Tooty Ooty

Day 38

So we have started travelling. We've visited Calicut from Cochin. It was a 6 hour train ride to get there, we did an expensive sleeper ticket for 1.55 pound and got to stand in the doorway of the train hanging on for dear life, Russ called it free airconditioning. Eventually got a seat and moved our backpacks out the isle, and out of the rain. Numerous beggers and ppl selling everything from pencils to banana fritters!

Not much to see in Calicut, the most exciting thing we did was get a auto rickshaw from the train station to a hotel reccommeded by the lonely planet book. We arrived up their covered driveway to be meeted by a doorman. We just managed to fit all kit and both of us in the rickshaw...well all but Russ's left bum cheek that didnt quite fit. But we did squeeze it in when we got tooted by a very close bus trying to overtake us!
Only stayed 1 day then got an early morning bus to Ooty.

Bus was 1.15 pound for a 5 hour journey up in to the mountains. Had to do some jiggery pokery with oncoming buses around the hair pin bends. All the traffic here just toots, cant always work out why. Sometimes at ppl, cows, dogs, horses in the road, but we think they just toot to deafen us. Found a hotel that actually has properly hot water to shower in, our first hot showers in a while yipee:) We need hot water here as its actually cold, and drizzling most of the time. Our jumpers, waterproofs and umberllas have come in handy.

Yesterday we went on a tour around Ooty and up in a wildlife park. On the way we stopped at a golf course????!!! (must be rare in India), a Film studio, pine wood...(again we wondered why, but we liked the local monkeys), dam, waterfall. Drove up around the mountain and stopped for lunch. We were taken to another place where we had to pay to eat of leaves again, we went elsewhere for more edible food! Then drove to a wildlife park where we could only do a government run 45 min 'safari' in the noisiest minibus in the world. Did actually manage to see spotted deer, bison, 2 elephants and many many monkeys. We returned to Ooty by a road that went around 36 hair pin bends.

Today we visited a tea factory and museum, and then a plantation. Got a free cup of cardamon tea which is the normal tea for this area, were not too keen on it thou. Then went to a Rose Garden, supposed to be the best rose garden in the world. Lots of different colours but we like the strange names. A rose called Kim, Irene, Southampton, Laura and Dr Dick! Unfortunately it was raining most of today, but up the umbrellas went and onwards we march :)

Tomorrow were getting another bus 5 hours north to Mysore, where hopefully it will be warmer again. Going to visit palace and climb 1000 steps up another hill which ppl go on pilgrameges. So climbing 700 to the top of Sinai was just training for this.

Thanks again for the messages, we look forward to reading them.

Indira we managed to do more Audiology and filmed it so when were back would love to show you. I think the sound proofing at Harold wood is marginally better. At the school the room was next to the dance studio, so we had some background music to our testing!

Mum Lauson glad your on the mend, we knew Michael Jackson died, didnt know that he was bald thou! Yes its all looking promising on the weight front...still not keen on curry!

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