Matheran:A hilly encounter
Far from the maddening crowd of Mumbai is a hill station situated at an altitude of about 800mt called Matheran. A two-hour train journey from Mumbai till Nerul and another adventurous exploration via a two-hour toy train ascent takes you through the shady, evergreen forests of this magnificent hilltop. Possibilities of a tough 11 km walk or an exciting ride on horseback are alternatives to reach this hilltop. Choosing the latter option, I rode along the steep cliffs that provided stunning views of the lush green valleys. An adventure from there began as I looked forward to encountering with the unknown wild, enchanted woods. A common sight of monkeys jumping around, vendors pulling up their carts along the roadside and the mysterious jungles with trees so close to each other made me wonder if they were sharing secrets with one another. Curious to find out more about the place, I engaged in a conversation with the locals there. It was a destination ruled by the British making horse rid...