The train station was very efficiently run and once we had overcome the shock of the length of the trains on the platform and how to read the carriage and seat numbers, we were fine. Moira and I could hardly get our legs up from the platform to the step - but once on we had luggage racks and the old carriages that looked about 1950s era were heavy but roomy and rickety but worked. The trains are extremely well used and the ticket master checks your tickets meticulously.
Once we got going, the fun began with every form of seller you could imagine shouting their wares up and down the train from water, tea, coffee, biriani, and funny savoury doughnut things called vada or similar - the latter seller had such a funny chant that we had to stop him to sample the flavour - they were quite corn mealy with various curry spice flavours.
We arrived in Coimbatore without a hitch in early afternoon after an interesting ride over highly cultivated fields of bananas and coconuts and rice etc. Coimbatore was a big bustling place - a business hub in the centre of the textile industry and John had sited our hotel right outside the station so we could catch the early train next morning
The Legends Inn hotel was a modern building at about £24 per night for a double room - it had air con and so we luxuriated in the cool after Kochi. We had a short nap and then took a walk to a Lonely Planet recommended eatery - which was expensive, being next to a road of expensive business hotels - but very nice - a wide mix of thai and french and italian as well as indian foods. The owners looked Korean or similar but turned out to be a rare tribe from towards north east India called Nagaland. The service was impeccable and decor very modern. We had fruit cocktails to start but John had to send his coke and lime back due to it being full of salt - a common drink here. Moira had raspberry smoothie and I had watermelon and cream - a bit sickly - the chicken john had was very delicious cooked in fenugreek leaves and I had a hot chili African Chicken. Moira is suffering now from her delicious chicken lasagne - maybe too rich. We had no wifi in Coimbatore - hence the silence.
Coimbatore station seen from our hotel room window - convenient but noisy
In our train seats - note the ancient blue sanitary paint colour
the air conditioning on the train was mostly fans - but effective and comfortable
We had to get up at 4:15 am to catch a connection from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam to catch our world heritage Nilgiri Mountain railway train. It was a hard slog with our luggage and Moira was feeling sick with upset tum - but she carried on. After an hour in the dark, the dawn came about 40km down the line with our little toy train first picking up its cute steam engine and then we had a panic about our seats being double booked only to find our gem of an agent at Truly India Travel had booked us the 3 best seats right at the front of the train - no hindrance to our view as the engine pushed from behind. The progress was slow but great fun and our carriage was full to bursting with 5 German tourists who we befriended and plan to meet up with 3 in Hampi in a few days where we stay in the same guesthouse.
Gradually the land changed from bananas and coconuts to ferns and flowers as we gently crawled up the rails and stopped regularly at stations and to collect more water - everyone got out of the train and either disappeared over the precipice for a pee or just to take in the amazing views just rising out of the mists - as we climbed we crossed narrow ravines and bridges no wider than our toy train - all lovingly maintained- the plants were as good as Andorra Betty but with some extra accents of tropical plants - the terrain was very hilly and forested and around the hill station of Coonor it started to rain lightly but the temperature was pleasant. Lots of lovely waterfalls and birds - a few more kingfishers.
Ooty town is in a wide valley like a Shangrilah type place with a lake in the bottom and tea bushes growing in neat shapes on the almost vertical slopes. more sunny than the other side of the valley.
A tuktuk delivered us to our hotel of Lymond house and we have a lovely old fashioned looking cottage in the luxuriant garden - very English Raj style. lots of comfy chairs and a 4 poster bed for us and camp bed for Moira - poor dear!
We took tea on the lawn and then a taxi took us sightseeing - first to the Dodabetta tea museum and factory,... You could smell the tea being heated and fermented from quite a distance - we were taken through the process and shown the heath Robinson style machinery completing each stage - we bought some orange pekoe to bring home as well as some green tea. They do not seem to grow cocoa around here but they make good chocolate that we had to sample. Finally we visited the botanic gardens started in a valley by the Brits complete with lawns and grandstands and hothouses. We returned home to Lymond house to take tea in their lovely dining room and will take leisurely breakfast here tomorrow morning before taking a luxury coach for 5 hours to Mysore. We had been worried that the toy train or Ooty would disappoint but it has not at all - you can see why the Brits loved it so much and there are also some quaint indigenous tribes up here with strange religious rites eg worship of buffalo and special Chola and Toda embroidery.
Our garden cottage
a communal living room
dining room
a very English style of garden with tropical plants- gosh just saw a press cutting of a tiger having been on the rampage around here earlier this year killing locals before it was shot - just near the tea museum! You would never have guessed it - have hardly seen any animals except monkeys and birds.
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