Matheran escape

While in Mumbai, I decided to escape from the big city to the countryside for a weekend
After googling areas around Mumbai I picked Matheran, that looked like a tale town...
I was supposed to travel alone, but the night before my departure my host told me that there was an Italian couchsurfer in Mumbai, I sent him a text inviting him to join me and with surprise he and his American friend accepted to meet and travel together the day after.
When you travel alone  you are out of the normal scheme of known and unknown, friends of friends become your friends even sometimes your best friends!
For me it is normal to meet strangers and travel together, it can sounds weird or dangerous  but usually I travel with couchsurfers so a little bit I have an idea of the person.
Only once I traveled with a boooooring girl, she was a friend of a friend and after half day it was clear we were better off each one in our own ways!
The way to Matheran was enchanting , we took a small little train that drove us to a magic town!

Beppe and Bryan 

The train was way to small :D

View from the train

Matheran is famous for its horses, a must is to ride a horse around the hills.
Obviously you have to bargain with horses owners to get a good deal.
I was in charge of the negotiations and for this my Italian friend gave me the nickname of "Shark"...

 In Matheran while exploring around we met a group of international students living in Pune.
We joined them in their cosy chalet for partying. It was a great night dancing, drinking and singing songs from our own countries. It was also a good mix: Iraqis, Afghan, Iranians, French, Indian, American, Khazakhi and Italians,all having good craic!

Beppe playing with monkeys

Sunset

Lovely sky

Indian dance

on the way back