Day 11: Sat 15 Nov 25 - Guhagar to Ratnagiri

November 15, 2025

Sat 15 Nov 25 - Guhagar to Ratnagiri

Distance: 72.8km | Ride Time: 4h 28m | Overnight: Ratnagiri (Silver Swan Hotel)

Today we continued our trek south on roads that started out long and steep for the first 40km, then levelled out to just undulating and not-so-steep, but annoying climbs for the rest of the trip. Today our ride mainly followed the coast, with a short detour to a fort steeped in the history of the East India Company and the Maratha Empire. We had breakfast and rode away from Guhagar at about 07:40, stopping for our second breakfast 2 hours later. Here we had Pau Bhaji with sweet lassi and a hot ginger tea to recharge our batteries. Pau Bhaji was originally a quick, filling lunchtime meal for textile mill workers in Mumbai consisting of a fried thick, spicy, mashed vegetable curry including potatoes, onions and carrots, served in a soft bread roll. Ours today, was served with a spicy ginger paste and tasted delicious.

Today we also had another ferry ride, the Tassal Ferry Boat across the Jaigad River. On the other side we had a steep 2km climb from the harbour up to Jaigad Fort. Situated on a cliff overlooking the bay where the Shastri river enters the Arabian Sea, the fort which was constructed in the 16th century, is mostly in ruins, except for the outer wall and ramparts which still stand. After a 30 minute wander around through the ruins, we continued on our way to our next stop where we had lunch - a Thali platter. From there, we rolled on to Ratnagiri which is in stark contrast to the quiet and remote places we have stayed at since leaving Mumbai. Riding through the city to get to our accomodation was hectic with a lot of traffic. We arrived at 3:50pm, having covered almost 73km, 10km shorter than we expected, but we weren't complaining. After checking into my room, which was very nice, I did my daily chores including washing and stretching before heading downstairs for a happy hour drink with Ken and the group, followed by amazing snacks, entrees and dinner, oh and an ice cold Premium Kingfisher. Today was another long day in the saddle.

Building behind the hotel in Guhagar with a Swastika on the door, not unlike a lot of buildings in India, prompted a google search to find out what the significance was.

In India, the swastika is a sacred symbol of good fortune and well-being in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, appearing on homes, temples, and during rituals.