A hike in the Ooty countryside

In Ooty we stayed at the YWCA which is an old brewery that has been turned into low budget accommodations for men and women.  We were impressed by the extensive grounds and well maintained private rooms.  December is the off season in Ooty and it can get cold.  When we woke up in the morning we were more more than happy to bundle up in our jackets and scarves.  I believe it was the first time in the last year and a half in India that we were actually cold enough to need something other than shorts and sandals.

After a short drive to the edge of town, we started out with a guide and a small group of tourists from around the globe for a hike through the countryside to a high rocky hilltop with some fantastic views. The first leg of our walk felt as though we could have been back in Ireland, with it's green rolling hills and a shepherd tending a flock of sheep.

I soon lost that impression as we wandered into a grove of Eucalyptus trees where the local tribeswomen were collecting the leaves that had fallen to the ground. We were told they would take them to a small factory where they would be distilled into essential oils.

Many of the outbuildings walls were constructed of mud held together by a stick lattice, and palm thatched roofs over a plastic tarp.

The diversity of this landscape struck me as we emerged from the Eucalyptus grove on to the rolling, neatly trimmed bushes of a large tea plantation. We were able to see the women workers trimming the plants with an ingenious set of clippers attached to a steel box, and throwing the cut leaves over their shoulders into a large basket they carried on their backs. Interestingly enough, the guide told us that pictures were forbidden. I believe the plantation owners did not want the women to be distracted from their work, asking for money from the tourists for having their pictures taken.