Up in the Hills

Up in the Hills

Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006--Trichy (Cont.)

I went back to town in the late afternoon. I tried to see a church that looked interesting, but the gates were locked. Instead, I went to one of the nice bakeries and bought 1/2 kg (1 lb.) of Indian sweets. It was a small box full. There was a nice variety of them--some made with dough, some from ground nuts (cashew and/or pastachio), etc.

It was starting to sprinkle when I got back to my hotel. Then later it rained with lots of thunder. I just walked to the restaurant in the hotel for dinner because of the rain. I ate paneer kofta and naan. It was two peak-shaped middle-eastern koftas with chunks of paneer (cheese) inside them. They were served on a dish filled with a nice spicy gravy.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006--Trichy to Kodaikkanal

I was up at 5:30 and at the bus station by 6:10 planning to catch the 6:40 bus to Kodaikkanal. The bus never came into the station, however. Fortunately, a man and is son were waiting on the same bus and let me know it hadn't come and wasn't apparently coming. They told me we had to take a bus to an intermediate point and change. It ended up taking 3 buses to travel the distance.

Kodaikkanal is a "hill station." At 2343 m (7,200 ft.), it's really a little higher than ahill. It's built around a lake and there are pine and eucalyptus trees everywhere. The air is cool and fresh. The town is rather clean and attractive. There are many nice homes with wonderful gardens. And today it is dry; it rains almost every day here I've been told. There are hikdes I can take on trails through the mountains, so that is what I will do tomorrow.

I walked around the lake today. It's about 5.5 km (3 1/3 miles). It's not round; it has several fingers. The homes and lodges around it are very scenic. There are also boathouses on the lake where many people have rented paddle boats for the day. The town is alive with people, especially young, college-age types. They are whooping and laughing and really having a good time. Besides the boats, others are horseback riding, some are biking, etc.

There is an international school here which seems to live up to its name. Most "international schools" in India are that in name only. But this school, which has a beautiful campus consisting of gray stone buildings, has students who are obviously foreign-born--Europeans, Koreans, etc. And all the students are speaking English everywhere to each other.

I'm having trouble with my left knee. It feels out of place, but it isn't. I think I must have a muscle or tendon (probably the latter, since I feel no pain when pressing on it), that is either torn or hurt. The knee pops and aches when I walk. If I press my fingers on the inside base of the kneecap and bend my knee in and out slowly, the pain is then relieved for a while and I can walk normally. Also, the pain is no so bad when I walk uphill. But if I pause and try to start off without pressing on that spot while bending my knee, I have a bad pain and the feeling that something is out of place.

For lunch, I went to a Tibetan restaurant. The people who left Tibet to come to India have not all stayed in the Himalayan region. Many have migrated to hill stations where it is easier for them to make a living, especially with restaurants serving the tourists. There are two such places here. Both were doing a booming business. I got the only free table available. I had their chicken noodle soup which was homemade with homemade noodles. Then I had 8 momos, steamed dumplings filled with a ground beef mixture. It was too much food, but it was so good.

I miss my hotel in Trichy. It was the best one I have had in India, and it was at such a good price. My hotel here is okay, but the bath facilities could be a little cleaner. And they must not do their laundry in hot water; the sheets and pillowcases are stained and yellowed.

Monday, Oct. 16, 2006-Kodaikkanal

My knee hurts even more today. I'm wondering if I hurt it being crunched up in buses recently. But I am pushing on. Walking doesn't seem to hurt the knee more; it just hurts me some. But when I get going, it doesn't feel as bad as it does at the beginning.

It is too cool here--the opposite of the rest of lower India where it is too hot. Where is the weather great, I wonder? The main problem here is that there is no room heating. But there is hot water for a shower; that felt very nice this morning.

I went walking to explore around the edges of the city and walked much further than I intended. My guidebook map was not drawn correctly. It sent me down a road that actually took me AWAY from town rather than around town as it looked on the map. (I found this out later when I picked up another map at the tourist office.) I was gone about 5 hours, and I estimate that I walked 30-35 km (18-21 miles) before getting back into town. It was a wonderful route. It took me through a national forest with no buildings to be seen anywhere. Several places had clusters of tour buses, so I would ask what the sight was. Once it was a group of pine trees that is used often in Hindi films. Another time, it was a monument for the highest point in the region. Most of the day was sunny, so I sunburned again. But in the afternoon, there came a light rain for a while. Then later, it rained heavily. Fortunately, I was at a point with lots of roadside sales stands when the heavy rain came. I was able to stand under an awning for about 15 minutes until it passed. I also had my aluminum folding umbrella which I always carry in my shoulder bag.

I didn't get back into town for lunch until 2:45 p.m. I went to the other Tibetan restaurant and had fried rice with pork. It was also very good, but there were too many pieces of fat in it. I should have thought about that. Pork has fat. And people who live in cold places like the Himalayas eat lots of fat. I should have ordered the chicken friend rice.

I was so tired that I returned to my room at 4 p.m. and didn't leave it again. I finished the sweets from Trichy for my dinner. I watched TV. I read. Outside, it thundered and rained. The power went off several times (including the point when I was writing about it in my journal).

Tuesday, Oct. 17, Kokaikkanal to Madurai

It was a cold trip down the mountains this morning. I wore my pullover. But it was warm by the time we arrived here at Madurai. Unfortunately, the bus went to an outter bus station. I had to catch a local bus to come into town. Then I had trouble finding a hotel I liked. The first one was cheap an clean, but it had no TV. The second one was okay, but then they wanted me to pay more than two days in advance. The third one is nicer, so I am glad I am there. I have a 6th floor picture window view of the temple here. The room is very clean.

I went out to eat immediately, since it was already 1 p.m. A man who is a tailor wanted me to have pants made at his shop. I delayed him by telling him that I hadn't eaten all day. He showed me a local place to eat that was delicious. I had the vegetarian plate lunch which had some very nice spicy foods on it. Then he was waiting outside and took me to see an overview of the temple, because he said he was headed that way. It was a view from the rooftop of a nearby shop. That meant I had to explain to the shop keeper that I am not a shopper. Anyway, the man was gone when I came out. I'm glad, because I knew I wanted to be on the Internet next. I really could use a good pair of shorts--ones with larger leg openings than one gets in the U.S. U.S. shorts tug against the front of my leg when I walk because of their cut. So I may go find the man and his shop later to see what a pair of shorts would cost.