Spring Break - Aamby Valley City

Aamby Valley City

One of our staff members has a house in Lonavala which is about an hour and a half from Mumbai.  It is quiet and peaceful with lots of land to drive 4 wheelers and climb mountains etc.  I enjoyed it a lot.  My friends were doing lots of different things for Spring break and I had options to go with people, but I just wasn’t feeling like major adventure.  I thought about going back to Lonavala and hiking etc.  My friend Madeline suggested going to Aamby Valley City which is close to Lonavala.  Her husband is the works with the resort there.  I looked up AVC on line and it is a planned community with a hospital, International school, lots of activities to do etc. I decided to come spend a few nights up here.

Carol is a teacher at our school who has worked here for 20 years.  She married an Indian actor and speaks Hindi so she is a great help.  The school said I couldn’t hire one of their drivers to take me because they were busy doing airport runs for teachers for spring break. I asked Carol if she could recommend a driver.  Her personal driver asked around and found Alam.  He came to the school to meet me and find out where I live etc.  He agreed to pick me up Sunday morning and drive me 2 hours to AVC, stay there until Wed and drive me back.  The hotel charges about 30 USD a day for a driver to stay and get 3 meals. 

I was feeling really sick the morning I was supposed to leave.  I called the driver to see if we could leave later.  All he kept saying was 9 am.  Ah. Language barrier.  I packed plastic bags in case I had to throw up in the car and prayed I wouldn’t need to find a bathroom on the way up there.  I laid down in the back seat and it wasn’t too bad.  Even though I couldn’t see out the windows I could tell when we crossed the bridge to the mainland (Mumbai is on Islands) the car starts moving faster and there is less honking.

I have not been around wealthy people much in my life and it unnerves me a little.  I’m getting a little more comfortable with it here because so many of my kids have really wealthy parents etc.  but I am still not at ease with it.  We get to AVC and it is a like a fortress.  I had to prove I had reservations to get through the first gate. Then we pull up to security rivaling Israel.  We had to take everything out of the car and scan it.  They checked the car and deemed I had no bombs so off we go.  A guard gets in the car ahead of us and escorts us to the hotel!  The hotel staff was so nice!  They gave me juice upon arrival and went out their way to accommodate me because their my friend’s husband had set this up for me.  I got the top floor of a timber chalet – it is gorgeous.  They are built kind of like log cabins and the stairs to my room smell like it and creak like an old house.  I spent Sunday exploring the grounds after I made sure Alam was taken care of.  I walked to the “town plaza”  which was farther than I thought.  And it was over 100 degrees F.  HOT.  Mumbai is hot, but we are closer to the water and because it is a big city it feels cooler because buildings block out some of the sun etc.  Here it is wide open spaces with the sun blazing down like in a desert.  I had lunch at the Four Seasons there.  They had some good Indian food even though it is not my favorite.  Really the only culinary things I will miss from India this summer is garlic naan, fresh lime soda and pineapple juice.  I had a great lunch with great dessert and drank my weight in fresh like soda because I was so hot.  I went to the “store” they have there and got some water for the long walk back.  I took a nap and then did some more exploring in the evening. I saw lots of Indian worker walking everywhere in long lines.  I’m wondering if they stay here in this city and where.  Walking is great here.  It is hotter than heck, but I don’t have to watch out for rickshaws, and poop, and people sleeping on the sidewalks!  I ordered pizza in my room and called my dad – haven’t talked to him in awhile. 

I slept well.  The shower had way better hot water than I have at my flat!  I walked to the Four Seasons again but it was cooler in the morning. Breakfast was good – There were omelets, yogurt, fruit etc.  Along with Idli, dosas etc.  A good balance since I cannot stand Indian breakfast food.  The waitress was very nice to me – she remembered me from the day before.  I am used to eating alone on vacations but they always make you feel bad – taking away the extra plates, glasses and napkins and making a big deal that you are alone. At least she took the stuff away while I was getting food.  I walked back, took some pictures, took a nap, read a magazine on my ipad, finished a book.  I wanted some ice cream in the afternoon but didn’t want to walk all the way out there.  I hadn’t talked to Alam since yesterday when he dropped me at the hotel. I am not used to having a driver.  I know he is staying here to drive me anywhere I want to go, that is his job, but I felt bad just needing ice cream!  Ha!  I offered ice cream, he wouldn’t take it. I asked him to drive down a road I hadn’t been down so I could take pictures.  He kept saying it was beautiful.  On the way back he drove holding his phone up so he could video!  Not the safest, but there are very few cars on the road so I let him.  I asked if he was recording to show his wife. He said “I have girl 13 years and boy 7 years”  He wanted his family to see what life outside of Mumbai looks like.  I felt awful that I am keeping him from his family for 3 days just so I can read, hike, lay at the pool.  One night at this hotel costs more than what I am paying him for 4 days.  Ridiculous!  I have never stayed at a hotel this expensive myself – usually split it with someone.  It is nice to get away and it is nice to not have to watch every penny here like I did in the US. 

On Tuesday I walked some more, went on a boat ride on the lake and laid out at the pool.  I actually got some color!  You can spend hours outside in Mumbai and not get any color.  Alam came to get me to take me to dinner and ice cream J

On Wednesday I went walking, swimming and then headed home around 11:30.   It was really weird being waited on and being treated so well.  Not sure I'll get used to staying at places this nice.  I had a really restful break and I think I will hire Alam to drive me to Pune in a few weeks J