Can't believe I am halfway through my trip. At the moment I am sat in a tiny internet cafe, working on a pain in the arse keyboard that keeps sticking, so not sure how long I can put up with this, especially as I am being knocked everytime someone walks past so I am about to scream!!!
As mentioned last time, we did in fact move homestays and found a much better place right in the middle of town. Munnar town itself is really not that great to look at and one would be forgiven in thinking it is a bit of a dump, however, just a couple of minutes out of town and you hit the acres of tree plantations in the hills and the scenery is absolutely stunning!! It truly takes your breath away!
So yesterday was spent being driven along the winding roads up the hills and through the tea plantations. All would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that I have never felt so travel sick in my life!!! When the Indian people tell you that they drive on the same side of the road as us, I think what they actually mean is that they have right hand drive cars like us, but as far as the driving itself ... ANY SIDE OF THE ROAD GOES!!! Even when driving around a sharp bend on the side of a mountain!! They feel as long as the driver honks his horn before turning the bend, anyone coming in the opposite direction should be aware. Bloody scary, so much even Claudine was stunned into silence.
The afternoon was filled with a 'little two hour trek' up the hillside, to see the natural foliage and wildlife there. Our guide walked a few paces ahead armed with his bamboo stick which was great for whipping aside any over grown greenery in our way, but I have to say when he started pointing out the various Tiger footprints in the mud and Leopard scratches up the trees, I did start to think that maybe he should also be carrying a tranquiliser gun?! Luckily the only natural inhabitants we came up close to were a few Lizards scurrying past us and an assortment of brilliantly coloured butterflies!
Today was our last day here in Munnar but we will not know until tomorrow morning if the riots are still going on in Periyar (our next destination). As much as Claude and I feel very strongly in favour of the Keralans who would like Tamil Nadu to sort out the fragile Dam, we feel that taking part in a riot about it is probably taking the saying 'When in Rome ...' a little too far.
And so we spent this morning doing a little more sightseeing along the stunning greenery out here, well as much as we could considering for some reason there were various areas that had been taped off to 'foreigners'?! No one could explain to us why certain areas of greenery where alright for Indians to walk through and not us 'visitors'. I wouldn't mind, but it is not as if WE are the ones dumping rubbish on every street, field, body of water or valley out here, nor are we the ones that just drop our pants anywhere when the urge takes us to go to the toilet - I am still talking about 'dumping' here!
To calm us down, this evening we went to see a Martial Arts show. Have to say it was amazing, dating back centuries, apparently one of the first martial arts that exists - though can't remember what it is called!! After the show, Claude joined the young, fit, strong, muscular men in the pit to have a quick lesson on how to use the longest knife I have ever seen!! She would have looked quite scary marching along, wielding the sword if it wasn't for the huge grin on her face as the young, fit, strong, muscular men took photos of her. However, I think she now has a few ideas on how to sort out the pesky mosquitoes that have been plaguing us since we got over here!
So now I must make my way back to the room and pack, then see what tomorrow brings ... we are practising 'living in the moment'. However, should you see us on the front page of the newspapers, smiling behind bars, you know the riots were still on and Claude decided to practise her newly found fight moves ...
As mentioned last time, we did in fact move homestays and found a much better place right in the middle of town. Munnar town itself is really not that great to look at and one would be forgiven in thinking it is a bit of a dump, however, just a couple of minutes out of town and you hit the acres of tree plantations in the hills and the scenery is absolutely stunning!! It truly takes your breath away!
So yesterday was spent being driven along the winding roads up the hills and through the tea plantations. All would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that I have never felt so travel sick in my life!!! When the Indian people tell you that they drive on the same side of the road as us, I think what they actually mean is that they have right hand drive cars like us, but as far as the driving itself ... ANY SIDE OF THE ROAD GOES!!! Even when driving around a sharp bend on the side of a mountain!! They feel as long as the driver honks his horn before turning the bend, anyone coming in the opposite direction should be aware. Bloody scary, so much even Claudine was stunned into silence.
The afternoon was filled with a 'little two hour trek' up the hillside, to see the natural foliage and wildlife there. Our guide walked a few paces ahead armed with his bamboo stick which was great for whipping aside any over grown greenery in our way, but I have to say when he started pointing out the various Tiger footprints in the mud and Leopard scratches up the trees, I did start to think that maybe he should also be carrying a tranquiliser gun?! Luckily the only natural inhabitants we came up close to were a few Lizards scurrying past us and an assortment of brilliantly coloured butterflies!
Today was our last day here in Munnar but we will not know until tomorrow morning if the riots are still going on in Periyar (our next destination). As much as Claude and I feel very strongly in favour of the Keralans who would like Tamil Nadu to sort out the fragile Dam, we feel that taking part in a riot about it is probably taking the saying 'When in Rome ...' a little too far.
And so we spent this morning doing a little more sightseeing along the stunning greenery out here, well as much as we could considering for some reason there were various areas that had been taped off to 'foreigners'?! No one could explain to us why certain areas of greenery where alright for Indians to walk through and not us 'visitors'. I wouldn't mind, but it is not as if WE are the ones dumping rubbish on every street, field, body of water or valley out here, nor are we the ones that just drop our pants anywhere when the urge takes us to go to the toilet - I am still talking about 'dumping' here!
To calm us down, this evening we went to see a Martial Arts show. Have to say it was amazing, dating back centuries, apparently one of the first martial arts that exists - though can't remember what it is called!! After the show, Claude joined the young, fit, strong, muscular men in the pit to have a quick lesson on how to use the longest knife I have ever seen!! She would have looked quite scary marching along, wielding the sword if it wasn't for the huge grin on her face as the young, fit, strong, muscular men took photos of her. However, I think she now has a few ideas on how to sort out the pesky mosquitoes that have been plaguing us since we got over here!
So now I must make my way back to the room and pack, then see what tomorrow brings ... we are practising 'living in the moment'. However, should you see us on the front page of the newspapers, smiling behind bars, you know the riots were still on and Claude decided to practise her newly found fight moves ...
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