A trip to Lonavala

Last long weekend we decided to do a one-day trip to Lonavala. Lonavala is just 60-65kms from Pune so we decided to come back the same day and anyway the rates of rooms in lonavala is sky rocketing during this season. We just wanted a break and so weren't planning to do serious sight seeing just plain enjoy the weather and I think we just did that. ok...maybe we just spend too much time in the car deciding where to go and where not to get down but still ;).

Our first stop in lonavala was supposed to be Karla caves and then work our way to the other points in lonavala but unfortunately we completely forgot about karla caves and reached lonavala. So our first stop was walwhan dam. Now except for this banner you see here, everywhere else (books, notices about places to see) you will find it spelled as Valvan dam. Photography was restricted in here. It has a good 1 km walk to the dam. A very beautiful garden (again restricted to aam janta) is maintained on the other side of the dam. Peapod was wide awake in the car all through the drive and slept just before we reached this place. Inspite of our efforts to wake her up she didn't budge.


The climate was very plesant with rain showers every once in a while with the cool breeze blowing softly.


The maize was available at every nook and corner of lonavala. Roasted ripe maize served with salt and chilli powder spread with lemon over was just too good. I was having roasted ripe maize for the first time and the soft juicy corn was just the thing to be had with the drizzling rain.


Did not go to bushi dam as the place was full of people and there was filth all around. We parked our car and spend some time off the road near Bushi Dam feasting ourselves to the greens and rocks.

We saw a couple of points. Rajmachi was the best. The depth of it was scary. Since there was no heavy rainfalls, the waterfalls weren't as expected but the weather more than compensated for it.





Karla Caves was THE BEST. Above are a few pics I clicked. We had to climb 100 stairs to reach the caves. There is a temple on the top and there were pregnant ladies and very old ladies climbing these stairs.


To see something that was carved in the 4th century takes you to a period in history when we believe men weren't as advanced but they had the tools and brains to convert rocks in the wilderness into caves and montessories and the talent to create such sculptures. I am sure you will find better snaps on the net of these.

And here is my peapod in her first raincoat. We bought it thinking she can get a little mobile without we having to worry about she catching a cold but she was sleeping when we reached most places and the places she was awake we couldn't let her go so for peapod I am not how great a trip this was but a good break from the usual.


If it weren't for stories & snaps carried back home to show-off, travel wouldn't have been so much fun.