Ooty 13th - 15th of October
Finally on the 13th of October I went to Ooty. I had already planned to go there, since I arrived in India. But either I never found a group joining me or I wasn’t in the mood of going there. Our trip started with an argument with the rickshaw drivers who conveyed us to Majestic. Since I have gone to Majestic quite often already, I know the prices very well. It is about 40 Rupees. But I was rather surprised as the meter showed already 15 Rupees after some hundred meters. I interfered immediately saying that we are not going to pay this price, no matter what will be displayed.
To my surprise, he agreed adding that we will pay the meter of the other rickshaw. But of course this meter also had been manipulated. Thus they were about to cheat us. Arrived at the bus station, I paid our driver 45 Rupees which already includes a little tip. But those guys claimed more money what I refused to pay. Hence, we just walked away and left them behind. We had booked a semi-sleeper but unfortunately we all had seats in the back of the bus. These are always the worst seats, as you will jump ceaselessly in case the roads are bumpy. And what I have heard that it’s like that on the way to Ooty. At the beginning, I could catch some sleep but when we were starting soaring up the hill towards Ooty, it started. These roads didn’t deserve to be called roads any more. These were more agricultural fields, holes everywhere I looked. The bus had to take one curve after another in order to avoid driving over the biggest holes. I was surprised how the bus could survive. I wouldn’t have been startled if the bus had broken, honestly. But fortunately, it didn’t happen. At about 7am we reached Ooty after an incredible ride of about 9 hours. We immediately checked in at Reflections Guest House, which is recommended by Lonely Planet. And actually, it is quite a good accommodation for young people and the rooms are clean.
In addition to that, three little ladies (about 140cm) take care for their guests as if they were their own children. Since the guesthouse provided a hiking tour at that morning starting at 9.30am, we joined a group of already 11 people, including medicine students, backpackers and a Canadian married couple doing a world trip, and paid 300 Rupees each. During the tour we saw different kinds of landscapes, including tea plantations, forests, mountains and wide pastures. We also crossed some little villages. This was the most impressive part of the whole trekking tour. The people live there as western Europeans did more than 100 years away. They just live in simple cottages, still made out of stone but definitely without a heating, washing machine or TV inside. They cultivate whatever they need. The most of them and that applies especially for the women, work on tea plantations. Basically, you find them everywhere you look. The children were so keen on taking pictures. When we marched past the villages, the children started shouting “Camera, Sir!” They wanted me to take a picture of them. Well, and as for the most of them, I fulfilled their wishes and always had to show them the pics. They were so proud having been photographed and that they could see themselves in the camera. Should you plan to go there, take along lots of sweets and cookies for the children. You can’t imagine the cheerfulness and kindness of the people around there.
Whenever they saw us, they greeted on us. I was surprised how less money and property is sufficient to let people be happy.
In the evening we went out for dinner at Sidewalk’s cafe. There, we met most of the tour’s participants again. As for me, I had a huge pizza and some even better chocolate. Ooty is famous for its home made chocolate. And believe me, I have never eaten such good chocolate; especially cashew rock is really recommendable. 100 g should not cost you more than 60 Rupees. On Sunday then we took the miniature train down the hill to Coonoor. It is said that one the way down catching a seat down is worth the trouble. But as we were delayed at the railway station, we could just sit somewhere in the middle. The train is pulled by a steam engine downwards and pushed up the hill on the way to Ooty, really incredible. During the journey down to Coonoor, the Indians with whom we shared the chariot started a party by means of shouting and dancing, especially when we drove through a tunnel. On the half way to Coonoor we had a commercial break at which some snacks have been sold. It was a kind of cookie, looked really strange. Hence, I didn’t dare to try one. After one hour we reached Coonoor. As some rickshaw rides have been recommended in the Lonely Planet we decided to hire two rickshaws for such a trip around Coonoor. First we paid a visit to a tea factory. It was quite interesting to see how they manufacture tea using outdated machines and a lot of handwork. The most famous and probably the most delicious tea sort is Masala Tea, even though Chocolate is worth tasting as well. Some of us bought a package of tea. I didn’t, although it would have been a good gift for one of you, Tobias what about you? After the tea factory we went for a walk in Sim’s park. It is quite a nice park with more than thousand different kinds of plants. All together we only spent about half an hour there as we had to move on in order to arrive on time at the railway station.
But before we went back to the railway station we soared up the hill for Lamb’s Rock from where you are supposed to have an amazing view over the place around. As the weather was misty or cloudy; I couldn’t distinguish it, we couldn’t see anything. Hence, we took a group picture and moved ahead back to the railway station down the hill. We edged our way through the small streets of Coonoor and enjoyed an awesome view over Coonoor with its colourful small houses. At 1.35pm we took the train back to Ooty, as we had planned to pay a visit to the Botanical Garden of Ooty. Unfortunately we had to skip it due to rain started in the early afternoon. But that was not the unique problem – Janina lost the return tickets. When we arrived at the bus station after having had dinner and hanged about at Reflections Guest House,
we tried to convince the inspector to let us enter the bus without charging us again - in vain. We had to pay additional 440 Rupees for issuing new tickets. We all didn’t get that coz of two reasons. First, we could prove that it has been Janina who booked the tickets and nobody else. And second, after issuing the tickets, even the bus inspector didn’t care about the tickets any more. Hence, for what reason did we have to pay this additional fare? I tried to bribe the inspector with 100 Rupees but he refused – well, 440 Rupees are more than 100, probably that’s why. Nevertheless, as for me, first of all, I was glad that we sat in the bus and drove back to Bangalore where we reached at about 7am.
To my surprise, he agreed adding that we will pay the meter of the other rickshaw. But of course this meter also had been manipulated. Thus they were about to cheat us. Arrived at the bus station, I paid our driver 45 Rupees which already includes a little tip. But those guys claimed more money what I refused to pay. Hence, we just walked away and left them behind. We had booked a semi-sleeper but unfortunately we all had seats in the back of the bus. These are always the worst seats, as you will jump ceaselessly in case the roads are bumpy. And what I have heard that it’s like that on the way to Ooty. At the beginning, I could catch some sleep but when we were starting soaring up the hill towards Ooty, it started. These roads didn’t deserve to be called roads any more. These were more agricultural fields, holes everywhere I looked. The bus had to take one curve after another in order to avoid driving over the biggest holes. I was surprised how the bus could survive. I wouldn’t have been startled if the bus had broken, honestly. But fortunately, it didn’t happen. At about 7am we reached Ooty after an incredible ride of about 9 hours. We immediately checked in at Reflections Guest House, which is recommended by Lonely Planet. And actually, it is quite a good accommodation for young people and the rooms are clean.
In addition to that, three little ladies (about 140cm) take care for their guests as if they were their own children. Since the guesthouse provided a hiking tour at that morning starting at 9.30am, we joined a group of already 11 people, including medicine students, backpackers and a Canadian married couple doing a world trip, and paid 300 Rupees each. During the tour we saw different kinds of landscapes, including tea plantations, forests, mountains and wide pastures. We also crossed some little villages. This was the most impressive part of the whole trekking tour. The people live there as western Europeans did more than 100 years away. They just live in simple cottages, still made out of stone but definitely without a heating, washing machine or TV inside. They cultivate whatever they need. The most of them and that applies especially for the women, work on tea plantations. Basically, you find them everywhere you look. The children were so keen on taking pictures. When we marched past the villages, the children started shouting “Camera, Sir!” They wanted me to take a picture of them. Well, and as for the most of them, I fulfilled their wishes and always had to show them the pics. They were so proud having been photographed and that they could see themselves in the camera. Should you plan to go there, take along lots of sweets and cookies for the children. You can’t imagine the cheerfulness and kindness of the people around there.
Whenever they saw us, they greeted on us. I was surprised how less money and property is sufficient to let people be happy.In the evening we went out for dinner at Sidewalk’s cafe. There, we met most of the tour’s participants again. As for me, I had a huge pizza and some even better chocolate. Ooty is famous for its home made chocolate. And believe me, I have never eaten such good chocolate; especially cashew rock is really recommendable. 100 g should not cost you more than 60 Rupees. On Sunday then we took the miniature train down the hill to Coonoor. It is said that one the way down catching a seat down is worth the trouble. But as we were delayed at the railway station, we could just sit somewhere in the middle. The train is pulled by a steam engine downwards and pushed up the hill on the way to Ooty, really incredible. During the journey down to Coonoor, the Indians with whom we shared the chariot started a party by means of shouting and dancing, especially when we drove through a tunnel. On the half way to Coonoor we had a commercial break at which some snacks have been sold. It was a kind of cookie, looked really strange. Hence, I didn’t dare to try one. After one hour we reached Coonoor. As some rickshaw rides have been recommended in the Lonely Planet we decided to hire two rickshaws for such a trip around Coonoor. First we paid a visit to a tea factory. It was quite interesting to see how they manufacture tea using outdated machines and a lot of handwork. The most famous and probably the most delicious tea sort is Masala Tea, even though Chocolate is worth tasting as well. Some of us bought a package of tea. I didn’t, although it would have been a good gift for one of you, Tobias what about you? After the tea factory we went for a walk in Sim’s park. It is quite a nice park with more than thousand different kinds of plants. All together we only spent about half an hour there as we had to move on in order to arrive on time at the railway station.
But before we went back to the railway station we soared up the hill for Lamb’s Rock from where you are supposed to have an amazing view over the place around. As the weather was misty or cloudy; I couldn’t distinguish it, we couldn’t see anything. Hence, we took a group picture and moved ahead back to the railway station down the hill. We edged our way through the small streets of Coonoor and enjoyed an awesome view over Coonoor with its colourful small houses. At 1.35pm we took the train back to Ooty, as we had planned to pay a visit to the Botanical Garden of Ooty. Unfortunately we had to skip it due to rain started in the early afternoon. But that was not the unique problem – Janina lost the return tickets. When we arrived at the bus station after having had dinner and hanged about at Reflections Guest House,
we tried to convince the inspector to let us enter the bus without charging us again - in vain. We had to pay additional 440 Rupees for issuing new tickets. We all didn’t get that coz of two reasons. First, we could prove that it has been Janina who booked the tickets and nobody else. And second, after issuing the tickets, even the bus inspector didn’t care about the tickets any more. Hence, for what reason did we have to pay this additional fare? I tried to bribe the inspector with 100 Rupees but he refused – well, 440 Rupees are more than 100, probably that’s why. Nevertheless, as for me, first of all, I was glad that we sat in the bus and drove back to Bangalore where we reached at about 7am.
posted by Thorsten at 10:36 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home