Planning

Planning: -

Before leaving for picnic, ... almost 3 weeks before i called up my friends to arrange for trek cum picnic.
We planned, 4th - 5th July 2009 as the dates for the picnic, tentatively. Until mid June, it wasn't raining heavily.
It was still hot. I was skeptical, if we will be able to enjoy the otherwise lush green valleys and hills of Lonavala.

But by the end of June, it started raining. I was happy. I was just expecting the right amount of rain. It wasn't raining

heavily which will dampen our spirits. It was just right.

Most of us had been to Lonavala before, so everone had different opinion as to .., how to plan the travel and accomodation

part of the picnic. Here are some excerpts: -

Pankron: -
Aree ... mai to bolta huu...apan...udhar hi jaate hai direct, train se. We will reach Lonavala, Rickshaw waale se puch ke
accha sa sasta hotel ya lodging dhundenge. Fir ussi ya kisi aur Rickshaw waale ko pakad kar group mai wahan par ghumenge.
Ekdum sasta aur masta padega apne ko! Recession chal raha hai ...us hisab se to ye ekdum sahi lag raha hai !
Woh ... wahan ke rickshaw waale ghumaate hai! Last time main gaya tha na ...maine dekha tha!

Abu -tron: -
Haan re ye sahi lag raha hai! Mai train ka timings nikalta huu!

Cryogon: -
aaa....Mereko bolo....MTDC ka hotel dekha kya ? Mai dekhu ? ...ek min....aur travel ? ...dekho ...ek min.... 5 log rahenge to

mera car hai! lekin usse jyaada rahenge to ekdum crowded ho jaayega ...comfortable nahi hoga...mereko confirm batao....apun

kitne log hai ! thik hai ?

Abu -tron: -
areee ...ye bhi sahi hai ....fir to sahi hai...apne paas gaadi hai ! udhar jaake hotel dhundenge.

Optimus Prime: -
aree nahi yaar! This is rainy season - Peak season. Wahan jaake run time pe dhundege to hotel ka accomodation milna mushkil

hai. Hum log, sumo vagera karenge naa....sasta padega re! Rickshaw se kya ? kuch bhi ? Split karenge kya group ko? Mai
rickshaw driver ke baju mai nahi baithunga ek g##$@ pe! No way! Sorry boss ! Apun travel ka dekhenge naa!

Abu -tron: -
hmm...naaai re....Optimus barabar bol raha hai....sahi hai re Pankron!

Akron: -
are kya daarte ho tum log. I have been to Lohagadh. Uddhar caves mai stay karenge naa ??? Ekdum alaag experience.


Initially many of us thought that the picnic plan will go in vain just like any other picnic plan has gone so far, due to availability of people, late arrangements for accomodation and travel etc., And by the end of June i was pretty tied up with work in office so much that i could not contribute towards planning anymore. I was loosing hope, but thanks to all my friends especially, Pankron, Abu-tron and Akron. They took the initiative thereon.

Pankron had just put one mail and there on the mailing trail went to as many as 50 replies, everyone replying and helping to chalk out the plan. Besides 50 email replies... we even had several conference calls on the mobile phone. This particular phase was very much interesting and hillarious. We enjoyed every moment of this phase, especially the one in which, we decided, who will bring what and who will do what!

After a lot of conference calls, with my friends and with extensive planning of travel and accomodation arrangements, finally, we all decided --- lets go on 4th July 2009 as the confirmed date.

Abu-tron(Abdul Sameer) came all the way from Pune to Mumbra on Friday night(3rd July 2009).
Akron (Ajith Menon) i was sckeptical if this guy is going to show up on the final date, as he had some training kind of thing
scheduled in the office, which he said he did not want to miss. But he showed up. Thanks Dude !
Pankron(Pankaj Chamria) - was confirmed
Cryogon(Amol Patil) - was confirmed
Cypher(Puneet Swarup) - we all thought at the last moment he will drop out, all though he gave his monetary contribution. He was an important member of the picnic. It was like this. If he dropped out, we would miss a very big entertainment ... but on the other hand we had Cryogon's car as a ready option for travel. But Cypher showed up, and i was very very much happy that i had him in the picnic, instead of saving few bucks.

Ultimately all of them showed up.
We did miss one of our friend - SABIR MOHOMMAD BAKALI another Senior Software Engineer with Financial Technologies Limited, Andheri, Mumbai, as he had some pre-engagements with family members on the same date.

So, now; with date, transport (SUMO - SPACIO), and no of people fixed, our plan was ready. It was like this: -

We would leave for Lonavala, early morning.
Reach Lonavala by early noon.
Look for accomodation.
Refresh ourselves, keep our luggage @ room.
Leave for Lohagadh
Come back to Hotel, by evening.
Have some fun till night.
Get up next day Sunday morning.
Check out from the hotel.
Roam aroung Lonvala from some usual spots.
Start journey back to Mumbai.

And we achieved pretty much of this. I had plans to shoot a music video or a comedy play.
But, it slipped through during actual implementation.

The route was like this : -

Dombivli (Optimus + Akron + Cypher) ---> Shilphata ---> Mumbra Kausa (Abu-tron) ---> Kalwa ---> Thane (Cryogon + Pankron) ---> Vashi ---> Panvel ---> Pune Express Highway ---> Lonavala