Jilling Estate Part IV: Final chapter

My final day at Jilling involved the following things: cocktails, cold war spy rooms, learning to separate the wheat from the chaff, astronomy, more hiking, more puppies, more food and a blessing. Please see below for details.

The day started off as every day should, with a morning solo walk through the forest, followed by some midday liquor and a view.

How do you separate wheat from the chaff? No, not figuratively, literally. Apparently, with a homemade wind-machine.

 

Following an enormous lunch, Nandini and Karthik took me up for a hike on the ridge, along the way stopping at the small cabins dotting the mountain. There were some wonderful antiques in the cabins that that Nandini's family rents out (like the below, I think a WWII munitions box from Bridgeport, Connecticut--a town which is near and dear to at least 1 or 2 Barths' hearts).

My favorite relic, however, was the below--a transparent sound proof booth which used to sit in the German embassy and was apparently used during the cold war for meetings between agents from East Germany and West Germany.  The current owner (a former German diplomat) now uses it as a tea house. I think it is REALLY ugly and out of place on the mountain.

 I was very excited when, after a long hike, we finally arrived at the ridge and Karthik pulled out a bottle of pre-mixed gin and tonic he had thoughtfully brought along for the journey. Way to be prepared!

 

We hiked back down before it got dark so the Lalls could stuff me with the pre-dinner snack (I ate like 6 of these and they're larger than they seem) and so I could play some more with the puppies. 

After yet another spectacular sunset, Karthik pulled out his impressively professional looking telescope and dazzled us with the night sky (that's the milky way over Jilling that you're looking at, by the way).

As we were waiting for dinner to be ready (although, I hadn't been hungry in days), hilarity ensued in the kitchen.

Sadly, my time at Jilling ended too quickly and before I knew it I had to go. But not before Nandini's mom blessed me by putting some flowers on my head and decorating my forehead with the traditional tika. (She also gave me a sari, 101 rupees--apparently giving money + 1 rupee extra is a traditional going away gift for new friends--and a bag full for fresh garlic.

Basically, it was a totally awesome weekend and I've promised the Lalls to come back soon.