To Ooty....just

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Dear reader, in case you've waited with baited breath for the next blog, it's taken a few days - every time we do a big trip something goes a bit awry. Last time it was an adventure with a volcano (see the S America blog in 2006); this time a bit more mundane, but in triplicate.

The hotel in Coimbatore refused to accept that we'd booked with them, even with phone calls from the UK web site. A doctor's convention meant we had to stay 20 miles from the city. Fortunately only one night.

Then Murphy's Law, the heritage toy train up to Ooty, high up in the hills, was washed out after a recent cyclone.

To cap it all my punkawallah, Gary, got the dreaded bug we'd been fearing all along. Details omitted, in case you're reading this over beakfast!! After 24 hours in a darkened room, he was well enough to carry my suitcase again, so that's all right. (He's 100% super duper now.)

Christmas in Cochin was quiet, decorations only put up a day or so before, and mass on Chrismas morning, handily in English, was packed with a 1000 or so. The tuk-tuk drivers stopped to wave a Happy Christmas, so a pleasant atmosphere on the day.

We arrived in Ooty on time anyway, a great drive up the Negrili Hills to 8000ft. Ooty is a 200 year old colonial town built for recovering British soldiers and for respite from the summer heat. Apparently the toy train was built to supply the men with beer, how sensible.
We're surrounded by Anglican churches, old soldiers buildings, Higginbotham's bookshops (lovely), buildings that give you the impression you're in the UK (not lovely).

I wondered why I'd packed my thermal vest, after the heat of Kerala, but now I know, it's cool, cool, cool here at night. A welcome break from the heat though.

Tomorrow it's off to Mysore to see in the New Year, and then Mumbai for a couple of days before flying home - how time flies.

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Photos

Ooty's Badagas festival
The Negrili hills are alive with the sound of hill tribes. Today it's the beginning of a big religious festival for The Badaga community.

Bollywood scene
This site is often used for bollywood shots - a great view over the Negrili hills.

A visit from Stalin
Ooty is awash with banners, arches and newly erected pagodas to welcome a visitor. Who can it be - a bollywood star? a cricketer? Susan Boyle? No- it's the minister himself, Mr M K Stalin. He's believed to be the minister for big hair; there's a lot of it about.

Fully recovered.
After Montezuma has had his revenge. (The nearest loo is 10 miles away. )

Anglican church
This 200 year old church in Ooty is spookily like an English one.

Botanical rain
The heavens open in the botanical gardens.

Bad acting
A case of bad acting, or a fed up pilgrim about to start a week of prayer.

A little shy
A walk around the back throws up the human face of the town.

Portrait of the artist
Doing some serious sketching.

What train ?
The next train to Ooty will be in 2011. (Wrong kind of cows on the line.)

Monkey business
No, you can't use my phone to call up the peanut seller.

Watery Cochin
Christmas day in Cochin, all quiet and calm on the waterfront.

Where's my presents?
Too much going on outside to bother with the shrine. A hindu Santa on his way ?

Keswick
Uncannily like the English Lakes, the countryside around Ooty is so familiar.