Up into the Nilgiri hills of India now in Tamil Nadu, drove through two wildlife reserves to get there and saw monkeys, elephants and deer en route - the smarter animals stayed away from the road!
The Jungle Retreat was awesome place to stay, in the heart of the Mudmalai National Park surrounded by electric fence to keep the tigers and leopards out.......I was wishing I had bought my air-rifle!
It had a great bar area and really friendly place - everyone ate together so we met lots of people. After lunch the staff had time-out which obviously involved a game of cricket (these people are obsessed with the sport). They seemed pretty pleased that an Englishman was so shit at it.
Organised a trek the next day with a guide and another couple (no gun). This meant venturing outside the safety of the electric fence - the comfort we were given is that the big cats rarely come out during the day.....and gladly we saw none, the closest we got was some leopard shit which our guide told us was a day old... In the end the only animals we saw were wild chickens, giant squirrel and one bison - it isn't quite the Serengeti, but then we didn't come here for the wildlife!
The Jungle Retreat was awesome place to stay, in the heart of the Mudmalai National Park surrounded by electric fence to keep the tigers and leopards out.......I was wishing I had bought my air-rifle!
It had a great bar area and really friendly place - everyone ate together so we met lots of people. After lunch the staff had time-out which obviously involved a game of cricket (these people are obsessed with the sport). They seemed pretty pleased that an Englishman was so shit at it.
Organised a trek the next day with a guide and another couple (no gun). This meant venturing outside the safety of the electric fence - the comfort we were given is that the big cats rarely come out during the day.....and gladly we saw none, the closest we got was some leopard shit which our guide told us was a day old... In the end the only animals we saw were wild chickens, giant squirrel and one bison - it isn't quite the Serengeti, but then we didn't come here for the wildlife!
In all it was a 4 hour hour trek up to a tea plantation, a welcome cuppa in the village and then 2 hours back down. The people in the village were so friendly - everyone wanted us to take their pictures and show them on the digital camera. Kids appeared from everywhere to wave and practice their English.
Headed to the main town called Ooty that afternoon - it was an amazing journey up through the tea plantations. Ooty is 2,200m high and was properly cold - we had to dig out some long sleeved clothes and trousers... not what we were expecting! It was like an Alpine resort out of season but still with a distinct Indian feel - cows, horses and goats wantering the streets and rickshaws zooming everywhere... This place was a big holiday destination established by the brits in the early 19th century, so lots of old colonial hotels and buildings which are now a bit unkept. It felt like we stepped into a time warp. Had dinner in a colonial mansion recently converted to a hotel and sat by the open fire and Christmas tree. Not exactly real India, but we couldn't resist a festive evening warming ourselves by the fire!
(Dad Neil, we came back down from Ooty on a steam train, you'd have loved it!)
Currently waiting for the midnight train to take us to Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala.....we arrive at 5 am, oh joy.
Jo is still loose but getting better. I had a loose moment but back in the game after a day....
(Dad Neil, we came back down from Ooty on a steam train, you'd have loved it!)
Currently waiting for the midnight train to take us to Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala.....we arrive at 5 am, oh joy.
Jo is still loose but getting better. I had a loose moment but back in the game after a day....
1 comment:
Jealous! And you are in the heart of the area where the latest book is set - The former booker prize winner Arudhathi Roy is from Kerala. Her book The God of small things took place in Ayemenem near Kottayam. From th einternet:
Kerala is hugged by coasts on one side and hills on another, which are the homes of tea and coffee plantations leading to denser monsoon forest land. This green land is interrupted by the azure backwaters, where you can explore the country on a rice boat.
Kerala is a land of ancient culture. People are warm and lively with strong sense of tradition and religious belief. It is the first State in India to achieve hundred percent literacy and zero percent population growth. Enjoy! Ma n Pa
Post a Comment