A peaceful sunset

We travelled to Karde beach near Dapoli. A few families from our building. A quiet restful time. I had taken my new levelling base and the Lee reverse GND filter to try out some sunsets. This time in the Konkan is very drab - gone are the dramatic skys and crisp rainy days of the monsoons. As winter sets in, so does the haze. It's all dull. The sky, especially is colourless and boring. But I had to try.

To get this shot, me and Appa travelled to a high point between the Karde and Ladghar beaches. From this higher perspective we got a view of the rocks below. The haze and the RGND combination rendered the horizon dark.

It was a peaceful sunset. No drama. No excitement. Just peace.

Rambling Sinhagad

The shadows of the pandameic were hovering over the horizon. Me and Jo headed to the Sinhagad for a bit of happiness and peace. The gad is a favourite haunt. Over the years I must have clicked so many photos up there but still everytime I get something new.

This day - 9th Feb 2020 - it was cold and it was shrouded in a blanket of fog and it was not crowded. We roamed around while I tried to click some unusual angles. The gad takes on a certain rugged look at this time of the year. The lush green grass of the has dried up and is now a light golden yellow and adorns the black rocks.

Deep Konkan, the lucky trip

The glorious Palash tree

Back in Feb Me and Jo (and our little parcel) were planning to go to Ooty in the first week of March. We had planned a nice 4 day trip via Bangalore, were we would meetup with Aniket and Priyanka and drive down to Ooty. But the dark clouds of Covid-19 were hanging on the head and when the time came to book these flights I was really worried. The airports would be the distribution centres of the infected for an imported virus. So we cancelled it.

Rima and Animesh (and their parcel), in the meanwhile had visited a farm in the deep Konkan and highly recommended it. We had to get out and so we decided to book it. On those days Amey and family would also be in Devrukh and we would visit them too, that was the plan. We would drive non-stop and avoid any interaction with people. First week of March was getting to be a risky time.

So finally the three of us left one early morning in the trusty Hexa and headed for the Konkan. The highway is good and we made good time. Soon we took the right past Karad and headed towards Malkapur. The first few kilo meters were good as the road was newly laid. We took a short halt at a hotel for loo and headed on. The road then got very bad and it was tough going.

In the ghat just before Malkapur we came across a fabulous 'palash' tree were we took some photos. Then on to Malkapur and Amba. At Sakharpa we took the right for Devrukh. For once we headed on towards Sangameshwar without halting here. From Sangameshwar it took some finding, a missed turn, but we finally managed to get to our destination. The last kilo meter or so was a dirt track...




The 'sada'


Early morning Fog!


Looking at the west valley


12000 year old art — Petroglyphs


a traditional kitchen


Testing the PD36R in the night


Chafa near the temple


Early morning!


Malkapur hinterlands

...

Deep Konkan

The “sada” — the costal high laterite plateaus of the Konkan.

Home to the hare, fox, jackal, civet, barking deer, wild boar, malabar hornbill and numerous other animals and birds these plateaus are enchanting. Traditionally these are rocky and less fertile so they have been left alone.








In the summers, bushfires lay black large tracts of these wonderful grassland.