Lonavala, again.

Three years ago, I visited this hidden vacation spot in a thicket of a 27-acre forest called 'The Machan' and put up several pictures here. Not to mention abnormally long articles. I was fortunate enough to return and find that the forest was not only still intact, but it had grown. AND HOW! The paths I walked three years ago were fuller now with prickly and thorny branches eating into my calves and arms, and it was wonderful. There's something oddly satisfying about bug bites, scratches and sore ankles combined with the continuous crunch of dry leaves and the calls of unspottable birds above.

About forty years ago, a couple bought 27 acres of barren land, save for a grandfather fig tree. They planted trees all over this land and lived in a tin shed, watching it grow. When it blossomed, they wanted to share the nature with others and built machans (or canopies). These were cantilever-style machans that didn't need a foundation or chopping down of trees. Today, these canopies stand proudly overlooking more greenery than our eyes are accustomed to and are lit entirely on solar and wind power. 

A little bird's nest interwoven into some branches.

Woody climbers.

Crunchy leaves.

When my trail companions kept stopping to pick up stones and feathers, I went on ahead and hung my camera from a tree and took a picture of myself. 

(This is why you shouldn't stop me from trekking when I want to.)

Sunset point.

My all-time favourite tree. The grandfather fig tree.

Stairs to an old, ramshackled tree house.

Late evening on the machan.

Male purple sunbird.

Brahminy skink

It rained on the last day. This is a Red-whiskered bulbul right after a drizzle.

Another purple sunbird.

Lonavala- Day 3

Day 2 Pictures

Day 2

After the entrancing sunset on day 1, I was eager to get up early to see the sun rise. I woke at 6am. It was still dark out. Well, the dull-blue, morning dark. So I went outside, only to be hit hard by the sharp wind. It was probably three times as windy now than when I went to sleep. It was blowing hard- almost like it was trying purposefully to tip me over. I dug my hands deep into my pockets and tried to slink into my jacket and cover as much of myself as I could. Just when I thought I was getting comfortable with it, another brisk gust of air would take me by surprise, making me escape back into the neck of the jacket. I kept waiting for the glorious sun to emerge, my chair appropriately facing the east. But it seemed like it was going to take a while. It was light out quite some time before we got a glimpse of the sun; since the two tall hills in front of us were blocking it.(I realized this only later) It was 7:30 when it came up from behind them. It was a very different scene from when the sun went down. It was bright with a growing glow. It didn’t give the sky any hues; it just threw its light everywhere. We sat in the welcome warmth of the sun out on the deck as we drank our tea.

After some early-rise inspired yoga with stretches and backbends, off we went back to the fireplace for breakfast. We were a little early so we decided to have some fun and work up an appetite. The gorgeous, ancestral fig tree that stands majestically opposite the fireplace with its textured, thick branches called out to us. That tree was such fun to climb! A huge, broad bark at the base broke off into a number of twisted, strong branches that allowed clambering up to different parts of the tree. It had many grooves and bends that provided footholds or even seats. Climbing up that tree and finding a nice, comfy perch up there was thorough delight. After that, breakfast was eventful; considering I put salt in my corn flakes and couldn’t stop laughing about it. It looked like powdered sugar!

 We were given a laminated copy of a Google map showing all the various trail routes in the area. We chose the ‘Blue Trail’ and started off. We walked till we came to a bench in the forest and sat down. It was quiet all around, save the chirping of birds and sound of insects. After a few failed attempts to spot the birds we could hear, we resumed the trek. We found a snake skin. It was about 18inches, transparent with white scales and fragile. Almost felt like touching really thin and flimsy plastic. Along the way, we confused routes and continued on the ‘Green Trail’ instead. We went along until we came to a stream. It was so beautiful. It wasn’t in an open clearing or very prominent. It was a medium sized stream- icy cool water running between the rocks making the most delicious, tumbling sounds. There were shady trees all around it and some bigger rocks along its sides. Off came the shoes and in went the feet! Oh it was wonderfully soothing. So chill and clear. From there, we climbed slightly upwards and came out into a field. From that shady, cool forest pit-stop, this was totally different scenery. We were in open air, with tall grass growing all around, some trees too, and the hills climbing up from behind us. Up front we could see the canopies T2 and T3 rising up from the trees. (Ours was T1).  Ah the sun! I loved it that day. I walked into the tall, prickly grass and lay down. I threw my hands back, covered my face with my cap and just stayed there. Well, not for too long anyway… That was the last part of our unguided morning trail and we found our way back to the reception where we met Sophie. She gave us 3 animal hunts to do. They were like treasure hunts; the main theme was that we were tracking imaginary animals instead. Each hunt came with smart clues we had to crack. Each clue lead to a different place, where we had to find a painted picture clue. She gave us a compass, a pen and a puzzle along with the clues and maps for each hunt. We returned to the canopy and decided to have a light lunch up there instead of going back down. We’d do the hunts after that.

We had a nature trail with Sophie at 4:30. We were joined by a very nice couple who were staying at the Machan. We started off from where we ended our morning trail. All along the way, Sophie spoke about the plants, trees, animals, insects and fungi found there. I have been on trails before with a guide, but this one was especially fun. Reason: Sophie! She was a very entertaining escort. She didn’t simply state facts and move on; she tried to get us to ask questions, guess answers and mixed it all with her humour. It was a lighthearted trek which ended at the sunset point- unfortunately past sunset. But the view was still astounding. We all walked back, crunching the dried leaves under our feet as we went along. I learned that Sophie had studied ecology, environmental management and botany. A lot like what I wanted to study. Meeting Sophie and knowing about her had given me a certain confidence in the path I had chosen for myself. A confidence that I can study those subjects and have a fulfilling career. I returned to the canopy, a little smarter than before.

After dinner, we had a rather special time with the stars. The couple who joined us for the trail earlier graciously invited us to share their crow’s nest that night for star gazing. So with Sophie leading the way, we climbed up the stairs to the very highly perched crow’s nest. After the previous night, I didn’t think the night sky could look any more beautiful. I was mistaken, of course. From that height, the night was even more majestic. We went over all the constellations. It was brilliant; to be able to see all those stars up there so clearly is a far dream otherwise.

Before saying goodnight to everyone, a plan was made to go climb the nearby hill next morning. It was one of the taller ones. I said I was ecstatically game and returned to the canopy looking forward to it. That night was terribly windy. The sound of the sheets filled the air completely. But it had been a long day, so we drifted off into a sound sleep despite it.

Lonavala- Day 1

The road trip to Lonavala was lovely. The broad highways flanked by trees and the expressway with the Ghats rising above us on either side were just beautiful. As we closed in on our destination, the roads got narrower and the greenery closer in. But we hadn’t seen anything yet. The place we were headed towards is called ‘The Machan’; an environmentally friendly getaway in a thicket of green, with the Ghats all around it, going down into a valley. Driving through the gate, there we were. Lush green all around us, little bubbling streams running along the ground, a small dam right at the entrance and the soft hum of windmills in the background. We were greeted by Sophie, a very pleasant, humorous young ecologist who walked us to the reception. The reception was a simple but well-built shack of logs with a small bridge-like extension over the dam. I went out onto the bridge and was soon joined by Sophie who began pointing out dragonflies, crabs and frogs over, in and by the dam. What they call the dam is actually like a little pond with frogs, crabs and snakes.

                             


So with Sophie’s, “let’s see where you’re gonna be spending your night!” we set off toward our canopy. We walked through the trees down a pathway. There were tiny frog ponds set up around every corner with cute little Lilly pads floating in them. I didn’t even notice when we reached our canopy. It was so perfectly blended in with the trees and their foliage. It was a large, elevated, tent-like structure. No walls- just a wooden framework with cloth draped all around it. It had two metal beams holding it up on one side, but it was mostly supported by the thick, metal chords it was suspended by. The ropes are there to make sure the platform with the tent stays at the right position and to take the pressure away and transfer it into the ground. To make the leg, they dug until they found the mother rock, then drilled into it and inserted metal pegs and then made the cement legs. What you could see above ground was much smaller than what was underneath. The fact that you are on a platform with 2 legs and that it's high up, makes it rock a bit- like a boat. We took the spirally vertical staircase up to the tent. What met my eyes at the top of the stairs just blew my mind away. From the deck of the canopy were hills covered from top to bottom in dense greenery, trees rising all around us, a valley running down from the hills, birds flying at eye level, blue skies all around. For as far as the eye could see were a million shades of green! The magnificence of this place was extraordinary. Never before had I beheld such insane beauty! Alive is what I felt. If there was a heaven on earth, this was it. I stayed out on the deck to stare out at nature with my mouth hanging open in absolute wonder. It took me a while to assimilate this sudden shift from honking, polluted cacophony to sheer serenity.

                                 

                               

For lunch, we were escorted down a leaf-covered path to a shady niche. It was flat ground surrounded on all four sides with thin, tall trees. Laid out were 3 deck chairs, two carpets and a hammock out back. A small table was neatly set with our yummy food sitting on it, waiting to be eaten. What a perfect setting. Cozy, comfy and such a treat. Sitting on the carpet, we ate in silence; slowly taking in everything around us. After lunch and a little walk, we returned to our perfect home in this perfect paradise.

I happily resumed ooohing and aaahing at the scenery. It got dark pretty fast, but only after an incredibly enchanting sunset. It was about six in the evening. The large, orange, bulbous sun went down in the west, disappearing behind the hills, sending cracks of orange and red across the horizon. The sky kept getting deeper red as the sun vanished from our sight and then suddenly, darkness surrounded us. There was a nip in the air and I put on my jacket and socks. At about 7:30 we came out onto the deck and lo behold! Something impossible to conceive in our city. The vast, uninterrupted expanse of sky was dotted with thousands of bright stars. I don’t know how many years it had been since I saw a night’s sky like that. Instantly I was flat on my back, gazing up at the stars. 

At 8, we got a call for dinner. The nip had now turned to a sharp chill. They had lit up the place with small, dim oil lamps, floating t-light candles in the ponds and a few electric lights here and there. (The entire place is run solely on the wind and solar power generated from their own windmills and solar panels.) Their dining area was semi-outdoor because it was open, apart from the roof and a fireplace. There we met the owner and his family, all of whom were very warm and welcoming people, and Sophie. We had a nice, long pre-dinner conversation and then an equally nice post-conversation dinner.

Back at the canopy, it was getting freakishly cold! I’ve never been too good with the cold. But more than the temperature being low, it was extremely windy. The ‘walls’ of the canopy were shaking vigorously and it sounded like heavy rain on a roof. It was lovely. I loved the sound and the feeling of being inside that cool, flapping tent. Once in a while when the rain was blowing really hard, the canopy would vibrate slightly under my feet. We were told the rocking and the movement of the sheets can be a little discerning. But it wasn’t. Not unnerving in the least. I was enjoying each little moment, soaking in every bit of everything. Getting ready for bed, I went through the photos on my camera. At the end of day one, I had 153 photos. Though we didn’t really do much. The hikes, trails, climbs were yet to come.

Before sleeping, despite it being ridiculously cold and wonderfully breezy, I went back outside- goosebumps inside my jacket. With the lights out all around, the black sky was blacker than ever and the stars incredibly bright. They were just popping out! Back in Mumbai, you’d get to see this only at a planetarium- and it still wouldn’t be half as good. It was stunning. I’m running out of adjectives to describe this place! I went back inside only when the chilled breeze became too much to take. 


So that’s it from day1. Lots more to come!