Its been a year since I went to Ooty and so, I may not be able to do justice to Ooty's beauty through my blog. Anyway, an effort to describe the place, which was promoted by British as an ideal summer retreat.
On 21st March 2009 morning, around 6 am, I woke up to see outside landscape and I found only mountains and tea plantations. The mini bus which I was traveling was climbing up slowly (seems like never ending) and I concluded - Yes. We are nearing Ooty!
After breakfast, we went to Doddabetta - the name derived from Kannada, meaning Big Hillock/Mountain. Doddabetta provides a fantastic view. It is said that on a clear day one can see upto Chamundi hills of Mysore! (I don't know whether such clear days exist!). There is a telescope there if one wants to have a better view than what can be seen through naked eyes.
We came across a volunteer guide and he got into the vehicle telling he would show all the places in the vicinity. That guy was already drunk (at noon) and he could speak only Tamil and he drilled, without stop, one of our colleagues who happened to be from Tamil Nadu. We could do nothing other than laughing.
We went to a tea factory after Doddabetta. It was good to see the various processes and stages of tea powder production from tea leaves. Then we bought home-made chocos and continued our travel to Conoor. On the way to Conoor, we stopped by some places, some view-points.
The guide knew only Roja film and Chaiyya Chaiyya song from Dil Se. He was showing us pine tree forests and some mountains all the way to Conoor and telling Roja film was shot there and not in Kashmir as people thought and Chaiyya Chaiyya song was also shot there. We don't know whether he was telling true.
In Conoor, we sent our vehicle back to Ooty and caught the train. We came to know at 11th hour and ran to railway station and got the tickets to Ooty. The train from Conoor to Ooty is like a bus. The journey was wonderful and we were continuously taking snaps. Its a must do if one goes to Ooty.
We went to Govt. run botanical garden and were there till late evening after we got down the train in Ooty. The garden is good for evening time pass and worth visiting.
Next day, we visited a pine tree forest (do not remember the exact spot name) and back water (again, name forgotten). There was horse riding as well and some of us had fun riding it. Next place was again some view point. (I guess it is 8th Mile or 50th Mile or some 'Mile'). It was beautiful.
Our next destination was Pykara waterfall. Now this was something funny. We were climbing down the steps in search of waterfall and we could see none! Then a localite told us that the place we were standing itself was the waterfall. There was only stream flowing. I lost my bracelet there :-( Our last visiting place was Pykara boating lake. It was nice.
It was sunday 7 pm when we reached Mysore and the palace was lit beautifully. We spent sometime there before heading to Bangalore.
Click here for more pics.
On 21st March 2009 morning, around 6 am, I woke up to see outside landscape and I found only mountains and tea plantations. The mini bus which I was traveling was climbing up slowly (seems like never ending) and I concluded - Yes. We are nearing Ooty!
After breakfast, we went to Doddabetta - the name derived from Kannada, meaning Big Hillock/Mountain. Doddabetta provides a fantastic view. It is said that on a clear day one can see upto Chamundi hills of Mysore! (I don't know whether such clear days exist!). There is a telescope there if one wants to have a better view than what can be seen through naked eyes.
We came across a volunteer guide and he got into the vehicle telling he would show all the places in the vicinity. That guy was already drunk (at noon) and he could speak only Tamil and he drilled, without stop, one of our colleagues who happened to be from Tamil Nadu. We could do nothing other than laughing.
We went to a tea factory after Doddabetta. It was good to see the various processes and stages of tea powder production from tea leaves. Then we bought home-made chocos and continued our travel to Conoor. On the way to Conoor, we stopped by some places, some view-points.
The guide knew only Roja film and Chaiyya Chaiyya song from Dil Se. He was showing us pine tree forests and some mountains all the way to Conoor and telling Roja film was shot there and not in Kashmir as people thought and Chaiyya Chaiyya song was also shot there. We don't know whether he was telling true.In Conoor, we sent our vehicle back to Ooty and caught the train. We came to know at 11th hour and ran to railway station and got the tickets to Ooty. The train from Conoor to Ooty is like a bus. The journey was wonderful and we were continuously taking snaps. Its a must do if one goes to Ooty.
We went to Govt. run botanical garden and were there till late evening after we got down the train in Ooty. The garden is good for evening time pass and worth visiting.
Next day, we visited a pine tree forest (do not remember the exact spot name) and back water (again, name forgotten). There was horse riding as well and some of us had fun riding it. Next place was again some view point. (I guess it is 8th Mile or 50th Mile or some 'Mile'). It was beautiful.
Our next destination was Pykara waterfall. Now this was something funny. We were climbing down the steps in search of waterfall and we could see none! Then a localite told us that the place we were standing itself was the waterfall. There was only stream flowing. I lost my bracelet there :-( Our last visiting place was Pykara boating lake. It was nice.
It was sunday 7 pm when we reached Mysore and the palace was lit beautifully. We spent sometime there before heading to Bangalore.
Click here for more pics.
