Red roads and Green hills,
Clouds in Heaven and cold pills
Crazy rain, crashing pain,
Monkeys in the narrow lane,
Lakeside mist, whip snake tryst,
All the wild things in my list,
Climbing trees and scraped knees,
Screaming, dancing with great ease...
Matheran – tiniest hill station in the world. 90 km from Mumbai,120 km from Pune. Perfect for a holiday, if you work with a team of people in both the mentioned cities. And holiday we did!
October brought with it a nice long weekend, and we decided to make the most of it, by planning a trip to Matheran and oh, what a trip it was( Eleven crazy wanderers guarantees an insane trip)!
Getting to Matheran is easy. Given its proximity to Mumbai , there are plenty of options. We chose to travel by train. We got off our Mumbai-bound train at Karjat from where we took a local train to Neral. From Neral we hired cabs to take us to Dasturi Point, beyond which no automobiles are allowed.
We started hiking towards Matheran along the toy train track and what a picturesque route it was. Despite the sultry weather, we soaked in on the deep green trees as we walked along the muddy red roads. At every corner, we had a breathtaking view of the valley below and naughty monkeys for company, looking for the next thing to snatch off your hand. Most of my memory of our walk to Matheran though, is obscured by thoughts of Swine flu and a “Please don’t let my holiday be ruined, God” wish(Thanks to the heat, I had a really runny nose).
Anyway, half a pack of tissues and a D’cold later, we finally landed at the “Hotel” . The hotel we’d booked turned out to be quite a sorry surprise. A dilapidated entrance boasted of Hukkah and good food and a monkey pair entertained us by their antics on the hot tin roof. According to a few of my fellow wanderers, the rooms were decent. But then somehow. when it came to hotels, we were all inclined to judge the book by its cover. Besides, what sealed the deal( or rather unsealed the deal) was the fact that the hotel had a strict “No alcohol” policy ;).
While some of the group went to look for alternative accommodation, I made myself comfortable on the sidewalk outside the “hotel”. I was busy fretting over “Why me” and “Why now” when it started drizzling all of a sudden. Through distinct sounds of Pearl Jam’s “Alive” and the classic “Alone again, Naturally”, I remember watching tourists scurrying along to escape the rain, footwear vendors on the roadsides covering their wares with bright blue plastic sheets and colorful umbrellas offsetting the red and green. I remember feeling drops of rain on my face( I could almost hear the droplets sizzle as they fell on my feverish face) and getting lost in the fragrance of wet mud.
Very soon, my ever resourceful friends found us a place to lay our heads for the night - a Hotel Sayeban. It was a nice, bright peach colored place, with slanting hill-town roofs and a little play park outside complete with a slide, see-saw and swings. What came as a pleasant shock was the room.
We’d hired two rooms. The first was the ordinary room – one that you could actually call a room. The other, well that was huge. Humongous. Large. The room could accommodate three double-beds and a single one and still have ample space to walk around. J
Anyway, given my current predicament( the appalling cold) and the long walk up( 30 minutes isn’t exactly long but Hello! we’re IT folks here!) all I wanted to do was lie down in peace. Fortunately, nature left us with no other option.
I have never heard the sky so angry as I did that day in Matheran. It growled and it yelled and at 5 ‘o clock, the sky darkened like it was night. And then it started pouring – pouring with a vengeance. The rain lashed the tin roof like it was the end of the world and visibility reduced to almost nothing. It was as frightening as it was beautiful, humbling as it was awe-inspiring.
Over cups of piping hot tea we talked and we laughed till the rain subsided, which was probably in just about an hour and went on to a quaint little restaurant( quaint, but with a pool table) to fill our stomachs. It was fun watching passers-by while the boys played pool. While the adults tried to avoid puddles and the muck on the road, the children found immense merriment in jumping into the next large puddle.
Back at the hotel, we had a gala time setting up the Sheesha, singing and talking. It was nice being in this out of the way, mofussil place, calm and away from the crowds. We spend the evening feasting and making merry.
Ode to the dented thigh
That day was obviously not lucky for me. After the cold/fever fiasco I had a supremely hilarious episode due to which I now have a dented thigh. Nothing much happened. I slipped, that’s all; between two large slabs. It was quite funny actually. Two girlies taking a walk and one falls splat! What was important was, nothing broke J
We woke up the next day to a misty morning. White clouds floating into the room felt so divine that none of us actually spoke too much. After an early bath, I took off for a walk all by myself.
I have always found home amidst nature; the towering trees, the wild flowers, everything. I found a dog for company and he and I walked into the forest and back. I heard pretty birds, saw a few tourists being ferried on gorgeous horses and saw monkey babies cling on to mama monkeys crossing the narrow roads.
A few shouts and a small crowd brought me back to the hotel. Just outside the hotel was this gorgeous Long nosed Whip Snake( A friend pointed out the name only after I got back). It was long, green and pretty – an absolute visual treat and it posed for us shutterbugs quite willingly. J
We took a hike to Khandala point, one of the various lookout points in Matheran. It was a strange place. Standing at Khandala point, you’d feel like you’re on top of the world or in heaven or something of the sorts. We could see an endless expanse of clouds right below us. The mountain sides were lined with bright yellow flowers and the occasional clearing of clouds would give you a glimpse of the startling valley below. No clouds and this place would be an Acrophobe’s worst nightmare.
Our next destination was Lake Charlotte and it was quite a long walk from khandala point to there. But it’s a lovely walk. Bright red roads lined with trees on both sides, a light mist and absolute silence. The lake itself was quite a revelation. It somehow reminded me of the ghostly lake from Harry Potter. You could see little of the lake from any particular point. It just unfolds slowly as you walk along and what you have seen before disappears quietly into the mist. There were ancient street lamps along the streets, but you couldn’t see the lights; you could just see a glow – an orange glow. Trees leaned over the lake. Nine of us managed to climb on one such and in the chaos, one of the gang lost his sunglasses. But it was fun whatever.
The evening was just like the previous – filled with heavy rainfall. But, the wanderer in us somehow itched for some adventure and four of us set off in the rain into the dark forest. It wasn’t a forest per se, given that there was a resort somewhere there, but it was still thrilling ‘coz there were no lights anywhere. Drenched to the core, we walked around in the dark quite aimlessly. I was terrified of stepping on snakes, courtesy our darling Mr. Green Snake but all in all it was a lovely walk.
The rest of the evening was spent monkeying around. We climbed the loft in the room and trust me, nine people on a loft is quite a sight. A lot of good food, imitation of a popular reality show and a lot of spirited spirit consumption later we collapsed into our respective welcoming beds.
Walking back the next day, along the tracks and through the clouds, I felt deeply that this is what heaven might look like; Serene, peaceful, calm and in the lap of nature; perfect for a wanderer, and the perfect retreat.
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