Day 8 - Sunday 26th October 2008

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Melvyn's observations

A fantastic and mixed drive. A short climb out of Ooty and great
scenery, then a relatively high speed section across the plains
interspersed with teeming and bustling towns, then finally a climb into Kodia at
6,500 feet above sea level. We also had a member of the camera crew
travel with us and he got some good material of Dinesh driving through
one particularly busy town and me getting nose to nose with a lorry
who was turning 90 % in front of us. Dinesh I'm sure will tell you
more in his blog but the scenery was simply stunning! Despite having
an extra passenger and his camera and equipment Maygo performed
fantastically so we must try to be extra gentle with her tomorrow.
Sections of the last climb literally had us in the clouds and
visibility very much reduced.

Another long trip tomorrow so this is where the Enduro piece of the
name kicks in. An early night tonight I think.

Tomorrow - Tea for Two

Dinesh's observations

The drive was great today - my biceps are hurting like hell with 14
hairpin bends.
We arrived at Kodaikanal at around 4 pm and been out to see the town.
As I have mentioned before, I am no longer ashamed to say that we are
not roughing it. I don't hink I could have done this whole trip
roughing it everyday. In any event, India does not really offer such
facilities for 140 odd people so hotels it is. The organisers have
been a bit naive but it is understandable considering it is the first
motoring event they have arranged. So far we have coped without
getting altitude sickness. Hopefully it will remain that way. The
scenery today was fantastic despite it being misty. The people around
here are very poor and just about scratch a living. Giving them
assitance with healthcare will be fantastic when it happens.
This is still a subject under debate with the organisers as they too
are unsure about some things and have discovered further layers of
Indian bureaucracy. This means they will have to rethink how they
organise the health outreach as they call it. This means perhaps
having a touring van with medical facilities rather than a permanent
establishment. But speaking with the trustees, we are sure they will
spend the money wisely and without waste.

More tomorrow...........

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