A Room with a View in Matheran

Matheran. Paul and I had been wanting to visit this idyllic place for almost three years. We learned that our friends Emma and John were taking their son, Jack, on a trip to visit Matheran this past weekend. Last minute, they invited us to join them on their overnight journey, and so Paul and I decided to join them. We set out early Friday morning on the two hour journey to Matheran to begin a 4 kilometer hike up a hill to the hill station in India known to have no cars, rickshaws, or motorbikes--only pedestrians, horses and a small toy train make their way to this hill station. Photos are courtesy of Paul.

Here are me, Anna, Paul and Emma about to start our hike uphill for 4 kilometers, in the sweltering 94+ degree F heat, following the porters who carried our luggage uphill. Thanks to John and Jack for taking the photo.A view en route . . .

A merry band of travellers are we! Me, Anna, Emma, John, Jack and porters climbing up the train tracks before the train comes!

Choo-Choo! Along comes the toy train . . .

Donkeys and horses carry supplies uphill to restaurants, hotels, and shops.

These horses carry propane tanks to their destination . . .

Nearing the end of our uphill journey, Anna and I move along determined to find cooler ground, well, at least more shade.

Downtown Matheran. Now, we walk 15 more minutes to reach our destination . . . The Verandah in the Forest.

Monkeys!

We finally arrived at The Verandah in the Forest to enjoy a lovely Indian lunch of salad, okra, mutter paneer, chicken, lamb, rice, dahi, chapatis, and lemon ginger drink. We then retired for a short rest before high tea. Anna and I decide to look at books before tea. At tea, Jack plays outside the rooms . . .
Sunset view from where we were sitting on the verandah enjoying our tea.
Our quaint room . . .

Our room from the exterior. . .

Later that evening, while the children were sleeping. Emma, John, Paul and I went to dinner and had a lovely meal of cucumber and cabbage soup, bread, roasted chicken with vegetables, and a fruit pie with chocolate sauce. Then, we all had a nice chat after dinner on the verandah before bed while listening to crickets and deeply breathing in the fresh air to finish off the day.

The next morning at breakfast, Anna decided to try walking a bit.

Anna decided to have a 'real' breakfast at the hotel that morning with Mommy's help feeding her a bit. Anna had scrambled eggs, toast, and watermelon. She's was pretty pleased with herself and her plate.

Here's a little family photo of us after breakfast before our short hike to Sunset Point. . .
Tree lined path up to our hotel . . .
View from Sunset Point . . .
Goodbye Verandah in the Hills! Back to Pune!

We then hiked down the hill and drove back to Pune to celebrate Holi the following day.

Baby Anna's Tenth Month

Today, Baby Anna turns 10 months old! She's had a busy month travelling to the United States with Mommy, saying goodbye to friends in Pune, making new friends in America, eating her first slice of pizza (well, the crust that is), and cruising on everything she can find. Paul and I are shocked how big she is getting, and well, pretty independent. Here are some photos from this month.

At Dario's, Anna is dressed in her Michigan gear while gazing around the garden.


Balu and Anna go for a little walk and decide to play with a hanging 'flower.'

"Look Dad-Ooh, I'm so big!"

After this first week, Anna and I left Pune one early morning to begin a long journey back to Detroit. We flew to Tbilisi, then Frankfurt, and finally Detroit. I was pretty excited to see snow for the first time in three years when we landed. Her is a photo of Anna in her snowsuit with Aunt Alina at the airport before we headed out into the Arctic tundra that we fondly call home.

Anna enjoys a 'cookie' during one of her early morning wake up calls as she is adjusting to the 10.5 hour time difference.

Surprise Aunt Melina! We made it to your baby shower! We are looking forward to meeting our cousin/nephew in April.
Anna's first pair of walking shoes. . .

Fresh strawberries for a snack...

All snowed in! We got 10 inches overnight...
After the roads had cleared, and our playdate rescheduled, Anna got to meet her new friend Kristen (6 months). Anna and Kristen are good best friends, and Anna even enjoyed playing with Kristen's big sister, Kate, who is 2 1/2 years old. I see many playdates in our near future involving tutus, princess dresses, crayons, and tiaras.

Back to Pune, Anna and I are adjusting to the new time change yet again. We are happy to be back home with all of our Indian friends.