A Date with Malvali . .

. . If you ask me to name something that makes me instantly connect to the Pune memories, chances are that the beach excursions would probably feature prominently in that list. The romance of walking along the coast-line is undying!

…But..

If you ask me to name something that makes me instantly connect to the most memorable excursion memories, nothing comes to my mind except – the exotic Malvali Caves.

I wanted to be there to experience the monsoon when it arrives at Malvali. After having travelled for over an hour in the over-flowing train from Pune that just left us in a small station called ‘Malvali’ – to take us through what I had been waiting long to experience!

It was as though our first step on the platforms of Malvali had just triggered a cloud for that heavy ‘heavy’ rain that welcomed us in that village of caves. A small, but good road, takes us towards an elevated concrete and we notice that we are above the Xpressway! To see those tiny cars flying beneath us was just as rare as looking at the earth from the moon.

Then we are taken towards a waterfall, and there are several of them gushing from the hills, but not everybody hikes through the dense tangle of trees.

We picked a waterfall that takes several meter climb, bisecting for a picturesque snap. At another instance we had already begun our walk towards the Malvalis’ – which was going to be the BEST excursion that I ever had.

Call us fickle, or someone who is about to enter mid-age crisis, or someone who desperately wants to cling to fitness or whatever, I have always wanted to be on top of that tallest cliff in among those countless ranges. Before I could mature that thought, Malvali was drenched by the monsoon showers – which made it look like a paradise. And we were happy to be a part of that!

For me, I remember that 10 min trek, those long sleek roads, wading through astonishing green shrubs all turning even more lush green with the rain pouring on them.

The clouds descend upon the hills and a light drizzle eventually turning into a heavy shower drenched us; refreshing us after a steep climb through the undergrowth. We could actually feel the rain drops hitting our faces from the edge of the cliff in the opposite direction.