Friday, January 26, 2024

Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Strolling Around Mahabaleshwar Market and Boating on Venna Lake

After another comfortable night and good, hot showers in our hotel, we got dressed and decided to go and meet the day—our last one in Mahabaleshwar. Having passed several times by Café Peter at the corner of the street in which our hotel was located, we figured it would be a good place to have a hearty breakfast. And we were not mistaken. Café Peter was wonderful!

Breakfast at Café Peter:

Given that Mahabaleshwar is all about strawberries at the moment and given that Café Peter serves wonderful Continental food, I was pretty certain we’d get excellent waffles with strawberry compote at this place. How delighted I was, therefore, to see a sign advertising their Strawberry Waffles and, of course, without any hesitation that was what both of us ordered.

The waffles were large and crisp and covered with sliced strawberries in a lovely flower-petal fashion that made it look too good to eat. It came with a small pot of strawberry flavored whipped cream but no maple syrup. I asked for some honey and was quite delighted when they could provide it. It made an extraordinarily hearty and most delicious breakfast with hot chocolate (for me) and coffee (for Llew). We took our time over breakfast as we realized that we had up to 2.00 pm to fill as that was when we intended to start our return journey to Bombay.

Strolling Down the Hill to Find Stone Cottage:

The first item on my agenda was an attempt to find a house called Stone Cottage as I remembered my Mum telling me that she and my Dad had spent some wonderful summers there before I was born when they were guests of my Aunty Anne who used to rent the place for a whole month at a time. I had passed by a hotel yesterday called Stone Villa Hotel and I felt sure that this place was, at the very least, in the vicinity of the cottage.

Here, too, my instinct served me well. Just one cottage before we reached the hotel, we passed by a house called Stone House—it was, in fact, adjoining the hotel property. I felt certain that this was the place in which my parents had spent those summers in the 1950s. I requested the watchman to allow us to saunter around the place and came to the conclusion that part of the property (that which was covered with fruit trees more than half a century ago), had been sold to the hoteliers who now run the hotel next door. At any rate, I was very pleased to take pictures of the place and to walk in the footsteps of my parents’ youthful days.

Shopping in Mahabaleshwar Market:

Having accomplished this mission, we made our way to the market to do some souvenir shopping. The shops were just opening for the day and, in no time, at all, we were able to buy boxes of fresh strawberries, mulberries and raspberries plus two walking sticks. These too were bought out of nostalgia as my parents had bought twin sticks over seventy years ago—they happen to be sticks which I now own. I decided that I would buy two similar sticks and I was thrilled to find them and add them to my collection in my umbrella stand—similar sticks just seventy years apart! And, of course, we could not leave Mahabaleshwar without buying strawberry jam and fruit gummy sweets and armed with all these buys we called Ravi, our driver, to the market so that he could help load our buys into our car.

Back at our hotel, I was further delighted to find that the shoemaker had, true to his word, sent a person to deliver my pair of brown tan sandals. I was even more pleased to find that they fit me perfectly and were exactly as comfortable as I had hoped they would be. All these purchases went into the booth of our car before we made our way back to the market.

Visiting Nells Hotel and the Church of the Holy Cross:

were two other places I wanted to see before we left the market area: one was Nells Hotel in which my parents had stayed when they had last visited Mahabaleshwar together with my brother Russel and my daughter, Chriselle in 1991 or 1992. They had described it as a lovely place, perfect for young families with whom it was very popular at the time.

Nells Hotel is right in the heart of the market—so, very convenient for families who do not have a car at their disposal. However, it looked pretty run down from the outside and I had the feeling that it no longer operated as a hotel. The face was badly in need of maintenance and there was no one around from whom we could make any inquiries.

Just next door to Nell’s Hotel is the only church in Mahabaleshwar. It dates from 1831 when it was first established and is called the Church of the Holy Cross. It is cute and small and well-maintained. Imagine a small country church somewhere in the English countryside. This little church reminded me of those. Llew and I paid a short visit inside as the church was open and found out that there are regular Sunday services conducted inside.

A few minutes later, we were back in our car heading down the hill towards Venna Lake for the last item we wished to accomplish and the last experience we wanted to have.

Boating on Venna Lake:

Boating on Venna Lake is one of the most popular activities in Mahabaleshwar and although we were there, off-season, there were loads of people making their way down to the pier and at least a dozen boats of various kinds on the water. We opted for a thirty-minute boat ride with an oarsman as neither one of us fancied getting stuck in the middle of the lake as a result of our poor rowing skills!

Accordingly, we were in a private boat with a lovely rower called Ismael (for Rs. 600) who chatted away to us throughout the ride and filled us in on the history of the hill-station and the changes that have been wrought over it by time. The quiet serenity of the lake (but for his occasional chatter) is a good enough reason to spend a morning messin’ about in boats and I would highly recommend it.

I must also say that, apart from boating, horse-riding is a popular pass-time in the hill-station and that there is a dedicated segment of open land, adjoining the lake, where riders can have a turn on a horse—either with or without an attendant. My cousin Blossom informs me that her brother, my cousin Brian, who became a very competent polo player, learned his horse-riding before reaching his teens, right here in Mahabaleshwar. I thought that was an interesting aspect of family lore. Llew and I did not do any horse-riding as I was not too impressed by the fact that it was only in that little segmented area that one could ride. In Matheran, another Maharashtrian hill-station, where I have actually ridden a horse with my friend Nafisa, just three years ago, the horses take you all over town as well as into the jungle—a really splendid experience (even if it results in a sore backside for the next three days!).

Return Drive to Bombay:

With the last item on our agenda successfully accomplished, Llew and I were ready to hit the road and get back to Bombay. We’d had a really terrific three days and we were so pleased that our little break from the city had proven to be so successful.

We left Mahabaleshwar at 2.00 pm and enjoyed the drive down the mountains back to the plains. There is not much to say except that Poona was still dizzying with its suburban high-rise development and once past it, we were in the thick of slowly increasingly Bombay traffic. We stopped a little ahead of Lonavla to get an early dinner at a Burger King (lovely to have the occasional burger) and then we drove straight back home. We reached Bandra at about 8.15 pm which was a perfect time really as our journey was wonderfully comfortable and relaxed and we could go straight towards an early night.

Thanks for following me on this short expedition to Mahabaleshwar. These brief excursions have certainly whetted my appetite for more exploration in venues not too far from Bombay and we are already thinking of our next one. vUntil our next trip, thanks for armchair traveling with me!

Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’

Friday, January 12, 2024:

Exploring the Highlights of Mahabaleshwar--The Hilltop Fortress of Pratapgad, the Towering Lingmala Waterfalls and the Many ‘Points’

We devoted the day to exploring Mabi’s highlights and after a very restful night and a very modest breakfast of idlis with sambar and chutney (provided by our hotel from the South Indian restaurant next-door), we told our driver Ravi (who stayed with us for the duration of our stay) that we were all set to drive to the first site on our agenda: Shivaji’s hill fortress of Pratapgad.

The Hill Fortress of Pratagpad:

Pratapgad is the most famous of the Maratha leader Shivaji’s many hill fortresses. It is located 24 kms (roughly 12 miles) away from Mahabaleshwar and it took us 45 minutes to arrive at the spot after driving around more hair-raising hair pin bends up and down the mountain slopes that offered stunning views of the plains below. Pratapgad is renowned for the great victory that Shivaji had over the Moghul leader of the Bijapur Sultanate, Afzal Khan (a general of the Adil Shah dynasty) on November 10, 1659. Shivaji’s victory established Maratha power in the Deccan and prevented what is now the state of Maharashtra from coming under Moghul rule. This is the main reason why Shivaji is such a celebrated hero among Maharashtrians. Apart from the stirring history (which, in itself, is a very good reason to visit this venue), its setting is simply glorious. The fort is constructed on the very summit of one of the highest hills which afforded the Maratha armies a powerful vantage point from which to be warned of marauding enemy armies. It’s thick black basalt stone bricks which form the main construction material have stood the test of time quite brilliantly. As in all hill fortresses, you can drive up to the base where you can park your vehicle after which you are expected to climb up at least 200-300 steps. I do believe that Lohargad Fort which we climbed last month during our visit to Lonavla was far higher and involved much more climbing. By comparison, Pratapgad seems less challenging. At any rate, I was very grateful for my hiking boots which provide superb ankle protection from twists and sprains and also allow me to grip the rugged ground while providing tremendous security.

Once we were at the summit of the fort, we realized that there were a few spots to traverse. Guides are available at the base and they state that they will take you to 13 different spots once up on the summit. However, their commentary is either in Hindi or Marathi and we preferred to use our notes to help us negotiate the area.

As in the case of all tourists, we passed by the main gates that have large wooden doors plus canons to denote forms of defense. As we climbed every higher, we loved the bracing quality of the mountain air and clean, unpolluted freshness. We followed the saffron flat that took us up a wide and steep set of stairs to get to the very top where we were, quite delightfully, treated to a young boy who mouthed a lengthy tribute to the great Maratha leader. He was obviously on a school field trip and had been well-trained by his elderly, male teacher who looked deeply pleased with himself and with the tremendous talent of his pupil. Understandably, he got a great ovation when he finished. With this lovely bit of theatrical performance done, we followed the teacher with a few of his pupils to the opposite set of stairs which led up to a temple. There we found a small souvenir shop where I was actually able to buy a magnet of Mahabaleshwar—much to my delight. Cold drinks and snacks were available in the little eatery at the top and a temple bell kept ringing every time someone entered it. We spent about 45 minutes at the summit before we made our way down again. I have to say that the place was mobbed. It happened to be a holiday weekend and the number of school children that were on field trips was quite amazing. Overall, Pratapgad was an excursion that is certainly well worth taking and I was glad to receive a lesson all over again that brought back to mind my history lessons of my school days.

On to the Lingmala Waterfalls:

I do not remember visiting the Lingmala Waterfalls but since it is now touted as a chief attraction in Mahabaleshwar, I told Ravi, our driver, to take us there next. He used his GPS to drive us back to the town which we crossed in order to find this place. All along the drive back, we were fascinated by the views of Pratapgad mountain that seemed to follow us almost until we arrived at Venna Lake.

The Lingmala Waterfalls are apparently seen at their best during the monsoon season or just after. At this time of the year, it is barely a trickle as it is watered by the river that cascades over a towering cliff to empty into the gorge below. Once you park your car in the parking lot, you are asked to pay Rs. 100 per visitor to get to the site from which you can actually see the falls. It involves a long hike of at least half an hour each way, but the path is beautifully constructed out of local red laterite stone and you pass by wild vegetation that makes you feel fully enveloped by the arms of nature.

About ten minutes into our hike, we arrived at the lower level of the falls which involve two streams that are not very high but offer good photo opportunities. A further half hour later, we did arrive at the spot from which you can actually see the falls that cascade abut 500 meters into the green valley below. Sadly, the natural landscape is today dotted with luxury hotels such as the Courtyard by Marriot which, in my opinion, robs the scene of quiet serenity that one hopes to find in the hills. We did not spend too long at the viewing spot—just took some pictures and then started the long hike downhill.

Once we had finished with the fort and the falls, we were ready for some lunch and we found it in a very small eatery en route, where we opted for the Prawn Thali. This turned out to a mound of rice, two chapattis, prawn curry and about five fried prawns. Really nothing to shout about, but it satisfied our hunger that had built up steadily after our grueling physical exertions of the morning. After lunch, we drove back to our hotel where we decided to take a short nap of about an hour before setting out again, This way, we avoided the sun at its hottest and also got the physical rest we needed.

Off to see the “Points’-- Wilson, Echo, Sunset, Lodwick and Arthur’s Seat:

Other than Pratapgad Fort and the Lingmala Waterfalls, Mahabaleshwar is renowned for its stirring mountain views that are best seen from various ‘points’ as they are called in India’s hill-stations. We instructed Ravi to take us to a few of these points and the first one we saw was Wilson Point which turned out to offer nothing to write home about.

We then followed signs and arrived at Echo Point which was quite similar. It was not long before we realized that if you’ve seen one point, you’ve seen them all. That was when we decided to go to Lodwick Point as I had seen pictures of it and it seemed to be distinguished from the others by the presence of a monument that seemed to marks its history.

Accordingly, we followed directions (most of the points are well signposted) and arrived there to find it quite a popular site. Apart from its views of the grand majesty of the mountains, touched appropriately by the setting rays of the sun, we saw large bands of monkeys here. They provided lovely entertainment as we watched their antics. We found them to be much less aggressive than monkeys in most other venues—but, of course, they are still wild animals and one has to be cautious around them.

It was also at this site that I found the father-son team that made the most beautiful footwear, much of which was exhibited even as they actually worked together on crafting pairs of sandals. I could not resist trying them on and ended up buying two pretty pairs—one in red leather and the other in tan brown. However, as he did not have my size in the tan color, he offered to deliver the pair to my hotel by 11.00 am tomorrow. I was thrilled as I really did like the design very much.

This purchase was accomplished, of course, only after we had actually walked along the long and well-marked path that took us to the actual lookout point where the monument to General Lodwick is located. From the plaques that recount the history of his exploration, we learned that he was the first European to set foot in the hills of Mahabaleshwar in 1824. His reporting about the salubrious climate of the venue, led to the establishment of the Mahabaleshwar Sanatorium—a place that was popular in the early 20th century when tuberculosis was raging on the plains. It was also interesting to note that the original monument that had been set up in colonial times had been struck by lightning, but that the efforts and donations of Mahabaleshwar’s hoteliers had led to its reconstruction. This little tidbit of history was a wonderful means by which to understand how and why the hill-station developed into the popular holiday resort it was in the mid-20th century when most Bombayites could not afford to travel overseas and sought venues close by to take a break. Many corporations invested in holiday homes for their employees so that thousands of people flocked to Mahabaleshwar in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Although the place has fallen somewhat out of fashion (with the affluent looking for far more fancy sites in which to take their vacations), it is still popular among lower income families who enjoy the scenery and the modestly-priced restaurants.

Off to Visit Arthur’s Seat:

With Lodwick Point well explored, all that was left for us to do was to get to the most popular of the ‘points’ in Mahabaleshwar—Arthur’s Seat. I had presumed that the place was so-called because one of the mountains possibly resembled a seat. However, it turned out to have a rather tragic story associated with it. It turns out that one of the officials of the British Raj, Sir Arthur Mallet, lost both his wife and daughter when they drowned in the River Savitri that flows through the hamlet. He chose this point to sit and meditate over his loss as it offered a good view of the river flowing away into the valley below.

Situated at a height of 1470 meters, as in the case of the other points, here too, there is a great deal of walking and climbing past the car park to get to the viewing platform that juts out into the valley. To our good luck, we arrived at this point, just as the sun was setting behind the Western horizon and we were treated to a quite arresting sunset as twilight descended over the hills. In this spot too, the place was inundated by school children on field trips. They come in large coaches that are parked a distance away—so that as you climb to the look out, you pass by hundreds of noisy and highly excitable school kids. It was all fun and I enjoyed their energy as we made our way to the spot where we stood to take pictures against the mountains and the slanting rays of the just-set sun.

After sunset, however, darkness descends pretty quickly in the mountains and the vendors lose no time in packing up their wares and dismantling their make shift stalls that sell strawberries, cucumbers, mulberries, raspberries, gooseberries, etc. We too hurried forward and we did not fancy the idea of having to negotiate the hairpin bends of the mountains in the darkness with just the headlights of our car providing illumination. About a half hour later, we were back in the market area and were through with our sightseeing for the day. It is amazing how much we managed to see and how much ground we covered.

Dinner at The Sizzler Place:

All that was left then was for us to pick a place for dinner and we decided to go to The Sizzler Place which is reputed to offer the best sizzlers in Mahabaleshwar. It is right in the market, exactly opposite the bus depot which was less than a ten-minute walk from our hotel. We dismissed our driver, Ravi, for the evening and told him that we would go out and get some dinner and return to our hotel on our own. All that was left was for him to get his own dinner and then meet us tomorrow morning after breakfast.

The Sizzler Place was also empty when we got there (about 8.00 pm) but it filled up by about 9.00 pm as Indians clearly eat their dinner late. We started off with a Corn Coriander Chicken Soup that was very good indeed before opting for a Lamb Sizzler which came with the works. There was a large helping of mashed potatoes ad a good sized helping of a variety of grilled vegetables and plenty of meat for the two of us to share the dish quite comfortably indeed. With the accompanying sauces—barbecue, pepper and mustard—we had a truly scrumptious and very filling meal and decided again to forego dessert as all we could think of was walking back to our hotel and having a really good night’s sleep.

Our second day in Mahabaleshwar turned out to be just wonderful and we were thrilled, above all, with the lovely weather and the low-key charm of the place.

Until tomorrow…

MEASURED STRIDES IN MAHABALESHWAR: QUEEN OF MAHARASHTRA’S HIL-STATIONS-

MEASURED STRIDES IN MAHABALESHWAR: QUEEN OF MAHARASHTRA’S HIL-STATIONS--JANUARY 2024 By Rochelle Almeida

Thursday, January 11, 2024

I had long desired to make a trip to Mahabaleshwar as I had been there just once—for the first and last time when I was about 13 years old. Some of my memories were vivid, the majority were as hazy as the fog that envelopes the Sahyadri Mountains in whose folds the little hamlet lies tucked away. So, not only did I want to retrace some of my own childhood footsteps, but I also wanted to introduce my husband, Llew, to a part of Maharashtra with which he is unfamiliar—its glorious mountains and their gracious majesty.

Departure at the Crack of Dawn and Journey to Mahabaleshwar:

Accordingly, after having made accommodation and private transport arrangements, we were all set to leave Bombay on Thursday, January 11, 2024, for a three-day break in the arms of Nature. Our driver, Ravi, arrived at 5.15 am (15 minutes behind schedule) to pick us up in a private SUV, an almost new and very spiffy car, for a journey that was supposed to take us approximately seven hours, depending on traffic. I have to say that we really did luck out and, in fact, reached there in under six hours with one pit stop just past Lonavla at McDonald’s for breakfast burgers and hot chocolate/coffee at about 7.30 am.

The drive was just delightful and with our personal music on our ear-buds and the serenity of the passing scenery outside the window, we really did not find it long, irksome or tedious. Just past Lonavla, we went through the exciting tunnels of the Sahyadri Mountains (also known as the Western Ghats) and spied the peculiarly-shaped mountain that juts out into the horizon that is known commonly as the Duke’s Nose! Past the Sahyadri Mountains or the Western Ghats, we were back on flat plains again until the drive changed course after Poona with its astonishing residential high-rise developments that brought us into another set of mountains known as the Eastern Ghats. From this point on, we were in the heart of rural Maharashtra’s affluent field and farmland with well-irrigated sugarcane plantations and cornfields as far as the eye could see. It was extremely clear that agriculture is a thriving occupation in these parts and that the soil lends itself well to produce.

A little while later, we began our climb into the mountains that would form the final leg of our drive. The road is narrow and constantly winding, its hairpin bends providing stunning views as the car climbs ever higher and the anxiety in the pit of one’s tummy grows proportionately with the height.

Strawberries Everywhere:

We drove past Panchgani, the neighboring hill-station which is on the same road as Mahabaleshwar. Just a little ahead, we stopped at Mapro Garden Center where we treated ourselves to the strawberries and cream for which the place is famed. It turned out to be an absolutely gigantic glass coupe of freshly sliced strawberries served with scoops of strawberry ice-cream and freshly whipped cream for Rs. 395 each. The restaurant overlooked strawberry gardens and the hills just beyond and was filled with flower beds, cascading waterfalls and nurseries laden with potted plants that one could buy and take home. All along the main road from Panchgani to Mahabaleshwar, we passed by vendors selling mounds of strawberries as we had arrived bang in the midst of the strawberry season when these deeply-prized jewels are packaged and sold all over the country.

Arriving at our Hotel:

About a half hour later, we arrived at our hotel—Sai Deep Residency—which we had found through bookings-com which is the website I have used for at least 15 years when attempting to find accommodation in different parts of the world. It turned out to be right in the heart of the bazaar—so while it was a convenient location, there was nothing picturesque or pretty about it. In fact, it was a very modest place for which we paid a very modest sum of money. However, our room on the first floor was spotlessly clean as was the en suite bathroom. The reception staff and the one cleaner who seemed to look after everyone’s needs were both courteous and eager to please and they did everything they could to ensure that we were comfortable. As we’d be using the place only to sleep at night, we were honestly not too bothered about how spartan it was. However, Llew did say that if he were to do this again, he would opt for a pricier and fancier hotel.

Off to Explore Venna Lake:

One of the biggest attractions in Mahabaleshwar is Venna Lake. In years gone by, it used to be called Yenna Lake, but for some reason, its name has been changed and now it is uniformly known as Venna Lake. As it was still before noon when we reached, we decided to take a short nap of about an hour and then leave for a stroll around Venna Lake. This was exactly what we did. In fact, we had been led to believe that there was a walking route around the periphery of the lake, but this turned out to be untrue. Although we did try to explore on our own, there was really not much to do and we returned to the main drag of the lake that is well-trodden and quite commercial with vendors selling eats, roasted fresh corn, more strawberries and such things as sun hats and leather footwear. We soon found out that ‘Mabi’ (as it is known for short) has a thriving leather footwear home or cottage industry and that the sandals produced are delightfully soft and comfortable (I ended up buying two pairs which is how I know). We walked downhill for quite a while and ended up deciding to eat a very late lunch at a local eatery which happened to be purely vegetarian. We opted for corn fritters and corn pakoras with a strawberry milk shake and they were all delicious. In fact, since all the ingredients are so fresh and local, it is really hard to find a bad meal in Mabi.

Exploring the Market:

As in most Indian small towns, all life centers around the radius of small streets that comprise the market and we decided to explore it. Of course, we did mainly window shopping as we thought it made sense to find out what was available and then buy at our leisure as we had two more days in the place. We found loads of gram or chick peas (all grown locally in the fields in the plains) in varied flavors with all sorts of herbs and spices adding to their taste. There were also loads of gummy sweets made from pure fruit juice as the fruit industry is huge. Mapro and Mala are the two companies that lead in the production of fruit juices, pulps, canned processed fruit, jams, jellies, preserves and fruit gums. These delicacies are sold in small hills in every shop and sit cheek by jowl with other small shops that sell leather goods, wooden carved items including carved walking sticks. After we had explored most of the market and achieved a good understanding of the kind of local items we could take back with us as gifts, we made our way back to our hotel where we had another bit of a lie-down.

Dinner at The Grape Vine:

We were not quite sure where we would go out to eat an early dinner and quite by chance we happened to pass by The Grape Vine which was in the same lane as our hotel. When I saw a sign at the entrance that advertised its ‘Parsi food’, we decided that it would be our cuisine for the night. We were not disappointed. The Grape Vine has an excellent reputation as one of the best restaurants in Mabi. It happened to be empty when we stepped in and it stayed empty for the rest of the evening.

We had excellent service from the lone waiter who brought us prawn patio as our starter together with Mutton Dhansak with brown rice and a kachumber salad (with onions, tomatoes and fresh lime) as our main dish. We did not opt for dessert as we were very full, but our meal was truly outstanding. This lovely restaurant serves Indian and Continental dishes too and I could see that the fish and chips and the prawn cocktail would certainly be worthy of a try.

Luckily for us, the place was just a five-minute walk from our hotel and in no time at all, we were back in our rooms and ready to bed down for the night as we’d had a very early start in the morning and needed to make up for lost sleep. Mabi presented itself as a charming and very unsophisticated hill-station and our first impression of it was certainly very favoriable. We had no doubt we would enjoy the rest of our stay in the place. Until tomorrow…

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

More Lonavla Exploration: Market, Church, Bushi Dam, Chikki Shopping

Friday, November 17, 2023.

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More Lonavla Exploration: Market, Church, Bushi Dam, Chikki Shopping

Our night in Lonavla passed beautifully. We slept soundly after our exertions of the previous day. When we awoke, we decided that we would have a very restful day spent exploring at leisure and with no particular agenda. Accordingly, we had our showers in our lovely bathroom with its hot running water. We also fixed ourselves cups of coffee at the tea and coffee station that was provided before we sat down to enjoy our breakfast.

Having realized that McDonald’s was a good 10 minute walk from our B&B, we had the foresight to buy breakfast pastries, last night from the patisserie at Cooper’s. With an almond croissant and a pain au chocolate that we decided to share, we had a very hearty breakfast indeed. We also packed our bags (as check out was at 10.00 am—we asked for permission to stay until 11.00 am as we had overslept—permission was graciously granted by Eefa). We then stashed our bags in a storage room and left for the day.

Taking ‘Chikki’ Pictures:

The first thing we decided to do was get back to the main road to the huge installation that portrayed a great big bowl of chikki, Lonavla’s gastronomic contribution to the world. That done, we walked down the road towards the market and decided to stroll through the shops and decide from where we would like to buy our chikki supplies to take home with us to Bombay. We also decided to go out in search of Lonavla Lake—but soon realized that we were on a wild-goose chase as people misunderstood the lake for Bushi Dam and were sending us off in its direction. Having seen Bushi Dam yesterday and finding it disappointing, we were not inclined to return there today. Besides, the sun tended to get a bit hot the longer you stayed out in it.

First off, we passed by the Church of St. Joseph and decided to go there for a visit. We discovered that the entire church was under renovation and that its façade was a mere shell with its interior completely gutted. We were directed to a small chapel and we paid a visit there and then when we discovered a temporary church had been set up on the first floor, we climbed the stairs and found it too. It is amazing how quiet and serene this spot is, being that it is in the midst of the bustling main market of Lonavla.

Our rambles took us further down into the market, past the railway station and several small restaurants. We also passed by a Buddhist stupa. At this point, we decided to find out where Lonavla Lake was located and that was when we realized, after a walk of about twenty minute,s that we were at the wall that is part of Bushi Dam! Not wanting to spend too much time here, we looked for a rickshaw that would take us back to the market so that we could have a bite of lunch.

Finding a rickshaw was a sheer mater of luck as not many vehicles were plying in that area—close to the army quarter. We negotiated a fare of Rs. 100 which is the minimum fare in Lonavla (for the same distance in Bombay, one would pay no more than Rs. 23!). He dropped us off just past the McDonald’s where the busy part of the shopping was evident. However, we decided to eat lunch first and then make our way to the chikki shops.

Gujarati Thali Lunch a Nima’s:

We soon realized that in this bustling part of town there were many eateries from which we could choose. But we were also told by our driver yesterday that hordes of Gujaratis from the state of Gujarat, mainly business families, spend a whole month in their cars driving through vast tracks of India as part of their annual vacation. They eventually make their way to Poona, then Lonavla, Khandala and finally Bombay before they start their return journey to Gujarat. Hence, to cater to their tastes, eateries serving pure vegetarian food prepared in the Gujarati style (i.e. without root vegetables such as onions, garlic or potatoes because many of them are Jains to whom such produce is forbidden) have sprouted up in these resorts. When I spotted Nima’s, a place serving a Gujarati thali, I suggested to Llew that we try it out.

And so, for the princely sum of Rs. 160 each, we were treated to a most unusual and most delicious meal. We were given steel thalis with three steel bowls each and were asked to sit wherever we fancied. It did not take us long to realize that we were the only non-Gujjus in the establishment. Anyway, the food was laid out buffet style—or more correctly, assembly-line style—in a long row. You stood in front of each server with your thali and he put a portion of the food in your thali or your bowl. There was a real wide variety of foods—all pure vegetarian, of course—from farsan (savories), to rice, chapattis, puris, dal, pulses, vegetables, potatoes, pickle and salad. It was a very full thali indeed. At our table, another server came around with chaas (a very thin buttermilk) which he poured into steel glasses and kept replenishing for us as our meal went on. There was nothing fancy about the food, the place or the service, but it as efficient, professional and tasty and we enjoyed it all. For dessert, there was sweet semolina (sheera) as well as basundi—a sweet thickened cream that was caramelized and very delicious. I have to say that it was probably one of the most satisfying meals I have ever eat and I simply could not believe what superb value it was for money.

Buying Chikki, Pedas and other Goodies:

It was past 2.30 pm by the time we finished with our leisurely lunch and were ready to buy our chikki. Although every second shop sells chikki in Lonavla, we decided that we would buy ours from Maganlal Chikki which is the oldest and best-known of the chikki-makers in Lonavla. Most people buy a load of chikki to take home to family and friends when they take a holiday in Lonavla.

We found the shop less crowded in the afternoon than it had been in the morning and within no time at all, we found a shop-keeper who catered to our needs. I also bought chivda, bottled syrups (custard apple and grenadine for making cocktails) and although I would have liked to have bought fudge (another specialty of the area), it was much to runny for my liking. At yet another shop, not too far away, I bought pedas for my brother Russel as he is unable to eat hard snacks like chikki. I knew he would love the pedas—milk-based Indian sweetmeats.

Laden with our goodies, there was no other choice but to walk back to our B&B as quickly as we could. Luckily, it was no more than a quick 10 minute walk away from the main drag of the town. It was about 3.30 pm by this time and our taxi to Bombay was scheduled to come to our B&B and pick us up at 4.30 pm. We decided that since we had pretty much seen all that was to be seen and done all that was on our agenda, it made sense to push off an hour earlier, if the driver could accommodate our change in plan. He could! About a half hour later, we had organized ourselves fully, said thanks and goodbye to our hostess Eefa, picked up our bags and awaited the arrival of our taxi.

Not even fifteen minutes later, our driver arrived and our return to Bombay commenced. En route, we passed, for the last time, by the road in Khandala where the nuns who had run my convent school in Byculla had their convent—the Covent of Jesus and Mary. We took our last looks of the hill-station as we joined the traffic heading out and on to the highway. We also got many glimpses of the Duke’s Nose as we made our way out and found traffic swelling the nearer we reached Bombay. Instead of taking us the one and a half hours it had taken us on our arrival, it took us more like three hours to get back.

But get back to did! As always, it was a relief to get back home to the comfort and security of familiarity and we embarked immediately on unpacking and taking showers before we settled down to spend the rest of the evening in deep relaxation.

Conclusion:

Our first attempt in a year at getting out of Bombay for a quick break had proven to be a success. We were delighted to have such a convenient and easy time of our journeys back and forth, thanks to the private taxi we hired. We were fortunate in finding a terrific Air B&B with a Superhostess who spared no pains to keep us comfortable. We were blessed by good weather, hiked to our heart’s content, covered all the places on our agenda and thoroughly enjoyed the brief change of scene. We look forward now to our next foray out of the city—a chance to see a bit of Nasik, the grape-growing capital of Maharashtra, where we shall spend three days at a spiritual retreat at the end of this month.

Until then…may the road rise up to meet you.

A Hiking Break in the Western Ghats: Lonavla and Khandala

A Hiking Break in the Western Ghats: Lonavla and Khandala

Thursday, November 16, 2023.

It had been a very long time since I had been into the little hill-stations of the Western Ghats. I was last in Khandala when I was about 9 years old and I do not even remember when I was last in Lonavla. Llew and I waited until the monsoon had bid Bombay goodbye and until the oppressive heat of October had bid us farewell before we decided to make a quick hiking getaway into the hills. We hope to do many more such trips during the next four months as they are the most pleasant months in India. It was good to make a start with this one. Before setting out, we had to find a place to stay—it was just by sheer luck that I ran into a friend who recommended this Air B&B in Lonavla called House of Shrof. Just a couple of phone calls later, we had zeroed in on our accommodation and were only left with the issue of arranging transportation to and from the venue home.

Luckily, the owner of the B&B, Eefa Shrof, was very helpful in putting us on to a company that offered a taxi service which we booked without any further ado.

So, at 6.00 am, as planned, (we set our alarm for 5.15 am), the driver (Sunil) was on the phone telling us that he had arrived. And off we set. It was still quite dark when we drove out of our building’s driveaway, but in about 30 minutes, we could see dawn breaking on the Eastern Express Highway.

Driving to Lonavla:

Sunil informed us that the drive would take two hours as we were not likely to meet any traffic at that early hour of the day. The new Bombay-Pune highway has also cut time in half and made for very easy transport to Khandala and on to Lonavla and then Pune. We’d had a cup of coffee before leaving home, but by the time we arrived in Lonavla, ahead of schedule, ie. in an hour and 40 minutes, we were ravenous and ready to plunge into a hearty breakfast. It was fun to go through about three long tunnels en route, to spy the Duke’s Nose (a peak that juts out provocatively and is reminiscent of a royal nose) and to see the many chikki shops even before we arrived at our destination. Lonavla is known for an Indian confection called chikki, which is made from sugar or jaggrey (molasses) and the addition of a variety of nuts, dried coconut, gram, etc. No visitor leaves Lonavla without buying chikki.

Arrival at House of Shrof:

House of Shrof is located on a quiet lane away from the general bustle of the market area. To get to the main road, you need to walk for about 8 minutes along shady bylanes. We had a bit of difficulty finding the place as the Google map led us a merry dance--but a quick call to Eefa fixed it. Since check-in time was 2.00 pm, Eefa agreed to stash our backpacks until we returned from our day out.

Out first impression of House of Shrof was of a really idyllic place. It was set in a beautiful garden that, we discovered, was landscaped in tiers. After using the facilities, we dropped our bags off and left. Taking directions from Eefa who met us at the gate of her premises, we set out in search of breakfast. It was only 8.00 am and not many places were open at that hour. Cooper’s, the place next door that she recommended, only opened at 10.30 am. This meant walking for a good ten minutes, past Auxilium Convent on our left and then a number of cemeteries, each of a different religion, before we reached the main road. There, we spied McDonald’s and since it was the only place open, that’s where we headed. We realized that we were doing in India the very same thing we did in the USA—we only used McDonald’s when we were on the road!

Breakfast at McDonald’s:

There were a few patrons at McDonald’s when we arrived there to order a Spicy Chicken Burger for Llew and a Filet O Fish burger for me. We discovered that this McDonald’s did no breakfast sandwiches—hence, we had no choice but to eat chicken and fish for breakfast! Llew ordered a decaff Americano while I had a hazelnut hot chocolate which was just lovely.

While we were seated at breakfast, we discussed the possibility of finding transport that would take us to the various venues we had in mind for the day. After considering the use of an auto rickshaw, we nixed the idea. Rickshaws do not ply by meter, the minimum cost for a single fare is Rs. 100 (as opposed to Rs. 23 in Bombay) and they charge you per venue, not for the whole day. It made much more sense to approach the same car service that had brought us to Lonavla to provide us with private transport for the whole day. At Rs. 3,300 for the day, it seemed like a far better deal that going with rickshaws per ride. Accordingly, we called the taxi service and within twenty minutes, they sent us a car with a very nice driver called Vilas and by 9.30, we were setting out to begin a day of hectic sightseeing.

First Stop--Pawna Lake:

After meeting and greeting us, Vilas, an elderly man with a lovely gracious Maharashtrian manner about him, suggested, he drive us first to Pawna Lake. This was not on our agenda, but since it was very close to Lohargat Fort (which is where we did want to go first), he suggested we cover Pawna Lake too. The drive was long—about twenty minutes, but soon we were at the venue.

Pawna is a large expanse of water that was dug to create an artificial lake that would provide water for the whole of Khandala, Lonavla and neighboring Poona (now Pune). It was pleasant to get out of the car and take in the sight of the lake surrounded by hills and to see that motor-boating was possible on the lake. However, there was a haze everywhere we went and we were told that it was the result of the enormous amount of mountain-blasting that is going on to create a 30-mile tunnel on the Bombay-Pune Highway to shorten road travel time between the two cities. It is causing awful dust pollution in the entire area and robbing one of visibility in the hills.

We did not spend long at Pawna Lake because, apart from taking pictures, there is really not much to do here. Within ten minutes, we were back in our car again and heading towards Lohargat Fort.

Hiking Up Lohargad Fort:

Loharrgad (Fort) is one of the many hill-top forts that were built by Maratha chieftains throughout the 1500s and the 1600s. Many of the Maratha clans used this one including the most famous of them all, Shivaji, who lived in it for two brief stints. In-between the fort was taken over by the Mughals, but Shivaji was able to prise it back into Maratha control.

There is an entry ticket of Rs. 25 per head to get to the fort. There are about 300 steps to get one up to the first tier of what is essentially a two-tiered fort. At times, the stairs are steep, at other time, they are broad and shallow. They are made of hand-hewn black basalt rock and it is amazing when you consider the fact that these forts were built in the 14th and 15th centuries when there was no mechanization possible. There were quite a lot of people climbing up with us and often they paused to take a rest before hiking up again. As we climbed higher, we received lovely views of the surrounding rural countryside, although the haze continued to obscure our views.

Having reached the first tier viewing platform, I decided that I’d had enough climbing and would sit it out if Llew decided to go higher. He did. I believe he climbed another 200 steep stairs before he reached the very top where he found a small temple, also made with black basalt. The views were essentially the same but the haze was even greater.

In about a half hour, Llew descended again and the two of us began the descent to the base together. It took us about one hour and fifteen minutes to see it all. Along the way, we passed by a small temple, saw the two huge doors with the iron spikes set into them (to dissuade elephants that were used to ram down the gates) and three cannons. No doubt, there would have been many more such remnants of medieval warfare at this site, but most of these items have been carted away. We also saw lots of monkeys on the trees and along the ramparts of the fort, but they seemed to be less aggressive than most monkey are in places of tourist interest in India.

On to the Bhaja Caves:

There are two famous sets of Buddhist caves in the vicinity of Lonavla—the Karla Caves (closer to Khandala) and the Bhaja Caves (closer to Lonavla). They are both very similar in that they are rock-cut Buddhist cave temples that date from the second century BC to the sixth century AD. Since we would have the time to cover just one set of caves, we asked our driver for his recommendation if he were to make a choice and he suggested we do Bhaja Caves.

Getting up to the mountain that houses the Bhaja Caves also involves a great deal of hiking—you climb up the same black basalt rock hewn steps to get higher and higher with the base receding further and further and offering the same pleasant rural views. As it is just past the monsoon, the landscape is still green and fields do not lie fallow. After climbing for about half an hour, we reached the main gate where we paid an entry fee of Rs. 25 per head for our ticket.

The Bhaja Caves are fabulous and definitely worth a visit despite the long and tiring climb up. Like all Buddhist Cave Temples in India, there is a large prayer hall called the Chaitya or chaityagriha which is basically a temple. At the end of it stands a conical stupa. Because this prayer hall is hallowed ground (still used by Buddhist worshippers), you are required to remove your footwear upon entering.

We surveyed the prayer hall as well as the many little caves cut into the mountainside. Most of them were empty and contained simply a single platform. We had to follow the path carved out along the hillside to arrive at a cluster of mortuary stupas, each in conical shape, hewn out of the granite of the hill. Simply spectacular.

Even further down the path (and I am glad we followed it and did not abandon it), we arrived at a pillared temple with columns at its entrance. Inside, we had the most pleasant surprise. We saw the first and probably only set of fully sculpted walls in the venue. Because it is indoors and protected from the elements, the carvings are absolutely unspoiled and as sharp and well-defined as they could possibly be. They depict Gods from the Buddhist pantheon with a procession of human beings following, either on horseback or from the top of an elephant. Truly astounding!

We did spend a little more time peering into a few more caves but the rest of them did not offer too much by way of artistic or architectural interest. On the whole, the Bhaja Caves made for a totally fascinating expedition and I am glad we took the time and trouble to hike up there and back.

Lunch at Kinara Village Dhaba:

By this time (it was almost 2.00 pm and we were surviving on McDonald’s burgers), we needed food sustenance. We requested our driver to take us to a nice restaurant and he asked if a roadside dhaba would suit us. Indeed it did! Now, if I remember dhabas (from my long ago travels in the Punjab), they were little more than roadside shacks that served the most delicious food to truckers along the Grand Trunk Road. I remember the seekh kebabs and lassis we consumed in those places and the absolute laughable rates at which they were sold.

Well, this dhaba was fancy with a capital F. There was a whole Rajasthani village recreated for our wandering pleasure. In little wooden huts, individual tables were laid. We could choose a hut of our choice as they were scattered all around the periphery. In the center was a large shack with a number of hand carts sprinkled around. The place was beautifully landscaped to seem reminiscent of a village setting. It was all actually pretty delightful. Best of all, the place offered really spotlessly clean toilets—which, I have to say, in a country like India, is a real joy to find. There was running water as well as soap and paper towels to wash and dry one’s hands—now these little touches are taken for granted in the rest of the world, but in India, they are indeed a huge deal!

We decided to eat Lahori Chicken which came with gravy and a Corn and Spinach Vegetable dish which we ate with garlic naans. But, best of all, we started our meal with ice-cold shandies as we were badly in need of something to slake our thirst and our bodies that were craving the cool fizz of aerated waters. We loved our meal—it was super tasty. Indeed, our driver had made a good choice and we lunched well and tipped handsomely as our waiter had been extremely kind and helpful to us and had offered superb courtesy and service. Then back in the taxi we sat for the next lap of our travels.

Visiting St. Mary’s Villa in Khandala:

With three major items of sightseeing done, all that was left was for our taxi driver to ferry us from one ‘point’ to the next. All hill-stations have these ‘points’ by which is meant viewing stations for vistas over the hills. I had requested Vilas to take us to the Duke’s Nose, perhaps the most famous of the points. However, as that spot was in Khandala, we needed to drive to that location—just about a 15 minute drive from Lonavla. And since we were going to be in Khandala, I requested the driver to take us to St. Mary’s Villa.

Why St. Mary’s Villa? Well, mainly because this was the pace in which I had stayed when I was last in the area at the age of nine. And, secondly, because this was the venue at which my parents (until my mother was still alive) had spent every summer for at least ten years. They used to rent a large room and go there with my brother, Russel, for at least a week each summer. This annual excursion gave my mother a break from the drudgery of daily housework, allowed my father the opportunity to spend long hours reading and gave Russel the chance to socialize with new friends he made at the venue.

Over the years, my father had made friends with the care-taker, Steven, but had lost touch with him. He, therefore, asked me to find out his whereabouts and obtain his phone number. This was another reason why we made the detour to St. Mary’s Villa. I did not remember what a sprawling place it is and how much real estate the Jesuits own up here in the hills—a spot they have used through the years for retreats and family outings and picnics. For many years, Fr. Juan was in-charge of an annual summer camp for Bombay Catholics who would go there in large numbers to enjoy the fun of a community getaway. I am not sure if the camps are still held here, but the current care-taker, Raju Annappa, gave us a short tour of the premises, showed us one of the sample rooms (with five beds in a room and a utilitarian, old-fashioned, bathroom at the end) and told us what the current rates are: Rs. 560 per head per day for lodging alone and another Rs. 560 per head per day for food which includes four meals (Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner).There were a few people resident on the premises while we were there but, for the most part, the place seemed empty. I could see why my parents enjoying being in this place so much—it affords all the amenities at very modest prices and its location in terms of views over the Table Top Mountain cannot be beaten.

Getting to the Various Lookout Points:

Following our excursion to St. Mary’s Villa, we focused on seeing the major ‘points’ as the viewpoints are known at Indian hill-stations. I told our driver to take us first to the Duke’s Nose—this protuberance is most famous because it takes the form of a hill that juts out on the horizon as if from a regal face! We saw it from a distance and under the haze which we came to expect everywhere we went.

We also stopped to look at the Kune Waterfalls which we saw from across a narrow valley—once again in a haze. This is a far larger body of gushing water during the monsoon.

And finally, our driver took us to what he called Sunset Point—it was simply crawling with people and every single one of them was there to see the sun set behind the hills. But the haze was so discouraging and the crowd so off-putting that we actually stepped out ourselves, strolled to the promontory and then realizing that we would not see much of a sunset anyway under such poor visibility, decided to simply turn back. It was time for us to return to our hotel and get a bit of a rest and a stretch out as we had done an enormous amount of walking.

However, our driver was keen to show us one more attraction: Bushi Dam, which is right in the heart of Lonavla (as opposed to Pawna Dam which is about a twenty-minute run out of the city). However, this excursion too proved to be challenging as the approach to it was awful: past some rocks, a little creek that actually had stepping stones over it to enable us to cross and up a steep set of stairs that afforded us a tranquil view of a large lake with a weir running across it. Here too, it appears as if monsoon is high season for this venue—apparently, white water rafting, etc. is actually carried out as a sport here when the force of the gushing water allows it. It was not possible, of course, at this part of the year. So, rather disappointedly, we retraced out steps, over the rather unusual terrain, to get into our car and get home.

Accordingly, our driver brought us back to the House of Shrof, where we entered our room and found it very appealing. The décor had a quiet subtle sophistication, the colors were the soft dove-grey that is currently so ‘in’ everywhere and the en suite bath was spacious and spotless. We found that coffee and tea making facilities were

included and we opted immediately to make ourselves a cup of tea and eat it with the biscuits I had carried—a really welcome snack as we stretched out, watched some TV and got the rest we craved.

Dinner at Cooper’s Restaurant Next Door:

All that was left was for us to go out in search of dinner and since we lacked the motivation to go anywhere too far, it was very convenient to think of strolling just next door to the restaurant attached to the Cooper resort. On the ground floor, they sell a variety of chikki and fudge for which the place has become famous and on the upper floor, we discovered a well-appointed restaurant with a varied menu.

As Cooper’s is a Parsi place, we opted for their special Parsi menu, but first, I ordered a cocktail as our heavy physical exertions demanded a sundowner. How tickled I was to find a cocktail named Lonavla Sundowner which consisted of a gin base with grapefruit juice, burnt thyme, lime juice and soda. It was very elegant indeed and very tasty and I enjoyed it as we awaited the arrival of our Prawn Patio which comes complete with Rice and Dal. It was extremely tasty indeed and we truly relished it. For dessert, I chose the Crème Brulee—a dessert I rarely see in an Indian restaurant (everyone carries Crème Caramel). I was not disappointed. It was perfect—smooth as silk in consistency and with a perfect caramelized sugar crust at the top that I actually had to crack open to get to the silky contents inside. While we ate, we watched another one of the semi-final matches of the Cricket World Cup that has the entire country enthralled, on one of those giant screens that you find in international bars. The service was good, the food superb and the prices quite reasonable for the quality presented to us.

We were very pleased indeed that our lodgings were just a short stroll down the adjoining lane. Although it was very late (after 11.00 pm), we felt very safe as we made our way back.

After what had been a hectic but most fulfilling day, we made our way back to the peace and serenity of our Air B&B, brushed and flossed our teeth, watched a bit of TV (although desultorily, as we had run out of steam) and called it a night.

Until tomorrow…

Friday, September 15, 2023

A Day Spent at Heathrow Airport, London

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

London, UK

A Day Spent at Heathrow Airport

My Virgin Atlantic Airlines flight from New York arrived at London’s Heathrow airport at 11.00 am local time. I was excited as I thought that although I was landing at Terminal 4, I could make my way to Terminal 5 which is far more interesting in terms of shopping (even if it is window-shopping) than any of the others. I had about 7 hours to kill during a long layover—so you can imagine I needed exciting things to do.

As it turned out, I was not able to change terminals and the huge errand I hoped I could do at Jo Malone turned out to be a damp squib as (long story short), the spending vouchers I had received from Virgin Atlantic for offering to be bumped off a flight, could not actually be used at the Duty Free Shops. I was determined not to give up and I went to a Virgin Atlantic help counter and discovered that what I could do was use the voucher to recover cash from a bank cash machine! Well, that was even better. An assistant walked with me to the cash machine and I was able to recover 250 pounds—that’s more than $300. Now I felt flush. But it gave me pause to ask myself: did I really need another bottle of perfume? So I decided not to spend the money but to take it over to India. It would stand us in good stead on our next travels in the UK.

whole issue took me over two hours to sort out—so quite a lot of my time was taken there. Next, I began browsing through the duty free shops—perfume, clothing, jewelry, even booze. But I already had two bottles in my suitcases and I did not want to get into any trouble, so I refrained from buying anymore. Anyway, after a while, I felt the need to sit down and that’s what I did. I bought a Meal Deal from Boot’s which consisted of a Chicken Selection sandwich pack with 3 types of chicken sandwiches (all delicious), a chocolate milk shake and a dessert: a New York Cheesecake in a small glass bowl (which I was very happy to bring home for serving dips, etc). It is now a happy souvenir of my long layover in London, So overall, I can say I had a good time. There were souvenir shops to look at—I ended up buying tins of British tea for my maid Pushpa, for my Dad’s Man Friday Rohit and kept one tin for us. Then, I browsed through the book shops and leafed through a few books. It is amazing how many ways one can pass time before one gets really tired on one’s feet. Of course, I also spent a lot of time chatting with my friends in England and to Llew in Bombay.

When boarding was announced, I made my way to the gate and in a little while, I was on the aircraft once again. The flight was empty. All of us had stretcher seats, by which I mean that we could change seats once the seat belt signs were off and find places on the aircraft where three or four seats were in a row so that we could stretch out and sleep.

I had a window seat and, for me, the best part of this flight, was that I could see the moon on my right hand side at the very front of the aircraft. As the miles were swallowed over Europe and the Middle East, the moon traveled across the sky until it was literally right outside my window. It turned out to be a really large, full and luminous moon. Only the next day I realized that it was a Blue Moon from which we get the phrase, “Once in a Blue Moon”. This kind of moon is rare—because usually there are 12 full moons in a lunar year –one full moon appears every 28 days. But every three years, there are 13 lunar months in a calendar year and a 13th full moon appears. This is known as a Supermoon or a Blue Moon. And I was so lucky to see one while already way up high in the air! You can just imagine how thrilled I was. Sadly, my camera could not capture its glory. It will forever stay in my memory as one of those rare things about which one can boast in one’s lifetime.

on flight were good, entertainment was engrossing. I watched a movie and then a couple of TV shows and all the while, I used my window seat to take pictures of the world below me—most of which was in darkness.

We arrived in Bombay at 8.25 am. I was pleased to see that since it was the middle of the monsoon, the Indian sub-continent was green all over (like England). Most times when landing in India, one notices how brown or yellow it is--so dry and arid. This time, it was so much more pleasing.

I got off the flight, had no trouble with immigration and my baggage and went straight to the pre-paid taxis from where I got one in no time. It was simply great to be back home again and to see the familiar sights of lovely Bandra and then my building and then, of course, Llew.

My long travels of five weeks had come to an end and I was happy to spend some time processing every wonderful experience through which I had lived.

Until I leave my Roost to take on a different part of the world again, I wish you happy days—and may the road rise up to meet you!

Monday, September 11, 2023

My Last Day in the USA Dawns! Lunch with my Hosts, a Walk Around the Neighborhood and a Tearful Goodbye

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Westport, CT

My Last Day in the USA Dawns! Lunch with my Hosts, a Walk Around the Neighborhood and a Tearful Goodbye

Hard to believe I have reached the last day of my long stay in the USA. When I first arrived here, it seemed to me as if I had all the time in the world to spend at my leisure. But, as in the case of all good things, time passes quickly when you are having fun, And I have had the month of my life! So, no complaints. And I am now all set, mentally, for the next phase of my life.

So, I awoke, as usual, at about 6.00 am and did a bit of blogging and reading and went over in my mind all the things I had to accomplish today. I had my last breakfast in the US (of muesli with honey yogurt and milk with a cup of decaff coffee) before I turned my attention to the matter of my packing. I think I was pretty much all set with the weighing of my two suitcases and my one strolley (which contained nothing other than our sterling silver tea and coffee service which I had picked up from my friend Bonnie who stored them for us in her basement). And then, I told my hosts, Leslie and Sunil, that I would take them for our last meal together somewhere of their choice. They chose the Sherwood Diner, which is just five minutes away—a great choice, I thought, as I had never eaten there and I have always loved American diners.

So the morning passed at leisure with us chatting about this and that. Leslie would leave and go on duty at the Library at 2.00 pm which meant an early lunch (12. 30) was in order.

Lunch at Sherwood Diner:

At 12. 30 pm, Leslie and I drove off to Sherwood Diner. Sunil took his car so that Leslie could drive straight to work after lunch and I would get back home with him. The diner was far more crowded than I expected (for a week day afternoon), but then I realized that it was the last day before schools reopened and many families had come in groups, probably to treat their kids to a last meal before school began.

Leslie and Sunil opted for omelettes and, of course, in the US, these are humongous: Leslie had the spinach and feta cheese one (like Eggs Florentine) and Sunil had the Country one (with ham and cheese). No marks to guess that I had my favorite diner food of all time: Belgian Waffles with maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh berries. Of course, we enjoyed our meal thoroughly as we chatted about all sorts of things and took pictures. In the parking lot, we parted company, as Leslie left for work and Sunil drove me home.

Back home, I took an afternoon nap (mine is never more than 20 minutes) and made some calls to say goodbye to family members and friends. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready to leave. I called for an Uber to pick me up at 6.30 pm as I had to be at JFK airport at 8.00 pm for my 11.00 pm flight via Virgin Atlantic to London. I would have a long layover in London (over 7 hours) and I was rather looking forward to it, actually.

Since I had about two hours to kill, in the late afternoon, I decided to take a walk around Leslie’s little protected enclave which is something I had promised myself I would do sometime before leaving. I was glad I managed to find the time to do so on a beautioful afternoon when the weather was just perfect.

Off to the Airport—Goodbye Connecticut and the USA!

Leslie returned on schedule at 6.15 pm, Sunil helped me carry my bags to the curb and, right on schedule, at 6.30 pm, my driver arrived. He turned out to be a Pakistani from Lahore named Ahsan and he was really lovely. Of course, although I tried hard, I burst with emotion like a dam and sobbed uncontrollably when saying goodbye to my hosts. Not only had they gone out of their way to make me welcome and comfortable but they did not consider it a huge favor or anything of the kind. They kept telling me what a pleasure it had been to have me and how much they had enjoyed my company. I, for my part, had the best month with them. Leslie and Sunil were marvelous company and I learned so much more about both of them from the time we spent together. I left with wonderful memories of places we had explored together and experiences we had enjoyed—which I was sure I would cherish for a very long time to come. Indeed, I was really sorry to say Goodbye to them.

My sobbing continued in the Uber for quite a while. I must say my driver was very sweet and sympathetic and when I apologized, he told me not to worry at all—airport drives mean tears, he said. I was glad I was not the only one!

At JFK Airport and On The Flight:

All went well when I arrived at JFK airport. I was afraid (I always am) that I would be overweight and subject to all kinds of stress. But I had the sweetest Traffic Assistant named Naharul who was a thorough gentleman. Not only did he give me window seats on both sectors but he didn’t seem to think my baggage was overweight and my suitcases went through without any questions asked! Phew! That was a huge relief!

I whiled away time at the airport by going to McDonald’s where I got myself a Fillet o Fish burger (my favorite kind) and ate it as I was aware that dinner would be served around midnight and I was not sure I wanted to stay awake till then. I actually ran into a lovely stewardess named Samantha who was operating my flight who was also getting a MickeyD’s Meal! She informed me that, as a result of a technical glitch that had disabled all air control systems in the UK, our flight coming into JFK from London had been delayed—fortunately, only by an hour. Hence, our departure was delayed by an hour. This was quite tolerable, of course, so I sat down and did some reading before getting to the gate and staying there until our boarding was announced.

It was a very pleasant flight during which I think I managed to sleep for about two hours. The meal on board was not bad at all—chicken pot pie with beans and potatoes, a bread roll with cheese, a Greek salad with a small brownie bar for dessert. I had a Gin and Tonic before dinner and in a little while (after watching the end of the movie, Tar, which I had started on the flight in as well as a new British movie called Allelujah about life in a hospice for the elderly starring Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Jennifer Saunders and a new young Indian actor whose name is Bally Gill), I dropped off.

Until tomorrow, cheerio!