Itchy Feet

Matheran is said to have a purported thirty eight view points - all duly identified and named. When we reach there on a rainy Saturday expecting it to be empty (why did we think no one else was foolish enough to brave it all the way up in the heavy rain?), the place is jumping with tourists. They hurry from view point to view point, loudly complaining, arrey par view to same hi hai...

Thirteen viewpoints down, how many more to go?

It has been raining all week; the drive is smooth and refreshing, the wind rushing up your ears as you leave the car windown down...

We stop regularly at sudden waterfalls that have sprung up on the hillside due to the constant downpour. Ditto for potholes and puddles.








In a world that boasts of largeness and moreness (whatever that means), a charming board at Dasturi Naka enroute to Matheran proudly announces - Matheran is the tiniest hillstation in the world. Awwww...

And more importantly, Matheran is the only pedestrian destination in Asia. Imagine, no cars, no blaring horns, no fumes... Traffic jam is when two ponies meet midway on opposite sides to their ride to and from the top and exchange pleasantries... Other than that, traffic, neigh...

The best thing to do in Matheran is nothing. Walk around aimlessly, do not look for any point - you will hit one or the other soon anyway- and when you do, stop to stare open-mouthed at the gorgeous greens all around... Isn't it funny how good green actually smells?

Stop also for garam chai and pakoras and chikki too. Chat up with local shopkeepers and hears tories of leopards and tigers that used to roam the hills.

Stop glancing around nervously aorund you and resume aimless walk.

Forget that holidays are meant to sleep in late - wake up early and find your way through the fog... Feeel extremely pleased when you land up at a viewpont and find no view there. Just more fog. Heh! Walk to Charlotte lake and tut tut about how muddy it all looks...



Curse when you see the time...

Don't let that prevent you from taking more stops on the drive down, hoping to catch a glimpse of the toy train.

You spot the train, but it is just that, a toy stationed on the tracks...



Take in the smell and sounds of rain somewhere in the distance...

As fellow blogger and flickr mate Chandru said there, funny thing about english language - the skies open up when the clouds close in...



Damn! Bombay is so hot...