This is the story of spooky adventure on cycle I recently had. Since days were pretty warm and sunny for cycling I decided to do a night ride up the Ghat roads from Poladpur to Mahabaleshwar on a full moon pre winter night. I am having some extra fascination for Moon, maybe because of its coolness, serenity and solitude. And moonlight cycle rides bring out the most beautiful feelings in me, therefore time and again I plan these rides and they are immensely enjoyed by all the participants. Normally I have company to share this beautiful spectacle but due to reasons beyond anyone’s control this time I was left alone. I had a choice to cancel the programme but then I said “what the hell, I will do it solo”. So far the solo moonlight rides have been in and around city but this time the adventure was through Ghats and jungle seen only in daylight. On 6th November evening I reached Poladpur around 5 pm pedaling more than 140+ kms in the day. I checked into a hotel for break and wash. I had planned to do night ride on 7th Nov as that was actual full moon night however the sight of almost full, bright and shining moon early in the evening took my breath away. Even at 9 pm I could see bright cool moonlight inviting. It was spread all around in fields, water bodies and up the mountains; and instantly I decided to prepone my ride. I left my hotel around 11 pm, all prepared for night ride, Lights on handle-bar and another set fixed on helmet, 4 ltrs of water and energy bars in easy reach. I left Goa highway at Shivaji Statue and turned left on State highway to Mahabaleshwar. Whatever little trucking noise was on National highway was also left behind and now I was alone on the road. Now eyes have got accustomed to natural light and I switched off the lights to savour the atmosphere. Initially the road runs along the river where water appears to be standing still and moonlight spread over it like an artwork. The hills in distance, trees and foliage around were awash with bright moonlight. The surface of the road was also clearly visible in moonlight. Except for the faint noise of sprocket, Chain and tires it was super quiet. Once in a while one could hear a dog barking in distance. Slowly I got into a nice rhythm and started humming a Hemant Kumar song which was followed by another one. It was perfect setting for these songs but I could not continue anymore as ascent has started. After a turn or two I reached village Kapadeburk and was greeted by a pack of dogs but they appeared to be quite civilized in their behavior and did not show any interest except for a bark. It was past midnight and so far the journey has been beautiful and calm. The tall grass on sides of the road has now turned yellow so appeared much brighter. The white markings on the road and signage were crystal clear and were leading me uphill. Another village passed by and now I was continuously climbing up the winding road. My speed was reduced considerably and engaging gears was making extra noise in that silent night. The moon was now right above my head and I noticed that I was pedaling over my shadow immersed completely in my thoughts. Passing through a bunch of bushy trees suddenly I felt I was being watched and instantly I became conscious of my surroundings. I realized that now I was way far of any human habitation, the only company I had was of brightly lit sky and moon. The bright light was creating new shadows and dark patches around bushes, trees and on roadside stones. I felt a presence of someone around me. Now eyes appear to glimmer from tree hollows. Once in a while I could feel the rustling of the wind, breaking of the twigs. The day’s bravado turned into a fear instantly. There was no escape from the situation. I stopped in the middle of the road switched on both the lights and had a gulp of water. Slowly I surveyed around, everything appeared calm, quiet and static. However the lateral light beam from my torch created more unusual shadows, still I kept them on. I got onto the cycle once again and started pedaling. I started to sweat on that cold night, the more I tried to forget about the surroundings more conscious I became. Wanted to stop for a leak but lost the courage and continued. At last I reached the Ambanali Pass where during day a tea-shop usually comes alive but right now it was deathly silent under the gaze of two tall banyan trees. From this pass I could see hills for miles & miles draped in silver moonlight but in back of my mind the fear was still lurking. The moon beam passing through the banyan trees was making strange patterns on the road. After a briefest stop I was on my way to Pratapgarh Phata. The gradient of the road had eased out considerably and surroundings have also changed. Now there were more rocks and less trees/bushes which were giving me creepy feeling. Because of increase in breadth of road it appeared more open and bright and less intimidating. Slowly and surely I overcame the fear and started enjoying the vista once again. The stillness of the night which has brought fear in my senses in the valley was having calming effect now. Finally I crossed the hump and landed at the junction to Pratapgarh. I saw the time in mobile, it was 3.30 am. The “dhaba” at the junction was closed but I could see workers sleeping on the benches. The moon was sparkling bright high in the sky and I could see a few simmering street light bulbs in the distance. Mahabaleshwar was another 18 kms from the point and the road passes through the thicker part of jungle. After due contemplation I decided to break journey at the Dhaba, among the other sleeping human beings. While lying on a bench I pondered over the most beautiful journey I have had with an extraordinary experience. Whether it was foolhardy? I don’t know... But how can I forget the most beautiful sights I have seen. It was a lifetime experience worth emulating again…..
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 17:57:03 +0000
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