Ooty village life

Our hike took us through a small village, full of  houses with red tiled roofs and neatly painted with some very vivid colors. 

Of course, no village would be complete without a backyard Shrine or two.

A lot of our produce in Tamil Nadu comes from this fertile area in the Nilgiri hills around Ooty, particularly the cold weather crops like spinach and lettuce.   The whole family gets involved with the farm work, while the little ones keep themselves amused playing in the dirt.

These two men were turning the soil over by hand with pitchforks. What you don't see in this picture are the ten or so acres that they had already completed on this terraced hillside.

Our group stopped at the local hotel (restaurant) for a bite of lunch, rice and several curries served on the traditional banana leaf. It is also the custom in Southern India to eat with your fingers, using only your right hand. A bit awkward at first, but you soon get used to it.

The cooks come up with some yummy meals in dark kitchens like this, cooking over a pit fire.

As we headed out of the village I spotted these kids that I had to have a picture of. I was pleasantly surprised when after they posed for us, that they did not ask us for 5-10 rupees, or a bit of candy.

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.

Toy train 2

Halfway up the mountain we stopped once again to take on more water,  and the passengers were able to grab a snack and a cup of coffee.   

Meanwhile the train crew grabbed their wrenches and hammers to make a few adjustments to the drive system.

At this station we were overrun by a group of Monkeys, waiting for us to see what food they could get from us.  Fortunately this lot was not overly aggressive, and were content to take what people offered them.  In other places we have been the monkeys can get very aggressive and grab food right out of your hand, or out of  the pack on your back, and hiss and snarl at you if they don't get the banana you happen to be eating.

At the sound of the train whistle, we climbed back on board and continued our journey up the hill to the high tea country and the town of Ooty.

Toy train to Ooty

Over the Christmas break this year we planned a two week train trip to see a wide variety of the landscape and people of India.  Our first leg of our journey to the Nilgiri hills, was spent in an overnight sleeper car, where it connects to the famous narrow gauge toy train to the hill station of Ooty.     

The leisurely trip up the mountain takes 5-6 hours with frequent stops for the steam engine to take on water, or just to build up steam.

I had never thought of Casey Jones as a character covered with grease and soot, but if this engineer is any indication, it's a messy job. Looking at the engine, I did have the thought it was very possible it was not going to be able to push us to the top of the mountain (the engine is behind the passenger cars).  Despite my one moment of hesitation, off we went in a cloud of steam.

Here's what Wikipedia says about the train: The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train covers a distance of 26 mi (41.8 km),^[2] travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels,^[2] and 250 bridges.^[2] The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes (4.8 hours), and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes (3.6 hours) It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%.^[2]

While climbing the steepest grades, a unique rack and pinion system is used. This consists of a toothed track down the center of the line, and a large gear on the bottom of the engine, which propels the train up the hill.  


It is a distinct contrast travelling from the flat tropical plains up into the very beautiful mountains of the Nilgiri hills, with it's cool climate and cascading waterfalls.  During British rule, the town of Ooty was established as a tea and produce hub.  It also served as a favorite retreat for the British elite in the summer months to escape the scorching heat of the plains.  Today it is easy to see why it remains a popular destination for people from around the world.

Navratri

Sorting out the Hindu festivals that are celebrated in India appears to be an impossible task to the foreigner.  Not only because of the sheer number of them, but also because each region has it's own way of celebrating the different festivals.  In addition, individual temples have their own festivals to honor the particular god or gods they may worship.  One thing is certain, if there is a full moon, you can count on some sort of festival going on.   

 Some of the larger festivals are more universal, though celebrated in different fashions, depending on where you are.  Navratri is one such festival period, which in the south is celebrated by setting up a collection of dolls on a stepped display.  The figures depict scenes taken from the numerous Hindu stories.  In the scene below Ganesh is transcribing, as quickly as he can, these stories that have been handed down by many generations.  Some public displays include thousands of dolls.  


It is a social time for the women, who are invited to each other's houses to view and honor the gods.  Small tokens of appreciation are then handed out to the guests.

Another part of the Navratri festival includes paying tribute to tools of one's trade, by decorating them, which explains why all the  auto rickshaws are washed and covered with flower garlands, banana leaves, and designs drawn or splattered onto them with a colorful paste.  

Cars and automobiles are also dressed up for the occassion, and even I got into the act when our night watchman asked if he could decorate my motorcycle.  I enjoyed showing off my flower garland and decorations, even though it did make viewing in my rear view mirrors a bit difficult.

Monsoon umbrellas

Umbrellas are a much needed accessory in India.  During the Monsoon they sprout like mushrooms everywhere.  In addition to being used in the usual fashion as a shelter from the rain while standing under them, they commonly pop up over motorcycles and bicycles.  This seems odd to us westerners, but it really does keep some of the rain from pouring down on you, because the traffic in the city is generally not moving very fast.   

This bicyclist wearing the traditional Dhoti, has decided to let the rains subside a bit before peddling on, still with his umbrella held over his head.

Here's another person who has decided to take a break from the onslaught, and answer a call on his mobile phone in front of the Chit Chat hotel.  (A hotel is typically not a place to stay but a restaurant, and Chaat is a generic term for snacks prepared by the street cart vendors)

If you don't happen to have an umbrella handy, or just can't afford one, then a plastic sack on top of the head is often used to keep your hair do in place.  While on our way back from Pondicherry in the pouring rain, we passed on woman perched sidesaddle on the back of a two wheeler (motorcycle), totally encased in a huge plastic bag.  We just hope she was able to get enough oxygen!

Umbrellas are not only seen during the Monsoon season.  They provide much needed shade when the tropical sun is beating down on you in the heat of the rest of the year.  Occasionally you will hear the cry of a peddler as he walks the streets, selling or repairing used umbrellas.

 

 This ironing cart vendor's child has found a new toy to amuse himself with.

Monsoon

Char and I were on a short holiday in the town of Pondicherry when the Monsoon hit with a vengeance.  The skies opened up and it poured down rain for days.  We had reservations outside of town at a retreat, so we donned our rain gear, climbed on our motorcycle and headed out in the driving rain through flooded streets.  At times the water came up to our footpegs and engine.  I was having visions of being stranded in this storm if the engine died on us.  But our trusty 100cc Hero Honda plowed right through it all.  When we reached the retreat, we were told they couldn't take us in due to the grounds being under water and the septic system was saturated.  So we accepted a hot cup of tea, put our rain jackets back on and headed the 80 km back to Chennai.  Fortunately the major highways are well maintained and built up enough that flooding is not as much of a problem as it is in the cities. 

The Monsoon season lasts for several months, with squalls and thunderstorms blowing in off the Bay of Bengal. At times the downpours come driving down in sheets, flooding the city streets. 

But the Monsoons are a happy time.  They bring much needed water to the parched land, and the long hot season is broken.  It is a sight for us "people from the cold country" to see people bundled up with wool caps, scarves and jackets when the temperature drops to a comfortable 78F.

Life goes on during the Monsoon, the street vendors are still out selling their trinkets, the rickshaw drivers are still cruising for a fare, and the traffic is as bad as ever, though you have to be very careful when driving through the flooded streets that you don't fall into a foot deep pothole, or worse, a collapsed sewer cover, both of which are numerous.

Much of the flat, low laying land that Chennai is built on was not long ago planted in rice paddies, which explains why this office of the chief engineer for state ground and surface water resources sits in the middle of a swamp during the rainy season.