First weekend of Unlock 1.0 takes Bhopalis back to nature's lap

BHOPAL: Grabbing the opportunity to step out of the house after the long lockdown, Bhopalites went for long drives and picnics to nearby forests and dams with their families to spend some quality time away from the four-walls of the house. Fed of being home, the first weekend saw many travel enthusiasts making the best of their morning time.
"My friends and I rode to Chiklod forest Sunday morning with all necessary precautions in place.We are a group of bikers and seven of us decided to go for off-road biking after a long time. It was fun to feel the wind in my face and the thrill of off-roading after two months. I spent some time in the forest area and watched the sun rise through the trees. It was a nice change," said Chaitanya Tombre, a biker.
Private employee Abhinav Hanson went to visit the Kathotiya dam after two long months, with his wife.
"It had been so long that we stepped out of the house on Sunday morning. We went for a long drive to the Kathotiya dam. We just rolled down the glass but did not get down even at the dam as there were other people too. We had packed sandwiches that we ate in the car and came back home. The little change after many days infused in a new life," said Hanson. "It has been more than 70 days since my children have gone out. With no school or friends to play with, kids in the house were really bored and wanted some change. So we packed some snacks and decided to drive up to Bhimbetka on Sunday, but as the destination was closed, we just had round trip of around 90 kilometers and came back," said Shahank Singh, an engineer.
College students who have not had the chance to meet their friends in a long time visited each other's house, taking full precautions.
"I spent my Sunday at a friend's farm house near Kaliasot dam. In the evening we went for a walk to the dam and watched the sun set. There were a lot of people at the dam, some walking on the bridge, some just sitting in their cars and taking in the beauty of nature," said Varsha Agarwal, a student. Many shutter-bugs also visited nearby forests and water-bodies like Kolar dam to spot birds and click photos of nature.