The Nest Coonoor

... The local tibe is a real hero and just got down from the vehicle and started pushing it hard..Every one of us were afraid to get down from the car.... Since we could see the world maximum to the extent of the car’s head light (I remember the novel atlas Shrugged). But some how we brought that courage, Mohan and I came out and started pushing the car accompanying our hero...Sreeni and Ravi were inside the vehicle. It was a real deadly nightmare. I thought it was almost our ...

... that the school gives people is with them for life.”

After less than two days Hebron gave me something that will stick. I have a strong sense of myself, and what I’m doing with my life. I am acutely ambitious about it, and long ago vowed that if I can’t go to heaven or live forever then I can only live an extraordinary life. And it’s nice to know that there is a phenomenon out there that reflects who I am. It’s good to be part of the group.

... and he let us in using the biggest skeleton key I’ve ever seen. It was like a movie prop key to the city, made of gray metal rubbed smooth and luminous, which he refused to let us photograph.

We could take pictures inside the church though, and Joseph aimed his impressive Canon digital SLR around the room, while the rest of us wandered respectfully down the aisles and antechambers. It was cool and distinctly old, decorated with intricate stained-glass windows, stunning ...

... a poor old fellow from a local village come in and he was thrust in front of us by our hosts, who shouted "Look, a customer, A CUSTOMER!". We didn't know what to say really, and the customer seemed absolutely terrified. Overall it was another example of the Indian's warmth and hospitality to us, even though it was quite bizarre. Finally, we left the gang of electricity men with promises to send them a postcard from our next destination.

... to hug the inside turn - left...just your average swap sides of the road rules that you don't see anywhere in the world...all done as fast as possible whether you are a bus a truck a motorbike or tuk tuk!!!! Oh boy!!!!! I did arrive safely and as Krishna said he had been driving up and down that road for 25 years so I should not be scared to be with him...he says watching me instead of the road....urgh!!!! *giggle* what can you do!!? :o) I am pretty shattered from jetlag but ...

Early Monday morning, Mr. Mark (in his stocking cap), knocks on our door to beckon us to the breakfast table. We are not to delay our 7am appt with our driver. The 7 hour drive is stunning and beautiful. We spend 2 hours decending the hills, the next couple on the plains and detouring Coimbature. Again we make the ascend up to the hillstation Ooty and back down ...

... quietly. He was my guide as I hiked for a couple of days around the dry deciduous forests in the rainshadow of the tall mountains to the west. For four days, I stayed at Secret Ivory, a guest house abutting dense forest, a perfect place to watch nature and wake at dawn to the sounds of thousands of animals big and small. The rains fell in the afternoon and at night, breaking the long dry season drought to a show of lightning. Grasses began to sprout ...

... out to visit some of Kotagiris many boarding schools. Here he treats the schoolchildren and staff for whatever problems they have. At 11 a.m. he goes over to his clinique and reviews the patients who come there. Since many patients come from the rural areas outside of town the tansportation time prevents them from coming earlier anyway. He recieves approximately 40 patients a day and spends avaragely 2-3 minutes pr ...

... I sleep. Or should I say Kilometers. . . About 20 kilometers up the pitted road, I came to a gate, a national forest sanctuary, and the border of Tamil Nadu. The toll was 7 rupees, and still there was none of the oft-mentioned baksheesh demand that people had so often told me about. They just took my ten, gave me back my 3 rupes, and waved me on. The old man at the gate admonished me, "care, driving, take care, bad road, elephant. . " Bad road. hmmmm. . Nope, I haven't seen ...

... their clutches. More hiking brought us to a high ridge with stunning view of the surrounding planations and forests. Matt had his binoculars out and was scanning the forest for glimpses of wild elephants or tiger. But lightening did not strike twice. Can't complain. We ended the day with a dinner out with two other couples we met on the trek; Fran and Seren from the UK (we make sure to say the UK because Seren is from Wales, so you can't say they are English - as ...