Magic Forest...

Not long ago I promised myself some “time out” and take it a little slow. Well I have never been half as glad to have kept a promise as I did keep this one!
We went out over the weekend to Matheran and spent 2 days of bliss…away from the maddening city life.

Ummm…let me capture a few moments…

29 April 07
5:30 am – Wake up …rise and shine and get ready for the journey! (I think just the anticipation of a nice trip beats an alarm clock every time!)
7:30 am – Friends come with their car to pick us….and hey…we are on our way… J
9:00 am – We stop for the most delightful…sinful and unhealthy breakfast of “vada-paav” and chaai…sinning was never so blissful!!!
11:00 am – We are at Neral at a car park. We park our vehicle and hire a cab to take us to Matheran…lots of un-necessary giggles…and more giggles…
11:15 am- We realize that our bag of goodies got left behind at the car park…we bid a painful good-bye to the left over ‘vadaas”….wafers…chaaklis…frooti…chocolates…cakes…biscuits (oh yes ofcourse we planned to eat all of this in the next 1.5 days…koi shakk??)
12:30 noon- hurry…we are at the Main Gate…entering Matheran!!!
1:45 pm- pheeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww…I wish there was a weighing scale in the room…I could swear I have lost atleast a few hundred grams walking 2.3 kms in the scorching sun…!! J
2:00 pm- F O O D never tasted this G O O D
2:30 pm – 5:30 – SIESTA…..okie …all those few hundred grams came right back…!!
5:45 pm- Post tea…we set out amidst the lovely canopy of trees and the soft red mud…out to see the sunset!
6:00 pm- race against time…oh no not again….but then the sun sets at 7:00 we are told….run..walk …run….
6:50 pm- Huh hooo….soooooooo many people….and horses and monkeys…where is the sun???
6:55 pm- Kid screams….she’s scared of ll horses neighing and the monkeys rattling…so we decide to start back and catch a glimpse of whatever remains of the sun rays through amidst the thick plantation.
7:15 pm- Horse rider cajoles us to take a ride…hotel is a looooong way off he says…we don’t really need too much of convincing…but my darling little kid is petrified at the thought of a horse ride…so both of us decide to lose a few more grams!!
7:35 pm- Trust me folks the IT industry is bad news…leaves you physically incapable of handling too much of stress (read walk)
7:40 pm- K gets off and starts walking with kiddo…and I am the next Jhansi ki Rani….albeit a nervous version of her…but then…(someone kindly offered to update us on how a man eater tiger had been on the prowl a few months back and devoured 4 horses!!!! L Wonder if the beasts like IT’ians…..)
8:15 pm…Hoooorayyyy we made it…the market place beckons us…all chirpy and bright and vibrant…no beasts lurking in the dark here….!
8:45 pm- Made a mental note (we are talking of a horizontal and vertical scroll here J)of goodies I want to buy…
9:15 pm – The Buffet at the dining hall beckons us…boy does all that walking make you hungry!!
10:00 pm – Dinner’s done…time for idle gossip and a nice short stroll around the hotel!
11: 30 pm – Dreamland…zzzzzzzzzzzz…………zzzzzzzzz….

30 April 07
7:30 am– Rise and shine…
9:00 am- Tea in the garden… I think I am liking the pampering….! Oh…if only we had the yummy cakes …..wonder who would have picked up our bag of goodies…… sigh……
10:00 am- Okie there are our horses…and hey a cute little white pony for my baby…ah but baby doesn’t want to ride the pony…so…..do I see my self loosing another few Kgs??
Nope … the horse wallah comes to the rescue convinces kiddo…and we are all set out on our exploratory tour…
12:00 noon- Ok we have been to 4 panoramic points looked at the Sahyadri’s from 6 angles…shouted ourselves hoarse at the Echo point…had endless glasses of lime juice…and discussed yet again how Mumbai could do with lesser cars and more….horses!!
Just then a call from home confirms pappu pass ho gayaaa and how……..yup my baby’s in class 4 now!!! Jubiliations!!!
1:45 pm- Back just in time for a yummy lunch….and siesta!!!
5:54 pm- Life seeps back in after the nap…we are on our way to see the Charlotte lake…(ummm or should I say watering hole)
Loooooooooooooooon walk and we are there….sit by some boulders to enjoy the lovely valley views…
7:00 pm- Way back is rather quiet…guess one gets into a contemplative mood as he nears the end of anything…
7:30 pm- Spirits are soaring again…we are at the market…buying stuff which we absolutely don’t need..!! J
8:45 pm- Back to …..fooooooooooood!!!
10:15 pm- We sit at the corner of the garden on a swing…enjoying the breeze and singing all our favorite songs….the medley goes on till past midnight and we sign off with a heavy heart!!

1 May 07

9:00 am- Ready and all packed to start the journey back home………!
A pleasant end to a small getaway from the mad life called Mumbai…!