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Mountain hill station - Ooty
Entry 13 of 23 | show all | print this entry |
Trying to catch up on so much that happens daily. Hard job! It is actually Feb 24th and I am wrapping up my last few days in India but trying to recall the great last week I've had.
So, Ooty. This small little town up at about 2500 meters in the mountains of the state of Tamil Nadu. Note, I have spent a month only visiting two states - Tamil Nadu in the Southeast and Kerala now in the Southwest. I took a bus from Salem and let's just say it was an exhausting hot, hot ride up the mountain in first gear. It makes the drive up Mt. Evans seem relaxing. The number of hair pin turns safely, barely, made by a full size beaten up government/public bus was beyond counting. I had a seat in the absolute front so I had room for my bag. This is generally a good idea but I learned it is NOT when the engine is putting off 20 extra degrees of heat. Whew! After the about 8 hours I was to the point of closing my eyes around the hairpin turns because we literally got within 6 inches of every corner cliff. Talk about extreme sports, bus driving here is it!
So, in Ooty I was spun around in an auto to a few places that didn't suit and now, almost delirious from exhaustion, I gave a sob story (well, the tears from my tired 16 year old looking eyes :) helped) and ended up with a 1000 rupee hotel which should have been 2500. This was fanciest I had stayed in as my budget is closer to 500 or so a night (again divide by 43 for $US). Anywho, I needed a nice night after the busy wedding. However, as things have it, this fancy hotel didn't have hot water! Here, I am happy with 500 rupee night hotels with hot water and the one fancy one doesn't have it. I am made for budget travel.
Anyways, in brief I spent 3 nights in this chilled out little mountain town. Day 1 I decided to explore the Botanical Gardens. I walked about 2 or 3 km there and soon realised I was the only "westerner"/"white"/tourist, etc.. never know what to say, around. As I entered the gardens which were such a gorgeous natural respite from cars and business, I realised people were following me. A group asked me to take a picture of them so I did, then had them take one of me. Then, I realised a group was gathering around and everyone taking pics of me. Very, very strange, violating, odd, annoying, confusing feeling. I finally walked away and said no as I just wanted a breath of fresh air. But, every corner, boys, girls, teens, fathers, mothers, children were staring as if I was the only tourist to ever be here. Maybe I was!
Anyways, I finally decided, okay, I like to take their picture so I will let them take one if I can take one. I did that a few times then escaped up to the top of the gardens and saw a little boy come down from the "Toda Village". I guess the Toda are the original tribal group of the area. When the boy asked me to come, I was hesitant thinking, wow, maybe I am being invited into the unknown world every anthropologist has dreamed of visiting hidden hear atop the trees. So, little Simon takes my hand and we climb the stairs. I see the gorgeous view of the terraced hillside, a temple and some local huts and homes. A woman is sewing... oh, and the cute little boys are playing with a stick rolling the tires. How endearing. Then, the father is awakened from his slumber on the hillside and at the same time the aged, 80 year old grandfather appears. Then, the walk me to the temple, then, the kids pose for pictures, then..... they ask for money. Ah, my naivety is still alive and well! Ha. Okay, so I thought it might be like that, but I didn't see anyone else and thought it was a special moment.
I hesitate because it is always such a let down when you think people were talking to you out of real interest Adan then they ask for money. The father insisted on showing me his home and giving me his address so I would send the pictures. Then they tried to get me to by some of the woven items. AS this happened, I realise 20 other tourists are just haphazardly arriving as well. Ah, now I get it! Ugh. Anyways, I bought a little random weaving out of confused guilt. However, I also met a wonderful Indian couple from New Jersey (lived in NJ 30 plus years).
They were absolutely wonderful and we toured the gardens together, well they let me accompany them so I wasn't swarmed down to the bottom, we chatted, and ended up having lunch together and seeing some other sites. It really was a wonderful spontaneous meeting and I so hope to stay in touch. By the end of the day they said I was like their daughter (as they have children in US my age). So beautiful to meet such wonderful people randomly, or is it random? hmmmm
The last day in Ooty I decided a horse trek would be a great way to see the tea plantations. I headed up to the fancy Fernhills Palace for a 1.5 hour trek (about 175 rupees an hour/$5US). So, I get there and am waiting for the trek when I meet two women having coffee. They ask me to join and just within our 20 minute chat, I learn one is writing for the Rough Guide travel series and both are doing NGO (non profit )work in India for months. Great conversation.
I am in a riding group with 3 other guys, two from US and one from Dubai (well two from Dubai, one living in US) and our guide. I end up on a HUGE horse where my legs couldn't get grip enough to stand properly during a trot. Not knowing what to expect, it ended up being an amazingly gorgeous, eye opening trip I would highly recommend. We spent 3.5 hours touring on rural roads through tea plantations, watching people working in the fields, women doing the daily chores, children playing, hidden temples and gorgeous countryside. Add into this the fact the horses like to trot, and my bum could not be lifted off the seat due to the size of the horse and you can also factor in sheer pain. Oh my God! It killed! I thought 1.5 hours was my max, but no, my bum can seriously handle sheer tortuous pain for 3.5 hours. So good to know. Ha. Oh, and the fellow horse the Dubai guy had tried to bite me. Only after he tried, the guy said, oh yeah, this horse just bit my brother who was in front of us. Ugh. All part of the fun.
The scenery, friendly couple from New Jersey and horse trek truly made for a great little adventure in Ooty. Sure I am forgetting something but check it out for yourself if you can :)
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| 13. | Mountain hill station - Ooty - Ooty, India Feb 12, 2007 |
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