GREAT EVENING, GLORIOUS MORNING!!
Trust Rohit to come up with exciting weekend possibilities, and he
would come up with places that will make you go bonkers. Literally. And
this time it was the camping site at Salthar, where he had taken us last
Saturday, that had all of us oohing and aahing. Tucked away deep in the
hills, beyond the Lion Point in Lonavla, the camp by the scenic
lakeside was the perfect getaway to spend a lazy Saturday evening. And
that was precisely what we had gone there to do: eat, roll in the tents,
play by the bonfire, and generally make merry.
But our nimble
feet wouldn’t allow us to stay put at one place. So the moment we
reached Tel Baila, the V-shaped col was too tempting to resist. And with
Hemant and Parag taking the lead, a handful of us went on a
not-so-difficult trek to the col. So what if we couldn’t climb up the
legendary straight line rock patch, we were happy to bask in the cool
breeze at the foot of the col.
Downing a quick lunch, we
headed to our camp site, a couple of kms away. And with the first
glimpse of the lake amidst the wall-like mountains, everyone went
W………….O…………W. It was so mindblowingly beautiful. Quickly Parag, Rahul
and Hemant got down to business and put up tents, with the rest of us
trying to lend a helping hand. By the time the tents were up, the sun
slowly started to disappear into the hills. And our chief chef Rohit got
down to doing what he is best known for – cooking some tasty veg and
non-veg snacks. By now everyone had had their fill of admiring the
ravishing sunset splashing its golden rays on the lake.
With
the sun going back into its shell, it got a little chilly. And it was
the perfect moment for Parag to light the bonfire. We had some lovely
soup sitting by the bonfire and chatting sweet nothings. Soon dinner
followed. It was the chef’s favourite – Maggie noodles with a good
measure of broccoli, mushrooms, and other delightful ingredients – that
had everyone asking Rohit for the recipe. It was so deliciously yummy.
Some narrated spooky tales, some went for walks in the chilly lakeside,
some cracked jokes, some sang songs, and all of us had fun chilling out
in the cool dewy night. And the salacious wintry side-effects were to
be felt when we went to sleep. The tents were literally dripping with
dew and the cold could be felt in our feet and, in case of lean guys
like me, in our bones. And that is what we had gone there for – to
experience life in its elemental state – isn’t it?
The next
morning some of them who didn’t wear shoes were dancing away at the
freezing cold numbing their feet. And soon the sun rose up from the
hills behind us splashing its golden yellow rays on the hills in front
of us bringing a new joy into our lives. At 8 o’clock when we had our
chai, the sun shining brightly in the sky drove away the cool breeze
giving some respite for the frozen souls. And it was time for us to pack
and leave.
On the way we had breakfast, and thanking the
organizers profusely for organizing such a wonderful camp we headed our
way home buying some chikki and some fudge and everything that Lonavla
was famous for.
Thank you Rohit for the wonderful dinner, and
Parag, Hemant, and Rahul for spending all your time putting up tents,
lighting the bonfires, and generally ensuring that everything went well.
Here’s a big round of applause for the four of you. And here's a word
of advice: LET'S CARRY ON CAMPING!
Written By: N Venugopal Rao
