I was keen to try to have a last full day with Suriya and Rajesh that was free of the unpleasantries that had marred the start of the week and to try to put our friendship back in order, or at least have an enjoyable last time. I knew that the next day I'd be travelling on to Kerala while they'd return to Goa.
In the morning, a taxi arrived: it turned out someone had arranged for us to be taken to Kotagiri's park, then to Doddabetta (the highest point in the Nilgiris), then to Ooty and then back to Kotagiri. First, I insisted we were taken to a cellphone shop: I found a model that should have worked but the owner wouldn't let me dial out to confirm this so we moved on.
Doddabetta is very commercialised: in a way this was fortunate because my camera batteries ran out of charge and so I bought some new ones: this is where I confirmed that even Duracells don't last anything like as long as my rechargables. There was a telescope house from which you could look out at the surrounding countryside and some lovely views. I hope my photographs do the area some justice.
After this, we were taken to Ooty, where we had lunch - rice, 'drumsticks' and various condiments (including banana bhajis) on a banana leaf - in a fast-food, pack-them-in-and-feed-them-as-much-as-they-want-of-the-same restaurant. I was impressed by this Indian equivalent to McDonalds: good food served without paper and plastic waste for very little money. We then found a cellphone shop where I finally bought a new cellphone. It works and I may end up being the only whitey in the UK who has a phone marked with Tamil characters.
We also finally arranged for Suriya to buy her new glasses: I had given her Rs1000 to buy them over two weeks ago. She hadn't asked me to do this: it was entirely my decision after I'd volunteered to try to mend her old pair but hadn't been able to do so. She'd kept prevaricating, initially saying they'd be cheaper in Tamil Nadu and then saying each day we were in Tamil Nadu that she'd buy them the next day. In the end, to get lightweight lenses and the bifocals on her prescription, the total cost was Rs1200. I stress I have no qualms about this amount: the food, accommodation and guidance she'd given me far outweighed this and friendship is priceless anyway!
I was keen to rent a pedallo on the lake, partly because I thought some physical action might help me clear my mind of the tension that still clouded it but mostly because it looked fun. It was, but it was very hard work too. My backside complained for quite a time afterwards. We also passed a political candidate: I have no idea which party he stands for.
We were next taken to Ooty's botanic gardens where I took what must be very usual tourist photos: judge for yourself!
Our final destination was Ooty's rose garden. It's apparently a hangover from the Raj and was lovely. I'm still, er, puzzled by the names people give to roses: here's a few examples.
I finally fulfilled a promise to Suriya to show her how to email. I also made the following public blog entry:
I'm in Ooty in the Nilgiri area of Tamil Nadu. I'm still alive but my head is spinning from some fairly unpleasant things. Some details will be forthcoming once I've got my head around what I can and can't say: I've been told a few things about people that I'd rather not know and been put in some very compromising positions. I've also done myself some large disfavours.
I'm getting out of this crazy state tomorrow and will then find a cybercafé and blog till I drop.
Oh, I have a new cellphone. Same old number (07909 504328) because my SIM card survived the Arabian Sea. Call me if you want!
The tension had almost disappeared by the time we returned to Kotagiri but re-surfaced when the taxi-driver needed to be paid another Rs500. I'd paid Rs300 in the morning and was again in the frame, despite an expensive day. £11 for a day's travel and sight-seeing is almost nothing* but, and I made this clear (I hope) to Suriya, I should have been told in advance!
*No-one had asked me for money for food and accommodation during this trip: if they had, I'd have been very happy to reimburse them because, with the exception of David and Shakila Padmanaban, none of my hosts seemed very well off. I didn't even want to take advantage of rich people's hospitality so I hope that later I'll be able to balance things.
Geetha had cooked brown chickpea curry and chapattis - utterly delicious. (She apologised that she'd used brown chickpeas but I told her that I think they gave a better flavour. (This is my honest opinion: they add a nuttiness that white chickpeas just can't.) We also discussed the possibility of getting back to the main train line via the Nilgiri mountain 'toy train' and which I was insistent I wanted to try. I thought it went from Kotagiri to Metturpalayam but I'd misread my guidebook. (It goes from Ooty to Coonoor and then down the mountains to Metturpalayam. Rajmohan this evening and the next morning made a lot of enquiries and it was eventually arranged to for us to take a bus to Coonoor and the train from there.
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006