Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Ushering in the New Year at Amba


Kicked off the New Year over barbecue and fireworks at Amba, a quiet little retreat 420km from Mumbai. 7 of us started off from Mumbai on 30 Dec, and spent over 10 hours driving down to the place. We had great fun killing time on the way with a mean game of Gandhiji ki dhoti mein (for the uninitiated, the game is about appending the phrase Gandhiji ki dhoti mein with a movie title of your choice, for maximum hilarious effect!). The scenery also helped ease the travel - rounded mountain tops, mist hanging over babbling brooks and locals doing mass push ups and other exercises at 5 in the morning. Also learnt the meaning of the word lota. By the time we reached the Hornbill resort where we were supposed to be staying, we were almost delirious with laughter.

After a refreshing 4 hour nap, we were taken into a clearing in the jungle for lunch. After lunch, we lounged in hammocks, enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest. A flying squirrel hopping away Spiderman style was great fun to watch. Got back to the resort at sundown, but not before finding a really big bulldozer and posing for pictures on it. Dream come true, even though we didn't get to drive the thing.

The highpoint of the trip was the trip into the jungle atop an old Tempo Trax - the moonlight cast an eerie glow on the forest, and we nearly froze in the cold mountain air. We were lucky to spot some bison, including a dominant male who snorted his disapproval and glared at us for over 10 minutes. Getting off the jeep and walking to a watering hole in the forest was really thrilling, despite assurances from our guide that there were no major predators around. Headed back to the resort to welcome the New Year over a bonfire and watched fireworks in the sky. Heading back home the next day was a drag, needless to say. It was a great trip, thanks to the wonderful company - its been a while since I laughed till my sides almost burst, and all day long at that.

2 comments:

Caprice said...

whoooooooooooopie :-)

AI said...

I envy you...I was so exhausted since my house was filled with guests and my daughter refused to take a afternoon nap and you can guess the rest, I went upstairs to get her to bed and all I can say is it was 2007! I am glad you had a nice time....