Perfect Last Stop in India, Jay's 30th Birthday

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  Matheran, India
Saturday, March 10, 2007

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear me, ee...Happy Birthday to me.  Okay, so Kate did actually sing me happy birthday on my birthday and had I been able to talk with my mommy on my birthday, I know she would have too.  And let me say thanks to all of you who wrote and wished me a happy birthday.  It is always great to get email when traveling (hint, hint everyone!)

I could not have asked for a better 30th birthday! (okay, maybe if everyone had been able to join us in India, but come on people...you know how I like to use hyperbole by now)...and let me give a shout out to Josh and Juliette for Josh's 30th birthday bash, that was a great party.  Okay, back to the point...which is me.  My birthday was so great.  Kate and I woke, meditated for a while, had some morning tea--I love Indian tea, with milk and sugar--did some yoga (we're going strong on our daily practice a week after leaving the ashram but I've got to say, it's getting harder to stay disciplined about it), had a fantastic breakfast at our guest house (the meals here are included and come in four courses--Kate and I order only one meal and it is still too much food), Kate gave me a massage, we sat pool side, had lunch, took a walk to a forest retreat that served the largest and most expensive pot of tea of our trip, played cribbage, Kate let me win, then we walked to Porcupine Point (or Sunset Point as it is often called), then dinner back at our hotel.  Seriously, what a way to celebrate a 30th birthday...thanks Kate.

Matheran was the best way we could have finished India.  A completely pedestrian hill station; they don't even allow bicycles.  Just horses. Now, this is India, and more northern India than southern India, so the air, while very clean, was not clean.  It still was full of dust, and in Matheran's case, red dirt, but being able to walk and hike around to see the moutain views and points without the worry of traffic or horns or touts...a little sliver of heaven, and Kate and I took full advantage of it.

It seems like I say this every entry, but the owners of the place we stayed (Lord's Central) were so accommodating and friendly...they even discounted the rate of our last night because they knew we were on a budget.  The Lonely Planet definitely did us right in terms of where to stay; how do they do it?

I don't want to kid anyone here, it wasn't luxury in the tradition sense, but Kate and I both agreed it was the perfect ending to our six weeks in India.  It was simple, sweet and romantic.  Even when we returned to our room each day covered in red dirt, we smiled and laughed.  There were minimal and only very brief power outages, but no Internet.  Lots of Indian weekend trippers, always a good sign that we are touring a good place, and the best desert in India (see pic).

See you all in Thailand!

Matheran hotels Slideshow Share

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Enchanted Forest Walks	Horseback: the Way Up the Hill, But We Walked	Inside our View Room 13 at Lord's Central	Jay at 30!
Jay at Louisa Point	Jay Looking Good on His 30th Birthday	Luxury View from Lord's Central	Matheran's Claims to Fame
Matheran's Toy Train	Monkey at Sunset Point   Comments!	Mumbai Weekenders at Sunset Point (Monkeys too)	Our Favorite Dessert at Lord's Central-Sugar Bowl
Outside Room 13	Sunrise at Lord's Central	Sunrise II at Lord Central	Sunrise III at Lord's Central
Village Center

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