White Water Rafting at Kolad

Kolad was a three-year-old dream.  I am so thankful to be blessed with like-minded friends, who share the same passions, who do not think twice before helping out each other, and who would go to any extent for adventures.

So, like I said, the dream was dreamt 3 years back, but it was only a year back that we had finally decided to set a time to execute it, and we had decided 2016.  But when we started planning in March 2016, to our utter dismay there was severe draught in Maharashtra, and we were hoping against hope that the showers would pour down and we can finally set our stone to roll.  Hopes were glum till end of June.  Come July, the rains finally started its outpour and so did our spirits start to soar.

Kolad is a village in the Raigad district of Maharashtra and is blessed with the beautiful Kundalika river, which is famous for its water sports, especially river rafting or white water river rafting.  While we all wondered what is “white water”, it was our guide Ming who later clarified that the waters would not be white; rather, when the waters are turbulent and rough, the foam appears white in colour and hence the name “white water” river rafting.  I had heard from friends and the pictures from the Internet were simply tempting.  If you are one that loves adventure and thrill, you can’t afford to miss Kolad.

As opposed to our other adventures, this time we had a 13-member group.  So the date was fixed for August 9, Tuesday.  We decided on a weekday as weekend rates are costly.  Weekday meant a lot had to be managed both at the work and home front, but as I said earlier, we can go to any extent to manage our tours, and so all the manipulations and organizing was done.  We chose Tripplatform as our rafting organizer as they were offering the most economic package, and all bookings and enquiries were efficiently managed by Amit.  Vehicle (Tata Winger) was booked from Badlapur by Ashwini.

Since the first train was not convenient to take us to Kolad on time, it was decided to stay over at Badlapur and again, Amit pitched in to arrange our stay for the night. We had dinner at our respective homes and reached Amit’s place for the night, where he and Sunaina had made excellent prep for a comfortable stay.  No, we did not plan a gettogether dinner as a lot of us were working late shifts.  Since it was the first time we as a group were having a night out, none of us slept for a long time.  We finally dosed off past 2 am, only to wake up at 3:45 am.  Vaibhav, the super enthusiast in our group, along with Sunaina made us Vabby style Maggie for an early, early morning breakfast along with tea.  With lot of enthusiasm and trepidation, we boarded the Winger and started our journey to Kolad.

It gives me an altogether different joy and peace to watch nature bloom itself with the first rays of the sun.  The curtain of night is slowly dragged away making way for the morning sunlight and nature gets another opportunity to draw out its vibrant colours.  The sky, starting with a pinkish grayish hue, is strewn in a myriad of colours which changes with each passing minute.  To compliment that, the earth too adorns itself.  Green in all its shades—always reminds me of a decked up bride.  No, the bride does not deck up in green, but the similarity lies in decking up.  Offering a word of thanks and praising the creator and smiling at my dozing friends, me too closed my eyes after drinking in the beauty of the mountains, trees, and grassland.

Amit and Vaibhav didn’t sleep as they were sitting next to the driver, brave souls I must say.  We were just a little late from our scheduled time for arrival.  After having a word with the organizers, started the photo sessions, selfies, washroom, followed by the consent signing, and later briefing.  Our 13-member team was broken into two groups of 6 and 7.  Our guide for the event was Min, or did he say Meen, I am unsure of the spelling.  He was a knowledgeable person and he could judge the water current so accurately.  He made sure that none of us missed out on any part of the adventure and kept encouraging the ones who were scared to try.

After the briefing up session, we all got into the raft enthusiastically, only to be dropped into the water in the next few minutes to demonstrate the rescue mechanism.  Well, that little piece of stunt not just alleviated our tension but also elated our spirits for the upcoming adventure.  We had first thought that the whole rafting would last for some half an hour, but our jaws dropped when Min said it would be for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

While on the raft, you are supposed to fix your feet to footholds and hold on to the ropes and pedal (oars).  There is a technique for holding on to the pedal and a technique to oar it too.  Ming was a super talented guide.  He would only speak when he wanted to give us orders or he wanted us to try any water tricks in the suitable waters (Kya aap ye try karna chahenge?); else, he just let us drink in the feeling and let us be mesmerized by what we were experiencing.  I was first scared when the smooth flowing river suddenly turns rough and the raft would turn and toss itself with the tossing waves, but no words to express the thrill.  He would ask us to let our feet down or bend upside down and dip your head in the river, and so on.  After some kilometers, he asked us to get off the boat and just float and flow with the river flow.  Everyone was a bit skeptical of this section at first, but it later turned out to be the best part of the entire rafting experience.  As we neared our endpoint, the final kilometer was  a super-smooth, river which meant tireless oaring.

They do not let us take our cameras with us, but they have stationed photographers at some points, who capture both still and motion pictures, which later they sell us.  Be sure to bargain as much as you can.  Anagha really surprised us all with her bargaining talent.  Once we reached our end point, we didn’t want the fun to get over, but every good thing comes to an end.  We treated us to some really hot bhajis, vadapavs , and tea.  Later, lunch was arranged for us by the organizers at a hotel.

Post lunch, we wanted to explore some more events, so off we went for a round of zipline and river crossing.   Zipline is where you are protected by harness and the harness is connected to a rope above, and zooooopppp, you come down the rope in the river and you are later picked up by a kayak.

River crossing you are taken by boat to the mid of the river where a rope is tied extending to the river bank.  You hold on to the rope and travel to the bank bracing the river current.  Both were fun but got over in seconds and minutes and were not as thrilling as rafting, nevertheless, we enjoyed it.

Other activities offered at Kolad are kayaking, Burma bride and commando bridge crossing, speed bike water ride, rappelling among others.

Later we showered and changed and hopped into our winger.  Fatigue caught us and with the lovely melody of 90s playing, we were slowly lulled into sleep.  After a short nap, photos were shared and it was time for tea.  Very soon we reached Badlapur from where we started.  Then we caught trains to our respective destinations, and thus an exciting, thrilling, adventurous day came to an end. 

Koraigad, in the rains

Summer 2016 was a dry, drought, depressing summer, with hassles for water.  (Oh! That was alliteration by the way.)  Maharashtra was pleading for rains, and the rains too were a late-comer.  Makes me realize that no matter how technologically advanced mankind grows, we still are hapless when it comes to natural disasters, or what you call acts of God; a reminder for humans to stay humble at all times and respect and preserve nature.

Well, finally when the rains came, joy knew no bounds, and what else would the residents of Mumbai and its suburbs and Maharashtra at large wait for.  There was greenery and waterfalls everywhere.  Not to miss out on experiencing the slow bloom of nature, we planned a trek.  Since we were not too much keen on undertaking some hardcore trek, we planned on one of the easy-to-climb forts of Maharashtra, that’s Koraigad or Korigad, situated at the outskirts of Lonavala.  I must tell you that we had visited Koraigad in winter some years back, but it was a completely different experience with the rains.  We had pouring rains, cloud, fog, waterfall all at the same time, which was a complete contrast to the winter platter.

Koraigad in the Summer

Koraigad in the rains

Since travel was just some 2 hours long and we were not worried about the sun, we decided to catch up enough sleep and not be an early riser that day, a mistake we realized later.  It was decided to meet at 7 am.  We had a vehicle arranged from Badlapur, and our saarthi Nilesh was a careful driver.  We got down at Badlapur station and after exchanging pleasantries, we eagerly hopped into a nearby tea shop for our morning brew, yummy I must say.  Having tea with drizzles and friends and lots of laughter is an experience in itself.  With our body warm from the tea, we started our trip via the old Mumbai Pune Highway, which was a picturesque ride in itself.  We stopped at Karjat for our breakfast and loo break.  Hungrily gulping the hot vada pavs and bhajis, we finished it with berry chocolates that a friend brought.

We reached Koraigad passing through the scenic Lonavala, Bushi Dam, Lion’s Point, et al.  Since our adrenaline was surging, we didn’t have any more eatery stopovers till we reached the fort.  I must tell you that there are two ways to get to the footsteps leading to the fort.  One starts opposite the Peth Shahapur village busstop, where there is provision to park your vehicles, if you are traveling by private transport, bus, or car.  Just a short mention, here that on our first visit, we had taken a Karjat train from Mumbai, alighting at Karjat and again taking a connecting train to Lonavala.  From there, we had hired a local transport to Peth Shahapur.

Parking space

The other trail starts at Bhairavnath temple which is an easier walk especially in the rain, though a long one, as you have to travel through the village.  But you will not regret the extra mile as each path has a beauty of its own.  The shorter path from the bus-stop was slippery and we hoped we had not taken that path.  So just a forewarning.

Trail to the steps

The trek was lovely as it was raining continuously and it was fun exchanging a word or two with other trekkers.   We walked through forest thickets, open land, and muddy path, all having an excitement of its own.  Once we reached the stone steps, altered and repaired now, the climb was easy and even more fun as we had water flowing through steps like a waterfall. 

The serpentine steps

Water flowing through the steps

A closer shot by the talented Amit

Pictures and oohs and aahs and monkeys followed.  Treks are one of the amazing ways of connecting with raw nature.  To me, it felt like a prayer and worship.  You go to the house of God per your religion and worship the Almighty, it’s different.  But, trek is like you are only praising the creator, thanking Him for this amazing creation.  What a lovely prayer where you just praise Him and not ask anything in return.

The steps are serpentine with curves, and with every curve you get a waterfall from the steps above.  It was not dangerous, yet it always helps to be cautious.  They have put barriers and railings for support in many places.  This trek is so easy and safe that you can even get children along.

You will find a medium size cave, the size of one room kitchen, which you can use for short rest; and during the rains there are vendors selling hot tea, snacks, and Maggi too.  During the non-rainy seasons, it’s a beautiful stopover as you have provision to sit there and enjoy the views around.  There are a couple more smaller caves on the way.

Cave on the way

Finally when we reached the Ganesh darwaja (entrance to the fort), the wind was chilling and we were ready for another round of tea.  There were a couple of villagers who were carrying hot tea in flasks along with eatables.  The fort was cleaner than expected, yet the travellers can do more justice by safeguarding nature and not littering plastic and most of all avoid liquor bottles.  The fort is in excellent condition with renovated steps and strong walls.  You will find the Koraidevi temple atop the fort.  The Koraidevi temple is even known to accommodate up to 25 people, making it ideal for night treks and camping.  There are two more temples on the fort and those too make for a comfortable stay.  To the northern side, alongside the Koraidevi temple, are two ponds.  The ponds supposedly contain drinkable water, so another plus point for camping as you can cook there.  You can enjoy a dip and quench your thirst.

The Ganesh Darwaja, Fort Entrance

Koraidevi Temple

The pond with the temple at the backdrop

There is a vast area to explore, around 2 kms.  To the southern end of the fort there are several cannons (Thop in Hindi), so we can get a feel of our history.  Do take time to touch and feel them as you are transferred to the times of Shivaji and wars, as your mind travels to history and historical people.

You can go to the edges of the fort wall and enjoy the view below.  You will see the much acclaimed Aamby Valley and its air strip.  There are two lakes that you can see in the distance.   As you can expect, the view is splendid as it is from any mountain or hill top.  One can walk along the walls of the fort and enjoy the beauty both within the fort and simultaneously enjoy the view below.   To the pond side, there are some steep climbs, which become easy if you have friends like mine.

We had explored the entire fort when we had been there in the winter.  But this time, during rains, low visibility and continuous downpour were a problem, and as I had mentioned earlier, we were not feeling too adventurous.  Too much clouds and fog were a hindrance to any view that you would hope to see.  So we stayed just about half an hour and indulged in some home brought munchies.

We started the descent, which was even more amazing than the ascent as we indulged in the waterfalls and clicked lot of pictures.  On our way back, we dropped in to see some houses at Aamby valley.  Wow! What beautiful bungalows.  We walked through Peth Shahapur village before reaching the parking lot.  A short distance from here you will find some houses where you have provision for changing clothes (they charged Rs. 20 per person) and food.  You have options of veg and nonveg thali and Chinese too.  This was not there during our winter trip, so I am not sure if it’s a seasonal stopover or they operate year round.

We encountered heavy traffic at Lonavala; hence, it is advisable not to visit this place in weekends.  Took us 4 hours just to cross Lonavala city, compared to the two hours it took to reach from Badlapur.  We were so tired that we were compelled to take a tea break before reaching Karjat.  From there, the traffic was sparse and we chit-chatted, played Antakshari, and dosed off too amidst all this.

It was pretty late due to all the traffic we had to encounter, but it was a day well spent with friends and nature.

Lessons learnt:

Admiring God’s creation is one of the purest form of worshipping.

It’s high time, we take steps to preserve nature and such historic monuments; else, future generations will have little to relive these times.

Friends are an unending source of energy and happiness.

Due to heavy rains and fog, we were unable to click any clear pictures.  Hence, the pics below, some are clicked by my friend Amit, while the others are from the internet to give you an idea of the beautiful, beautiful fort.  

Map of Koraigad fort

Koraigad, view from base.

Vihi Waterfalls, Kasara

After a long hiatus, couldn’t let go writing about this awesome place we went to this weekend.  Before I start penning, I should thank my friend Vaibhav for suggesting this place.  Without much surprise, I’d scream the name; it’s Vihigaon waterfall, Kasara, Maharashtra.

I like suggesting places that are economical, yet breath-taking and can be enjoyed by everyone; and Vihi fits the bill perfectly.

Vihigaon is situated at Kasara, in Nashik district, about 15 mins drive from Kasara railway station—a scenic village with fields, farms, cattle, mudhouses, dams, waterfall, rivers, and adventure sports.  It has also acquired the name Ashoka falls as few scenes of the movie Asoka was shot here, especially the song "San sa na na na nan."  Though it was named after the movie, there could not be a more suitable name as the falls lives up to its name, meaning "without sorrow," as one is sure to forget the world when you come here, and also due to its greatness.

Vaibhav had initially suggested this place because we wanted to try waterfall rappelling, just one of the adventure sports activity taking place at Vihi.

Discussions and planning were underway since more than 2 months.  Friends were contacted and groups formed.  We even registered with Trekmates.  Why register you may ask?  One can do waterfall rappelling individually too, but the activity is so much fun that you are unlikely to get a slot if you go on your own.  So it is advisable to register with some event planners so that you don’t miss out on the fun.  But in spite of registering, miss we did because the water current was too much to allow rappelling.  Due to heavy rainfall, rappelling had to be suspended and there was one more activity called valley crossing.  In case you plan on trying the sports, do carry necessary documents with you like your photo identity proof, with name, age, address, and emergency contact person (all adventure sports involve risks).

If you are not one who wants to indulge in a sport, let it not deter you from going to Vihi, as this is just one more feather in her cap.  The lush greenery, perfect landscape, and roaring waterfalls are simply magnificently breathtaking.

So, as planned, we decided on a date when Trekmates had scheduled rappelling and we took an early morning train to Kasara.  Since we all stay in the central line, each one got in at the station convenient for them.  The usual hulla gulla, antakshari, chirpy chit chats, and snacking ensued.  After getting down at Kasara railway station, we had our breakfast of sandwiches and tasty idlis.  I forgot to mention that as part of planning, we had allotted one item to each member in the group for breakfast and lunch that we would cook and carry as you will not find hotels nearby the village.  So early in the morning even small hotels near station would be closed.  But we had a chai/coffee wala at the station.  If you still want homemade food but do not want to make your own, you can order food with one of the villagers.  Else, you have dhabas at the main road.

So, after breakfast and tea, we headed for Vihi.  There are jeep services from Kasara station to Vihigaon that would charge you Rs. 40 per head.  Since it is a local service, you can expect to be crammed up in the jeep with 15 people sharing the space.  But what is adventure without such unexpected twists and turns!  Since we were a group of 16, we had the jeep to ourself.  On an advisory note, it would be helpful to take down the phone number of the driver, so that he can pick you up for return journey too; else, you could get stranded for hours waiting for a pick up.  If you are travelling by your own vehicle, then no problem.

Did I forget to mention all the selfies taken in train and jeep by the enthusiasts??  No fun nowadays goes without selfies, do they?

After a 15-minute drive, the jeep would drop you off near a Primary school, Prathamik Shala in Marathi.  You can stretch your legs and move your body, take a deep breath of fresh air, and start wowing and everywhere you look, its breathtaking.  Start clicking, click, click, click…. photos I mean.  The landscape, the village, the cattle, the hen and her chicks, fields… Have a leisurely walk of 7-8 minutes and there is the waterfall.  So convenient, isn’t it?

The roaring sound of waterfall just cannot be missed.  Be careful as you tread, there are fields around and you might accidentally step on one, ruining the crop.  So just be careful and protect the plants.

There is a small dam where you can swim and sit under the drop, but be careful, if the water force is too much.  It can drag you along. You have 4 places here where you can take your pick.  First, is the dam for the swim, followed by its wall where you can sit or under the wall for a nice champi (body massage), then the water flows into a small waterfall, and finally the main 120-feet waterfall where all the activities take place.  We did the first two options and skipped the third as we were dying to go to the main falls.  As it is our rappelling got cancelled, so we didn’t want to miss out on the falls.  We all had an early lunch of poori bhaji, paratha and the finger-licking thecha (that would take another post), boiled eggs, and shrikhand.   It rained in the midst of our lunch and that was another entertaining lunch in the rains.

We did not want to litter the place, so all leftovers were neatly packed back into our bags, with no trace of food.  We retraced our steps back to the main waterfall.  The sound of falls was so inviting. After a careful descent of rocky stones you are simply awed by the falls. The falls is so magnificent.  We were inside the waters for around 2 hours, braving the water current, and trying to reach the base of the fall (behind the waterfall). No words to describe the fun here, you have to experience it.  If you do not want to enter the falls, you can just stand at the sides and enjoy the soft spray of water from the falls.

Without having the heart to step out, but out of compulsion, we finally stepped out and climbed back the stone steps.  Another photo session ensued.

After all the enjoyment one is plagued with the BIG question, where to change??  Well, do not worry. Remember the primary school and the village? Just walk back the 7-8 mins and there, the friendly villagers let you use their homes for changing (expected to be charged though as we paid 20 rupees per person) and you can also ask them for tea or food.  Food I think you have to place your order before you head for the falls.

After changing, you can explore the river and click more photos.  Our jeep wala was ready at the promised time and we headed off to Kasara station.  Had some nice tea and caught the local.  Glad, we got seats to sit comfortably.  After some chit-chats, dozing off, and promises to meet again soon, each alighted at their respective stations with a happy heart.

Just in case you have your own vehicle, do spend time exploring nearby places like the dam, river, Dharni mata temple, and an old British bridge. Sadly, time didn't permit us to do so.

Lessons learnt:  God is such a magnificent creator.  He paints the earth in such hues we can’t even begin to fathom.

Friends are an irreplaceable part of your life, and an outing with friends truly rejuvenates your soul.

So take time and meet people in person rather than on social networks and spend quality time.

All Photographs are courtesy my friends.

120-ft water fall

The Water Basin

Valley crossing activity

The Dam and Its Flow

Enjoying the Champi

Long view of Dam

The mini fall

Walk to the falls

The scenic Vihigaon

Enjoying the splash

An Unpleasant Hospital Experience.. a lesson to be learnt..

It is with mixed feelings of gratitude and shame that I write this article.   One gets to experience such instances rarely or is it that only I feel so?  The story dates back to around 3 years when I was about to deliver my daughter.  Being a resident of Dombivili, I registered myself to one renowned obstetrician named Dr. Krishnakumar.  Call it sixth sense or what, right after my first antenatal visit in my second month of pregnancy, I confided to my husband that I feel I would have a normal delivery, but this doctor would advise me caesarean section.  True to my gut feelings, in my ninth month, just a week before my due date, he said the baby has not descended or rather the head is not fixed, so you have to elect for a cesarean.  I did not want to give in so easily, so I requested him that we will wait a week since I am not due yet.  He said no, even if you wait 10 days, you will ultimately have to have a cesarean, so do not waste any more time and select a date.

My husband and me reviewed our possibilities again and again, over and over, but I just could not make my mind up to it.  No doctor would accept a case at this late stage, yet my mind refused to accept.  No, I was not in a state of denial, rather I was so firm in my instincts and decision that I would have a normal delivery no matter what.  My husband was into Nursing at Fortis Hospital, so I asked him if we could get another opinion.  We went the very next day to Fortis Hospital in Mulund where after some tests, the kind lady doctor said that it is very much possible for you to have a normal delivery, or at least a trial can be given.  This was my first instance of gratitude.  I thanked her immensely for restoring my faith and asked if she would do the delivery.  She said that delivering at Fortis would not be affordable for you, so you ask your own doctor to give a trial.

The next day I went in for a third opinion, after I got referral from my neighbors, to another doctor in Dombivili.  The lady at the receptionist refused to even give me an appointment first looking at my advanced stage. After a 3-hour wait and multiple requests, I finally got to see the doctor.  When I apprised him of my case, he too told me that I should ask my doctor to give a trial and that he was an experienced person.  But my mind was not letting me go to that doctor because I was sure that even if the doctor listened to my request, he would but eventually perform a cesarean.

After another late night discussion, I convinced my husband that we would go for a fourth opinion at NM Wadia Maternity Hospital in Parel.  It takes almost one and a half hours of travel to reach the hospital from my place, but he reluctantly agreed.   I met with my parents and took their advice too.  They were of the opinion that they would support me no matter what decision I take.

Now, started my roller coaster ride with the hospital.  When I went to the OPD, I explained the receptionist that I was here to take an opinion.  Yet, I was asked to pay for a battery of tests that were not performed on me saying it was the norm.  I told them let the doctor first prescribe and if needed, I would pay, but they were not entertaining any discussion, so I had to pay.  After some wait, when they asked me to go to the respective waiting room of the doctor, I saw that there were two doctors' names and I was asked to choose one.  When asking their opinion did not provide any worthwhile suggestion, we both prayed and said we would chose a Dr. Trupti Nadkarni.   When you go to Wadia you have to be prepared to repeat your history multiple times to all the concerned interns and students before you can finally relate it to your actual doctor.  I took everything with a pinch of salt and prepared myself to see the doctor.  When the doctor arrived, I had a sudden light of hope inside me and I felt a strange feeling that she is my angel, and angel she was.

Such a sweet, humble, concerned doctor!  She patiently listened to all that I had to say without interrupting me and her first words were "What a brave person you are!"  Everything she said was restoring my faith that I have come to the right place and all is going to be fine now.  God had taken my case in His hands and He was going to fight for me and deliver me.  She too did some tests (physical examination) to see if the fetus' head had fixed.  She said it is fixed and you will have a normal delivery.  She gave me some exercises that will help me further in having a normal delivery.  She said we will wait until 2 days post my due for pain to start on its own; else to return for an induction.

I waited for pain to come, but there was none.  Finally we went on the stipulated date, had an ultrasound and NST (non-stress test), and went in for admission.  God sent another angel to help me through this via a nurse who was a former colleague of my husband.  She personally ushered us through all the examinations and formalities and visited us at the end of her shift.  That time I was inducted and started getting labour pains at 2:30 a.m.  We had chosen Nursing Home ward as that was supposed to be a private ward, meaning better care, but I was surprised at the care I received in that ward.  Surprised more so because I was an alumni of that hospital, having studied my midwifery there.  Such shoddy, irresponsible nursing care that you would be ashamed to be called a nurse.  I got an excellent doctor, but horrible nursing care.  There were only 5 patients at that time and one nurse, which was a fairly decent ratio to handle.  As a student nurse, in my night shift, I had handled about 81 patients in the ANC ward of the same hospital as my fellow student had to take an urgent leave.  When a student can handle that much, how much more responsible should a staff nurse be while handling 5 patients in a private ward?

After a S/P S/E (shave and prepare along with simple enema) order was written, the orders were not carried out and were done only after she was reprimanded by the doctor.  When I was about to be transferred to the labor ward, it is a protocol to be transferred in a stretcher, but I was made to walk to the labor ward.  The labor ward nurses were another saga to experience.  When they asked if I was given an enema and I replied in the negative, they threw up their hands saying it was not their job and the ward nurse is supposed to do that.  So the ward nurse was called and enema was given.  I must again thank the doctors for their support and regular visits because the nurses never came to my side.  I was aware that there used to be 5 to 6 staff nurses per shift apart from 3-4 student nurses and this was the day shift.  When you are in that pain, you wriggle about and tend to lose focus about oneself.  One tiny sheet (drawsheet) was provided to cover my lower half and in the all the wriggling and tossing in pain the sheet did little to cover me.  At one point the sheet fell down the bed and the bed was very high for me to reach down.  A couple of nurses passed by the room and I requested them to please give me the sheet and the answer I got was they would send an ayah or ward boy.  How much time would they have wasted had they given me the sheet which was anyway their duty.  I lay like that exposed for almost half an hour until a ward boy happened to pass by.  The kind-hearted soul felt sorry for me and gave me the sheet.  He even mumbled some curses for the nurses for being so hard-hearted and left.

When IV was hooked to my hand there was blood all over my hand as a result of a failed attempt.  The nurses again did not bother to clean my blood stained hand.  After all the pain, I delivered my baby at 2:40 p.m.  When I asked to see the baby or what gender it was, they said they would clean up the baby and show me, then I can see for myself what gender the baby was.  I asked them if it was a girl because I wanted a baby girl, but they asked me to wait.  I felt it strange because back during my student days, the mother was shown the baby even before the umbilical cord was cut.  I thought I'd wait because there were procedures performed on me like suturing the episiotomy and all.  The doctors did their job and asked the nurses to clean up.  I was fitted with a pad but all the other residue including the placenta was just left like that.  I was surrounded with all the mess, the blood, the instruments, et all.  Another pair of nurses walked into the room after almost half an hour, I asked them about my baby, they said don't you know and just left.  Imagine me lying there not knowing, not seeing my baby, what happened to her, nothing.  When the doctors came back for a check, I asked them about the baby.  They were shocked to know that I have not seen my baby yet and asked they will tell the nurses to show me.  I waited and waited for more than 3 hours when my patience ran out.  I knew that the baby had to be fed within one hour of delivery.  I began shouting and threatening and only then they showed me my baby -- my lovely angelic baby girl.  That is another story to tell, the emotions that ran through me when I first saw her and touched her.  Till then I had only read, but that moment I actually felt that I had taken a second birth.

I did not even spend 5 mins with her and they were taking her away.  When I told them that I need to feed her, they said they will feed her (lactogen) and I can feed her once they transfer me back to the ward.  

In the meantime, there was another lady in the same room who had delivered half an hour before me.  She had PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension) and was not even in her senses totally.  She had passed stool and the room was stinking.  I had to rehearse another round of shouting to call the nurses to get the lady cleaned.  Instead of being compassionate to the lady, they began shouting at the lady for being so disgusting.  Since I was already in a state of rage towards the pathetic nursing care, I gave a good dose of my mind to the nurses to just do their job and disappear.  When it was time for my second perineal cleaning, again no one came.  I was soaked in blood.  I badly wanted to pass urine and no one could be found.  One ayah came and I requested her to take me to the bathroom.  She offered me a bedpan and the bedpan lay there for almost an hour before it was removed.  During my days, they offered tea and biscuits post delivery so that you get some strength back, but none was offered to me.  My husband somehow as a telepathy read my mind and sent me tea and biscuits with one ward boy.  It was as if no one cared for a patient there.  People were like robots roaming around with no emotions or responsibilities.  It was past 5 pm and I was not transferred still.

After another round of screaming and shouting, I was finally transferred to the ward at 6:30 pm, but not without ensuring a hefty tip from my husband.   I had to stay 5 days in the hospital, and during those 5 days, the nurses hardly did anything for me or the baby.  Even when they bathed her, even the blood stains were not removed properly.  They only came, gave orders to my mother who was staying with me, and marched off.  They would not even give me medicine.  I was just informed "take your medicine after food."  Enough, rest had to be done by me.  Not that I could not or would not do, but that was not the hospital's policy.  The night before I was to be discharged home, my baby after a bout of poo, started crying very badly.  I was frightened because her cry did not seem normal to me.  Within a minute she was ashen with blue lips.  She had even stopped breathing.  I was shouting for the nurse to come and she was soundly asleep in her chair.  I stormed out of my room and was furious that she could be so oblivious to a baby's painful cry just 5 meters away and was not even responding to my cries and shouts.  I was out of my mind and demanded that the doctor from NICU be called now.  She came waddling to my room, as if taking a walk, and saw that the fan was on.  During her cry the baby had managed to remove the blanket we had swaddled her in.  So the nurse was telling that she is feeling cold and scolded me as to why the fan was on.  I was simply not in my mind and so scared for my baby that I kept demanding that the doctor be called.  Doctor came after 10 mins, when the NICU was hardly 30 secs away from this particular ward.  He said that she might have had a colic and not to panic.  Till then I did not know what was colic.  Thankfully, I had a safe discharge from the hospital and came home.

I am saddened that I have to write this about my fellow nurses, not all, but those few who fail to show compassion or fail to do their duty. If not for the wonderful bunch of doctors who took excellent care of me, the nurses were nothing but nerve wrecking saga.  Nursing is a service to mankind, wherein you need to have compassion, care, kindness, and so much more.  That is what I had learned as a student nurse.  I am not blaming all the nurses because I know what an angel they are, but my experience was such that I have no kind words to tell about them.

Medical profession has become a hardcore business, with little concern towards care.  They think of ways to mint money and can go to any extent to fill their pockets.

Hence, I want to ask the doctor whom I had registered with, why was he not ready to wait for the one week that I was still due?  Why was he not ready to give the trial of normal labor when 3 other doctors felt that I could be trialed?  Why did the nurses show such a lackadaisical attitude to their work?  Why were they not considerate of a patient's needs?

Please doctors and nurses, have a heart.  I do not deny the extreme conditions that you work in, but the common man considers you only next to God.  Admitted you cannot be God, but may I at least urge you to be God-like?

And, ladies, listen to your subconscious mind.  It will surely guide you.

Hope time brings in a positive change.

Pandavkada Falls, Khargar

The natural swimming pool

Pandavkada water falls

Since the rain continues to shower its blessing, we too thought to make the most of it this year, and off we decided to go to another waterfall, and this time we chose Pandavkada.

Pandavkada waterfalls is situated in Khargar, Navi Mumbai.  Nearby spots to visit are the Central Park and Valley Golf Course, said to be Asia's largest golf course.

How to Reach:  If you are traveling by train, get down at Khargar station in the Harbour Line and take a rickshaw to the falls.  You also have NMMT buses plying in this route.  If you are traveling by car, use the Sion Panvel Highway.  It is a very easy-to-follow route.

This waterfall was closed to public for a couple of years due to many accidents/drowning that took place.  But after a lot of precautionary measures undertaken, it was open to public this year.  My brother-in-law went there a couple of weeks back and there was lot of water and the videos were tempting to watch, the waters beckoning us to come soon.  Unfortunately, when we went there, there wasn't a lot of water, yet it did not stop us from taking a splash.

We booked a cab that took us right to the main entrance.  There are two ways to go.  One is where people get down near the race course and your foot trail begins from here.  Secondly, you can take a left after the race course, pass right through a village and this takes you more closer to the trail.  We took the second option.

While passing through the village I had thoughts of how lucky these villagers were that they could still enjoy their village life while having a city only a stone's throw away.

Since we did not have plans to spend the whole day there, food was not a major concern.  We left home by 11 a.m., reached there by 11:30 and were back home by 4 p.m.  We just carried little snacks to munch away.

Once you park your vehicle, it is only 15 minutes' walk to the streams and another 10 minutes' walk to the falls.  The path is a mud trail lined by balsam flowers and fields.

They have constructed walls in the middle of the stream and it blocks the water at two points and forms a natural swimming pool that is 3 to 4 feet deep.  It is floored by sand and is safe to swim as there are no rocks in these pools.

It would be a good idea to pack your eatables as we did not find any nearby shacks or food suppliers and most tourists were also carrying their food.

If you choose to visit the falls in the afternoon, you can also spend some time at the Central Park which opens at 5 p.m.  It is the largest park in Mumbai and very well maintained.  They have excellent facilities in terms of kids' park, variety of play tools for kids, boating, and a soon-coming-up amphitheater.  Parking is free and well maintained toilets at every section of the park. You will find a collection of musical instruments all over the park along with a short write up/description.

This year I have had the opportunity to visit a lot of places and we did not have lot of money in our hands, and I learnt that happiness is not expensive.  With a little planning, one can enjoy a fun-filled picnic within one's means.  We have never picnicked in the monsoons, and it was a refreshing change this year that we explored a lot of places.

Life is waiting for you.... Go grab it!!!

Bubbye UTI - a tip to avoid urine infection

UTI or urinary tract infection is a common problem among females, and every female will face this at least once in her lifetime, unfortunately more than once.  For those who do not understand the medical term, it is that burning urination you experience, sometimes with pain, where you feel like sitting in the loo or a water tub the whole day.  You seem to want to urinate every 5 minutes and with much difficulty you are only able to get a few drops of it.  What a nasty thing it is!

Here is one simple tip to prevent UTI.  After finishing your defecation needs, never wash yourself from front to back or back to front, always wash yourself from side to side.  Keep a mild soap handy just to be extra sure.  Since vagina is situated very close to the anus, you can accidentally pass along some fecal material and thereby bacteria to your vagina or urethra, which in turn will lead to infections of the genitourinary tract.

Do not be surprised if you find a lot of women not knowing this; the number is really huge, hence, the need to pass this vital information to the masses.

Another tip is to avoid wearing your sanitary napkins for a long time during your periods or menstrual cycle.  Blood being an excellent medium for bacterial growth helps bacteria to grow and multiply.  There have been recent updates regarding the long-lasting, keep-yourself-dry, gel versions of napkins containing cancer-causing chemicals.  So change your napkins every 4 to 6 hours.  Tampons, depends on the recommendation duration on the pack, change every 4 to 8 hours.

If you are a sexually active woman, then you must urinate and wash yourself with a mild soap after the act.

Kindly spread the word as there is some needy woman out there in need of this info.

Spread awareness and keep infections at bay.

Nature's Wonders

This is my first ever poem, and guess when or where I wrote it?  It was in my 12th standard Physics lecture.  I was always termed as a talkative and naughty student, and I feel proud of it now.

I had sent this poem as an entry for a youth section in Indian Express newspaper back in 1996.  I had just scribbled the poem, but did not know what title to give, so I had written a note along to the editor asking them to help me give a title.  The editor was kind enough to title it "Nature's Wonders" and I have retained that title till date, and will continue to remain so as my appreciation to them.

It was such a joy seeing my poem in the newspaper.  It was a big achievement those days.  One of my friend's dad, Thanabalan uncle, who is no more, called me up to congratulate me, and the excitement was no less than receiving a gold medal. That uncle is a constant source of encouragement and appreciation.

As usual on a Tuesday, that's the day for the youth section, I eagerly scanned the newspaper for various talents displayed.  I saw this poem titled Nature's Wonders and began reading it.  The words felt so familiar, but I did not realize that it's mine.  Just out of curiosity, I saw the poet's name and there it was listed, Kavita, AFAC Junior College, and I had such a surge of adrenaline.  I still can feel the jitters.

With that note, I present my first ever poetry, Nature's Wonders... Thank you Indian Express!!!  Thank you Mama!!!

Nature's Wonders

Sun rises with a golden lining,

Moon with that of silver,

Nature is so full of beauties,

With all its bloom and bower.

Flowers with colours so bright

Symbols nature’s love and light.

The streams flow with sparkling water

Thro’ the valleys with joy and laughter.

Sunset portrays its golden beauty

And all creations go to rest.

Then nature opens its arms so wide

To gather all creation to her breast.

Though darkness blankets in the night,

The moon showers its moonlight.

Trees sing their sweet lullaby

For babies tired with play and cry.

All creations, both animals and plants

From pipals and babuls to crickets and ants

All offer God a song of praise

Thanking Him for His mercy and grace.

Penned in 1996