Ooty --> Mysore --> Bangalore --> Pune

Thursday 31st March 2011

Today, we left the hotel at 8am and began our drive to Bangalore. On the way, we stopped for breakfast, which was very very yummy! In Mysore, we did a little bit of shopping, and tried to search for a 5 headed Ganesh statue like the one in Mysore. We then went to the Lallita Mahal Hotel for lunch. The hotel was originally built by the Maharaja for foreigners to live. It was beautiful inside, and so well preserved! Lunch was amazing, possibly the best we had had so far. We then continued on to Bangalore. 

We reached the airport by 7:30, in time for our flight at 9:00. Our flight was then delayed to 10:10, and took off, finally, at 10:30. We reached Pune by 11:40, and home by 12:30. So good to be home! :D 

Ooty DAY 5

The 5th Day in Ooty, TamilNadu

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011.

Today, we woke up early morning, and, instead of eating breakfast at our hotel, we headed over to the Taj hotel for breakfast. The hotel, Taj Savoy Hotel, was a mere 2 kms away from ours. They too had a buffet breakfast, but I think their's was considerably better. The hotel was set up like an old British colony, beautiful. Breakfast was delicious. The most mindboggling part was, at the live counter, the chef, Joseph, made the most amazing dosas! They were crispy from the outside, while soft and doughy from the inside. I don't think anyone could EVER get sick of those! They had homemade jam, fresh fruit smoothies, and amazing hospitality. Our hotel has amazing hospitality too though, which is awesome. :D 

The Taj hotel also had the cutest rabbits on their gardens! They were all busy eating broccoli while carrots lay on the side, and we enjoyed staring at them for 30 mins or so. 

After breakfast, we headed over to the Tea Gardens once again, but different ones this time. They were gorgeous too, and this time was different not only because the place was different but because this time, we were not met with thick layers of mist and fog. Papa and I walked around in the tea gardens, and we saw people plucking the tea leaves and packing them up for the factories. 

On the way back, from the road, we picked up an overwhelming scent of tea. Upon exploration, we discovered an operational tea factory, and they were nice enough to give us a tour. This tea factory was a co-operative; owned by around 900 farmers and run by the government of TamilNadu. Everyday, they processed around 15000 kg of tea leaves, producing around 3000 or 4000 kilos. They made different types of teas, and we saw all of the machines and workers in operation, unlike when we had gone to the other tea factory as that day was a Sunday, so it was a national holiday. The man at the factory told us that the farmers get paid 12 rupees per kg of green leaf they give the factory, and the end product of the factory gets sold in an wholesale auction for about 75 rupees a kg of processed tea. He also told us that for every 4kg of green leaf, 1kg of tea gets produced, the rest going to waste. It was a very interesting visit! 

We then returned to the hotel, and are currently watching the cricket match. India versus Pakistan. Its the match of the century! :p

More later..

The rabbits at Taj and Mummy and Papa! 

In the tea gardens. :D

Ooty DAY 3

Day 3 in Ooty
Monday 28th March 2011

Today, we woke up in the morning and went to breakfast. After breakfast, we set off for a place called Doddabetta, the highest peak in South India. There, we got a birds-eye view of Ooty and the nearby towns, the mountains, and the allround scenery. It was truly amazing. The weather was chilly - perfect for walking around. Later, we went to visit a tea factory. After running through the process of tea manufacture, we tried types of tea and bought some of our own. Next to the tea factory was the chocolate factory, so we stopped by to buy some homemade chocolate. The chocolate was absolutely delicious and tasted soo amazing!

We then went to the botanical gardens. They were very well kept, and very nice and peaceful. The hedges were all cut in different shapes, like tea pots, animals, and even words! It was truly an amazing sight. We then went shopping for some Todas handicrafts - the local tribal people's art. Their clothwork is embroidery on white cloth with red and black string, and their designs are block. The intricate handwork was very nice to see, and it took quite a bit of searching to find a shop selling the rare craft.

It rained while we were at dinner, and this made the weather very very cold!

The sign at the Toda shop

Doddabetta information sign

Tea Manufacture Process

View from the tea factory

View from the tea factory

Toda hut

Ooty DAY 2

Sunday March 27th 2011

Day Two in Ooty.

I woke up in the morning and went to take a shower. I was very pleased to find that the shower was one of those which 'rains' from the ceiling... :D

We went for breakfast, and it was an amazing spread. Yummy traditional South Indian food met Danishes and eggs at the buffet. After attacking breakfast, literally, we left for the Tea Gardens. The tea gardens were plantations of tea along mountain sides in a place called Coonoor. Tea grew on the side of the roads, and we stopped to have a look. It was a wonderful drive, with lots and lots of mist. Stopped by on the road, and enjoyed some fresh, homemade chocolate. Yum! We returned to the hotel by 4pm, and went to the restaurant for tea.

A monkey with it's baby...