The family was of no specific religion but realists and highly concerned about the poor
and our carbon footprint. This all made for an insightful and fascinating conversation.
I was further introduced to Sumit Pali, India’s famous endurance cyclist. By endurance
cycling, I mean an astonishing 400 kilometres a day! The best part was meeting a
whole host of kind and fascinating people. I’ve remained friends with some until now,
if simply via social media.
Alibag – Murud - 50 km
Chatting with Janhavi, the time was past 10h00 a.m. before leaving Alibag. Konkan
Coast seemed unchanged from my first cycle around India a few years earlier. The
road remained rough and narrow, and the short steep hills still prevailed.
Nevertheless, the area provided rural cycling through timeless villages, past markets
and villagers drying produce upon the tarmac.
It’s hard to believe this undeveloped coastline still exists, a mere 50-70 kilometres
south of Mumbai's busy and large metropolis. By evening, the sunset over the Arabian
Sea made me smile, as it had been a long time since leaving the ocean in Thailand.
The December weather was perfect, and mobile food carts appeared at sunset. I
located a chair, ordered the local cuisine, and was content to watch a game of beach
cricket.
By morning, fishermen brought in their catch while school kids continued their cricket
game of the previous evening. Observing the comings and goings of this small village
while sipping my sweet chai was pure pleasure. All this occurred as some villagers did
their morning ablutions at the water's edge; this truly is amazing India!
In the end, sleepy Murud made staying one more day as I was operating in low gear
and had no destination in mind. However, an amble along the ocean to the market
made me check carefully where to place my feet. The little fish market was a hive of
activity, offering heaps of tiny fish and shrimp. Surely, catching such large quantities
of juvenile fish will soon leave the ocean depleted of life.