Of bygone days, books and bulbuls...

Of bygone days, books and bulbuls....

"Temporary member" is an euphemism for the hoi poloi with a few connections. Deciding that we needed a few days of fattening up on good food and quiet to digest it in, we asked someone who knew someone who knew someone else who booked us into "The Club" Mahabaleshwar for a couple of nights. Founded on the 22nd of April 1881 it's a little bit of colonial india tucked into 66 green acres above the busy mahabaleshwar market. Housed in a red stone building with gothic arched windows, The Club is a resort open for members, mostly parsis and gujaratis. New membership is closed, bad luck for us. We were allotted rooms a little away from the main clubhouse but we were the only family in the block and had a gracious verandah with lounging chairs all to ourselves. Well appointed rooms, spotless linen and a strong wifi connection charmed us all. The blocks are set among old shady trees with a few hammocks slung between them. After checking in i explored a little, wandering  in and out of the ante room sprinkled with old furniture and a couple of TVs, the wooden floor still has a spring in it and I crossed the big room into a little bit of heaven. There was an old world library with cupboards full of books all bound in red leather with "The Club Mahabaleshwar " tooled in gold. And in the middle of the floor was a trough, no other word for it, a wooden trough full of books flung into it! And just like a pig discovering swill,  I happily dug in and came up with two armfuls of stuff that I wanted to bury my nose in. Thus armed I made my way in for lunch. 

Old world board and lodging are the special attractions at this hotel and dress codes and timings for meals are strictly adhered to. I saw a lady having to return to her room from the dining room to change out of track pants and into something a bit more formal. The shining brass dinner bell is rung on the stroke of the clock and a warning bell ten minutes before the doors close for service. The meals are three course meals with uniformed waiters serving them. The non vegetarian option starts with a hearty or clear soup and continues to beautifully cooked continental or Indian specialities. I I found I had not tasted such light and crisp fish cutlets before and the Parsi food was superb. The meal usually finished with hand made icecream or a steamed caramel custard. The vegetarian option was a course with a seemingly endless array of vegetables along with the usual accompaniments. The best part is that cell phones are not allowed in the dining room. Three huge meals a day proved too much for our clothes  and we waddled down to the market for other options. 

Mahabaleshwar market starts with a terrible tangle of humanity and huge SUVs squeezing through narrow lanes but soon I came to a stretch of shops with a road for pedestrians only. The early evening proved an ideal time to wander around. There were less people and lots of time to try on the cheap and plentiful footwear. Almost at the end of the lane sat a man with beautifully crafted leather goods and some great paintings. He belongs to the town and has his shop in the verandah of his house. Yuvraj and his wife both paint and they design and handcraft many articles made with the softest of leather. The shop was a treasure trove and I spent a happy half an hour enjoying their paintings and craft. As I walked back I heard loud bird song. I looked for the plastic cages with plastic birds in them which chirp when bounced up and down but there weren't any of those shops right there. So where was the loud chirping coming from? I looked up , and there , above two old shopkeepers chatting with each other across the lane were some electric wires and on them were two red vented bulbuls singing loudly to each other! And this in a crowded ,busy ,shopping area! What a wonder! 

Back at The Club just in time for a raging storm and the loud thunder of hailstones on the tin roof. It became cold and I forgot the heat of the plains. And the added bonus? No tv in the rooms! Very conducive to reading and dreaming in planters chairs dotted along the back verandah, listening to the rain. A lovely short break from our busy lives in Pune. 

Our verandah!

 

The Club

Road trip to Raipur via Ajanta and Ellora

Well, guys, it was all for the pleasure of driving the Landrover Freelander2. Four of us, three Airforce fighter pilots, then Air india pilots now retired  and me,and with nothing better to do than go haring off across the country driving a Landrover!!The trip took us through Ahmednagar to Ellora where we stayed at the delightful hotel called The Meadows. Recommended for a leisurely, peaceful stay with good food at Four seasons their restaurant. Bonus for mewas that I managed to finish reading eight volumes of the animated Life of Buddha series! They were in the spa library! We visited Ellora, skimmed through only the main must sees and sweated our way back to the hotel. It was blisteringly hot.  

The drive turned out to be a pleasure most of the time with superb roads , especially the one called an AH! Asian highway it seems... Stayed in the Air Force station Maintenance Command Seminary hills. Went for a longish walk for old times sake, nostalgically strolling past the officers quarters. The next day it was a relaxed drive into Raipur and we checked into the swank new circuit house. Ofcourse Keru and Bapat would have preferred the old one and so would I!We visited Rajkumar college where Keru had studied and were driven around in a Jaguar!!! Bonus of the trip! the Landrover had sprung a leak in its radiator but they replace it in two days and we were back on schedule!

On the way back to Ajanta , I vow to go again during the rains, and then a nights stay at the cavalry mess in nagar. What luxury! All in all a relaxed, enjoyable trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coorg with friends

The next trip came out of the blue. A friend rang to tell us to come to Bangalore and accompany them on a road trip to Coorg. So off we went!! The drive wasn't too long and soon we were driving through forests and hills, past coffee and pepper plantations and into the little town of Madikeri! We had three days of driving through the lovely countryside visiting places of interest, eating superb Coorgi food and having the pleasure of the camaraderie of old friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travels in 2014

This year started with plans for trips, a trip or two to Goa while the season was on, and then we decided to visit Bhutan. There were plans for Nepal in the summer and Assam in September, and even a trip to Calcutta in November!
We did Goa with friends and then with family, and then a luxurious tour of Bhutan, in our own hired vehicle with accomodations booked in good hotels... ah! Odyssey did the needful and in March we set off. As every one has said time and time again its a happy country ruled with a firm hand, pretty, uniform, neat and tidy. The highlights included a driver who had been a monk and had left to marry his Chinese sweetheart, a wonderful hike up to the Tigers Nest monastery and we just loved the food! the local cheese with veggies, the pork and asparagus, the spicy salads and ofcourse the delicious soup! the countryside... well I will let the pictures

speak for themselves!
Our trip took us along the breadth of the country, from Thimpu through Trongsa and Jakar. We went to the countryside of the beloved cranes but they had left for their northern homes already. it is believed that they circle the Dzong of Gantey thrice when they arrive in Bhutan and when they leave on their migration. We drove to Bumthang and then came back to Paro and were there in time for the festival. What a feast for the eyes! Every town had a market day and the different farm produce was fascinating! Yeast for brewing the rice beer, Chang, and whey to drink, fresh goat cheese and bamboo shoot pickle! We came back with the schezuan pepper which tingles and then deadens the taste buds but has a wonderful aroma, cheese, woven baskets and souvenirs. Our driver Ngagong was a little short on linguistic skills but very long on his knowledge of the Tibetan religion and monasteries. We met his friend who is a monk and lives in the Tigers Nest monastery, a gentle soul, kind , patient and cheerful! His dream was to meet the Dalai Lama! It was a privilege to know him. He met us on the way down from the monastery with tea and biscuits and snacks!

When I stayed in the hotel in Punakha there was a treat waiting for me there, a book. "what makes you not a Buddhist". Its said that there are no coincidences so I feel that one of the reasons I visited Bhutan was this book. It answered a lot of my questions. It opened a door along this road of life.

I hope to go to Sikkim one day which will be along the lines of this wonderful country. I remember the friends I made with great affection. I love Bhutan.