Day 9, Matheran [Wednesday 12th December 2007]
Previous day: Day 8, Ajanta [Tuesday 11th December 2007]
Next day: Day 10, Matheran [Thursday 13th December 2007]
Wake up at 5am as the train puls in to Kalyan station. We wait here for 45 minutes for a local train to Nerul, from where we will catch the "toy train" to Matheran. Indian train stations are endlessly fascinating, and this early in the morning is particularly interesting. Here there are dozens of farmers and others dragging huge sackfuls of produce onto trains headd into Mumbai, presumably to sell at one of the markets. One man has a sack of flowers, their white petals overflowing at the top. A couple carry between them a big basket of potatoes, or maybe chikkus. Another man emerges from a train carriage balancing a 6 foot bundle of sugar cane on his head. Everywhere there are vegetables and rice. All of this gets hoisted onto an already crowded commuter train, where the seller sits on his bag on the floor as the train pulls away doors permanently stuck open. There are also groups of schoolgirls milling around, and all the women crowd together at one end of the platform waiting to get into the ladies-only carriage.
We ask a guy in uniform which platform number we're on. For all the complexity and organisation of the railway system they don't seem to believe much in platform numbers, or even station name signs. Every conceivable outlet will be signposted - tea stall, bookshop, ticket checker, assistant station manager - except where you are, or the platform number you need to get to where you're going. They're like little self-contained communities who don't believe you would ever want to come here, or leave.
The uniform asks us where we're going, and walks us over to the correct platform. As our train pulls away he continues talking to us through the open doors, enumerating each station we will pass through and when to "step down". We stand in the train as the warm morning wind whips around the carriage. It feels good to be up early, watching the sun rise over endless fields. We get a few inquisitive looks, and as we approach our our destination a man waves at me from across the carriage and tells me it's just one more stop to Nerul.
We meet an English bloke called James at Nerul. He's on a fairly length trip around the world, and tells us about an extremely helpful "Trains At A Glance" schedule you can buy at most train stations. I'll pick one up when I see one.
We get 1st Class tickets up to Matheran, which means we get a little 6 seater carriage all to ourselves. I get the Times of India and a glass of chai, which the chaiwallah delivers to me through the window. It's bloody lovely. He waits while I finish it and takes the glass back as the train chugs into gear.
The train takes a couple of hours to climb up the hill, with great views over Maharashtra. Matheran is a cool, shady hill station. It's particularly comfortable in the cool and the shade, because in the direct sunlight it absolutely blazing hot. It's a tiny place on top of a hill surrounded by leisurely walks along red, dusty paths to spectacular viewpoints over the surrounded ravines and gorges. Two of the town's main industries are honey and nuts, which they enterprisingly combine into "chikki", chunky sweets which tourists buy by the kilogram. They sell chikki in every possible square foot of the main road. The other industry of Matheran is honeymooners. Mumbai newlyweds come up to this car-less hill station to ride the donkeys, admire the views and, apparently, drop litter everywhere.
There is a friendly laundry service here called "Snow Whites" who wash and iron all our stuff, returning it neatly folded and separated by sheets of newspaper, for Rs. 200. They'll probably have to do it again soon, as the red dust from the paths gets everywhere, and it stains.
We check into a nice place with a veranda. I think it's a converted barn. It has a dog in a cage who doesn't stop barking at the stray dogs who sashay past to taunt him. The owner appears to be half Indian and half Native American. He has a penchant for late night acid house sessions.
Wedo a few circuits of the hill, buy some chikki and have some more delicious vadapav. The twist up here is to have the vadapav with chilli powder and honey! In fact ,we ask the waiter later and it turns out it isn't honey but "vegetable juice". The rest is lost in translation, but it tastes lovely. Eat that, Mumbai! Vegetable juice on your vadapav, eh?
Next day: Day 10, Matheran [Thursday 13th December 2007]
Previous day: Day 8, Ajanta [Tuesday 11th December 2007]