This was the big one, the Trip that would define all future trips, that would test all limits and decide once and for all, whether I’m a true traveler or not. Or so we had built up in our heads. Well, simply because, we planned to bike this one out, and see if I can handle bike trips without my ass dying and refusing to come back to life in a span of four hours.
So we were excited, with full biking gear and minimal packing.
Of course what we didn’t account for was Kaybee’s T-Bird actually getting more scared than me, and popping out a thingamajig the night before. Or some nut. Or some bolt. Or something like that. Of course at this moment Kaybee is giving me dirty looks for not knowing what I’m talking about. Oh well.
So five hours before our historic journey, we realized it’s going to be a comfortable luxury trip after all. So hiding the disappointment, and more importantly my ass’s relief, we headed out in the morning in our beloved A Star, towards the industrial town of Nashik.
So we were excited, with full biking gear and minimal packing.
Of course what we didn’t account for was Kaybee’s T-Bird actually getting more scared than me, and popping out a thingamajig the night before. Or some nut. Or some bolt. Or something like that. Of course at this moment Kaybee is giving me dirty looks for not knowing what I’m talking about. Oh well.
So five hours before our historic journey, we realized it’s going to be a comfortable luxury trip after all. So hiding the disappointment, and more importantly my ass’s relief, we headed out in the morning in our beloved A Star, towards the industrial town of Nashik.
| The pretty and empty NH3 |
Oh, by the way did you know that the town gets its name from the fact that Lord Laxman cut off the nose of Surpanakha here, hence Nashik, from the Sanskrit word, Nasika meaning nose. I think.
Anyway, we had laid out a simple 3-point Trip Objective:
Bike Trip- Wine tasting at Sula Vineyard
- Eating, sleeping, eating, relaxing and did I mention eating?
Well, 2-point now.
Kaybee was a little skeptical about NH3 as we’d never tried it before, but boy was it pretty! It was empty, it was a good drive, and it was just plain scenic. Green valleys and plains, and hills and trees, and just a lot of nature not yet destroyed. Rare around Mumbai, I tell you.
On our way we stopped just before Igatpuri at a dhaba called ‘Maruti’ for some yummy breakfast. Ok, so ‘yummy’ had been the objective, and I was suddenly craving for some buttery alloo parathas. What I got instead was some slightly dubious sambar dosa. My half screwed up face turned into a forced smile after a nice lil comment about spoilt South Delhi girls from Kaybee. Hmph.
We reached the outskirts of Nashik really soon, thanks to the empty road, and then spent another hour trudging through the bad roads and traffic within Nashik. Thanks to Google maps we finally did make it to our hotel, Ginger.
At this point, I would like to take up some time to write about Ginger, without actually getting paid for it. I am a die-hard Taj fan, really am. Of course doesn’t change the fact that I can’t actually afford to stay in Taj, yet. So we had to go for something more budget-friendly. And I hate it when you spend a decent amount of money and end up in a room with peeling walls and a cot. And now I must say, I am in love with Ginger. The rooms were cute, air conditioned, clean bathroom, a mini fridge and, the best part, a flat screen tv. Oh wait no, the best part was the breakfast buffet, something we hadn’t been expecting, and hence took us by complete surprise. Decent spread, and accommodating staff. All at around 4500 for 2 nights. I repeat, I LOVE Ginger.
What we did on Day 1:
- Watched TV
- Ordered room service
- Slept
- Ordered room service
- Watched TV
- Ordered room service
- Slept
- Ordered room service
As useless as it sounds, it had to be the most amazing Day 1. We needed it, even more than we realized.
So the next day we woke up nice and on time, in our full touristy mood and headed out. We checked out the Infant Jesus Shrine, we wow-ed at a huge-ass mall, and after a lot of driving finally reached Sula Vineyard.
| Branding a vineyard |
We got a tour of the entire Wine making process, by a tour guide who actually knew his wines really well. Be warned, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the strong scent of grapes and wines inside the vinery. I was warned that I might get high on the scent, and should be careful. Of course the warning came from Kaybee. So I laughed it off. But I did breathe a little carefully after that.
| Where wine is fermented for months and months |
| Where wines are stored till ordered |
This was followed by wine tasting (Rs. 150 for 4 wines, 250 for 6 wines), where Kaybee was in his full classy strength following the full see-swirl-smell-sip routine with style, while I was pinching my nose and managing to somehow swallow. I never did get used to drinking wine, after all.
| The pretty pretty tasting room |
| Some cute merchandize |
Overall, the place was really pretty, with a nice view of the vineyard and the lake beyond. The wines were offered at a slight discount, but more importantly, the ambience made you want to have wine. We walked around, we clicked pics, we wondered how pretty it would be in season (Jan-March) and then thought of the crowds and felt rather happy about roaming around in the empty place in the heat.
| Sigh... |
Lunch at Little Italy at Sula…I never will understand how the place can be vegetarian.
And then back to hotel by evening. Where we slept, watched tv, ordered hell loads of room service, watched more tv, and slept some more.
The next day, we were rejuvenated, relaxed and ready for life. Because sometimes, a trip which doesn’t involve a lot of sightseeing, a lot of travelling, and a lot of curiosity, is just what you need. The drive back was even prettier than the way to Nashik, if that was possible. This time we actually drove through almost-virgin mountains and hills and valleys. The route made us feel even better.
| Let it roll baby roll.... |
And then we took a final turn, off the highway, and right into Mumbai’s traffic. Where we stayed for the next two hours. In the heat. And the muck. And the horns. And the dirty driving.
And by the time we reached home, all we needed was a vacation, yet again.
