I had an awesome time, but I was glad to see my dirty room and bed and clean towels and proper food again. Sounds like I went on sanyas? I did! I did!! Not making sense? Let's take it from the top..
We hit the road by eight thirty, and for those who have over active imaginations we did not take the bullock cart, the horse cart, bicycles and we did not resort to Tarzan style of travelling either, we took the car. The roads are awesome, with the Toll and all now, so the drive was damn good. We stopped at a small hill station called Yercaud for the night. It's around 40 kimi from Salem.
I'd been there before, on a school trip in 9th standard. It was our very first day-night trip. Aah the memories.. I had a good time lecturing my sis on the way we sneaked up into our balconies (the doors had been locked) and spent the night out... about the camp fire and all that... Sigh. I also had to run to save my ass for half a kimi, because my dad wanted to spank me for spoiling the young child. Young child, my little toe.
And I can't believe how much the place has NOT changed. It's an awesomely dirty town. But if you can make it to the resorts, a little away from of the centre of the town, you're in for a treat. We stayed at a place called The Grange. It's tucked away on the hill, amidst a dense tree cover. Boating is about all you can treat yourself to over there.. and a few great veiws. The lake still stinks!!
Next morning we buckled ourselves in and left for our next destination, Coimbatore. Nothing much there... usual city type place. Pollution, traffic jams and people with their lungi's half way up :)
From Coimbatore, we left for Munaar, our final destination. The drive uphill, unlike that to Yercaud, is slow and across, at a vague guess, at least a 100 mountains :) It took forever! Oh! and before you go all the way up, do stop at this small stall, right on the road.. they sell fresh orchard mangoes.. it's hard to miss, it's the only shop on the whole road. Mom and dad went berserk!! It's all they did in Munaar. Eat mangoes.
Oh and yeah.. before that.. there's this huge field of windmills!! It's an amazing sight. there's around a hundred of these giants...
Around half way up, you're in for a treat. The air smells of tea and the view is amazing. There are tea gardens and tea gardens and some more tea gardens. Phew. What came as a shock to mum and dad and sis was the actual Munnar ( I've been there before too.. school trip). It's an amazingly dirty place (again). Brave it to about 20 kimi's from the town, and you're in paradise. In the midst of sprawling tea gardens and over looking the valley are The Mahindra Holiday Club Resorts and The Sterling Resorts.
We put up at Sterling... Had a cottage to ourselves. Two blissful days of long walks.. playing pool, reading and getting made fun of at party games, which the resort people hosted every evening... Aaah! Every man's paradise.
You DO NOT want to venture back into the city, or to any of the "sight seeing" points.. they're a waste of time. Take your own car, and just loitre around.. You're likely to see all these points yourself. For example, there's a point called "the hanging bridge". Sounds bery bery exciting and all.. but all it is, is a hanging bridge. That helps you cross over from one tea estate to another. Over NOT a stream ... but over some bery green grass :)
Oh and I almost forgot.. there's a National Park up there too.. I forget the name.. But there's nothing up there but Wild Goats. Apparently, there are only 2400 of them left in the world, and around 1500 of them are found here. The first time I made the trip up there, I saw zilch. But the view is awesome. You can see a million mountains.. and the whole valley. It's worth the 2 kimi trek up. This time, there were clouds everywhere.. but lots of goats. I think I have a pic of every goat that every tread on that mountain by now. Dad and me are capricorns.. I guess that's explaination enough.
On the way back, we stopped at a small place called Pollachi, instead of venturing straight into Coimbatore again. We also stopped at the Mango shop again, to find it closed. But that didn't stop me dad.. nothing comes in the way of fresh fruit and him. So, he gets the man to open up his godown, and buys 13 kilos of mangoes. Phew. That's my dad for you.
Now, the reason for this stop was to make a trip to the Annamali Wildlife Sanctuary. Dad's a wildlife buff. We thought we'd go up there and spend the day there, and be back by early evening. Ha! Good think no one spared a penny of those thoughts. We went there and found out that the best time to see animals was before 6 P.M and afer 6 A.M. In between which, no traffic is allowed. So, logically thinking, one would have to stay at the guest houses there, to actually enjoy the experience. Nothing comes between my dad and wildlife.
And voila! We have accomodation. No clothes, but the ones we have on and no toileteries. And we have a tree house to ourselves. Right on the lake. On a bloddy tree. Two trees.
So, we stayed in a tree house, saw the world's biggest Teak tree, saw no tigers, ate food made at an adivasi(tribal) settlement, and had alot of night time visitors. The not-seeing-tiger part didn't hurt, because we'd already seen proper ones at Kanah Kisli, which is another National Park in Central India, and India's largest Tiger reserve. So, we had an awesome time.
First thing we did when he reached Coimbatore, was run for the showers. My sis wasn't too keen on it though.. she's used to roughing it out for days without a bath. Yuck. Pig. We attacked the soft beds with rigour.
Dad wanted to make the drive back home in one stretch, so we were up to greet the sun next morning. And you won't believe it.. but we saw all our forest friends ka domestic relatives. domestic Bisons (buffaloes), domestic boars (pigs), domestic elephants (elephants) and domestic deer (deer).. and domestic goats (goats) so yay! Okie, I'm just kidding.
On the whole, the trip was great. So instead of running out of the country when you want a good vacation... visit India, again. It's the most awesome place on the planet. Not many places can boast of roads that will gaurantee to keep you awake so that you can enjoy the scenary and give you a very good physiotherapy at the same time. Not many places can boast of "chay wallas" (small tea shops) on the way and amazing views. Not many places can actually make you appreciate the change in air when you travel out of the city... and I can gaurantee that you get all this and more when you travel India!! I'm telling ya.. I've been through the west and the north and the south... and I'm amazed and I've loved every bit of it :)
What isn't great is that results are out next week. And that medical students have been pushed to go on a strike. And that Karuna Nidhi is back in power. And that there are people who actually support reservations. But that's for another time.. Hope you guys had a great and peaceful week.. because guess what?
I'm back!!
Oh and thankus for bearing with me, I've been a real BEAR at times... this is post number 150!!! Ok. Who am I kidding? I've been a BEAR most of the time... and best part is.. I'm still me :)
