Matheran
1 to 4 February 2003
The next morning  from Mumbai we should have taken a mainline train for about two hours to the
town of Naral, but we went by taxis for reasons too painful for me to relate and too boring for you
to read.  From Naral we took the slow narrow-gauge miniature "toy train" which zig-sagged up the
steep hill for about two hours to the Matheran "hill station".   In India there are a number of hill
stations which in colonial times provided a relatively cool refuge for British colonial administrators
and military personnel.
Matheran's main attractions for us are that no motorized vehicles of any kind are allowed, that
there are many pleasant walks on tree-shaded dirt roads to various scenic lookout points, and
that we could observe many Indian families enjoying themselves.  Matheran is a very popular
vacation spot for middle-class Indians living in the Mumbai area, especially on weekends.      
Many candy and snack shops.
Upon arriving at the Matheran railway station we walked with two porters to Lord's Central
Hotel, where we had stayed on a previous visit.  Lord's is a relaxed, friendly, rambling old hotel
at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley far below.  Mr. Lord, the owner/manager of the hotel
speaks excellent English, is very knowledgeable, and provided us with very interesting and useful
information.  The room rate including all meals for the two of us totaled about 2250 rupees
(US$50) per day.
We spent most of our time taking walks, generally with scenic viewpoints as our destination:  
Monkey Point, Chouk Point, Lord Point, and Lake Charlotte.

An interesting diversion was taking a ride on the large non-motorized ferris wheel in the park.  
With the aid of sandbags the passenger load was carefully balanced and the wheel rotated by an
employee climbing along the framework to rotate the giant wheel.
At two construction sites we saw a group of women in colorful saris using wok-shaped trays to carry
sand, gravel and cement to a concrete mixer, and another group of women similarly clad carrying the
mixed concrete from the mixer to where the concrete was to be poured.  In Orcha we had witnessed
a similar scene.  We were told that for that work the women were being paid 80 rupees (US$1.75)
for an eight-hour day.
Lord's Central Hotel in Matheran viewed from the back.
The pool and garden area of Lord's Central Hotel
Women construction workers carrying sand,
gravel and cement to the concrete mixer.
"Toy Train" on the way from Naral to Matheran.
Train at the Matheran terminal.
Delivery of construction materials, Matheran.