Black Thunder Resort Coimbatore

Namaste from Coimbatore!

We had an eventful escape from Ooty by miniature train. It is a beautiful journey, starting off in tea plantations wreathed in cloud and mist, and then descending into steamy jungle with big bright flowers and colourful villages. The train was full of holidaying Indians who cheered and clapped every time we went through a tunnel.

The journey down takes about 3 and a half ...

... familiarizing ourselves with the organization and trying to figure out in which areas we could spend our time. It is quite a large place with some buildings spread out over different streets and they have a few projects on the go, like the women´s co-op (sewing fabulous purses, cushions,yoga bags etc), making paper, card making, the goat project (which provides milk and makes soap), silk spinning, and then there is of course the ...

... amp; heater and my own bathroom with piping hot water. So all needs are met. I will be comfy and cozy here for the month. The cooking lesson was fantastic and it is amazing how easy it is to make great tasting food using a few ingredients and lots of different spices. She also taught us a lot in terms of Ayurveda medicine what each herb does or can do for the body if used to treat ailments or prevention of various illnesses, including diabetes which is totally amazing.... if the ...

My wife and I scoured the net for a very special home stay in Coonoor. I had always been fascinated of Coonoor. Coonoor in the state of Tamil Nadu in India brought back memories of quiet and satisfied readings in my childhood. It was a quaint place and found mention in fictional stories. So when we decided to make our first trip there, we wanted to stay in a special place. That place turned out to be the Devashola Tea ...

... plantations, passing through small villages, small huts and large farmers' houses. As you climb higher you pass cocoa farms, vanilla farms, pepper plantations and rice paddies. In one of the small villages along the way, we stopped for lunch at a place the driver knew. It was just off the road and we walked in and sat in the front room. There were locals there so we figured it must be alright, and not just a tourist trap. A few minutes pass and the driver comes in with a policeman ...

... throughout the tea plantations that cover vast sections of the mountains. as we ascended the air became much cooler and cleaner, breathing became more of a pleasure than a grim necessity. I think India is also giving me a bit of an idea of what it must be like to be (as ben would put it) an improbably attractive girl. basically, i'm always receiving a lot of attention from people, a lot of smiles, waves and questions. the standard trilogy of ...

... junk infused with sandalwood oil. The hawkers are also very aggressive here and you literally have to ignore them and walk away. Even then they sometimes follow you trying to get a sale. Once I'd seen both palaces, there were various temples around that I could peruse, so I took my chance to see them. They look very tall but when you go inside, it's really just one room with several compartments for statues of various Swamys. Swamys are religious godheads, I was told. The ...

... Mr. Naghabushan) was not allowed to see any of the plans for the BMIC and handed his land over and was compensated for it. The government cut down 750 coconut trees on that land, and several more acres are due to be taken. While this seems alright at first, maps for the BMIC were then released and it was discovered that Mr Naghabushan's land was confiscated illegally. It is well over twenty kilometers from the swathe of land due to be confiscated for the BMIC and the ...

... been working very ******* women's rights there. Before, this slum didn't even have a toilet and women were forced to use open fields, which led to serious harassment. The lack of hygiene was also a serious problem and the women and children in particular were suffering from various diseases because they weren't able to clean themselves properly. Through the work of this organisation, this slum now has two buildings that boast toilets and areas to wash clothes in, not to mention running ...

... all of a sudden: "Umm, guys, I need to use a bathroom" We pulled up at a hotel, which was actually a restaurant, not a hotel, and I sought out the toilet. After searching for a good while, I had to resign myself that this hole in the ground with the jug of water beside it was where I had to go. I have to say though, despite the conditions, it was probably the most welcome toilet in the world. I used the water in the jug to flush it, and then went back through to ...