Matheran

The night trek that started at 2:30am and seemed like it would never end was an experience of satisfying the crazy souls in us. I can call it the most unplanned unorganised trip ever. All thanks to Krishna and Sourabh, who, by the way, love to rush and hurry others in the last minute. So...this unannounced trip left me and priyanka with no choice but to go on with worst possible chappal you can afford on a trek! We realised that this was better than having to go on without carrying a water bottle or even an empty bottle along. There, stopped the whining.

We have hardly had any company at that hour. While Pri and I were scared to death looking at the valley, the darkness and the weirdly shaped trees on the hills, Sandy wouldnt give up on narrating all ghost stories and legends. It turned out to be good that we werent carrying water as he had to stop after a point. The ghat road uphill was about 9 kms. After 3.5 kms, all of us got really thirsty and we werent willing to move one more inch without water. We woke up someone at a small cafe and requested,but of no use. He just ignored us and went back to sleep. We walked for another half a kilometer in hope of an imaginary pump, which by the way, was mentioned by some bikers-by. Right then, we heard water flowing somewhere like it was leaking from a broken pipe. And we ended up here....and thats Pri imagining all possible horror stories that describe a bunch of friends going on crazy tours and end up being murdered inexplicably. Say, Darna mana hain ya kaal types! Sources said, she was actually looking all around for any unannounced attackers! :):)



And thats the valley at dawn..





More..







And there we were...finally!!



After all that pain of reaching the hill station, we were told to walk along this track (a shortcut, apparently) to reach the market area.




Tired...





And inspired..



And amused..





And returned soiled...

Fresh Candy

wrapped in an old cover. Yes. Thats what Vedam is.
A wonderful compilation of 5 different tales, people and their destinies. The director can be compared to a sculptor who has carefully carved the storyline combined with an excellent screenplay, helping the message to emerge by itself with the subtle and succinct script. What is even more adorable is the cast and brilliant performances by each of them.Standards of Telugu cinema, reset.It indeed has its own flaws, but I loved it thoroughly. More so, because it has been really long since I have watched a sensible Telugu movie. It was worth all that knuckle breaking journey on the central line of Mumbai local.

One of the finest pieces of advice I have been given in Mumbai happened to be on the same local, last evening. She said, "Aapko dhakka maarke aage jaana hi padega!". Thanks, lady!

One

of those days when I have no option but to enjoy boredom at work.

Mumbai, I should say, is sexy in monsoon. It did keep the junta waiting for more than a week.But one shower was just enough to charm us all!

Last night, like many other nights, I was going through yet another mild phase of insomnia lying on a 3inch-turned-2inch mattress, looking out of the room through the grills of the balcony at the dark hilly area across the skyscrapers, when it started pouring. It was like a huge audience clapping in appreciation of a midnight victory of a battle somewhere in the middle world! (Pardon me for the overindulgence. I cant help thinking of LOTR in such mausam!) Given the darkness, anyone would have thought it was nothing but midnight. I slowly groped for my mobile without blinking at the view I just had...just to see that the time was 4:45 am. :) Once the clouds have danced, poured and rested, first thing that caught my eye was an under-construction skyscraper draped in green with blotches of wet cement. I cant still get to an analogy to describe the view. I just fell in love. With man. With nature. Yet again.

View from BSE terrace is breathtaking. For people like me who fear heights or looking down from heights, it is,literally, breathtaking. Still, I have surpassed all my fears for a greater cause and clicked these pics..for you all! :P

Thats the Rotunda building more commonly known as the baby building stuck to the BSE main towers.



The white building is the RBI headquarters.





The city...that never sleeps! I must say, South Mumbai is a feast to a traveller's eyes. It has an aura of dignity that is just enough to amaze the kind who have a taste for architecture or buildings or even better, history.



An adventurous night trek with scary stories of spirits, ghosts, hills with eyes and valleys and occasional LOTRish talks. Strike it off the list. Pics and stories. Coming soon.