Karla - MTDC

It was the 2nd Saturday of the month and my long weekend. I was scheduled to drive to Karla (Lonavala) and spend time with my Company team. While, they had gone ahead, early in the morning, to visit Kamshet Dam, I thought I'd keep them company over appertiffs in the evening. Accordingly, I got enough time to put in a medium long run that stretched my limits a bit and I also had a nice cool beer to rid myself of dehydration.

I drove to Lonavala, listening to my favorite songs; Santana, Bread, Eagles, Cliff Richard and yes, Lorna' Goan songs:-) It was a nice relaxing drive and I felt at peace with my thoughts. The verdant landscape as I neared Lonavala was reminiscent of my times with Catholic friends in Pune, in the late 80s. It felt heavenly as I drove thru' a ghostly fog that rolled down the Ghats, making visibility a tad difficult on the expressway. I finally arrived at Karla resort and settled in with my team to some shots of whisky and a typical maharashtrian non-vegetarian dinner. I had fitful sleep that night as I was kept awake by the incessant drumming of rain on the roof of the cottage I'd been put up in. It also felt very eerie to hear the rain drops pitter-patter outside and a ghoulish wind howling all night long.

The next morning I woke up and as I went about my ablutions, I thought of all the friends that might have assembled at the i-Race in IIT. I wished I could have somehow woken up earlier and driven down to join them in time for the race. I realised that even I did, I would be in no condition to do a 10K, given that I had just done a long run 24 hrs back! Well, I'm sure just being there would have been enough. I had a nice breakfast of hot coffee and egg omlette with buttered bread - its nice to spoil yourself sometimes. Besides, what the heck, I can easily burn off the butter:-) I then drove back at a cruising speed, breathing in the crisp mountain air in the Lonavala Ghats, as I wound my way downhill, this time. Glad to return home to the family and Dojo and some delectable "Caju Fenny" sent by Joe, my bro-in-law. Simple pleasures:-)