DISAPPOINTING OOTY

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14-15 Feb 2009. Traveled to Ooty, described by all our group’s guidebooks as a charming throwback to colonial British times. It’s a “hill station”, a small town used as a summer retreat from India’s terrific heat. Unfortunately, those times are long gone. After an amazing ride up the mountains to about 6600 feet, we discovered yet another dusty town, with the worst accommodations we’ve experienced during any Intrepid trip - dirty and in poor repair. We had a breakfast to remember - it took over 30 minutes to get coffee and bread. The Indian service economy is not service-oriented. Today, we took a narrow gauge train (famous toy train, UNEXSO world heritage site) for an hour to Coonoor, where we visited a tea farm and factory. The train was fun but typically crowded, and the factory was educational in many ways. We learned that they produce 11 grades of tea of middle quality, all of which is exported from India. We also learned that industrial safety is an oxymoron in India - lots of rotating machinery and conveyor belts with no safety features at all. For our Tennessee friends: this Sunday morning we saw four church denominations: Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Baptist, and Roman Catholic. Overall it has been a great experience even considering our substantial culture shock. Everyone we talk to says we will love northern India, so we are still excited and looking forward to our next adventure - we fly to Delhi on the 18th.

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Photos

Coonoor Tea Plantation
We saw many acres of tea being grown and processed -- interesting to see it before the question is "Sweet or Unsweet?".

India Rail
A huge station serving southern India -- I was actually interviewed by a local TV station about the place.

The Toy Train
This narrow-gauge train serves tourists and local travelers.