Just after Igatpuri, there is a turn off the highway towards the right at a place called Ghoti... the turn took us into a marketplace where man and beasts toiled equally hard to get through a narrow road... once past that and past a railway crossing, we landed on a state highway... from there on the road spread out long and smooth... the best part of Maharashtra are actually its state highways... they are good.. traffic is low and the country side blissful...
Getting the Jacket on...
Scenic roads... the sun has already set 
So good was the road that we missed the exit for Bhandardara and happily zoomed along the state highway...
It was after quite some distance (later found out, it was about 50 kms), we realised that for a long time we hadn't seen a milestone with Bhandardara written on it. Asked around and realised that we had left the exit long back.... turned and rode back asking people along the road after every 5 minutes... by this time the sun had set, the roads were dark and deserted
Once again I was riding at night on desolate state highways with a lady in tow... somehow located the exit and took the road to bhandardara along the ghats... if the State Highway was desolate this was like Mars with no sign of life... the stars (no moon that day) and the occassional hut along the rode were our only companions... stopped every time we saw a human to ask for directions... we seemed to be going the right direction this time... i could feel my GF holding her breath and praying to God to save her from this Mad Creature who's fond of jeopardising her life on lonely Ghat roads on moonless nights on trips to places of neither of us have any directions to.... i guess she loves me too much...
We continued wandering ( almost two hours considering we reached Bhandardara at about 9 PM) on meandering roads which were only about a meter wide and sometimes wondering where we were riding to... the night was dark though the sky was lit with stars and this could well have been a romantic night if not for the fact that at times we felt like we were riding through the same patch of road... simple village folk with shawls were suspected as bandits, dark corners with hairpins looked like end of road.... at one point had to brake and actually turn the bike to see if actually there was a road around the corner (the R15s headlights dont turn with the handle you see)... well we finally located the place and promptly plonked our tired asses on the bed at the MTDC resort... dinner was a formality... we needed some sleep to catch up with the enormity of the feat we just acheived... if not enormous for me, at least for that poor soul who never balks at the thought of a trip with this Yammmie.....
The next day was much better for her and given the adventure we had the previous day, i decided this would be her day... so it was all gardens, lakes, falls and nice lunches (at Manas Resorts) for her... PICs as below... obviously couldnt risk taking pics of that thrilling ride at night
A Brilliant morning.. pensive by the lake...
The Umbrella Falls
That bridge was rusty
Reflections
Where the two streams met
Gateway to ?????
