http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , India , Tamil Nadu en-us Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:10:30 BST Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:10:30 BST Wowser that was a bus journey and a half Didn't quite make it to Periyar as it was getting dark I was knackered and had been on buses for about 12 hours so decided to stay the night in Theni rarher than turn up late at night totally exhausted First thing this morning I had to get a bus from Ooty to Coimbatore about 5hours and then from there take another couple of buses onwards. Coimbatore is http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/blog-317514.html I was sad to say farewell to my friends in Ooty Despite the damp and cold I enjoyed being away from the hot humid city and getting amongst the tea leaves Had to say goodbye to the boys at Willow Hill which was sad if I hadn't been out on crazy tours all day I might have got to hang out with them a bit more. But now I've got a taste for the jungle I've decided it's time to head for Periyar Park http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/blog-317507.html Woooo it's off to the National Park with a bus load of folk. I'm squeezed onto the back seat with a family which is funny. I think the kids are a bit freaked by the colour of my hair. They keep staring and staring The bus is 2hours late coming but I can't complain for 2 we get a tour for the whole day around local sights of interest and then all the way into the National Park bargain I'm not http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/blog-317504.html Woke up early as usual and enjoyed the sunrise in the front yard of our private home. The gang got up by 800AM and pretty much ready for the breakfast. Our caretaker had prepared Idly Dosa sambar and chuttney for breakfast. We also asked for some additional egg dosa and our request was acknowledged without any problem. We decided to go out and explore Kodai town. Our first stop was Kodai boat h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Kodai/blog-316512.html Got up and decided to go out for South Indian breakfast. Heather decided to join me since we were discussing about Murugan Idly house the previous night. We heard from our driver Balu that Murugan Idly is only open in the evening. We went to check out Gowsika restaurant which was close to the place we were staying. This place was recommended by Balu's fellow drivers. The restaurant was pretty clea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Kodai/blog-315092.html Got up early in the morning to check out the temple again since Heather Dan and Becca wanted to see the temple in daylight while John and Nikki decided to sleep little longer. After a small incident where I had to call the cops surprisingly cops were very attentive and helpful for the tourists we went into the temple and took tons of picture in the daylight. I would say Tanjore temple is one of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Madurai/blog-314757.html Everyone got up early due to Jet lag and were ready by 600am. Had Idly Dosa EggDosa Johns staple diet some French toast and tea for breakfast. Our van driver Balu arrived sharp at 630AM. Said goodbye to the family and started our South India trip. Our trip route was CoimbatoreTrichyChidambaramTanjoreMaduraiKodaikanalThekkadyKumarakomTopSlipCoimbatore.Our first stop was Karur for so http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Thanjavur/blog-314655.html I woke up at 300AM was really hungry. Thanks for Indu's mom for packing us the food. Feasted on the Biriyani and fish early in the morning.After 8 hrs of train ride we reached Yoda's home town Coimbatore. Rest of gang was tired since they had a rough sleepless night in train. My dad Sr. Yoda was waiting with garlands at the train station to receive us. Everyone was so happy to be garlanded and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Coimbatore/blog-314302.html Woke up suddenly to find that the time was 320AM. Rest of the gang was supposed to arrive at 330AM. Got little freaked out rushed down to the reception to find that their wake up system was down What wake up system I guess the guy at the reception overslept or forgot about the wakeup call . Reception called for a call taxi and had to wait 15 minutes for the cab to arrive. The taxi driver dr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-314297.html Had breakfast at the hotel John and Nikki tried Iddly Sambar Parotta and Pongal for breakfast. John's favorite was the vanilla milk shake. After breakfast headed out to TNagar for shopping in autorickshaw. Three of us barely fit in it. We went straight to Pothy's. John and Nikki found some cloths and I shopped for Indu. John had tough time getting his cloth size. After TNagar we went to Spen http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-313959.html Start of a long awaited trip with my friends to India pretty excited went to the airport to take my flight to Frankfurt couldn't make the flight on standby due to Lufthansa strike. Found alternate nonstop flight to Delhi on American. I was little concerned about John and Nikki reaching Chennai before me so I asked my Inlaws to receive them.Reached Delhi on time and waited for my early morning http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-313954.html Hi AllSo here we are last destination en route and what a destination We are currently in Pondicherry to the south of Chennai and are fast on our way to becoming curry junkies ohhh blissLeaving Laos via the southern most and little used border crossing into Cambodia we were surprised to find that visas and border stamps out of Laos and into Cambodia all cost 11 or 21 US dollars. All tran http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Puducherry/blog-313829.html Last night when Rangu invited me to a cocktail party he said it's just for the younger people wear whatever you want... So I wasn't expecting what is normally a full on wedding reception in a mock anciet indian village Complete with catered food bar dj laser lights and FOG MACHINE The only drawback was that it was incredibly hot and then started raining almost unbearable at times. This l http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-313584.html Arrived in Chennai and this place is HOT Our friend Rangu met me at the airport and took me by his apartment where the housekeeper lady served some coffee and desserts. Then I went with Rangu to run a few errands. He had to stop by the tailor for his final fitting of his wedding garment. It's like an off white silk with dark red detail stitching down the middle front that will match the red of th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chennai/blog-313103.html I spent the last couple of days catching up with old friends. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Ooty/blog-311983.html In January 2008 visited India and our first local trip was to Mamallapuram which is about 60kl from Chennai.We took the local bus from the very large bus depot in Chennai and was treated to the most interesting journey. It took us more than an hour to get out of the city alone. There were people on bicycles motorcycles trucks donkey carts tricycles small cars and hand drawn carts all laden http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Mamallapuram/blog-311460.html January 12th 2008........510PM.......we were at one of the southernmost tips in India. I can call it the only southernmost tip of India.....but one must nor forget our dear Andaman and Nicobar Islands Though we were tired with the daylong journey from the arabian sea cost of Kochi....watching all the fantastic beaches of Kollam Varkala and heading towards Thiruvananthapuram.....the excellent http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Kanyakumari/blog-311167.html My dad always wanted to visit Kanyakumari back from his college dayswhich was the reason he insisted all of us to visit that place.........on the other handI wanted to visit less popularbut excellent places like WayanadBekai FortBut as it is my dad's request......me and my mom agreed to visit Kanyakumari insteadThe next decision was whether to go by train or by road to there........we thou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Kanyakumari/blog-310467.html Hi This is Jaydip. I am a software pro placed Bangalore.My father works in Eastern railways so since my childhood days I have been travelling...Initially it was a funnw I am addicted towards travelling.This is my first travel blog.In Sept 2007. I was in chennai workin thr and livin wid 4 roomies.We got 4 days f leaves at a stretch.So we started for Ooty.Members MeJaydipIndraSubhoAshwaniA http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Ooty/blog-309510.html On Thursday I caught a morning train from Cochin to Coimbatore virtually no one else in the carriage and freezing cold airconditioning I arrived at 2.30 and was met by Christine and her friends Queenie and Martin who drove us up the mountain to Ooty. There were many families of monkeys lounging in the road and of course the usual trucks to avoid on the hairpin bends. The temperature here is http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Ooty/blog-309338.html Well my last day trip... and what a trip it was. We decided to take the bus right down to the tip of India. It was a public bus so it was very Indianised but thats cool becasue then you get a feel of Indian travel itself. we arrived about midday and then went to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in which a guy was trying to convince us to pay him money but Im kinda used to that now.We then had a spot http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Kanyakumari/blog-309106.html Inmiddels alweer teveel gebeurd om op te noemen. zijn dus inmiddels arthur en ik naar een plaats gegaan waar zo'n beetje niemand ooit een blank persoon heeft gezien levert erg grappige dingen op mensen die zelfs de buchauffeur toejuichen omdat hij ons in de bus heeft zitten. op zich nog knap dat ze ons kunnen ontdekken tijdens het merendeel van de reizen hangt de helft van de passagiers ergen http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Chidambaram/blog-308532.html India is an amazing place full of contradictions and craziness smiles and special faces.3.37pm I've just developed my own special India face. An interesting mixture of exasperation guilt and despair. I'm lost in a side street after attempting to explore Ooty on foot. It's so hot and humid I'm hoping the rain is on it's way to clear the air. I feel guilty about the row of beggars I've just wa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/blog-307870.html Tea glorious tea Finally made it to the tea museum and tea factory today where I was delighted to see how the teamaking process works. From 'withering' the leaves to extracting juice through to pounding and sifting until magically lovely tea powder is producedThis morning was all bright sunshine and tweeting birds and the gardens of the place I'm staying at looked just like an English garden. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Ooty/blog-307842.html Hooray for the Queen of the hills otherwise known as Ooty it's so cold up here there are no mosquitos to bother me My red eye is still a puffy itchy mess after the little critters had a pop at my face the other night. My thigh has also gone from being painful to itchy in the place where a strange flying creature bit or stung me during one of the crazy bus journeys through my trousers I'll hav http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/Ooty/blog-307484.html Crikey my blog tells me it's the 1st of August how the hell did that happen Anyway... I managed to get up at the distinctly notsofunny time of 5.30am and drag my sorry arse to the train station to see if the waiting list for the train had any joy for me. Had to check a list pasted onto the wall of the train station a bit like getting my Alevel exam results although this time I didn't quit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Tamil-Nadu/blog-307082.html