Udhagamandalam - Day 1

“I am going to Udhagamandalam” I announced to my friends. “You are going where?” they all asked with an exception of one who hazarded a guess “From the name I guess it’s somewhere in the South India, am I right?” Relishing their discomfort I volunteered a clue “DoesUtakmund ring a bell?” “Ooooo, you are going to Ooty” one of them piped up. “Bingo!” I said.

And my trip to Ooty began on that happy note. Fate however had something else in store for me. I had barely got down from the Air Deccan flight at Coimbatore when the travel desk person from the resortwhere I was going to stay called up. “Madam, it’s raining in Ooty. I am afraid you will not be able to visit the Siruvani falls on your way. The area is closed”. I sighed in exasperation at the clouds in Coimbatore sky. Already, my plans to visit Mudumalai Sanctuary had been washed out – whether due to rain or due to census going on there, I could never figure out from the long distance calls to the sanctuaryreception. And now this! “Ok then, Ooty it is!” I said as I got into the car.

I was rather doubtful about my driver’s spoken English skills. “Do you know where Annapurna is?” I asked about the restaurant which was heavily recommended by some of my friends. “Yes madam, do you want to stop over for lunch?” he asked to my great relief. And so our first halt was at Annapurna. I liked the décor there. The place was spacious and clean. They had pictures of many of our freedom fighters. Though the names below were written in Tamil I could recognize many of them from the long-forgotten history textbooks. That and observing people devouring a huge thali at the next table helped me occupy time fruitfully while I waited for my Uthappam. I made the mistake of ordering a plain one. It was milky white and quite a thick one but alright in the taste department. Along with the customary coconut chutney and sambhar, the uthappam came with sour chutney which was simply delicious.

From my past experience of the south – which is considerable since I have been to Trivandrum, Mysore-Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai – I have rarely ordered tea there because I think they make coffee much better. But Annapurna’s tea came heavily recommended as well. And I was glad I listened to my friends because the tea was tasty too, if one can say that for tea. I wondered if it was the milk there, the tea powder or simply a different way of brewing it.

An array of sweets greeted me as I was exiting from the place. Who can resist the temptation of what is called in Mumbai “Khaaja”? I bought it and would like to add that it will be a cardinal sin to visit Annapurna and not buy this sweet!

First few minutes into Coimbatore were uneventful, rather uncomfortable as the car made its way through mud soaked streets through sometimes heavy traffic as I looked at the umpteen number advertisements for saree shop and jewelers. I was busy checking messages on my phone when I suddenly looked up to see mountains looming ahead. The Nilgiris! The bluish tinge was unmistakable and light fluffy white mist that clung tothe tops made me bury my phone where I didn’t touch it for the rest of the journey.

The road to Ooty was full of twists and turns but I wasn’t one to complain about it. I just sat there mesmerized and was truly sorry when the journey ended and the car dropped me in the lobby of the resort that was going to be my home for the next 3 days.

The package that I had opted for came with a complimentary half-day sightseeing trip of Ooty. So as soon as I was settled in my room I enquired about the possibility of taking it that afternoon. It seemedthough that it would take about 3-4 hours and so wouldn’t be possible that day as it was already close to 4pm. “Oh well, I will just get freshened up and check out the market” I said to myself as I drew the heavy curtains away.

I wasn’t lucky to get a room with an uninterrupted view of the valley. But when the curtains moved the scene that greeted me took my breath away. I could see a portion of the valley. The light mist that hungaround the distant Nilgiris obscured the valley now and then. There was a small cottage in between the valley and the resort. From the looks of it, no one was staying there. But it had a cute little garden lined with a flower border facing the valley and right in the middle of that tiny garden there was a white swing – also facing the valley. I don’t know why but all throughout my stay in Ooty I was fascinated by that garden and that swing. If by some queer twist of fate you are reading this article and are the owner of that cottage I must tell you that you have a very good eye for beauty and probably a poetic mind!

But I was not about to stay in my room till the sun set. I had seen a tourist market on my way up and was dying to get there. The guy at the reception gave me a look that plainly conveyed that I should have stayed indoors rather than venture out. I marched on, undeterred. The evening air was fresh, though slightly chilly. I passed by a church that wore an eerie look in the gathering mist. Then I passed by a deserted structure that looked like a warehouse, had a name that tarted with Spencer and looked as if it hasn’t changed much since the last Brit left! Every now and then I saw a local or a car but no tourists on this road. I turned a corner and surprise! There was a CCD – Café Coffee Day for the uninitiated – there. In a short while I reached the market which had a couple of tourists roaming about determinedly. I had read on the net that there are a couple of good bakeries in Ooty so I checked out one. It looked like there was not much left on the shelves at this time of the day. Then there were shops selling shawls, sweaters and other warm clothing. What caught my eyes were shops selling homemade chocolates. I bought a few.

Then I noticed an eatery called “Woody’s” – seemed like a perfect place for a cuppa hot tea. As I proceeded towards it I saw a board that announced a book exhibition. Couldn’t resist that one! I felt likegetting into Alibaba’s cave because the books were selling at bargain basement price! Imagine Clive Cussler’s books at 95 Rs each. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then a suspicion crept in. Maybe they have a couple of pages missing. I chose one book at random and thumbed through it. On a cursory glance, it didn’t look like it had any page missing. But I really didn’t have enough room in my luggage and home is just about to overflow with books. However, I couldn’t resist buying a volume that has 4 of Jules Verne’s books together – and that too just for Rs 175! Armed with the book I went to Woody’s. The tea was yum – cardamom flavored and with the right touch of sweetness. I promised myself I will come here again for breakfast – maybe on my way back from Ooty.

It was getting close to sunset so I hurried back. The mist had started gathering again and the tree-tops looked lovely – sort of full of mystery. I shot photo after photo before turning back. I don’t remember much of the dinner at the resort’s restaurant simply because I was too sleepy. I hit the sack hoping that the weather will be better tomorrow.