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Early the next morning, the group sets off for the toy train, a steam powered affair that winds through the mountains, it is a UNESCO heritage sited, and one of the first trains in the world apparently. We manage to shove our way into a crowded carriage, only for the power tripping conductor to chuck us all out, saying we don't have reservations. Luckily our tour leader manages to wheedle her way round the station master, and we end up in a comfortable reserved carriage. We find ourselves companions to some mad indian family from Bangalore. There's about 30 of them, all on holiday together, the whole kit & caboodle from grandparents to grandchildren. It turns out to be an enlightening experience. They are all very noisy & excited, and they spend the whole journey dancing in the carriage and singing a range of traditional indian hindi songs, and some bollywood classics, they're completely nuts, but it's really good fun. They want to chat to us all and find out where we are all from, they entertain everybody and dish out chocolates, and red hot spice Bombay mix.
Later we visit the tea plantation, and get to sample a range of different teas, including 'chocolate' tea, the flavour is bizarre, even though it is tea, it also tastes like hot chocolate. I had to buy some, not that I'm a sucker or anything, but I sent it home, and apparently my mum informs me, it did not arrive in one piece!
Later I wander round the market place in Ooty - it's a vegetable & fruit bizarre, little stalls teaming with a myriad of fruit & veg, much of which I've never seen before. I buy a 'custard apple' which I've never tasted before, and it's absolutely delicious. Everyone here is so friendly, they all want to know "where are you from?" and "what is your good name?", it's like a little chorus or echo that follows you as you walk along.
The fish and meat stalls are not quite so nice, and really stink, and seeing the meat just hanging there in the heat, with all the flies, I quickly move on, as I don't want to dwell too much about where the meat at the restaurant I will eat at tonight will come from.
The following day sees us leave Ooty, to be dropped at the top of a mountain for a 3 hour jungle trek. First we stop for 'chai' at what I can only describe as a shack, and we see the chai man prepare the tea in the traditional way, pouring it up from on high into a lower jug.
THe trek down the mountain is beautiful, but once again we don't see any animals...except for a giant squirrel - whoopee. I do a mountain walk, a night safari, and a dawn bush walk and I dont see a thing for my efforts. I've seen more wildlife driving to Wales on a Friday night of a bank holiday weekend, than I;ve seeen in the dense jungles of India. Instead, our guide consoles us with tales of what we might have seen, elephants, sloth bears, leopards, hyenas, tigers - we'll just have to use our imaginations.
Our long hot walk is rewarded however by our arrival at the jungle retreat. In the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lush wildlife and an amazing infinity pool, with only us there!
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