seems to make that seem feasible. There is a decent view that can be enjoyed from the hill too.

It was a fun getaway, to see whatever it is that remained of the place. I still felt that there was more to the fort. And that you know I was probably at the wrong place or not there yet. I tried going through different paths and realised that this is it. Sometimes even a little bit is a lot, in terms of memories of what is left of places or things. So I sat down then at the basitan and looked into the forest. It felt warm and good. The birds there made a lot of noise, and the peace and quiet really makes you feel like you are home. You can see a lot of the city from the hill, the roads, vehicles and people. Soon I began to head back towards work, leaving the hill, stairs and greenery behind. I could claim that this is a scam for a fort. And probably google and everyone else shouldn’t really call it a fort. But you know what? I don’t really feel that bad. It is what it is. Expectations and how majestic or well kept other forts are shouldn’t come in the way of a new experience. I loved that is so long lost, yet so close to home and how people don’t seem to care for it and yet it stands tall to be loved, seen and explored by people. Would surely love to visit again soon, maybe this time with a group or more people.

Pictures of the Fort  (Riwa Fort 2015):

https://www.facebook.com/thehappygetaway/timeline/story?ut=43&wstart=0&wend=1438412399&hash=4409671804596707434&pagefilter=3

This is 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 Pathway Of Bright Fireflies - Shrivardhan Fort 2015

Fireflies, weekend, trip, forts and a lot of history. It was a beautiful post summer start monsoons period and a night trail scheduled to Rajmachi, a beautiful village on a hill top. When I initially came across it I was super excited. And then, I asked my friend who I haven’t met in nearly a year (I know man Sid, we need to do this more often!) Siddharth if we could make it. After a lot of cribbing and all of his +1’s backing out, cause I alone am not good enough for him (Hahaha.) He finally decided to come with me even though he’s really been the one who was asking me about my trekking plans and wanting an invite (Hahaha, kidding man. You are my broo.) I then spoke to Mayyur (Wild Rangers Founder, and my new treks organiser buddy. Great guy!) and confirmed us both. And there was no point throughout my week when I did not look forward to going for the trip. I love the wait, and the excitement that comes with planning your next trip. Its something people should do more often. It will really light up your week.

It was finally Saturday and time to go! I met Sid to catch a train. I got a little late (Okay, maybe a little more than little.) we missed the Chennai Express (No not the movie, it's a name of train! I know right? What are the odds.) we took the next one, luckily Wild Rangers, know people do happen to get late, so did give us some options of later trains. After reaching we soon took rickshaws and reached the base point. We started our walk after the round of intros. 36 people or so I think it was the group, and people from different walks of life a few first timers and many regular trekkers. It was a dark cold summer night, and you could feel the warm breeze pass you by. We initially started seeing a few fireflies. And then we saw so many, way too many. There were patches there lighting up trees and bushes with these beautiful beings. You’d never see light in such a pure form. Its like a glimpse of beam and then bam gone and back again. I have never really seen fireflies before and this was surely a special part of the trip. A must go too if you are a nature lover.

It was a lot of walking and climbing nearly 15 kms from the base point (This is what Mayyur claims.) took us roughly around 5 hours with short halts for snacks and getting some air. Its not that hard of a path initially. The last few kilometers however is quite a task, with rocky sides and uneven levels. Also steep rising paths, so one needs to really climb and strain their legs to be able to proceed. Still I’d say this would be between a medium and easy trek and just requires a good amount of endurance. We walked and walked, we could see the beautiful mountains sleep and the thin silver cloud linings cover their beautiful peaks. The night past us by, and early we reached sat down, and Mayyur points at spots where we could crash. And bam, we were gone. There’s nothing like a good few hours of sleep after a lot of walking. We then soon woke up in a few hours and started our walk towards the fort post breakfast. Its a nice walk with a good patch initially with stairs from the village, there’s also a temple that comes on the way. There’s then the rocky patch and a bit of a climb. Shrivardhan Fort is one of the two hill forts that constitute the Rajmachi fortification, the other being Manaranjan Fort. At 3000 feet above the group it was the taller of the two peaks. Other than a rampart there is no visible construction. It was probably used at a watchtower for the Sahyadri region. There are two water tanks at the top of the hill but one of them has an iron pillar in it. It is built in Maratha style, and the entrance of the fort is semicircular in shape. A cave, belonging to the Buddhist period can be seen there. The fort provides picturesque views of Lohagad, Visapur, Tungi and Korigadh. A temple, dedicated to Shri Bhairavnath, is located between Shrivardhan and Manoranjan forts.

Once we reached up, and explored it surely seemed like a mighty well kept fort of that time. Spread across the entire top of the mountain it seemed to showcase what our culture and traditions are about. There are flags and major end points and patches with pillars, stairs and remainings from the past. A great place to visit if you love history and architecture.  Also Note to all people deciding to go to the fort during summer, do take a lot of water. Cause there is not much water up there, and the heat really does get to you after a point. So yes, don’t forget. (Sid, back me up.). We ended up drinking water from one of the water tanks. Yes Mayyur did try to filter the particles (Oh my, as I type I realise what circumstances tend to make you do.) with a cloth. And did taste okay, which I think anything would taste like at that point. So then we had it, I’m still alive so is Sid and the others who had it, and we didn’t fall ill. But really you don’t want to be taking that risk. So take care.

We soon head down, had some nice nimbu pani and the temple point. And then head down further and reached the village. We enjoyed some nice desi lunch. Oh the red spicy thing, and papad, bakhri, rice and baji, what else could man really need? (Loved it.) We then had to make a choice to either end the trail by taking a cab back to the station or descending back down towards Karjat and visiting the Kondana Caves. So since I did do Kondana Caves recently, and because Sid needed to get to a friends function we did decide with quite a few others to call it a day, even though it wasn’t a easy decision and we really wanted to cover the entire trip with the group. I don’t regret the decision one bit though it was what seemed best to do in the circumstances. And I did check with Mayyur about the Caves after, apparently the heat go to the rest and it wasn’t as much fun at all. (Of course I wasn’t there. But still :P). So that was the end a ride back in a car from the path we walked all night filled with conversations. Then a bus to the station and a train ride back home.

This was quite a quality and well planned trip. Props to Wild Rangers and all those who were involved in making this happen. I am really looking forward to my next trip.

Pictures of the Fort  (Shrivardhan Fort 2015) :

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.896658600397919.1073741838.855590067838106&type=1

Show some love to Wild Rangers too and Mayyur:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wildrangers/

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

 

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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A Green & Unsettling Morning - Maharashtra Nature Park & Mahim Fort 2015

It’s not quite often that you're told that there’s no point of visiting a Fort, because it's been taken over by slum dwellers and localities. Cause it’s dirty, locked up and damaged, you’re asked not to waste your time or even bother dropping by. But I never like just “listening” to things, and treating them like experiences. So I locked on a day the 3rd of May to do a trip to Mahim fort (Nearly just 15 or so minutes away from my place) to see for myself, if it’s really true what people say and to have an experience of something so upsetting myself.

Also, after my recent visit to Kaneri Caves, and the nature park my sudden interest for visiting nature hotspots and reserves, has suddenly peaked. So I decided to pool my Fort visit with dropping by at Maharashtra Nature Park (Best decision ever!) close to Mahim and Dharavi. So I called Sheldon told him, “Let’s go, broo.” And like everyone else he didn’t seem interested or pro the idea of volunteering to come to Mahim Fort. He was all in for the park though. (But don’t worry, I made him come around coming to both places. Haha!). It was a sunny Sunday morning, it started off with my taking a rickshaw and heading to the park. The minute I got out, I see this really adorable dog, making faces at me who then I hug and pet. Later I entered, and soon Sheldon joined me, we payed the gate pass entry fee (Rs. 20 or so.) and were then inside the vicinity of the green long forgotten reserves of nature.

The minute we entered, we first found a squirrel nibbling on a thread. When we turned our eyes up we saw a beautiful parrot hiding away in the leaves. It was bliss, the feeling like being in a jungle, even though you're in a city. The peace, the hot summer breeze, the chirping of birds and the blue skies. It is quite unfortunate, that people don’t really appreciate nature and its beauty as much anymore. I was really disappointed, that even though I live so close to the park, this was my first visit, and that it took me a lot of looking up to do, to be able to know about the park. Its an amazing place for bird watching, morning walks, meditation, butterfly watching and just cutting off from the fast life and reminiscing the green pure world. We kept following the trail and ended up completing the walk through the park the other way round (This is maybe, why they should start giving us maps at the start I guess.) We walked through the short and narrow path, explored through various plantation patches, and saw a lot of woman and other workers cleaning, and maintaining the park, which was comforting to see. As you walk towards the end of the park, you’ll see a huge banyan tree and it merging into a small open locality of sorts (Quite, dirty and unclean the last patch.) that will make you a little sad, cause you wouldn’t really want the beautiful protected natural patch to end. The park off lays the Mithi River, which is quite dirty and not well kept. We were able to walk aside the river as one of its paths lays directly aside it. It was good sharing conversations, looking for birds and butterflies.

Soon we reached the end of the park. We stepped into the library for a bit, where so old books related to nature, environment and the wild life. There is also an art gallery, that has exhibitions put up on a monthly or so bases (Mention in local newspaper listings, usually as per the authorities there.) There is also an open space with steps, a stage and plants where a environment themed poetry session was on when we were there. It seemed like a great place to hold small sessions and activities. The authorities told us that it can be taken up for show and events related to environment and nature. (Surely gonna make a note of this, you should too!) It was a nice visit to the park, they usually open up at 7amish on the weekends, which I’d suggest will be the best time to visit the park and take photographs too, if you like too. Sheldon, loves watching and clicking birds, so he was a little let down (Actually a lot more than little.) that we just kept seeing crows, and didn’t catch glimpses of other birds. But on a whole, I felt it was a lovely morning.

We soon done with the park and head out to the fort. After not a lot of convincing Sheldon agreed to come show me where the fort was too. We first cabbed it out to the bridge and then went to the small beach like opening that Mahim offers towards Mahim Creek. (Mumbai being a mixture of 7 Islands, this beach and Creek have a lot of significance for how Mumbai came up and together in the early days.). Your soul will not wither away, it will wander aimslessly seeking happiness and peace all day.In 1516, Portuguese officer Dom Joao de Monoy step foot in Mahim Creek and conquert the fort. The fort was a site of frequent turmoil between the Portuguese and the Ali Shah, before the island of Mahim was taken away from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat by the Portuguese in 1534. In 1661, the Portuguese offered the island of Mahim as dowry to Charles II of England. It was later strengthened by Sir Thomas Grantham and became a strategic defense tower against possible Portuguese and Maratha attacks. According to older records, the fort had 100 soldiers and 30 cannons at that time.

You’d think a Fort with history, culture and some amount of significance, will be taken care off and be kept well. But the insides of me hurt and cried. Cause it was dirty (filthy) and not cared about. If you like Forts, you’ll wonder why people don’t care. I understand people face problems, and at times this is the way out. But it's just upsetting to see the way it's maintained and not even cared about. The closer you walk to the fort you’ll smell feces and garbage. You’ll see people walking around doing their chores, kids playing cricket (which is fine!) and you’ll find clothes hanging to dry everywhere. The entrance is blocked with a huge ladder and the dwellings of people on both levels of the fort. No, you won’t even be able to enter. The lady there told me that people live all across the fort there is a thin staircase to climb during low tide, but the people won't let you go see the fort. The entire, fort has now basically become a colony where people reside. I am all for poverty, finding your space and making do, but at the cost of a historical fort being tucked away and hidden. I am not sure. A lot of people will say “I told you so.” But for me the problem here is deeper, I know. You know. But what can we do? Write letters? Try talking to these people? Try doing something ourselves? Well I don’t know the next step. But I promise you I will get back to this in time, and make sure that something is done at least from my end to change the present situation. Even if it is in a little way. Cause I don’t like our country being looked down at, but because of instances like these I see why we give people an opportunity to look down at us, and for us to look down at ourselves. I am sure, there should and will be a better alternative to this. You’ll find a bamboo loading and moving area at the beach near the fort, which is still okay cause it doesn’t dirupt the fort directly like the people there do.

So a solo, or two man trip is always fun (Thanks, Sheldon.). It was nice to head out to the park and fort. Have a beautiful and bitter taste of life and its challenges. And realise that knowing isn’t good enough, you need to go out there feel, experience and do  your part. Hoping to do more short halt trips and exploration escapades in the future.

Pictures of the Fort & Park (Maharashtra Nature Park & Mahim Fort 2015) :

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.885080161555763.1073741834.855590067838106&type=1

This is Mr. Happy Captain (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