Ayushi and Rohit Kalparuksh have spent years pulling together Vasai’s cyclists for weekend rides. So, when they caught wind of the recent resurgence of interest in Homer’s Odyssey, they did what any Vasaikar would do, slowed it right down. A complete change of scenery from Odysseus’ exhausting journey, the duo will lead a group of bikers on a leisurely ‘Beach Odyssey’ on Vasai’s coastal roads, soaking in green views, chatting with locals, and sampling local tastes. “We don’t believe in ticking places off a list. There is always time to stop, breathe, and sip on chai. The journey is the experience,” the duo reminds us.

Participants at a previous Beach Odyssey earlier this monsoon