Days 27 and 28 school vists

Saturday morning we were up bright and early as we were supposed to leave for Dhadhare at 7:30am.  However the restaurant took an age to produce tea and toast so it was 8am by the tiime we left. Dhadhare is about 9km from Wada but the road is such that it takes half an hour to get there. The school has between 150 and 200 pupils. This is one of the schools that will receive science equipment. The children gave us a demonstration of two games played between schools – Khokho which is a complex tag game played by both sexes and Kabaddi which is a contact game played only by the boys. On Sunday night I watched a Maharastra vs Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi match on TV.  I have been given the rules for Khokho so I will be trying to get a Wellington School to adopt it. The children also danced for us and presented bouquets of wild flowers.

Returning to Wada we then did a walk into town. We were subject to two welcomes – the first from a group of people at the start of the shopping area and the second in a hall involving the local MP and an official from the Education Department. This involved speeches and more flowers. The science equipment we ordered on Christmas Day and we presented the microscopes to the head teachers of the schools in Dhadhare, Amgaon and Varsale.

We had lunch at Mahesh's Wada house and met his delightful daughter who is studying to be a homeopathic doctor and his wife. Medical students in India on graduating are required to do one years service in a rural area. Then it was off to Nakadpada. This village is very remote. The village is off the end of the road shown by Google Maps. The road is too narrow for a bus and there is no public transport to the village. It is a walk of about 3km to the road where buses run. This school, has only 27 pupils. They are the first generation in this village to be schooled and the parents of the children are mostly illiterate. Three girls at the school had excelled at athletics in the regional competitions in spite of running in bare feet against opponents in runnng shoes. They have asked for shoes but on arriving at the school they mentioned they had no water supply and would like a 1000 litre tank and a water purifier. A neighbouring farmer is willing to pump water to the school from his bore. This has been ordered.

The government have stopped the traditional practices in the tribal areas to preserve the forest. Dhadhare has a large water bottling plant nearby which provides employment but Nakadpada (and some of the other villages) now have little work. There are crops growing around the houses but I think this is mostly subsistence agriculture rather than cropping for sale.

In the afternoon we had press conference. This was much smaller than the one in Mumbai and very few difficult questions. After the press conference samosas were had at the Ambavane house in Wada where Pankaj's father lived before moving to the HAL village at Ozar. There was of course the traditional welcome to the house which I have now come to expect.

On Sunday we visited 2 more schools. The first was Amgaon.  This school has made good use of sponsorhip to get a quality toilet block and has a bore water replenishment project where overflow rainwater from the schools water collection system is pumped underground to replenish ground water.

Although it was Sunday the children and their parents arrived to give us a welcome.  Unlike the other schools it is close to the main road and has the possibility of internet access. The science equipment we bought was at the school and we presented it again to the head teacher.  This school has about 150 pupils.  There was singing and dancing and tea.  Pankaj bought biscuits on the way that were distributed to the children at the end of the presentation.

Karanjapada is not very far from Amgaon but is down a very rough road.  The surprise is the 300m of new concrete road built to the school site.  The school has 60 pupils and very imaginative staff.  They have managed to install e-learning by downloading material when in an area with internet access and then using it at the school.   The children presented a selection of educational cartoons they liked and were able to operate the projector themselves.  There was also so low cost but very clever learning aids produced by one of the teachers,  There is a tradition of art in this area that tells the life story in a painting.  This school has yet to receive anything from us but we still got an enthusiastic welcome from the whole village - children, parents, and lots of older people had gathered.

 The school at Versale is about 15km from Wada and too far for us to get to on top of visiting the other two. After this I will become a tourist, but with still perhaps a few special – Mahesh Mhatre will give us a tour of Mumbai on Monday.

I need to report that we have spent about INR151,000 so far on science equipment, benches and cabinets for the science rooms and a water tank and purifier for Nakadpada school. The spending of the rest of the money will be organised in the new year.

Day 26 Aaghai to Wada

Distance walked 477.3km by Pankaj 411.8km by Mike

Funds raised  NZD 3330.74 or INR 325260  

The trip to Aaghai was up the road direct from Vashind following the pipeline. Suhil and Pankaj were asking locals for directions – and in one case got a person who was confused between left and right. The annoying thing is if they had told me which route they wanted – pipeline road or via Khambare I could have given them correct directions off google (unless I got left and right confused too).

Transferring the baggage near Aaghai

It was 10am before we started walking and 27°C and promising to get hotter. Fortunately there was plenty of shade. With only 15km to cover there was no great pressure to finish. Coming across Hotel Garva and seeing no more marked on the map ahead we took the opportunity to stop for a drink. We were now near Wada and the people in the restaurant knew Pankaj's uncle. 

There were a large number of closed factories near Kambare - like this one.

Somehow I managed to miss The Enchanted Woods (a wedding venue). Daryl and our driver were waiting for us outside the temple near Abitghar called Mary Land but I didn't think to check the map as we waved going past. The men in this Ambassador had waved at us on their way from Wada and on the return trip they stopped to take photos with us. I was pleased to see then driving through Wada on Saturday.

Abitghar has a large number of older trucks (or perhaps just poorly repaired trucks). Some were used for carting hay. A large number were water tankers and others were carting raw steel to a mill that made reinforcing steel. The steel is dark grey-blue in colour and no sign of rust so not smelted too long ago. It was in lengths slightly longer than the deck of the trucks – perhaps 8m about 20cm square.

Water in Maharastra is a real problem. In the monsoon season there is far too much and it floods. The rest of the year it hardly rains at all and now everything is very dry and the trees are dropping leaves as the try to cope with moisture stress. This year the third part of the monsoon did not come at all and so water is scarcer than normal. I can't remember were we stopped and sat in the car and ate egg sandwiches Indian style - a fried egg between two pices of bread. But there was less than 5km to go to the bridge over the Viatarna River. The last 2.5km into Wada was left for Saturday when some of our supported would walk with us.

After an afternoon nap I had a wander around and found these palm trees all with curved trunks.

Day 25 Atgaon to Aaghai

Distance walked 460.2km by Pankaj 394.7km by Mike

Funds raised NZD2800.64 INR294078 plus INR7000 still to be banked

Although it was 9.20am before we started walking it was still a pleasant walk for most of the da as it was in the forest.  Only the last hour after leaving the forest was hot.  Our route immediately left the expressway and used a pedestrian overbridge to cross the railway to the village of Atgaon.

The road was quite narrow right from the start. At the end of the shops a tractor came up behind us completely filling the road and it was interesting watching cars pulling up hard against the fence so that the tractor half off the road on the other side could just get past. Fortunately the shoulders were a little wider once out of the village and passing wasn't so difficult. Most of the traffic was motorcycles which presented no issues for us unless a car going the other way came at the same time when we would have to step onto the shoulder.

This temple in the village of Sakhroli was a pleasant surprise and only having a short distance to go today we took the opportunity to look around.  The pond had several lotus flowers open.  I loved the draping over all the animal statues.  The dog was very friendly and spent several minutes getting patted before going off to lie in  the shade.

It quickly became apparent that getting food and drink was going to be a problem so we stopped ath the little shop just before the forest gates and bought biscuits and drink to sustain us for the rest of the day.

We took a lunch break – just sprite and biscuits for me, water and biscuits for Pankaj - on a log near one of the arms of the Tansa reservoir. A herd of goats appeared while we were having lnch but didn't seem to have a person looking after them. On resuming the walk we came to the forst headquarters where we could have sat down more comfortably. While the forest has people living in it all along the road from here to the damn the population was more dense with a small village and a school as well as indiviual scattered houses.

A cactus hedge - field has now gone wild again.

There was a narrow bridge over the Tanasa River, which has no flow at this time of year. A truck came over as we were crossing and I turned sideways as it went past – but I think that was probably unnecessary. One of the pipelines from the dam heading to Mumbai is right alongside the road over the bridge and all the way to Aaghai where a bridge goes over it.

We took a stop at Aaghai for a cold mango drink and then managed another 2km before Sihal and Daryl arrived to collect us.

On the way back to Vashind we stopped at McDonalds – I just had fries and an icecream sundae as the burgers here are a bit strange. After an afternoon rest, and a shower for the inevitable sweat it was off to Vashind township for a shave so we look smart for our arrival in Wada tomorrow and then dinner before returning to the farm.  Dinner was at a very nice vegetarian restaurant on the outskirts of Vashind - we had to go a short distance down the wrong side of the expressway to get there. Given the distnace between turning points I can understand why people go down the wrong side but it still freaks me out a bit. 

The internet connection failed almost as soon as I started this but I have finished it offline and hopefully will be able to publis in the morning

Day 24 Shirol to Atgaon

Distance walked 443.2km by Pankaj 377,7km by Mike
Funds raised NZD 5728.64 or INR 272792 plus INR 5530 still to be banked

Today was our last day of walking on the Mumbai-Agra Expressway.  From tomorrow we are on rural roads and there will be much less traffic.  It is also the last day on which we will meet pilgrims on their way to Shirdi and the day I learned the correct greeting to them is "Om Sai Ram".

Our walk today was a little late starting as the milk for breakfast got left in the car when it dropped us off last night so we started breakfast at 8am rather than being ready leave for our starting point at 8am.  We arrive at Shirol at 9:30 when it was 23°C. As we descended the gentle slopes (mostly downhill but some up as well) the temperature and expected maximum increased so that when we got to Atgaon at 2:30pm it was 31°C

This truck rest stop was our starting point today.

After 2 days rest, a bit of bathing in salt water and keeping out of boots my feet were painfree today which was a wonderful relief.  We made it to Khade 6.5km in 1hour 15 minutes which was very pleasing.  Mango drink and biscuits again.  As we were leaving the dhaba (tea rooms) this cow was sitting in the car park.  In this part of India where dairying is an important part of farm inome the cows are not usually left to roam.

Khardi

The big drama came a few seconds later. Two trucks went past - one in each lane and a car decided to use the wide shoulder outside the dhaba to pass on the inside. While level immediately in front of the dhaba I knew it was very uneven with dips 3 or 4 inches deep about 20 metres further on in the direction the car was going.  The car accelerated rapidly with a shower of gravel, hit the first dip with an almighty bang, and the rear end began drifting towards the truck, kick up vast quantities of dust and more gravel.  Fortunately it also decelerated and the truck passed by, the car regaining control and pulling back in behind it.  It was very close to car hits truck.  I hope the driver had a spare pair of undies.

Pankaj wanted to reach lunch Hilltop Restaurant for lunch but we weren't sure how far it was and finished up stopping 1 km short at a second rate place.  The menu said cheese dosa was available but it wasn't so I had a plain one (and a cup cake) for lunch.  It turned out Hilltop restaurant was only 10 minutes walk further so it would have been good to stop there.

There is a road through Kanvinde that would have saved 2km off the walk but Pankaj didn't feel it was a safe route as no traffic was going that way so we proceeded on into Atgaon and Sahil met us just at the start of the road that descends from the expressway to the bridge under the railway.  Back to the farm in time for an afternoon nap and shower. Tonight Satish is cooking for us.  Reports tomorrow.

Donations can be made at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/school-of-walk in New Zealand or direct to 06-0574-0833554-00 or  https://milaap.org/fundraisers/givealittle-schoolofwalk in India

Days 21 to 23 Igatpuri to Shirol plus Christmas

Distance walked 425.2 km by Pankaj 359.7km by Mike

Funds raised NZD5596.34 or INR 266492

The plan for an early start did not go well with the restaurant only doing tea and toast before 8am and then taking ages to produce that. It was 8.45am when we hit the road. I didn't check the temperature but it wasn't hot. The walk to Kasara was mostly down hill but there was a steep uphill section in the second stage climbing up from a bridge over a stream.

We were immediately into Kasara Ghat, a large gorge that descends the Western Ghats towards Mumbai. There is an up road, following the route of the old road and a down road which is shorter but we chose to use the up road so we were facing the traffic. The road is winding and steep in places so although there are 2 lanes sometimes both have trucks in and car drivers are tempted to squeeze up the left side if there is room. The trouble was that left no space for us to walk and had to step back into the rought rock at the roadside.. Most pulled back when they saw us but three times a car came on anyway. One was only inches from me. The railway runs through tunnels a lot of the way but from time to time you get spectacular views of it below the road.  Alas a train never came at the time we wanted a photo.

Fog City where we spent the night

The first 10km downhill to the dhaba (tearooms) where the 2 roads meet again was done in under 2 hours. After 15km we reached Kasara turn off – the village is set back from the road – and the end of the gorge.

Lunch was taken at Orange City - a very busy restaurant. Producing a cheese and vege grilled sandwich (what I call a toasted sandwich) took ages – excuse was the grill had to be neated because it hadn't been used today. By now it was hot we agreed to do another 6km however when we rang Sahil with 2km to go he appeared very quickly so we finished up doing 22km and not the planned 24km. Sahil took us to a farm belonging to Satish – Pankaj's uncle. This is a lifestyle block with fairly basic facilities but very pleasant surroundings.

In the evening we went to a hotel where a relative Pankaj was catering awedding. He was emphatic we should eat there (and no doubt having given a fixed price for the food that was his decision) but Daryl and I felt like gate crashers so we ate dinner in the restaurant and then had desert with the wedding.

On Christmas eve we went to the temple at Vash(Parag's wife) ind where the priest gave Daryl and I sweets and coconuts then it was on to the home of Pradnya's parents – where she was staying with Ayush. We had a very pleasant lunch before taking a tuuktuk to the station and then train to Thane. Originally we were going to travelsecond class but Pankaj chnaged his mind when he saw the number of people. It was a slow train stopping at all stations and ending at Thane.

Deepak and Ashu (Pankaj's cousins) met us at Thane station and took us to a mall were we spent the afternoon. First I found a starbucks and got something nearer to real coffee than what you find in most of India. I bought some shirts (3 for not much more that the price of 1 in New Zealand) and books to read for the rest period after the walk.

We had dinner in a chinese restaurant in the mall. Daryl and I enjoyed the food but Pankaj and his cousins cound't find anything they wanted to eat except soup so when I went to churh they went to another restauraunt.

St John the Baptist Church in Thane is over 400 years old and has recently been restored so I wsa looking forward to seeing it but the mass attended by several thousand was held outdoors in the grounds of the school run by the church and adjoining it. The bishop officiated. At the end the parish priest got up to give thanksto everyone and explained he had to take along time doing it so that the sisters had time to distribute Christmas Cake to us all. We then took an uber back to farm and fortunately the traffic was light it now being after midnight.

Christmas morning was spent relaxing and doing washing by hand. Pankaj did a wonderful job of being the agitator by stomping on the clothes with his foot. Sahil arrived late morning and took us in to Washind where we looked at Pundalik's steel works and then off to Burger King for chicken burgers for lunch. It was then off to Dombivli to order science equipment for s schools. We have enough funds to order the basic equipment for all 3 schools that wanted science labs but will need mre to get some of the infrastructure they will require- like granite workbenches (can't do chemisty on a wooden bench) and storage cupboards.

After that we visited Kaylan – more of Pankaj's relatives and got given a tin containing donations. Daryls job tomorrow is to work out how to get the money out. I enjoyed a very nice cup of tea and a samosa. Once back to Vashind (the v is pronounced w) we had an hour to kill before going for dinner. Alex from Bow Wow Boutique be warned I have 5 metres of gorgeous gold braid and Idol and Toby will be wanting leads and collars made from it (for going to church of course).

Day 20 Gondedumala to Igatpuri 22 December 2018

Distance walked 402.2km by Pankaj 336.7km by Mike

After 4 days of comfort in Parag's house we left today but the family will be coming to Wada on Sunday 30 December for the finish.

The intention had been to start walking about 8.30 but it was 9.15 by the time we got to Gondedumala. The intersection where we started has two interesting signs.  Immediately before the intersection it says Toll Road Ends and on the other side it says Toll Road Begins. What actually happens is the end of one franchise and the start of the next.  The first two hours went very well with 11km covered while it was still cool. The traffic was absolute chaos with people from Mumbai in a hurry to their weekend destinations and overtaking recklessly. On several occasions a car came towards on the shoulder having gone up the left side of a truck. I often had to step onto the gravel when motorbikes came as there was traffic on their right which prevented them moving over.

There was a fire between Mundhegaon and Manik Khamb ( a tiny village) that had started by the railway tracks and was now getting into a farmers crops but other than the farmer nobody was doing anything about it,.

Ghoti (not pronounced Fish) 16 km from the start was reached in time for lunch at a restaurant at the toll plaza. There were plenty to chose from but in the finish we went back to the first as the others had flies. Paraj had brought some chapatis with him and Pankaj bought a bag of chippies. I was told to eat the last chapati and afterwards regretted doing so as I was feeling a bit heavy in the stomach. It was now very hot – over 30° and I was going through a lot of water.

Igatpuri was only 6.4km away. There was a juice seller about 2.5km from the point the milestones were measuring to and I passed up a rest as my right leg gets stiff when I stop and I have to struggle 10minutes for it to loosen up. My feet are now very sore by the end of the day. When Pankaj then said we had to walk on another km to the hotel I just couldn't do it. Psychologically I had geared myself to an end point and my mind was not ready to endure the pain any further. I had asked Pankaj if we were walking to the hotel and was told no but somehow that changed.

As there are no taxis or tuktuks in Igatpuri that cold take us to a restaurant for dinner Paraj stayed on and returned to Ozar after we had eaten. I had a very nice chicken biriyani.  This morning we have the interesting dilemma of having run out of safe water and having none of the right combinations of food so breakfast will wait till our support person arrives and I guess it will be another late start.

Igatpuri is at the top of a steep gorge we will descend today.  There is a lot of holiday accommodation here - I suspect because it is cooler than Mumbai.  Today it is dry and dusty but I think this place may get a lot of rain as the hotel we are staying at is called Fog City and another is called Rainforest Resort.