Mahabaleshwar trip
It was decided after much deliberations and few beautiful photos taken by Juee that we (Vera and I) should go to Mahabaleshwar. The name sounds as if it's a religious place for Hindus. Far from it I found many Parsees and Muslims in the area. It's a small town with the usual attractions of any other hill station. However, the commercialization of the place has still not completed.
We started from Pune at 7 in the morning of 20th Mar 2009. The ride is beautiful and one needs to be a little cautious esp. in the Ghat sections. A must stop is ShriRam Wada Paav in Shirwal. We took another halt at Parsee Point near Panchgani. We crossed Mapro factory on our way. Mahabaleshwar is 15-20 kms from Panchgani and from Pune (Aundh) it is 130 kms.
The bookings at Hotel Dina had already been made and we immediately took a liking to the place because of its Victorian elegance coupled with a breathtaking view of the lake from our room.Also, there was lot of greenery and a nice sprinkler.
The two dogs Tommy and Lucy were friendly to the point of getting on the nerves - esp mine. Tommy was a tad older than Lucy but had damn good body language.Tommy would always see us off when we went for our morning walk
The owner Mr Mahabaleshwarwalla was old and grumpy. It seemed that the job of exchanging pleasantries and showing hospitality was left to the waiters who were indeed very courteous.
There are few points/activities in and around Mahabaleshwar which one should not miss - Bombay Point, Kate's Point, Lodwick Point, boating in Venna Lake (expensive though!), going to the main market area in the evening and just loitering around. Also, if you're an early morning person - do go for a jog or a walk. Everything around is so green, quiet and a little cold - you'll love it. While boating in Venna Lake, go a little away from the banks and let the oars/paddles rest. Allow the wind to sail for you. Believe me ! it was lovely.
While returning we stopped at the tableland before Wai. Wai the way, Wai is the place where Swadesh was shot. We actually paid 20/- to see through a telescope, the building where the village panchayat was held and the school was run. Not only that we also saw the house where Hritik Roshan stayed with Rekha in Koi Mil Gaya. The guy who owned this telescope was funny. He used to first narrate to me the location of the place, its relation with the movie and sing a line or two from the movie. Then he would repeat the same process while Vera peeped through the telescope. On our way to Arthur's seat, we stopped at a point called Tiger's Point where there is a small but natural water source. There's an old fellow manning that point. He offers you a glass of water. You drink that water and offer something to show gratitude. He tells you a little about why the name Tiger's Point. And you move ahead.
We started from Pune at 7 in the morning of 20th Mar 2009. The ride is beautiful and one needs to be a little cautious esp. in the Ghat sections. A must stop is ShriRam Wada Paav in Shirwal. We took another halt at Parsee Point near Panchgani. We crossed Mapro factory on our way. Mahabaleshwar is 15-20 kms from Panchgani and from Pune (Aundh) it is 130 kms.
The bookings at Hotel Dina had already been made and we immediately took a liking to the place because of its Victorian elegance coupled with a breathtaking view of the lake from our room.Also, there was lot of greenery and a nice sprinkler.
The two dogs Tommy and Lucy were friendly to the point of getting on the nerves - esp mine. Tommy was a tad older than Lucy but had damn good body language.Tommy would always see us off when we went for our morning walk
The owner Mr Mahabaleshwarwalla was old and grumpy. It seemed that the job of exchanging pleasantries and showing hospitality was left to the waiters who were indeed very courteous.
There are few points/activities in and around Mahabaleshwar which one should not miss - Bombay Point, Kate's Point, Lodwick Point, boating in Venna Lake (expensive though!), going to the main market area in the evening and just loitering around. Also, if you're an early morning person - do go for a jog or a walk. Everything around is so green, quiet and a little cold - you'll love it. While boating in Venna Lake, go a little away from the banks and let the oars/paddles rest. Allow the wind to sail for you. Believe me ! it was lovely.
While returning we stopped at the tableland before Wai. Wai the way, Wai is the place where Swadesh was shot. We actually paid 20/- to see through a telescope, the building where the village panchayat was held and the school was run. Not only that we also saw the house where Hritik Roshan stayed with Rekha in Koi Mil Gaya. The guy who owned this telescope was funny. He used to first narrate to me the location of the place, its relation with the movie and sing a line or two from the movie. Then he would repeat the same process while Vera peeped through the telescope. On our way to Arthur's seat, we stopped at a point called Tiger's Point where there is a small but natural water source. There's an old fellow manning that point. He offers you a glass of water. You drink that water and offer something to show gratitude. He tells you a little about why the name Tiger's Point. And you move ahead.
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