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Date of the journey:- November 2019
Distance travelled:- 229 miles
Our onward journey from Mahabaleshwar was taking us to the State of Goa.
There was only one option on how to travel to Goa. That was to take a night sleeper bus. Something that neither of us had done before, so it was going to be yet another adventure.
Whilst in Mahabaleshwar we enquired at the various booking agents about the sleeper bus to Goa. Wanting to go to Ashvem Beach, the nearest stop to that was Mapusa. We booked the sleeper bus at one of these local agencies.
The bus didn’t pick up in Mahabaleshwar itself. Pick up point was on the National Highway 48, at the Hotel Abhiruchi, some 30 miles from Mahabaleshwar. The agency provided the transfer to the bus pick up point within the cost of the ticket. Tickets purchased for 1500 Rupees each.
Pick up at the agency was at 2100 hrs, with arrival at Hotel Abhiruchi at 2230 hrs. To get to the hotel everyone drives the wrong way up the slip road. Just one of the unusual traffic maneuvers that seem to be the norm in the Indian way of driving.
Highway to Hell
That was when it all started to go wrong. Our bus, which was scheduled to arrive at 2330 hrs didn’t arrive until 0110 hrs. By this time we were tired, fed up, and ready to be gently rocked to sleep by the motion of the bus.
We boarded the almost full bus and located our lower double sleeper bunk, quickly getting ready for bed. Never having travelled on a sleeper bus before, we didn’t know quite what to expect. The comfy double bunk we were expecting was more like a double coffin, with a curtain on one side.
With us now on board, the bus left. What was supposed to be a peaceful night’s sleep turned into the journey from Hell. Road conditions were so bad, it was like being on a rollercoaster ride, in a double coffin strapped to a pneumatic hammer.
Now, Guy is not a religious person but, as he was involuntarily flung around our coffin. He did ask God to make sure he saw the night through. As the bus jolted along the awful roads, we had to keep our eyes shut. Not because we didn’t want to see anything but, to stop our eyeballs being shaken out.
We liken the journey to being strapped onto one of those weight loss vibrating machines. Leaving Guy asking God again to allow his internal organs to actually remain in situ inside his body.
As daylight broke the roads did seem to improve and the journey became more bearable. It was then that Guy realised that the slamming around in the coffin had compressed his spine. He was now only 5’10” tall as opposed to 6’2″. He also noted that the constant vibration had shaken off 2 stone of weight.
Our nightmare didn’t end there…..
We finally reached our destination of Mapusa bus stop at 0930 hrs after an 8-hour 20-minute journey that seemed never ending. Waiting and desperate to get off the bus, Tania, who was standing behind Guy. Screamed, “Guy, get off quickly, the woman behind me is going to be sick on my back”. Luckily some quick moving by us and a good catch by the woman spared Tania getting covered in sick.
Transfer to our accommodation MamaGoa, booked through Agoda.com, on Ashvem Beach. We took a taxi as there was no bus service going there. The journey taking about 40 minutes.