Up in Ooty, in the Nilgiri Hills

K: Happy New Year from Ooty! This town is South India's most famous Hill Station, established by the British in the early 19th century as the summer headquarters of the government. The drive up to Ooty (elevation 2300 meters) was a serious of 36 hairpin turns, blind curves on a single lane (more or less) road. Of course, the single lane is meant to accommodate two-way traffic. Let's just say that Murughan (our driver) was much better suited to the driving than either one of us. The scenery is stunning with lush vegetation and small farms tiered throughout the hills.

We were visited by monkeys on one section of the drive through a national park. They are clearly well-trained, waiting on the side of the road for passengers to feed them crackers or peanuts. We were instructed to only open the window a small crack or we would have a car full of them. They were on the roof, the hood and bouncing of the side of the car, looking for hand-outs. Note the very, very, young baby clinging to its mother in one of the photos.

(V: I've always liked monkeys... I feel a close, deep kinship with them ... .)

We visited one of Ooty's main attractions, the Thread Museum. The pictures of flowers are actually all made from individual wrapped pieces of silk thread. Maybe not a highlight, but they are trying to make the Guinness Book of World Records.

(V: It is either really impressive or just plain sad that 50 'artists' spent 12 years making this 'garden' of thread flowers and plants. Thus far, this is the 'kitschy' spot we've seen in India. Come to think of it, the amusement park for kids in Ooty called Jolly World comes in second.)

The city of Ooty was bustling with commerce and people, about 93,000. We noted the curious little Christian churches, more like church recesses, set amidst the Hindu temples.

Now on to the coastal town of Alleppey!

Wildlife in India - Nagarhole National Park

K: We just left Nagarhole National Park after 2 days at a wonderful lodge in the national park. The surrounding forests are home to elephants, tigers, leopards, gaurs (wild cattle), wild dogs, three types of deer, many monkeys and a variety of different birds. The population of large cats and elephants is severely dwindling due to development, growth of coffee plantations, and hunting/poaching. This park is one of the largest remaining areas for such wildlife.

We had one boat safari and two vehicle safaris. We saw just about all the native birds and animals except the tiger and leopard. They are solitary animals and very elusive to see in the wild. We thought that we were close when we were tracking the warning calls of several deer. When they smell a tiger or leopard (as far as a kilometer away) they start making warning calls to their friends. It was an eerie feeling just sitting and waiting for a potential kill, listening to the animals warning one another. But we did not find the predator! We were lucky to see several elephants at the water's edge getting a drink and a swim.

The Cicada resort was a great "boutique" lodge at the edge of the park. Wonderful facilities and food. I am really becoming a fan of the dosa, a crepe-like breakfast food, usually stuffed with potatoes and spice and served with coconut chutney.

V: Cicada Lodge was a very, very nice place, so near the wildlife of the park. Excellent cuisine and superb service from its staff made it a fine place to stay. It is, indeed, a rather 'boutique' lodging, as it's backed by the money from the guy whose coffee shops throughout India are planned, ala Starbucks, to be found every 10 kilometers in India--everywhere, rural and urban.

The national bird of India--the peacock--was bountiful in the park, and were quite the sight as they hip-hopped up on top of tree stumps in the park. The wild boars were quite the fearless, nasty guys.

And the Asiatic Elephants are simply awe-inspiring to see in the wild.

It was utterly surprising to see a man astride a motorbike perched in the middle, amidst some people on one of the unique round fishing boats the locals use, a coracle.

And we couldn't help but smile at the beautiful children who came up to our safari jeep and waved and waved, and smiled and smiled at us.

It was an excellent couple of days in the wilds of south-central India.

Mysore--To the Market and the Maharaja Palace

K: Yesterday we traveled to the historic city of Mysore from Bangalore, a 90-mile journey. It took at least an hour and a 1/2 to travel through the sprawling city of Bangalore (8.5 million people) and another 2 hours due to irritating speed bumps every quarter to half mile. I am not convinced the speed bumps do much to slow the madness of the traffic.

Mysore owes its name to the mythical Mahisuru, a place where the demon Mahisasura was slain by the goddess Chamundi. Mysore is also known as the city of palaces. I believe there are 17 palaces but only the grandest is open to the public. The Maharaja's Palace is truly stunning with its Indo-Victorian architecture.

Today was a full day of sightseeing--the palace, the market, the monks, the monkeys, the statues, the sculptures, the stores. And when we came upon a golf course, I just had to snap a photo of a golfer in action.


V: Mysore was a marvelous stop for us. The Maharaja's Palace is, I think, more splendid and glorious than Versailles in France. The open rooms, beautiful glass and woodwork and paintings were inspiring. It lacks the garden grounds of Versailles, but I love much more the open feel to the palace, the flow from one grand hall to the next. Of course, we could only take photos of the outside of the palace.

And thanks to Morgan, our fine driver, for showing us the heart and soul of the Mysore market. Colorful pyramids of fragrant spices, cartons of fresh vegetables and high piles of fruits made us wish we had a kitchen to cook in!
How I wish we had more fresh, open-air markets in the USA, instead of supermarkets!

Mysore was indeed much more than I anticipated. It was an excellent place to experience.

Oh, see that little black elephant rosewood sculpture? If all goes well, it'll be shipped to Philly, and stand in the living room, as a fine memento of Indian travels!