Fresh air!

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Bry speaking: The bus trip was a wholly unexpected pleasure. Our deluxe tickets had us on a tattered old bus, so luxury does indeed mean 4 abreast rather than 5. However, the seats were dead comfy and the views were absolutely stunning. We wound up through the hills passing a nature reserve with loads of deer and monkeys. A ripple of excitement went through the bus as a tiger crossed our path - I didn't manage to see it, but Tom saw a flash of tail. The tea-pickers were hard at work in the fields that stretched for miles and the forests were full of poker straight hardwoods of some variety. All in all, for a six hour bus journey it was brilliant. In Ooty we've opted for a hilltop posh chalet style place, the view is stunning and there's a queen sized bed and a bath - cheers to Huw and Judy for that one! Oh - sorry to disappoint Judy, but there is no sign of this having been the birthplace of snooker, unless it is a secret!

Tom speaking: Mooched round the Ooty bazaar today which was cracking - full of bustle, squillions of fruit and veg stalls, etc. Made some good photo opportunities. Also visited the botanical gardens which were pretty. Hoping to book a trek into the hills tomorrow. Only downside of today was finding out that all trains to Kerala between now and Xmas are fully booked so we'll go for the 14hr bus ride, but maybe it won't be so bad if our last trips the measure?

Bry speaking again: Third day in Ooty we went for a fab trek (long walk) with a guide called Anthony. Top tip for Ooty: you can book Anthony through reflections guesthouse or YWCA - well worth it.

We walked through the woods passing Eucalyptus, Scots Pine, Gorse and many more, all introduced by the British. Our walking companions were a Canadian couple and an Aussie girl. The couple were hardened walkers and I have to say that I was a little concerned that my fitness (or lack of) would let me down. But it was great, fantastic views and Anthony was really well informed. He's been doing it 15 years and told us about the special government training course all guides go on and the one day a year when all guides go out on the Nilgiri hills and clean the litter. He took us round a Toda village, the Toda people were the local tribe before the British arrived and seem to have managed to hang on to a fair amount of their culture, living in their own villages in round houses and keeping themselves fairly separate from the townspeople. We also walked through the carrot farming area, where we met a grandmother and her two granddaughters (one pictured), after taking the photo in exchange for a sweetie, Anthony told us that their father had recently committed suicide due to the harsh conditions and inability to provide. Not suire how dieing helped them though... the wife will now have to work twice as hard and the only governmental assitance will be about 100 quid in two years. A sobering moment for us all.

We finished off at the local waterfalls where Anthony pointed out a number of honeymooners and talked about how he'd need to start thinking about finidng a husband for his eldest (17) who was at college studying nursing. Her father was particularly keen for her to study because without a decent education a girl cannot expect a decent husband it seems. He struggled with the concept of Tom and I being married but not having any religion, he couldn't see how it was possible... the idea of a civil ceremony didn't seem to translate.

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