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Published: February 28th 2015
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Another cold morning and we are up early in Kodaikanal, ready to set off to Coonoor, a long drive in prospect. The previous evening we have had a club sandwich, unable to face another Indian meal after the burningly spiced thali served to us for lunch. Seems like chef had not served a club sandwich before. He had not done badly, but had not toasted the bread. He appeared at our table, head wobbling from side to side in excited expectancy. “How was club sandwich flavour good?” he asks. Such a sweet man, we just reply “yes, delicious, very nice”, and off he goes beaming with pride after first taking our photo.
Off we go from Kodaikanal. We trek along the side of the Ghats, uphill and downhill. The road surface is awful, potholes with the occasional bit of tarmac. The mist boils up over the edge of the roadway, driven by the warmer air in the valley below. At times there is a break in the mist and one can see the hillside plunging precipitately towards the valley floor below. Sometimes the drop is apparently 3000 or 4000ft. Some of the road side barriers could be a little better,
indeed in some places it would be nice if there were any at all.
Eventually the road plunges down a series of 14 numbered hairpins to the plains below. The temperature rises sharply. We drive through vast expanses of coconut groves, sometimes with banana plants interspersed. Sugar cane, rice and mangoes are also seen growing here. We see signs warning of “elephants crossing” but sadly see none. Along the roadside are clusters of huts made from palm leaves and woven palm matting that we surmise must be the houses of the plantation workers. Eventually the land becomes less fertile and we proceed through more scrubby countryside.
Everywhere we have been in Tamil Nadu, every other billboard and wall has been plastered by posters featuring a lady Tamil Nadu politician. There roads are no exception. We assume there is a state election pending. We have taken a hearty dislike to the smug overweight woman and her gang of cronies, some 30 or so of whom are pictured alongside her. They all look shifty or dishonest or smug. No idea who they are but we don’t like them. The only other people who seem to be campaigning are the communist
party of India. The red hammer and sickle makes a nice change when we see their flags flying.
We pass for mile upon mile through an endless landscape of wind turbines covering much less fertile farmland. David begins to mutter about the economic illiteracy of building and operating these monstrosities, and that they are probably built with EU grant money and/or British foreign aid. Humph humph he goes. Eventually they peter out and we witness a bizarre sight in a village where we stop to ask for directions. As the driver is speaking to one of the locals, three men, clad in yellow, walk past. One of them is carrying something that is shaped like a tuba but is not a musical instrument. It is emitting smoke from the open end, the second man is banging the hell out of a big drum he is carrying, and the third is chanting. No idea what that was about....religious observance?
We spend an age crossing the grim city of Coimbatore before taking the road up to Coonoor. The traffic thickens immediately on the narrow road, in both directions. Insanity on the road is displayed by many drivers. We
know it is dangerous as Mr Hussain is keeping his seat belt on (like most Indian drivers he only wears it when he sees a policeman up ahead). We see three crashes in about ten miles. The rain is coming down. The town when we arrive in a chaotic mess......and then up a hillside road, adjacent to All Saints Church, an Anglican church that could be in England except that it is painted yellow, we arrive at the oasis of calm that is the Gateway Hotel. Originally called the Hampton Manor it was built around 1857. It went through ownership by various colourful characters until it was eventually turned into a hotel. It retains the quirky charm you would expect of such a place, with the reassuring hand of the Taj group to now keeping it running smoothly.
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Debosmita
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Excellent description
Road to Coonoor seems to be fun and risky too. The post filled me with immense eagerness and enthusiasm to explore Coonoor. Thank you for sharing it. I am eager to know more about places to visit in Coonoor. I would even plan a trip soon.