The Magic Of Weekends!

I had had enough. I was feeling completely drained. July had been a long month. A teacher's workshop programme thrown in, making all Saturdays working, and I was ready to collapse. I told my husband that I needed a break. He surprised me when I returned from work on Friday by saying, “Pack your bags, we are leaving right now!"

We drove to Chikaldhara, a small hill station about 230 kms from Nagpur, leaving all work and worries behind.

A full moon played hide and seek with the clouds along the way, bathing the plains of Vidarbha with its silver hues. The drive was lovely; we were amazed at the well maintained highway.

It was dark by the time we drove up the Satpura ranges into Chikaldahra. The sound of insects greeted us at the forest guest house; an old colonial structure that looked like it would collapse at any moment. A family of badgers living on the roof kept us company all night.

The morning started with a good breakfast of idlis and off we went trampling into the thick forest of Sal and Teak, discovered by a certain Captain Robinson in the early 19^th century. This Englishman found it particularly attractive because the lush green reminded him of England- As it reminded me of Shillong!

There were ruins of a deserted fort that was filled with romance and history. A scenic valley with little waterfalls everywhere. Streams and brooks tearing off in a hurry at every corner. Lots of green flora, some naughty monkeys and lots of birds and butterflies.

We took long leisurely walks, avoiding the usual tourist spots. (Scandal Point, Sunset Point, museums and gardens). Just chatting and basking in the pure air. The best part was there were fewer tourists here than at other hill stations.

The locals kept to themselves, not hounding us with their wares and tall stories. The only disappointment was the rain clouds were sulking and we never got to capture those lovely images of cloud drenched hill tops.

This was no "wow holiday"! These photos will never hit a thousand likes on status updates at social networking working sites. Yet this little trip did a mighty task of rejuvenating me.

Sometimes that’s all we need to kickstart our life back into action. A short trip, a nice movie, even close friends over for dinner can do the trick.

Weekends are like lovers. They take you into their arms, caress and calm you. You wake up feeling fresh like a dandy, ready to start on Monday without the blues! Have a good week!