First comes the putter of a small ferry at Arnala beach, loading up for the island fort across the water, while fishermen unload the morning catch beside it. Inland, a ropeway hums up Jivdani hill, next to the long stairway that climbs to the goddess's hilltop shrine.
Beyond the station crowds, the city runs south through Nala Sopara to the Portuguese ramparts of Vasai Fort, while in Agashi a family eatery still roasts chicken over charcoal for bhujing. Winters are dry and mild, and the monsoon pours from June to September. A Local Friend can get you through doors you would have walked past, like a boatman's home by the beach or a family kitchen in Agashi.
