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Travel Tales by Poonam, Bhor District, Pune (2026)

19/03/2020

We all complain about the lack of time to do things that we want to or need to. Daily long commute to office, running around for errands, school pick-ups/drops, attending office/social parties/school functions, kids exams - the list is endless. Now that the planet is in repair mode, we suddenly have loads of time on our hands but we feel lost! So here are few interesting things:

- Read, write 📝
- Listen to music, sing, dance🎶
- Watch movies📺
- Draw, paint🎨
- Stitch, knit,embroider🧵
- Fix anything that you can - tap, fuse, electric appliance, any such thing🔧
- Tender your plants💐
- De-clutter your almirahs, space, store, kitchen, balcony, bed-box, mind📑
- Spend time with parents, spouse, kids, pet and yourself👪
- Call that friend/relative whom you havent been in touch with for long☎️
- Do yoga, meditate🧘🏽‍♀️
- Exercise - Use the treadmill that you bought years ago but is lying in one corner as a stand to hang clothes🏃‍♀️
- Arrange your pictures - clean your hard drive, sort out the pictures in different albums, delete the ones not needed💽
- Learn a new skill, language📖
- Prepare for that exam that you always wanted to take up🙇🏽‍♂️
- Take up an online course👨🏽‍💻
- Cook/experiment meals🥘
- Re-discover your long lost hobby🎮
- Photography enthusiast - Click pictures at home and improve your photography vision📷
- Record that video📹
- Catch up on your sleep😴
- Pamper yourself. Soak your feet in warm water💇🏽‍♀️
- Play indoor games🧮
- Watch sunset/sunrise🌇
- Listen to the chirp of birds🐦
- Sleep under stars🌌
- Watch that moonrise🌃
- Admire the flowers blooming(its Spring after all)🌷
- Have a telescope - Do a galaxy watch🌠

Above all wash your hands. Dont touch your face. Dont go out unnecessarily. Stay safe. Stay isolated. We will fight it out. Take care. 🤞🏽

17/03/2020

Sitting at home near a french door, with sunlight peeping in, watching a plane in the sky, I cant help by think about my trip on which I was supposed to leave on Saturday morning. Till last week, I was sure that I will be able to make it to that lovely valley in Himachal Pradesh while the blossoms are in full bloom, with snow capped mountains, clear blue sky and crisp-almost-leaving winter sunshine.

On Friday, I was in two minds. The situation was getting worse. In the meanwhile, a cousin messaged me and an Aunt spoke to me. I suddenly panicked. I am young(fairly) with good immunity, somebody who travels with all the precautions. But I had to cross three airports - the most vulnerable as of now, during my travel.

I realized that if I get infected, I may be able to survive, but what if I pass it on the elders in my family and the kids around. They may not be able to take it. What if I get infected on the way and carry it all the way till Himachal. Hit me hard. I did not think even once and just cancelled my whole trip. Not even postpone. We dont know when the situation will be normal again.

I bore a huge dent on my wallet. Airlines refused to give any free cancellation. Even the refund is a meager sum of few hundreds or zero. The stays also didnt give full refund. It seemed futile explaining the seriousness. But I took it in my stride. No regrets. Now I am very confident that I took the right decision. With situation getting worse day by day the only way to contain it, is to be at home.

Now sitting at home, I am finishing all those pending tasks that keep staring at me for their turn. Dont go out unless absolute necessary. Stay at home, clean almirahs, arrange papers, watch movies, listen to music, read, write, cook, paint, spend time with family, do yoga, walk inside your housing complex, play indoor games. This is your me-time that you all have been waiting for. Make the most of it. Most importantly - wash your hands and dont touch your face.

We all have to behave and follow directions diligently. We will fight it out. Stay isolated. Stay safe. Take care.🤞
🇦🇹

24/12/2019

Things to do in Bajarwadi:
▪️Stroll around the village admiring vast fields.
▪️Get a hands-on experience in farming.
▪️Trek upto Rohida fort for some incredible views.
▪️Share a delicious meal with locals.
▪️Learn about the old, traditional methods of farming.
▪️Have a conversation with locals to learn about their life.
▪️Visit the school.
▪️Learn about sustainability.
▪️Watch a golden sunset as the village is bathed in its varied hues.
▪️Sleep on the terrace under a blanket of million stars.

Bajarwadi will take you back in time when pleasures were not trapped by technology. The village that uses sustainable means of livelihood, be it farming, bio-gas for cooking, growing seasonal vegetables/fruits, heating water, old stone houses. Village folks have a smile that fills your heart with warmth and love. Kids are always enthusiastic about learning something new or the other.

I travelled to Bajarwadi with Grassroutes who work towards bringing responsible tourism to the rural areas. Highly recommend going with them.

Spend a weekend in village. It will force you to appreciate life a little more.

20/12/2019

Few days back I went on my first ever travel assignment(if I can call it so) in collaboration with Grassroutes – A Community Based Rural Tourism Enterprise. The idea was to travel to one of the villages covered by Grassroutes and write about the experience. I was as much excited and surprised as nervous. A golden opportunity like this was surely welcome for someone, with a small but great insta-family, who shares experiences as and when possible.

On a pleasant December morning, I embarked on the memorable journey to Bajarwadi – a small little village in Bhor Tehsil of Pune district. Around 3 hours from Pune, time seems to have stopped ticking in this tiny hamlet. Situated on the foothills of Rohida fort, this village served as a market to people living on the fort during the era of Shivaji Maharaj.

Walking around the village, watching their old, traditional methods of farming, I was reminded of my childhood in so many ways. A warm smile from every person whom I met had put me at ease. Not once I felt like a stranger. And then there numerous tea invitations that I had to politely refuse. Travelling with Grassroutes, allowed me to connect with village life in a most enticing yet responsible way.

The village has its own local school. After school, students go to a college which is around 5 kms in Bhor. My host had come back from Pune city to their roots in village to pursue farming as their ancestors did. Vast fields where multi-grains, vegetables, fruits are grown help one to connect with the nature. The peaceful environment will surely relieve your stress and help you slow down. A simple yet healthy and delicious meal will not just fill your stomach but heart too.

When the sun casts its last light, it surely melts down your heart. A scene of गो-धूली will take you back in time. As the moon rises in the sky, a sense of deep gratification and humility engulfs you. The whole village is bathed in the golden light when the sun sets behind Sahyadris with a mighty view of Rohida fort.

And with this, I wrote my first ever blog post. Go, give it a read. Link in bio.

09/12/2019

A million thoughts are running through my mind like a labyrinth. I am at a loss of words but not the thoughts. I know what it is but can’t pin-point. At times I want to write them down but the clarity comes at the most unconducive situations - while sleeping, driving, bathing, in meetings. Words flow like a smooth icing and I write a post, mentally.

Once I am in front of a computer, everything is blurred out like a winter fog on the window panes. You imagine vaguely what on the other side but the fog refuses to clear up much to the frustration. Is it a block? Is it lack of concentration? Is it because of wasting too much time on phone? Is it lack of interest?

There is no lack of time, certainly. So why is it that I get a soup in my head when I sit down to distinguish between the thoughts. Urgh!

27/11/2019

A small little country unheard of till 90s, tucked on the south-eastern Europe, surrounded by mountains known as Julian Alps (named after Julius Caesar), numerous turquoise blue/emerald green mirror lakes, with only LOVE to offer is Slovenia. Slovenia was never a country that I remember plotting on map during Geography classes. Erstwhile part of Yugoslavia, when it split up Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia were formed. Primarily formed by people of Slava origin, Slovene is the official language of the country. Mind it, its not easy to understand or pronounce. Most of the times, we will end up mispronouncing much to the amusement of locals.

It took Slovenia a long time to break away from the dominance of Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Greece and other neighbouring countries. True to having LOVE in its name, its capital Ljubljana means beloved. Its named after the river flowing through the city: Ljubljanica. The capital city which has a statue of a poet instead of a warrior or a king, thus the name of famous Preseren Square. The city's symbol is a Dragon which can be seen everywhere - a bridge named after it, on top of the castle, souvenirs.

The heavy influence of Austria can be seen in the architecture around Slovenia. Much to the surprise, when concrete was first used in construction, Austria sent it to Ljubljana to construct its Dragon bridge to test its durability. Imagine a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte in Ljubljana - only because he encouraged its people to speak their native language Slovene which was not allowed officially before World War II. A country which actually believes in keeping cleanliness - hello underground trash bins. Ljubljana has even won the European Green Capital Award for its strife towards being environmental conscious.

Every nook and corner of Slovenia is filled with stories of its past - some sad, some amusing. Its hard to not to lose yourself in its pristine beauty strolling around it. Multiple parks, green areas, hills, lakes, cafes, quiet spots adorn this country. The cherry on the top are the uninterrupted views of breathtaking Julian Alps.Want to visit Europe without burning a hole in your pocket, visit Slovenia.

20/11/2019

My connecting flight from Munich - Ljubljana was cancelled with no intimation by (read previous detailed post). The option that I was left with was either to wait for the next day or manage on my own. I decided to take from Munich - a doable journey of around 6 hours.

Booked the ticket while waiting at the Mumbai airport. The flight was scheduled to reach at 05:40 at Munich. I booked 0830 bus to Ljubljana taking adversities into account. Munich Central Bus Station is around 45-50 minutes by metro from the airport. So keep ample time if you have a connecting flight or bus.

As luck would have it, the flight reached 30 minutes late. The moment we landed at the airport, I rushed. Thankfully, my bag arrived on time(priority tag). Not a soul on the information desk, a gentleman who had traveled on the same flight, told me the way to Metro station. At the station, again I was lost. How do I buy the ticket! Everything was written in German. Also I didnt know the Metro number or the platform number or even the stop name where I was supposed to get down! A young boy helped me to buy the ticket from the counter.

At the platform, another lady helped with the right Metro. On the Metro, an old gentleman helped with the correct station. The never-ending generosity of the strangers filled me with immense gratitude. I arrived just in time for my bus to Ljubljana. Flixbus is an extremely comfortable and reasonable way to get around Europe. They stop on the way for meals plus have an attached toilet. Book in advance for great deals. Always reserve the seat. An almost empty bus took off crossing the breathtaking countryside of Germany, Austria and finally into Slovenia.

The two drivers took turns to drive. Turned out that the drivers are not allowed to drive for more than 9 hours a day. They have to insert a card before the drive which logs the hours. Anything more than 9 hours can get them into problem - licence cancel plus huge fine. Government believes that its a life-risk to allow anyone drive for more than 9 hours. Talk about dignity of labour. Already in love with this journey!

06/11/2019

I landed in Slovenia after a long journey of more than 24 hours which included a cab ride, flight, metro and a bus.

My flight route was Mumbai - Munich - Ljubljana. Second leg of the journey was supposed to be via Adria Airways which has a code share with and was cancelled.

Lufthansa supervisor, Shivani, outrightly refused to accept that Lufthansa had anything to do with this. I showed her the ticket telling that the flight was booked via Lufthansa website, not a third-party site. If Lufthansa had allowed to book a flight on Adria Airways, it clearly meant that they had a code share. She refused to acknowledge. She said that its not their responsibility to inform the passengers about a cancelled flight.

I asked for an option. She gave me a couple of options and went back to her desk. After 5 minutes I told the lady at the counter to put me on a flight which will go via Paris to Ljubljana. Since she did not have the authority to do so, she waited for Shivani to come back. After more than 30 minutes, she finally arrived and told me that all the flights are booked and she cannot do anything. I asked her that sometime back she had given me the options. Her response was that I took a long time to decide so she cannot help me now. Either I had to find an option myself to go from Munich or wait till the next day, which was not possible for me.

And she went back again without resolving this issue. After a long time, another supervisor, Priyanka came. She heard the whole issue and tried to help by giving a flight via Croatia. She even agreed to put a priority tag on my bag, should I decide to take a bus from Munich, which I eventually did. She gave the email-id for the refund. A complete opposite of earlier supervisor.

It was my first flight with Lufthansa but it wasnt a pleasant one. In such a situation, the first step airlines usually take is to upgrade the passenger and try to give them feasible options. But it seemed the supervisor here just did not bother. I wasnt sure how I will manage to reach bus stop from the airport but we find good people to help always. So finally I reached the flix bus stop just in time for a beautiful bus journey.

09/09/2019

Pristine, virgin, beautiful waterfall in a remote village of Satara district.

09/09/2019

Part II

Our guide from the village joined us and we started our trek to Dabdaba(waterfall in Marathi). Kaka, as we fondly called him, told us that it will take about 2 hours to reach the falls. Sahyadris, as always had turned lush green. The earth looked fully hydrated with small streams flowing through the jungle, an occasional bird singing, mist rolling in, cool breeze along with rain hit us. 🌧 Out came my raincoat. I am not a monsoon loving person and certainly don't like to get wet in rains.

We walked, walked and walked. It seemed to never end. More rains lashed our faces and at times it was impossible to see clearly. The mud, slush, leech bites all made up for the lovely vegetation, lush rice paddy fields that we crossed. At times I thought what made me come here.

After a trek of almost 4 hours, going downhill, almost slipping, surviving leech bites, soaked in muddy water, we reached the falls. 🥵What a sight it was! A majestic, roaring, milky white falls more than 100 ft high with deafening sound rolled in front of us. 😮It was so windy that it was almost impossible to stand there. The camera never came out. Our guide told everyone not to jump in the falls since the current was very high. Time was almost 4 pm. Ten hours of journey seemed so worth the efforts. My pink shoes, favourite pair of white/pink socks that a friend had turned brown, my legs were aching, we were hungry, tired but exhilarated.

Feeling refreshed we went to the village which was about an hour away. Hot, the most sumptuous meal awaited us. Food was cooked by Kaka's family on a chulha(stove made of mud and bricks, lit with wood). Never ever had I eaten such delicious food in my life. Bhakri, chapati, beans, ghodka, dal, indrayani rice were devoured with much love and warmth. Imagine I never eat ghodka which is commonly known as tori in hindi at home. Since I didnt know what it was, I ate it to my heart's content. A family of cat, hen, cow gave us company.

I could have slept there if we didnt have to return. A long journey of another 5 hours brought us back to Pune with some everlasting memories.

08/09/2019

Its been a while since I have explored a new beauty. Incessant rains for the last couple of months made it almost impossible to venture out anywhere. So last weekend, after the sun shone brightly for almost two weeks, I decided to explore an explored, almost hidden waterfall in a remote village near Satara.

The trek was planned with a group with whom I had travelled twice before and found them decent enough. No huge groups, sensible, respect environment and maintain the sanctity of the place. Infact when I requested the founder to stop giving packaged drinking water, he immediately took a note of this and excluded it from the deal. That speaks about their intent.

A group of nine enthusiasts set off from Pune at around 0600 on Saturday morning. Dark, grey clouds hovered in the sky since a day before. It was evident that rains have come back. Wading through a huge traffic, crossing Kaas plateau where millions of yellow flowers formed a carpet, a journey which took almost 6 hours we reached the trek start point. Now the actual journey was about to begin.

To be continued in Part II... .
@ Satara

04/09/2019

Today is my work anniversary. I still cannot believe that eons ago on this very day I filled up the HR forms and received my appointment letter as a fresher. And this happened during Ganesh festival in Pune.

I was not at all confident. I didnt know how will I survive. I didnt expect that I will work for this long. I was not sure of myself. I didnt have enough belief in myself. But almost two decades later, I think I have faired quite well.

A small town girl suddenly lands up in a big city like Pune suddenly. With a meagre basic computer knowledge, I was expected to find the problems and possibly give solutions.

I worked hard during the training period and was the topper at the end. I was able to understand the problems and even provide solutions. My managers were so impressed that I was put in the Problem Resolving team. But that was just the beginning.

I worked day and night in multiple shifts, even in night shift - maximum being 36 hours without any food and sleep. I won the confidence of the client. And it was not due to long hours but the fact that I was able to find the resolutions. There were times when I wanted to give up. I thought that I wont be able to do it. I was someone stuck in a world of engineers and computer experts. So may be the hard work was the only way to sail through. My client once remarked that I may not know everything but I have that determination to find the solutions and that's what sets me apart from others.

The job was not just the means of being independent. It was bread-butter for me and family. No jam or cheese. I couldn't afford all that. I traveled by six-seater/bus only to be mocked at that why cant I travel by an auto. Only I knew at that time what those 20 Rs (auto fare) could buy. I didn't eat out. I saved every penny that I could. First major milestone came when I was able to buy a two-wheeler after more than a year of savings. I still have it and its my prized possession.

I have a satisfaction that whatever little I could achieve is on my own, at the risk of sounding narcissist. The problems have not ended. I still dont know what future holds. But I have faith and hope that I will sail through.

Travel Tales by Poonam

19/03/2020

17/03/2020

24/12/2019

20/12/2019

09/12/2019

27/11/2019

20/11/2019

06/11/2019

09/09/2019

09/09/2019

08/09/2019

04/09/2019

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