Day 18 - Ooty toy train, tea factory and chocolate

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This morning wasn't great as I've been stuffy/itchy/sniffly and it seemed to be at it's worst and I'm fed up with it. Got the toy train to a place (I forget the stop name) where we visited a tea factory to learn 'what is tea?' Wasn't in best of moods but did enjoy it an take few snaps on my phone as we had to pay for camera use but not phone cameras. The guy taking us round started by demanding we answer 'what is tea?' then continued to ask. He was a bit scary, demanding that people get in pictures and that we touch and feel everything - even grabbing Sarah's wrist at one point and making her feel air that was blowing on the tea when she didn't go to do it herself. Was interesting to see how it is made and we tried some afterwards but I couldn't actually taste the tea for the milk and sugar - yuk! I always have any tea black. Could taste the chocolate tea though which was different.

From here we had a vehicle to get back to the hotel and had the rest of the day free. Went back to the Sidewalk Cafe and had some pasta garlic bread and chips for lunch before going back to rest and watch TV and fell asleep for a wee bit I think. Also got our laundry back and it's always nice to have fresh clothes.

Had a wonderful dinner at King's Cliff where John offered Natalie some of his cheesecake! Was also great as they had chinese green tea which I've been missing. However, we were saddened tonight to learn that our trip notes are false and that it is not 3.5 hours back to Kochi tomorrow but 3.5 hours to Coimbatore then 5 hours on a coach to Kochi!!! We leave at 6am!!! 😞 Lucky that we didn't have a late one last night. Tried to stay up and watch 24 at 11pm but just too slepy to make it through - very sad indeed. This hotel not great at all and only has hot water 7.30-9.30am so that means no shower tonight or tomorrow. We can have a bucket of hot water if we wish - we do not. Lucky that it's cool so not been sweating like do everywhere else.

General thoughts for today

*poor hotel
*far too early start time - feel misled
*got new pen today
*still quite worn out - looking forward to tomorrow's traveling to be over and to get a good sleep back in the Grand Hotel

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Photos

Ooty hills from toy train
Taken from toy train out of Ooty

Tea plantations from toy train
Taken from toy train out of Ooty

Some houses
Taken from toy train out of Ooty

Among the leaves
Pushing the leaves down a level through a hole in the floor