It’s 10:30 pm. And we are on a wooden porch overlooking a river that gently snakes along in the moonlight. On my phone the flashlight is on. Kaushiq has another one. In the darkness a yellow beacon comes on. And then off again. A mammoth vessel starts moving ominously towards us. The silhouette betrays something sleek and fast. And silence. The coast guard vessel becomes visible only within 10 meters. And it is a beauty. On board the friendly policemen…
Someone asked yesterday whether I’ve ever set out on a kayak trip and not reached my destination. I told her that there was a time I was foolish and I almost didn’t make it back home. Bringing us to our trip yesterday. Shanj has been pestering me to go Waterfall Rappelling with her. So we looked at the options, and chose the most adventurous one. 400 feet. Or 40 storeys high! We read through it, and it looked great. The…
Tracing back to pre-expedition days, I had to share this lovely Interview I stumbled upon in my inbox. It was an interview with Red FM last year. A couple of the questions, caught me off guard. Break ke baad… Listen in if you want to know about the Khara Paani and more..
When things go wrong. We set out to Kayak to Elephanta this weekend. It’s a distance of 12.5 kms one way. By my reckoning, a simple 4 hour run. Here’s how it panned out -> Leg one. Gateway to Elephanta. 12.5 Kms. Completed in 2 hours. Leg two. Elephanta to Gateway. 15.5 Kms. 5.5 hours for me. 6.5 hours for Shanjali and Manu. We started out at a 7:30 am. Low tide was an hour back, and the…
Day Starts at 4:30. The alarm is shrill and alien. I just went off to bed! It can’t be time. But then ofcourse, this is how the last expedition started too. So this one can’t be any different. Yesterday, Shanj and I said to ourselves that we would do better this time. And get to bed and sleep well before the expedition. Yeah. Like that’s ever worked. So I wake up shanj. She’s groggy and mostly out of it. I…
“Kaustubh is a firm believer that sport can be used for change.” As the compere finishes his introduction, I leave my chair, and take the dias. The convocation hall at IIT Roorkee is filled with 500 students, packed in, after 3 days of exertion on the field. There are a number of things one could tell these student and time is of the essence. So I give them the advice I think they can relate to – “Pain IS…
It’s 3:45 in the morning. And my alarm is wrecking all kinds of havoc. I’ve slept 2 hours and it’s time to go to work. The good people at Frodo Cam are launching their camera campaign this monday and they’ve asked me if I’d like to be a part of their campaign. Tarun is an old friend of mine, and built my pre-expedition video, so as I drag myself out of bed, I’m gearing up to a day of paddling hard….
If I stand still, two brahminys eagles will sail overhead, talons out to attack each other. The white heads screech out and swoop down over the clear green water. If I stand still, as the river bends, the golden glow of the setting sun will crawl over the water to reach me. But before it’s piercing rays start their work an idle cloud blows in it’s way & sends crimson across the sky. If I stand still the sea wind…
I dropped a line to Erica at 94.3 to tell her I was done with my expedition, and before I knew it she buzzed back to invite me down to the studio. It was a lovely afternoon and mom and Shanj accompanied me to the studio. For all those who missed listening to it yesterday evening, here are the recordings: After the Break: In Conclusion:
Devgad to Tarkarli 12:35. The phone rings. As I fumble in the dark, I find an incoming call. It’s Shanj. Deepak has finally gotten a hold of her and brought her to Devgad. Great. In that groggy state of ‘let-me-sleep’ and ‘show-me-my-new-mobile-pouch-and-glares’ I find dense loaf. Water to the parched. Let’s talk about Dense loaf for a minute. If Theobroma made a more complete meal than it’s own English Breakfast, it’s Dense Loaf. An ammalgamation of chocolate and endless goodness,…