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Published: January 3rd 2014
30th December
Our last breakfast together as Pete and Jane were going home today. No radio active marmalade for a change, the colour of it has generally been bright to say the least. Very sad to say goodbye to them as they have been great travelling companions and also say goodbye to Bala, he had been great to have as our driver.... Sal got emotional again with all the goodbyes and as we were all hugging and saying goodbye a tuk tuk driver came and joined in! Sal and Col had a bit of time so took a short ride in a tuk tuk just because we like a ride in them and the driver was lovely, his name was Babu. He took us to see a huge tree, he said it was a rain tree that had been decorated for Christmas and found 2 kids playing cricket and Col had been longing for a game all holiday, at last he had his chance, the kids thought he was mad! Sal had a chat with their grandad who was so pleased we were British and said how the place wasn't the same since the British left India and rubbish/litter was
his main gripe. Next to where they were playing cricket on a rough bit of ground was the tuk tuk driver training and exam area, that figured! The tuk tuk driver spoke great English, between him and the man in the laundry we understood more than we did from the guide! The tuk tuk driver called his vehicle his open air 3 wheeled Ferrari!
As Jane and Pete headed to the airport, Col and Sal met their new driver David and smaller vehicle. We were heading north to a small village near to Palakkad. Apart from Bala we have decided all Indian drivers are mad and David was no exception, once out of the city, the road was one lane each way and not in great condition but they drove the same.... For instance, the car In front of us was overtaking a truck and we overtook both but at the same time the same was going on on the other side of the road so a 2 lane road had 6 cars abreast, we clenched our buttocks and closed our eyes! You have to give credit to the Motorcyclists and tuk tuk drivers who get pushed out of
the way and really have to have their wits about them constantly. Not that we would consider doing a self drive holiday here but if we did, Col's vehicle of choice would be a steam roller!
We stayed in a home stay again, an old family home that had been in the family for 5 generations. It was a beautiful old house with lots of dark rich wood and seemed to be built around what would have been 2 small bathing pools. Shoes left at doorstep. Our host had a long name, he said to call him Bugs and he had a dog called Dodger who was a pug and real character, he actually had 2 more dogs in kennels in the garden and 3 puppies of Dodgers too. We ate with Bugs in the evening, he had a woman housekeeper who cooked and served the most delicious food, it really was very good. He was slightly odd being mine host as he had dinner and breakfast with us as he said he did with all guests but never asked us anything, we did our best to keep a conversation going asking him various questions but he asked us
nothing, seemed odd. We went for a walk in the local village and were warmly welcomed by everyone we saw, but we were doing battle with Mosquitos which carried on for our entire stay, so inside seemed a better bet.
31st December
After breakfast in the garden, we set off for Coonoor which is a 4 hour journey mostly vertical. We have no idea how high up we drove but we passed some clouds. The journey wasn't the most comfortable as it was hairpin bend after hairpin bend and lots of overtaking going on, there are numerous signs saying dangerous bends, no overtaking......... Nobody read them. A couple of times we would have to stop as they had got in a tangle ahead of us and someone had to get out of a vehicle to make others move back to allow the traffic to move. Bus drivers are mad men +++, they go tearing along and take the downward bends on the wrong side of the road aaaggghhh! Our hotel is another homestay and we are in the deluxe suite, it makes us laugh how they like to big things up with names, it was hardly deluxe but
has lots of room and everything we need. David took us down to the town for an hour, it was pretty manic so an hour was probably enough. The market was lively as they all are, fruit, veg, flower garlands, clothes, shoes, bags and everything else you might ever need. Full of people and noise but fairly clean which was good to see. Our driver like most of them sleeps in the car which we feel quite uncomfortable about and can't imagine he gets that much sleep when he has so much driving to do, anyway we bought him some chocolate and nuts as a New Years Eve present.
Our hotel was offering a 'gala' dinner for New Years Eve, there was about 20 people and it was out in the garden. They had a roaring fire going as it was very cold being so high up and they did well, a good selection of food and a great guy making the breads, he would have given a pizza maker a run for his money with his style, we have to admit to sliding away at 11pm and tucked up in bed to see the New Year in plus
the hotel was dry so waiting another hour in the cold to raise a glass of water .... Hmmmmm. Our driver was parked up just a few feet away and he wouldn't have been offered anything by the hotel and no doubt there was loads left over...... Strange old world, which we didn't feel comfortable about at all.
1st January
Service at breakfast was non existent, after 3 requests and half an hour plus wait, we got some coffee, we gave up on the eggs! David drove us down to the railway station where we were going to catch the toy train to Ooty. It is a regular passenger service but travels through beautiful countryside so is popular with tourists. There were lots of signs on the station which made us laugh, the retiring room, 1st class waiting room though the upper class waiting room was locked (what's the difference between upper and 1st class!) on one station there was a dormitory room.
It was a lovely journey, a large Indian family were in the same carriage as us and they made very pleasant company to talk to, their older son age 13 had quite good English
and was keen to practice and their younger son had climbed up into the luggage rack and gone to sleep. David was there to meet us and start the descent, it was a longer but a much prettier route than the previous day and far less cars though we turned one corner to find a car on its roof though everyone seemed to have got out ok. We travelled through a wildlife park where there are suppose to be tigers but no luck this time and though we didn't see any, David said you could often see elephants here, we did see lots of deer.
We arrived in Mysore, another busy, vibrant, noisy town, cows and dogs everywhere, we went to Mysore Palace which was pretty spectacular though the Maharajah has just died, and it was a public holiday so overloaded with people, all having to remove shoes so there were piles of them, everywhere, we chose the free shoe storage desk which we thought gave us a better chance of finding them again, however, it might have been free but had the attendant demanding a tip to give us back our shoes!
Our hotel was very nice
with a lovely colonial feel. Big news, we were going shopping! Not much of that on this holiday! Sal had spotted a place earlier and had to try and get David back there! David was disappointed that Europeans don't barter, so, he came with us and after we had looked at the obligatory tourist shop went to a local place and he stood back whilst Col bartered and he was dead impressed! High fives! Later Sal had a hawker selling ankle bells which was not on the shopping list but it's all a game, he wanted 1200 rupees we got him down to 100 for 2 and we are sure he still made a profit! Anybody want any ankle bells?!
David was very keen to get us back to the palace for the sound and light show and we weren't disappointed, we really enjoyed it, followed by a great meal at our hotel.
2nd January
Very strange at breakfast this morning, having struggled to get a seat for dinner last night, there was nobody there, it was 8am which has been busy at every other hotel.
David had suggested a visit to Keshava Temple which way
just north of Mysore on our way to Bangalore, we are so glad he did as it was a stunning 13th century temple, the architecture was beautiful and the detailed carving was stunning, from here we went to Dariya Daulat Bagh, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan.... He was ringing bells from the V & A. This was 18th century and was intricately painted inside with flowers and peacocks plus some murals as well, in its day it would have been an amazing place but much has got damaged and weathered but they have started to restore so would be fabulous to see in a few years time.
The journey to Bangalore was through lots of very fertile countryside, loads of paddy fields, carrots, jasmine, cauliflower, sugar cane, banana and David had now got the hang of us that we wanted to stop and photograph everything that seemed everyday and normal to him and the opposite to us. We went into the paddy fields where they were cutting it and another where they were collecting it, shame on us we didn't even know what rice looked like when it was growing. We had 2 varieties of banana, quite different
in texture and taste, we didn't always get the best photos but it is amazing how friendly people are and willing to let you, in fact pleased to let you photograph them working. We saw loads of oxen pulling carts loaded up, must be hard work but the animals have very gentle eyes. There were herds of goats and sheep and we saw lots of donkeys as well, some of them just roaming. We loved it. We never cease to be amazed at the ladies deportment, carrying huge bundle of sticks or big pots of water on their head. Calfs and goats laying across the passenger's lap on motor bikes, too much to see!
We got to Bangalore, unfortunately on the outskirts an accident had not long happened and the person was dead, the drivers all slowed to have a look and then Immediately restarted whacky races, the person had been killed by a bus and the newspaper also said that a bus had crashed the previous day killing all on board.........
Bangalore was a traffic jam, this was David's home town, he said there was 100,000 tuk tuks on the road here and we didn't disbelieve him.
We saw a truck loaded up with motor bikes which were being taken away for illegal parking, can't say we had ever noticed 'parking' everyone seemed to leave their vehicle where they felt like it! This particular truck had a man running after it waving a fistful of rupees!
We went to the parliament building and palace and then a bit of time to walk around the old market area, we love this, get in amongst it! Shopping is a big deal in India and here the smart shops mixed with the more traditional shops, we added a bit more to the Indian economy of course.
Unfortunately the next stop was the airport to start the journey home, as always a lovely chap was at the airport from Indian Panorama to assist us. Nearly every stop we have been met by somebody from Indian Panorama to assist with anything we may need though everything has been so well organised we have never needed help, we can't praise them enough.
We had a flight (with piped music of the Christmas variety all the way!) to Mumbai with an overnight stop in the first hotel we stayed in more
than a month ago, before onwards to London the following day.
What a fabulous trip we have had, Jane and Pete were great travelling companions. Every day has brought a new experience, new sights, sounds and smells. India is an amazing place, sometimes it is a amazingly wonderful and sometimes amazingly sad and awful but never anything less than fascinating.
I will miss being called Shally or ma'am, we will miss the incredibly welcoming people and the lovely weather, the fantastic food and the fact that Delhi Belly didn't pay us a visit is a big plus. I am sorry I didn't get an opportunity to weave Sheila Dikshit into the blog, she is an Indian politician we read about and that name deserves a mention! What a fabulous holiday but we are looking forward to a cup of tea and our own bed.
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Susan Russell
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Thank You!
Loved following along on your holiday with you Sal and Col! I almost feel feel like I was there with you. So fun to read. You really know how to travel! When and where is the next trip? :)