Hello People,
Its been over a year since I last wrote a post for this site. 2019 has been a year of firsts... May camp was the last time we did a family camp at St. Stanislaus Villa. Dont fret... When I say we I only mean fr. Robin Selwyn SJ. who turned 86 this year on 15th January 2020. So for those of you who want to take your families to Khandala or Lonavala during the school vacations can look up the camp dates on St. Peters Church notice board or contact the Parish office to make your bookings or if you need more information about the camps you can contact Fr. Rodricks
St. Stanislaus Villa Camp dates:
Batch I: [FAMILY CAMP] Wednesday 06th May 2020 to Sunday 10th May 2020
Batch II:[SENIORS CAMP] Wednesday 12th May 2020 to Sunday 17th May 2020
Batch III: [FAMILY CAMP] Wednesday 20th May 2020 to Sunday 24th May 2020
Batch IV: [FAMILY CAMP] Wednesday 27th May 2020 to Sunday 31st May 2020
Batch V: [SVP CATHOLIC FAMILY CAMP] Wednesday 03rd June 2020 to Sunday 07th June 2020
The above dates are for the benefit of all those who wish to plan their summer holidays in Lonavala. Please contact fr. Gerard Rodricks or the team at St. Peters, Bandra 2 months prior to the first camp date in order to reserve your place in the camps.
Fr. Robin is alive and kicking... and is still very much at the Parish Priests quarters, behind Holy Family Church, Chakala. It is best to call him on 022 2687 1968 before you visit but hes available almost any time if you need to chat or see him except when hes snoozing or in the Promised Land.
So long folks! Until the next time we cross paths in the hills.
For those of you looking for a weekend getaway at Khandala, we have a mini camp planned at St. Stanislaus Villa, Lonavala. The dates are from 23rd Feb 2018 Morning to 25th Feb Morning.(Friday to Sunday). About a dozen people have already signed up for the trip. We plan to go on a small hike early Saturday morning so don't miss it. This camp is open to catholic families and youth.
If you are interested and wish to book, please contact Fr. Robin Selwyn sj on 91676 22024.
As those of you who have already been to the camps organized by fr. Robin may know, this trip is privy to people who have been to the camp in the past or who have a common connect with the Khandala gang.
Fr. Robin was managing one of the batches of May camp at St. Stanislaus Villa from the 22nd-28th May and I'd planned to go to assist with the treks over the weekend. Some of the other helpers were there during the week. Friday night after work we took our seats on a minibus at Dadar and got to watch Bahubali 2 over the 5 hours of crawling traffic we had to endure along the expressway. On our way up we learnt that the big trek was rescheduled to Sunday Morning. We went to the open ground and set up a small camp fire for all of us to sit around and chat. I got to know some of the new campers in between drinks with the old friends.
The next morning I gave the mini olympics a miss and instead played some table tennis with a gent named Matthew. Later on in the afternoon we took a bunch of people to The DEAR Falls. The water levels were low but cool enough to offer respite from the summer heat. By that evening I had my share of people and took off into to the dark for some alone time. I suddenly realized how emotionally draining it can be to reach out to and be available for people. I took a walk down to the beginning of Sneha Sadan and settled down on the ground in the darkness, poured me a drink and lit up a smoke as I enjoyed the peace and quiet. After a while I had some fireflies for company. Half an hour later I went back to my gang who were settled in another dark corner and we made some music and conversation before we packed up for the night. Next morning was to be the Dukes Nose
I was woken up early Sunday morning by Marcus beating a rat a tat on his dogs feeding bowl.It felt as if I'd barely slept a couple of hours and considered giving this trek a miss until a sleepy voice in my head said "but you are a helper!" I got going, although still hungover from last nights drinking and not gotten over the antics some kids pulled off and we loaded cars and bikes to ferry those who enlisted for this early morning rendezvous to the breakfast point. Once everyone got there we ate some boiled eggs and jam and butter sandwiches complimented with hot cups of tea and coffee supplied by the villagers. From there on it was about an hours trek to the top of the Dukes Nose. I brought up the rear, herding the people onward and soaking in the sights and sounds and smell of the clear mountain air. Everyone made it up in quick time, egged on, quite literally. I heard a beer can pop in celebration of a successful climb. (music to my ears)
This generation gets bored quite quickly and once all the selfies were taken, they seemed quite clueless about what else to do as they baked in the morning sun so I rounded them up and herded them back down the way they came so I could go back and brush my teeth. This trek (mainly because of the car ride half way) didnt wear me out and I was ready for another trek to the DEAR Falls in the afternoon. Unfortunately my plan to take one of the discoverers (Evonne) there failed as she crashed before we left for Kune. Even a weekend at Camp is always fun, I do miss the memories we made at Kune but having Fr. Robin around shepherding his flock while we chilled in the lap of nature and kept a lookout for those in need of help lent purpose to our lives. I'd planned to leave for bombay early evening so got down to packing up and saying goodbyes to friends I'd made. Thats when another friend (Stephen) drove thru the gates along with his girlfriend and brother in tow... I wanted to kill him for ditching me at the Beer Olympics this year but then again he was my ticket to a comfy ride home.
Hello There Campers! I recently visited Khandala along with a fellow helper hoping to camp in the Garden of Eden. Alas! The Crumbling and decrepit Cozy Cottage was nowhere to be seen. We were met with a Blue and White Tin Sheet perimeter fencing blocking access to the open ground next to St. Marys Villa, Shooting Point and the entrance to the gorge that also goes by the moniker Bootleggers Valley or Ulhas Valley.
Rumour has it that Raheja has bought the place but I saw no signboards stating such. Be warned before you plan a trip into the Valley and meet with barricades and disappointment. There is a gate next to the Chapel that opens out to the grounds but in order to use that I assume we'd need to check into St. Marys. I used to fear Lokhandwala would eventually block access to the DEAR Falls beyond Kune Mission but these guys got the jump on them.
Here are the lyrics of one of the Hymns fr. Robin would sing at camp. The old Padre even cut an album with an audio recording of all the songs he'd sung. Later on digitalized on CD. Makes for good music to wake up to. Unfortunately none of it has been computerized as yet (at least to my knowledge) or else I'd love to have in on ITunes so I could listen to them as I travel.
He
He can turn the tide or calm the angry sea,
He alone decides who writes a symphony.
He lights ev'ry star that makes our darkness bright
He keeps watch all through each long and lonely night.
He still finds the time to hear a child's first prayer,
Saint or sinner calls and always find him there.
refrain: Though it makes Him sad to see the way we live, He'll always say, "I Forgive"
He can grant a wish or make a dream come true,
He can paint the clouds and turn the gray to blue.
He alone knows where to find the rainbow's end,
He alone can see what lies beyond the bend...!
He can touch a tree and turn it's leaves to gold,
He knows ev'ry lie that you and I have told.
refrain: Though it makes him sad to see the way we live, He'll always say, "I Forgive".
melody- Jack Richards Lyrics- Richard Mullen sung by- Al Hibbler
A select few of us, helpers at Fr. Robins Camps got invited to a weekend at St. Stanislaus Villa, Lonavala. As soon as I got that invitation I made up my mind to go. My plan was to take the afternoon train into Khandala... A beautiful ride during the monsoon as the bogies wind through the lush green Western Ghats peppered with waterfalls and at Rs. 60/- for a ticket from Victoria Terminus to Lonavala its a steal for the pleasure it brings. Unforgiving work schedules and ultra short weekends have always made me give the trains a miss and opt for a speedier bus, car or truck from Dadar or Panvel Junction. I was expecting Ryan to join us over the weekend, but he had other engagements.
I was travelling solo, the way I like it, giving me a lot of alone time to ponder my life and play out memories while staring out the train window. I missed the May camp that just went by and so if nostalgia struck I'd pluck out an old camp memory much like how someone revisits a favourite book or movie collection. Nishtha missed camp this season too and required a dose of Khandala so I let her in on my plan. She managed to hitch a ride on my train on Saturday afternoon and we boarded the Sinhagad Express just minutes before it left for Pune. Staring out the window nostalgia overtook me reminding me of teenage escapades to Khandala at a moments notice! Those beggary days of budget travel permitting only train (schedules of which were known by heart) or the Asiad Semi Luxury bus from Dadar TT that took the Old Bombay Pune Highway and drivers refusing to make any unscheduled stops along the way unless they were buttered up and bribed. As we passed the hills of Kalyan the scenery changed gradually after crossing the Thane creek. Seated by the door we had a good view from both sides of the train as business folk and beggars coaxed passengers to part with their money. We ordered Omelette Sandwiches from the in house pantry for lunch and settled down to enjoy the rest of the journey. This was Nishthas first long distance train ride(3 hours) and she seemed to enjoy the travel. I was pleased I managed to pull off a train ride in the monsoon with good company as a bonus.
An hour later we were hungry again and not finding the Bread Cutlets and Sabudana Wadas enticing enough we settled for tea and coffee as we waited to sample the famous Karjat Wada pav! From Karjat it takes another hour to reach Khandala making an upward journey winding through old tunnels dating back to days of the Raj. We passed Monkey Hill and prepared to disembark as the train pulled into Khandala at 17:15 hours. We walked to Gupshup to buy our welcome drink to celebrate the KBA spirit, picked up a six pack and went to St. Mary's Villa where we were met by 2 guards (one armed with a rifle all wrapped up) The man with the gun warned me we had only 15 minutes and I wondered what were the rules for trekkers who chose to descend into the Valley. Saving that query for later we went down avoiding Shooting Point and the scattered crowds on Table Land and found a quieter rock shelf by the edge of the mountain that allowed us a view of Kune Mission, The DEAR Falls pouring itself into The Garden of Eden as we dug into some Cold Beer and Roast Beef. Almost half an hour later we walked out the gates and none of the guards even bothered so I guess like most of the work force they're not paid enough to care to do the job well. Fr. Robin warned us that Auto Rickshaws didn't ply on the other side of the railway line and so we had along walk ahead of us. We walked past a long line of stalled cars and bikes heading back from Bushi Dam as we entered the Blue Gates of Snehasadan almost an hour later. The hounds let loose on the grounds (a cheaper security option) gave us a roaring welcome as they smelt the Beef and we fended them off as they circled us snarling and barking as we walked across the open ground. We tried sweet talking them without much luck, then we walked on not wanting any of them to muster courage to snap and charge. Once we entered the wooded section that led up to St. Stanislaus the dogs however, fell back as we entered our own territory.
Walking past the Chapel we heard singing and thought Fr. Robin was at Mass but he and Giles were waiting anxiously for us keeping an eye out on the front gate. We were shown to our rooms and after we dumped our luggage we returned to Fr. Robins lair for a nice long chat. Giles told me he missed me during the camps expecting me to pop in any moment as I often did. Fr. Robin brought us up to speed about the 4 days of rain that lashed Khandala before this sudden dry spell. Nish and I went down to the corner shop down the road to buy some cold drinks and toothpaste. There was another prayer group in the camp and we bumped into them at dinner time before they retreated once more into the chapel and we took comfort in the spirit as well. We lightly planned our next days schedule and I told Fr. Robin I was perhaps expecting a couple of friends to come by for a trek and so we could have an early Sunday Mass. He coaxed us to ride back along with him in the Car on Monday Morning over cups of hot coffee (I laced my with some rum) once he learnt we didn't have a fixed plan to return the next day. Giles was troubled with some medical emergency in his family and needed to chat so he strolled into the verandah where I was nursing my drink. Once the shepherd was gone, Like a wolf, I veered Shawn the Sheep away from his fold to indulge in some good old Navy Rum. After some conversation with our new found companion Nishtha retired to her room for the night. I too broke in my new sleeping bag, purchased in Jammu using it to sleep on the table outside my room.
The next morning I was woken up by Ginger licking at my hands. Thankfully she couldn't reach my face as she stood with front paws on the table over my chest. I crawled out of my bag, shooed the bitch away and went out in search of Fr. Robin. He was milling about his car but before I knew it he had already driven off to the market to get us bread for breakfast. We had mass at 8:00 am followed by breakfast and I tossed up 6 eggs to be had Sunny side up and Ulta Pulta along with Cheese. Giles sent us some Scrambled Eggs and Macroni Hash they put together for Camp Breakfast. We made our own coffee but a sudden power outage rendered it too cold to be enjoyed. My friends didn't show up so Nish and I proceeded towards DEAR Falls. It was sunny, save for a light drizzle that counted for nothing and we were'nt sure the walk was a good idea especially if we left for Bombay later that evening and had another long walk till we found Transport to Bombay. I any case we walked on, I twas mostly down hill till the railway tracks, we soon crossed the Highway and once we were headed down that old familiar road to Kune Mission there was no stopping us. Like ponies who know there way home we climbed up the slope into the Gates observing all the changes along the path as we crossed the bridge across Buffalo Falls. We said hello to Meena and paid a visit to the Chapel, gave the lookout a miss altogether as we went up to the Grotto and a while later headed to the Pine Trees that provide a wide angle view of all the places we love... Kune, The Twin Falls, Eden Valley and the Sausages. Next we trekked down the monkey trail to the DEAR Falls and as we set out on that unused path I sniffed the air to check if the falls were taken over by bootleggers. A long time ago we came upon them with unhygienic drums brewing Moonshine, we negotiated a deal for them to let us pass in return for not ratting on them as they brewed White Lightning that could smite you. This time with all the news about 100 plus deaths due to spurious liquor consumption at a hell hole in Malad, Bombay I doubt they'd be open to reason and didn't want to take any chances or crash their party and surprise them. I cautiously made the descent and finding the valley empty of humans and distillation units we went as far as we could. We couldn't reach the waterfall before the Leopard Cave as the water levels were up so we backtracked beyond the first pool to some shallow tubs of clear water.
An hour of soaking in cool waters, trapping fish and drinking a cold beer or two we made our way back up to the Pine Trees and down the way to the Old Bombay Pune Highway once more. We negotiated a deal with a rickshaw guy to take us by El Taj to pick up the Tandoori Chicken already ordered by Fr. Robin and then drop us off to St. Stanislaus. He was good enough to do so but unwilling to come by and pick us up around 4PM. on account of the diversion of traffic from Bushi Dam. After lunch we said our goodbyes to Giles and Fr. Robin, packed up our mess, washed up, and cleared out our rooms. We left around 3:15 PM walking all the way to Lonavala Railway Station passing a caravan of stalled cars and bikes, then crossing the bridge to the other side leading to the ST Bus Stand. Another quick deal and we were seated comfy in an SX4, 3 of us in the back as it stopped by Khandala Lake to pick up a fourth passenger before we took the Express Way back to Bombay.
As a run up to his 81st birthday and to actually create more boot space in my bed I pulled out two bags of old photo albums from long ago. Over the next 5 staggered hours I browsed through old photo albums and loose black and white photographs, postcards and film strips. As I tried to recognize people, places and faces I even found a few Kodak duplicates... those tiny cardboard frames that seem to hold a negative but when held up to the light they take on colour... This was a lot of nostalgia for the analogue photographer in me. I'd got these bagful of memories from a clean up operation at Vinayalaya when fr. Robin was shifting house from there into the presbytery at Holy Family Church and they eventually got dumped inside my bed at some later point in time
In 2015 they again saw the light of day, and a lot of the unrecognizable, termite infested pictures got ripped to bits and tossed into this mornings Garbage. Sifting through photos is always fun as you try and unlock the lives and time that's seemingly trapped in them! Pictures of Mother Theresa, Religious Conferences, World Travel, Weddings and Parties, various camps for families and youth organized at different places in Khandala... This old man has sure been around! Ancient photos of Ann and Wilfred, his parents reminded me of a part of his life I was never known to although I heard stories of. Pictures of his early religious years- a man of the cloth, a bright young dynamo preaching and singing from the pulpit... reaching out and touching lives! Then there were pictures of him eyes closed, both hands holding his darling Guitar. I must have then spotted scores of such pictures that remind me of all the music he has made and hymns he rendered unforgettable by his renditions. Una Paloma Blanca, The Baker Woman, He, Let it Be, You Have a Friend, Brother give me your hand... I'm sure we all have our personal lists of favourites sung by him and that strike a chord amongst us
This man has travelled the world right since the age of 17, undertaken sea voyages to Europe, lived alone away from home, Singapore, London, Spain, America whereas I- now turning 35 am yet to venture beyond Maharashtra and just got my reservations for a trip to Jammu. I keep looking for commonalities between us apart from the birthday we share and our love for Khandala and was quite surprised that he knew someone named Loretta back in 1981 long before I knew there would be a Loretta in my life!
