This was an unplanned trip. My actual plan was to attend a sky gazing session at Vangani arranged by Khagol Mandal but thanks to be the untimely rains it was canceled off. Dejected I called up my friends and asked them to pack up and come to Vagani Station from where we would leave for Matheran late night. I had to wait for them at Vangani station till 10:30pm, by then the clouds had disappeared and I clicked this pic !



We reached Matheran top at midnight and luckily found a cottage to spend night. As it had rained it was a bit cold at night and the red soil for which matheran is popular had turned slushy. We were greeted with cold and fog in the morning and it invited us to get our cameras out and take some early morning pics. This is one of them clicked in the public garden adjoining the main street.


The early morning Sun rays were providing the much needed warmness also lighting up this nicely colored bench in the garden.


I found this Hotel a bit out of place hence I decided to capture it in my lenses.


On our way to one of the many tourist points scattered all over Matheran. The red soil, thick forest and dead winter leaves along with morning Sun rays created this awesome texture on the ground !


Matheran's evergreen residents were also out on this fine Sunday morning to warm themselves in the sun rays. This one was happy to pose for me


I was in search of insects and bugs to take some fine macro shots, but even after wandering deep in the woods I failed to spot an attractive subject for my lenses, finally decided to capture him who was camouflaged in the ground texture.


A beautiful jet trail cutting through the clear sky ~!


We decided to take lunch in Gujurat Bhavan but since it was not ready they asked us sit in their lawns where I found this kid enjoying the swing


Passengers getting ready to board the mini-train (Matheran's specialty) scheduled to leave by 1:30pm.


The engine is all set to ...


chug the mini-train through the woods !


Meanwhile I capture this


and this ...


and this !!



Giving up seeing a long ticket queue at the Matheran railway station for the mini-train, we finally decide to trek our way down to Dhodani village (near Panvel) seen in the above picture taken from the Sunset point, Matheran !


All the above pics are taken from Sony Cybershot DSC-H10 borrowed from my dear friend Jiggar Rambhiya !