National Park Adventure

Before I start writing something, I would like to wish all the readers of this post a very happy friendship day. Friends really make life so simple. It would be very stupid of me if I would say that I can die for friends, but the truth is that, I can't do without my friends either.
By the way, I went to Sanjay Gandhi National park today with my sister. She had invited two of her friends along. I was very excited because, I hadn't been to that place before. We decided to visit the Kanheri caves instead of the lion and tiger safari. I personally preferred the safari though. But who cares about what I say?
So we bought our tickets and very excitedly walked towards the caves. We saw some beautiful streams and rivers on the way. The rain water drains down the hills through these streams. The strems are sparkling clean. However, there are a small settlements inside the national park and the people staying there have totally dirtied the place, if you can understand what I want to say. We hadn't walked a kilometer when my sister was all drained out and asked for lift. A very kind couple were courteous enough to offer 2 out of the 4 of us a lift. So my sister and one of her friends left; leaving me and her other friend, because we wanted to walk. He claimed that he loved walking and his CV said his hobby was walking (yes, you can laugh if you wish to). On the way we crossed a few more streams. After another half kilometer, I could see my sister and her friend coming back. I was surprised to see them. They didn't have a ticket to enter into the forest. The ticket was with us. So they were not allowed to enter by the officials and they decided to walk back to find us.
Now that we were all together, we entered the forest. Once we entered the forest area, the roads became lonelier. It was more silent and peaceful in there. We saw few langurs and monkeys. And because we didn't get any lift for quite sometime, we had to walk. Then, we finally decided to sit near a stream and eat some cucumbers. There, I spotted a water snake. A very beautiful snake. It was greyish in colour with a checkered pattern. The steams also had a number of crabs.
After a pretty long time and some 3-4kms of walking, we reached the Kanheri caves. We sat there and filled our stomachs. I had to eat bread and jam when others were eating garma garam vada pav (I HATE JAUNDICE). My mother had been very sweet to pack me something to eat on the way in the morning.
Talking about the Kanheri caves, they are really cool. The state government has done whatever it can to maintain this place. Even most of the people tried to maintain the cleanliness of the caves. There are buddist caves just like ones you would come across at Ajanta caves in Aurangabad. However, the speciality of this place is the rain water harvesting system that the monks had created.
There were beautiful waterfalls and streams on the way from one cave to another. We climbed higher to reach a plateau from where we had a wonderful view of Malad, Kandivali and Borivali, right uptil the creeks in the west, a very breathtaking view (quite literally). On the other side of the plateau, we could see Powai. This place was cool, windy(with good prospects of wind power generation) and something you would not have expected to see in Mumbai city.
The Sanjay Gandhi National park is really the lung of Mumbai. If it wouldn't exist, the pollution would have killed us by now. After spending an hour at the plateau and viewing some wonderful places, which cannot be put into words, we started walking back. We got a lift. All 4 of us. It was really fun. Then, in just a few minutes we stepped out of the jungle into another jungle.
If you ever go to this place, just watchout when you exit the main gate of the national park. It is surprising when everything green around you suddenly changes to grayish concrete. The silence is overpowered by the horns of the buses on the highway. The lonely forest roads are replaced by the overcrowded Western Express highway. I had a wonderful time at Sanjay Gandhi National park. I suggest all of you to visit this place. But please take me along when you go because I am looking forward to visiting the place once again!