Looking Back Detail Page

01 Apr

- Paul Nanda, P. L., Horses
 
It was on the Thursday of the 3rd of August 1952 that we decided to go to Lonavla for the monthly week-end hike. To our good luck, Friday, 4th August was a holiday and Saturday and Sunday being the usual school holidays, we had three days to ourselves. And so we left V.T. by the Decca Queen on the 3rd evening-17 of us plus our Scout Master. We had three compartments reserved for us and were quite comfortable. The train soon rattle at a good speed and we settled down t enjoy ourselves. After a while we went to the Restaurant or the little Bar in the train and, as luck would have it again, we made friends with the man-in-charge who gave us two cups of tea instead of one and all for the same price. How much the Scout Uniform can do! We soon reached Lonavla where-boy oh boy! our luck again a Naval truck took us to our "Hiking Grounds", the Stanislaus' High School Villa, so kind lent us by the Principal the Rev. Fr. Donelly, SJ But here our good luck forsook us. By some misunderstanding or other the mali hadn't the key and we decided try all the keys in the various pockets our Scouts, but not one proved an "Open Sesame" Our Scout Master after one hour effort and thinking decided to break the lock - to break the lock? But with what please? When nothing could be found at hand, a stone did the work-with the help of torches, for - another misfortune - the electric lights would not work and good heavens, it now started really pouring if it ever did. But we are Scouts, aren't we? - the lock gave way, we found the main, we bor¬rowed three bulbs and there we were smiles all over again. The first floor was simply a wooden hall, rather built for dancing purposes, so it looked to us in the dark. In the ground floor there were rooms, but these were crowded with old furniture and it seemed that these rooms had not been opened for years. We occupied the first floor, laid down our beddings, had our dinner, and went to bed.
The next morning our first care was to buy a new lock, a few good bulbs, return the borrowed ones and then-set to work our plan. We soon found that nearby there was a well, a wind-mill, a swim¬ming pool, a tennis court, a football ground, and enough of other things to treat ourselves to. In the evening, we changed into uniform and walked to the bazaar which was about a mile from the villa. We bought some vegetables and some tin milk. At night, I was so tired that I had scarcely laid down when I fell sound asleep till the next morning - the night before I could not sleep at all. Early next morning we changed into uniforms, had our breakfast quickly, took our rain coats and boarded a Naval truck which dropped us at "INS Shivaji". There the Master of the Sea Scouts took us all around the place. He showed us the hut that the Sea Scouts had built for themselves. It was a nice little wooden hut built for six Patrols. At the side of it there was a beautiful lake with a tiny isle in the centre, and behind it, the beautiful green mountains. The most important thing that this man showed us was called the "Tiger Slip". It was a mountain which cut straight down about sixteen hundred feet with a hole about four feet deep at the side of it. It is said that once a man was chased by a tiger, and the man, while running, by chance fell into that hole and the tiger in full speed jumped over him and fell down into the valley, 16,000 feet below not to be seen any more. After walking all over those mountains and round the Lake of Shivaji we were taken around the Establishment. We saw the classes the workshops the welding going on the furnaces the model engine two real huge engines of two equally huge boats that "were", and the freezing chamber. By 12-30 - we were so exhausted that we could scarcely stand on our feet, so the good man took us to the ‘line Can¬teen’ to refresh ourselves with tea and cakes.
And. . . back to the truck and back to our Villa. We had learned a good deal. It was really worth the while. The swimming pool was so close-by that in the afternoon we went there for a swim. We enjoyed ourselves a lot; un¬fortunately, some of the boys could not swim and, as the water was above their heads they made no attempt. . . In the pool, there were so many fishes and frogs. In the evening, we went to see a huge lake called the Walvan Lake where the water is stored and only the quantity re¬quired is allowed to flow into a canal. When we came back we all were very tired, for we had walked at least five miles; we quickly changed our clothes, bought two chickens from the gardener, had our dinner, and prepared for our Camp Fire, but without the fire as it was pouring heavily. Next morning, we again went for a swim; I suggested to Fr. More to take a few logs for those who could not swim and he readily agreed. Thus, all could enjoy the fun. In the evening, we quickly had our tea, went to the station, and soon we found ourselves in the moving train. As we looked out of the window we saw men and women busy in fields of rice, moun¬tains on both sides. But as we drew nearer to Bombay, mountains and fields disappeared, instead of which mills and factories were to be seen. Soon we reached Bombay and the School bus dropped us home. It was 8 p.m. and, as I was very tired, I went straight off to my bed, dreaming all about Lonavla and wishing we had not come back so soon.
It was a first-class Hike, fun in plenty, and yet we had enriched our little knowledge. We knew now where the waters that give us light were stored and how they were used; we had ad¬mired Nature in all its splendor; the scenery, the paddy fields, the water falls; and we had admired that great establish¬ment, "The INS Shivaji", where so many young "mechanic marines" are trained for the Indian Navy.