In search of the high grasslands ...

flowers and cactus

Sometimes one sees more of oneself, suddenly and without a mirror. Suddenly, because largely one is blissfully unaware and unconcerned of most of what or who he is. The realisation stikes like a lightening bolt, gifting you a moment of bright visibility.

Riding through the hills, looking for that faint memory of a vision of beautiful country which I had seen several years ago, I was a happy guy. Then in the biting cold of the late evening, what that bolt did was to light up the world and show me the many corners I have. I manage to bring out such extreme and sometime, uncharacteristically irrational, reactions out of people. Bringing out the worst in people is a thing I wish I was not able to do.

We rode out 175km to a small beautiful village called Brahmanwada in the hills. Ate a banana and headed back. The high pastures were there, spread thin over the bald hills. I had been here in October when the grass had been lush with the occasional late monsoon shower. We bid adieu to the Sun in the small ghat. A little before Malshej, in a village dhaba we had hot missal pav and tea. It got very cold. We had, predictably, like fools, had only one light jacket and one helmet between the two of us. All the way back up to Kalyan it was bone numbing cold. The windchill made the jaw muscles to stiffen and get a cramp, the head to go so cold that it started aching, the ears to feel numb with the cold going deep inside. I was wearing open sandals which added to the discomfort.

But such are the ways of the fool ...


white


thorn tree and a bed of flowers


tree


the hills and the grass


a beautiful small ghat


sunset amongst the hills


Malshej Ghat


Bhairavgad, Malshej

Sunset flowers

घाणेरी (Ghaneri) on the road side, catching the setting sun's light

A couple of weeks back, on a Sunday, I travelled to pune to meet the family and especially Chiu. She had sweetly repeated "Abhi kaka Abhi kaka Abhi kaka" on the phone many times and I had to meet her.

On the 14 Unmesh got very restless so we headed (very late) for Sinhagad on his Unicorn. But we were Very late. So we ended up watching the sun set over Khadakwasla instead. Did some contemplation. Clicked some photos. And headed back.

Next day we got up early 5am and left for Mumbai on the bike. The Unicorn is a good bike. On the westerly bypass from Warze to Dehu Road it was super chilly and I was shivering all the time. It eased of later. At Lonavala we had an early tea on a roadside tapri.



घाणेरी (Ghaneri)


Sunset

To Matheran (part VI) : of day wonderings and the exit

sunset at echo point

Next day we went out for lunch and came back only after dinner having roamed around aimlessly. At the lake we were invaded by a school picnic. Caught the setting sun at Echo point. The sky lit up crazily for about 5 minutes 10 minutes after sunset with fantastic colours when the upper clouds still reflected the set sun's light.

Next day we got up early - 5am - and left by 05:50. It was an 90 minute walk to Dasturi. We crossed a mini dust cloud in the village were teams of 2 sweepers were cleaning the main street in tandem. Then there were the early leavers, mostly on horse back or the early sunrise seekers also on horseback. We trodded on on foot.

At Dasturi, the bikes were warmed up, helmets collected from the shop there, bodies wrapped for the bike ride - and on the way we were. The sun was just rising and the low hills were just poking theirs heads out from the fog shrouded valley. It was comfortably cold. Then we crossed the hump at the Neral fork and entered the valley on the other side. The sun, which was a white disk till now, suddenly completely vanished and we were immersed in the thick fog. Visibility came down to a few meters and all the denizens of the road switched their lights on. It became teeth chattering cold. Water condensed on everything, including the eyelashes. Thus we rode into Karjat, wet, shivering, from this unrelentingly cold white world.

Here we found warmth in tea, vada pav's and kanda bhaji's. All fresh from the stove. Then we headed back to our old world ...

Note: All the photos have details which are better enjoyed in larger size: click on the image and then 'all sizes'. They are part of the Matheran Dec 2009 set on Flickr.


flowers on the lake Charlotte


Lake Charlotte


Tea under the trees


overgrown


old house


old house


broken wall


ghat


fog shrouded valley

To Matheran (part V) : Night at the house

Relaxing after we reached home

So after food and rambling around in the night, we went home to roost. We were tired. We relaxed. Cracked jokes from a different dimension. Talked. Photographed sundry stuff around.

Matheran with its heavy rains and being in the clouds for 2-3 months every year takes a heavy toll on all material which do not like water. Iron supplies rust super fast. Other things rot if not taken care of. The monkeys make it necessary to bar and grill and mesh everything. You dare not leave any doors or windows open otherwise ...



Percy


rust


an old lock


anti monkey grill


decay


gates


'on'

To Matheran (part IV) : Night Ramblings

where the path meets the road

After the sunset we left to find food and take in the village and its lights. I love photographing in the night. The darkness and the light are very moody. The shadows makes mundane things appear interesting and mysterious. To capture that feeling and ambiance is the interesting challenge.

A few years ago, on my first trip to Matheran with Batata, I had roamed the streets in the night armed with a tripod and my Dynax 5 film camera.

The photos are best enjoyed in large size to see all the details of the night. Click on them to go to their flickr page and do 'all sizes' to see the larger version. They are part of the Flickr Matheran Dec 2009 Set.



Harshu's house


Tiwari's place in the background


Street Scene


an entrance


small restaurant, freshly painted


resort for the tourists


barred entrance


a house and a board


door


fence


a cross


chatting while I photograph


street lamps and wires


wall and path


overgrown


cobbler


giant wheel


decked up, come into my parlor

To Matheran (part III) : The glade

The galde near Harshu's house.

Deep in the forest, at the edge of the valley, there is this glade. We can see Irshal and Prabal and the sunsets. We can see airplanes passing by high above. In a silent night we can hear the murmur of the traffic from the expressway and see its glow. We can see stars galore and the occasional man made satellite as it makes it way across silently reflecting the sun's light. We can sit and talk endless wisdom. We can sit still and listen to the forest and its myriad sounds. We can go mad and laugh till it aches. One of those places you feel comfortably secluded.

After the refreshing walk from Dasturi we reached the market and had breakfast of bhaji chapati and ussal-wada pav at Katkar's. Then continued to Harshu's place, which is a further 45 minutes walk. We had had only a few hours of sleep the previous night so we crashed when we reached. Got up and went to the glade just in time to catch the sunset.



Percy and the Gavankar residence



Going to the glade



yellowed grass




Percy and Harshu



Percy clicking the sunset