Buzzzzzzzzz…went the alarm at 5.30AM.Sleepy eyed I got up startled and put it off. Its finally time I thought. Got ready to catch the Karjat Fast at 7.03AM.No, I wasn’t heading for office as millions of Mumbaikars do every day. I was heading to Matheran for a much needed break.
I reached Dadar station a little after 6.40AM and saw a long queue for tickets. I had to catch the 7.03AM fast train so as to catch the toy train from Neral on time. Mom gave me some tough looks about leaving earlier from home and I kept cursing the crowds and the slowly moving queue. This fast train comes right after the Mumbai-Pune intercity express. By the time I reached the ticket window, the announcement for Intercity had already been made. I told Mom and others to carry on forward and wait near the Ladies compartment.
I thankfully got to the window on time and ran up the stairs to catch the train. I settled in and took out my headphones to listen in to my favorite music. The air was chilly and the mood just right.Who says you need to be on the best of holiday destinations to enjoy a sunrise, it can be enjoyed from a Mumbai local train too if you have the time. The nice round orange ball peeping from between the many buildings is certainly a treat to the eyes. And for someone like me, who hardly ever wakes up before sunrise, it was simply special. It was a nice and somewhat guilty feeling to see people rushing for work and me heading for a small vacation. After some time I got the much coveted window seat in the direction of the train. Blissfully I enjoyed the journey, even checking my watch to see if the tunnel after Thane really lasts for a minute.
Reaching Neral, I took the much publicized toy train to Matheran. It has just four coaches and the seats are so close together, there’s hardly any leg space. But when you have such nice sights to enjoy, who’s bothered about leg space. The train winds its way around the many mountains. It turns almost 180 degrees at some points. You transcend from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai to the serene peace of nature in minutes. There are monkeys along the way to amuse you with their gimmicks. There’s also a tall Ganesh idol, which locals call Kadawarcha ganpati. As you keep going higher up the trail the views get more splendid. The train nears Matheran and you see red soil all around. There are no concrete roads as vehicles are not allowed. The all so prominent hoof marks of horses tell you the story. I checked in the hotel and went straight for lunch. It was really good. I had a good nap, before heading out for some sightseeing.
As soon as we stepped out, there were people vying to get us on their horses. After a bit of bargaining I settled for an older looking local. The most amusing thing was to see my mom mounting a horse. At 60 years she showed some grit. She was really scared at first and wanted to get off it that very minute. I egged her on and she finally agreed. I had got a horse named Sachin.It was an adorable creature with a white body and brown hair. I thought I had the best in the business as Sachin Tendulkar also happens to be my favorite cricketer. We were instructed to sit upright and put our feet firmly in the saddle. And so began our journey with the horsemen bridling our horses. It was a wonderful walk in the woods on horsebacks. We shouted each other’s names at Echo point and clicked mindless photos at Sunset point. But the most interesting was to click photos on a horse. I reined in the horse like a trained jockey to pose for the photograph.
We had made a deal with the horsemen to return the next morning to take us for some more sightseeing along with a wonderful view of the sunrise. I got up at 5.30AM (Wow! that’s twice in a week) again and stepped out in the chilly weather. It was dark all around and my mom was apprehensive of the people and their horses. Being a weekday there was not much crowd. The horseman managed to engage mom in his talks and she enjoyed the ride once more. The sunrise was amazing along with a hot cup of tea. It was amazing to see he sun show up from behind the mountains and turn from orange to yellow brightening up the skies all along. I and my cousin were now allowed to ride the horses on our own, seeing our skills. We were thrilled at the prospect. But it was a different story. I was bouncing up and down as the horse galloped and was scared. I was screaming at the horseman to put some brakes on it. The horse would bend down in between to eat something on the way and I was supposed to rein it in. It was tough as the animal tried restraining with all its might. My cousin managed to do it well as a born warrior on horses and got some glares from me for making fun of me.
It’s one thing to mount a horse and another to get off one. I had an almost nasty fall when my sandals got stuck in the straddle. I managed a hearty laugh about it but my horseman got anxious that I would not give him enough tips now and Mom was worried too. I managed to reach back the hotel after a thorough joyous ride. This was followed by a game of table tennis with my cousin. I managed to beat him and it was wonderful to sweat it out and enjoy and have some sweet revenge.
We relaxed for the day, chatting and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. In the evening it was time for some shopping. Matheran is famous for its Chikki and some leather goods. I bought those and enjoyed the bargaining experience and the window shopping. Alas, the vacation was over and I had to take the train back to Neral the next morning. The toy train ride was even more enjoyable this time as there were no tourists and we had the whole coach for ourselves. We kept hopping from one side to the other taking in the views and clicking photos. I also managed to get a video of the engine being attached to the coaches. Shifting from Neral to the Mumbai suburban rail network was boring. But then, I was refreshed and recharged to take Mumbai head on….
Getting to Matheran:-
Form Dadar to Neral:-
Take the 7.03AM fast train to Karjat from platform no.4. Reaches Neral at around 8.40M. From Neral to Matheran:-
Toy train online booking at https://www.irctc.co.in/ Train No: 52103 leaves Neral at 9AM. From Matheran to Neral:-
Toy train leaves Matheran at 9.50AM and reaches Neral around 11.50AM.
From Neral to Dadar:-
CST Fast at 12.23PM.
Hotel Review:- Regal Hotel
http://www.regalmatheran.com/home.htm http://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Review-g503701-d677986-Reviews-Regal_Hotel-Matheran_Maharashtra.html
First thing to mention is the food which was really good. The service was also good with friendly staff around. I had been there on weekdays and it was really nice and peaceful. Good recreational facilities like table tennis, carom, and badminton (outdoor) court. They had a pool table too but no cues. Playing areas for kids were also nice.
