02 | HINDUSTAN TIMES, MUMBAI MONDAY, MAY 25, 2015 Anubhuti Matta ■ [email protected] Take a trip this No TV Weekend, without leaving the city. There’s a Boeing 737 flight simulator in Mumbai that will let you ‘fly’ almost anywhere you want to go, putting images on the windshield that’ll make you won- der if the city is really just outside. “My wife and I flew over the Caribbean islands and it was as real as it could get,” says 36-year-old management trainee Punit Mehra. “I hope that saves me from burning a hole in my pocket,” he adds laughing. The simulator is a replica of a cock- pit, complete with an array of dials and controls. Actual pilot views with intricate topo- graphical detail and a trained instructor as your co-pilot are part of the package. “We were briefed on how the aircraft flies and what the different dials and controls mean. You get the whole experi- ence — from preparing the flight plan to taxiing on the runway,” says Mehra. If you’re scared of heights, on the other hand, you could stay grounded and celebrate the weekend on the many new indoor football turfs launched in the city over the past year, scattered across Andheri, Malad, Kandivli, Worli, Lower Parel and parts of Navi Mumbai. Enclosed by a rope mesh and a roof that offers respite from the sun, these spaces are open till midnight. “We often play a game of football after work. It’s a great stress-buster,” says geologist Clarence Mendoza, 28. Or, if you’d rather stay indoors, you could play board games such as Pandemic, Dominion, Viticulture or Mage Knight with members of gaming enthusiasts’ group Meeples Board Gamers (MBG). They have a collection of about 300 games one doesn’t generally find in India. So you can play at being a scientist trying to save the world from a pandemic, or build an estate in rural France. “My wife and I have become big fans ever since we discovered MBG four months ago, through a friend who had attended a gaming event,” says businessman Chintan Buddhadeb, 30. “We love gaming, and now we no longer have to ask relatives to ship games to us from the US. We’ve also made many new friends over games.” On the other hand, you could stay home and let the fun come to you. Events and experiences company Blue Bulb can turn your terrace, garden or parking lot into a lasertag ‘battlefield’ for you and your friends. On the other hand, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away is Kelva, where you can lie back in a hammock and watch the waves hit the shore, or go horse-riding, cycling, and kite-flying. You can also go on excursions to the nearby Shirgaon and Kelva forts. If you’re looking for an adrenalin rush, opt for wilderness rafting in the Vaitarna river, also conducted by Blue Bulb. This two-hour tour will take you along forests while navigating narrow river and bouncing off rocky outcrops. Big Red Tent also offers weekend kay- aking adventures, at Vasind. Here, you row your way up the Bhatsai river, just off the Mumbai-Nashik highway, pitch a tent on the banks, go fishing and end the day with a barbecue feast. For the less outdoorsy, there’s Purushwadi, where you can just sit back and watch a million fireflies light up the night sky. “My husband and I go there every May,” says Ruchi Khemka, a senior manager at a telecom company. “It’s the perfect break from the chaos and pollution of the city.” SWITCH OFF. UNWIND. EXPLORE The No TV Weekend is almost here. In the run-up, we suggest ways in which you can celebrate with friends and family. Don’t miss: HT’s exciting events and prizes. Join the celebration on facebook.com/htnotvday and twitter.com/htnotvday All fun and games PLAY Turn off the box and take to the skies. You can fly a Boeing simulator this weekend, join a gaming group, head to the city’s indoor football fields or shoot at friends with lasers CAMP AMID FIREFLIES Watch millions of jugnus light up the sky, feast on fresh mangoes, swim in a nearby river, and dine on ghar ka khana cooked by local villagers on firewood, at the Grassroutes camps in Purushwadi, Vanjushet, Sishwat and Kadki in Ahmednagar district. WHEN: Overnight camps available from May 29 to 31 COST: Rs 3,300 per person, including accommodation and all meals CALL: 88794-77437 EMAIL: [email protected] JOIN THE MEEPLES BOARD GAMERS Enact the entire Lord of the Rings battle between the Fellowship and the Shadow or various battles in World War II with this club of gaming enthu- siasts. Entry open to those 12 and above only. WHEN: May 29 and 30 WHERE: Bhau Daji Lad museum, Byculla CALL: 98196-11004, 99875-95564 COST: Museum entry fee of Rs 10 per head ATTEND A GAMES MELA Try your hand at a range of curated games, including ‘verbal kabbadi’ and a special version of table-tennis WHEN: May 29 and 30, 11 am to 5 pm; WHERE: Bhau Daji Lad museum, Byculla COST: Museum entry fee of Rs 10 per head (open to all ages) PLAY VIRTUAL GAMES AT SMAAASH Shoot at enemy aircraft, design your own roller-coaster track or navigate a secret transport route to avoid Mumbai’s traffic prob- lems — virtually, of course — in the new games at Smaaash in Lower Parel. WHEN: Daily, 11 am to 12.30 am CALL: 4914-3143; COST: Prices start at Rs 100 per round GO KAYAKING AT VASIND Kayak up the Bhatsai river, some fishing, camp on the banks and end the day with a scrumptious barbecue meal at this weekend trip organised by Big Red Tent. WHEN: May 30 – 31 WHERE: Vasind COST: Rs 4,000 per person, including transport, dinner and breakfast; additional charges of Rs 300 per person for lunch CALL: 99305-82878 EMAIL: [email protected] CHECK OUT THE CITY’S INDOOR FOOTBALL VENUES Kick-Off, Oshiwara WHEN: Daily, 7 am to 11 pm COST: Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per hour CALL: 98207-67123, 98190-97603 Astro Park, at Worli and Lower Parel WHEN: Daily, 7 am to midnight COST: Rs 3,500 per hour CALL: 88782-29996 Kick, Powai WHEN: Daily, 7 am to 1 am COST: Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,250 per hour CALL: 98193-35701 Dreamfields, at Kandivli, Malad, Andheri, Ghatkopar, Vashi and Kalyan WHEN: Daily, 7 am to 1 am COST: Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,250 per hour CALL: 76668-84422 ■ (Clockwise from left) Try some wilderness rafting at Vaitarna; indoor football at Kick-Off astroturf, Oshiwara; unusual board games at the Meeples meet; laser tag courtesy Blue Bulb; or climb into the cockpit of a Boeing simulator at Kurla’s Phoenix Market City mall, for Rs1,750 for 30 minutes and Rs2,950 for an hour per couple. MAP YOUR DAYS Would you like to go kayaking in Vasind or play footie in Powai? Take your pick this No TV Weekend HINDUSTAN TIMES OFFERS YOU... We have lots lined up for you throughout No TV Weekend. Here’s a look at the schedule for Friday To register for these events, go to notvday.hindustantimes.com TREASURE HUNT Do you know your city well enough? Here’s a fun chal- lenge to test your knowledge of Mumbai. Starts at 6 pm, at Shivaji Park, Dadar OPEN-DECK BUS RIDE Breeze through south Mumbai atop an open-deck bus for a unique view of the city. Register on the same day and collect passes at the Coomaraswamy Hall gate of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum between 3 pm and 3.15 pm. Hop on for an hour-long ride at 4.30 pm MUMBAI CYCLOTHON Join us for fun bike rides! Do bring your own bicycle and cycling gear. Assembly time is 6 am, at Lucky Restaurant, Bandra FOOTBALL DRILL CHALLENGE & PICTIONARY FOR KIDS A mixture of your dribbling skills and mind games, your child’s ball-playing skills are sure to be tested with this unique take on Pictionary. 6 pm to 7 pm, at Kick, Powai HARRY POTTER MAGIC WORKSHOP FOR KIDS Is there science to Harry Potter’s Magic? Find out at this workshop with science experts. 10.30 am to 11.30 am, at Kitab Khana, Fort RUNNING AND LIVING Run for 5 and 10 km, make new friends, explore your neigh- bourhood and your city. Assembly time is 6.15 am, at Jogger’s Park gate, Bandra STAND-UP COMEDY Get ready to laugh your heart out with Arzan Khambatta and Neville Bharucha. 8 pm to 8.30 pm, David Sassoon Library, Kala Ghoda COCKTAIL-MAKING WORKSHOP Learn to shake it like you mean it, with Woodside Inn’s bartenders. 4 pm to 5 pm, at Woodside Inn, Colaba. Entry based on availability of space. OJO DE DIOS MANDALA WEAVING COURSE FOR KIDS Join Amisha Shroff for this creative craft activity. Each vibrant pattern is a colourful new creation. 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum BOOK SWAP FOR KIDS Refresh your child’s library at this event by Xchange-It. Just bring a book you’ve read and take home one you haven’t. 3 pm to 6 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum ZUMBA FOR KIDS WITH SUCHETA PAL Let your child explore kid- friendly routines based on zumba choreography, coupled with games and activities. 5 pm to 6 pm, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum KK NIGHT Celebrate Bollywood music with KK. 7 pm to 9.30 pm, at Richardson & Cruddas in Byculla TOUR OF THE GPO Mumbai’s General Post Office is one of the biggest in the world. This is your chance to tour the heritage building. 8.45 am to 11.30 am; starting point GPO main gate, Fort MARATHI PLAY BAAKI EKAAKI A compilation of four short stories that offer a lighter take on loneliness. 6 pm to 7.30 pm, David Sassoon Library, Kala Ghoda MUMBAI Astro Park Worli Kick, Powai Dreamfields, Kandivli The Guide Dreamfields, Ghatkopar Kick-Off, Oshiwara Dreamfields, Andheri Astro Park Lower Parel Smaaash, Lower Parel Bhau Daji Lad museum, Byculla Dreamfields, Malad