And...Coming Down...(Finally!)

Awright! So I am not that honest a boy as i thought i was..this post was burst onto the screen ( powerful turn of phrase there) about 10 days back!! So what's new there? Haven't you heard of the proverb "Patience is it's own reward?"**

We had boarded the bus at Coimbatore at 3.15 PM. 5. 45 PM, we set foot on Conoor....

As I took in my first shot of Conoor, my first feeling was that of being in one of them movies that're shot at these hill stations. You know, you see all the people in sweaters, jackets, monkey caps and what not..Hell..even the burly policeman was wearing one of them..All that was left to complete that I-am-in-a-movie feeling was a beautiful companion, night time, slightly cold outdoors, a fire burning (outside)...err..you get the picture...onto more practical things now..

We had to find our way to our Company guest house. One of the good things that come out of working in a BIG company.We were lucky to get a room there in fact..the place is normally booked most of the time (wonder why EVERYONE wants to run to the hills!!)We were just looking for a place to sleep over and it just so happened that a room in the guest house was free for a night..The place was about 10 minutes from where we'd got down. So a small bus had the fortune of taking us to our immediate destination. And yes..before I forget..as we were waiting for the bus, two ladies were seen giggling at us..(No, I didn't pursue the matter..they weren't worth the trouble )

We had a little difficulty identifying the guest house.Got down at Sims Park. Asked for the way to our guest house..but ended up walking a little more down the road that was pointed out...retraced our steps, and then decided to try a house that looked a potential candidate.The place didn't have a board which anounced its identity. So we decided to take a chance. Knocked on the door. A frail man in his middle ages opened. He looked cautious..I guess my skinhead look wasnt helping matters..so we asked if this was the place and he said that it was..what do you know! he was expecting us!!God bless my colleague in Coimbatore!!

The caretaker, his name was Gopalakrishnan, was quite living upto his profession. He immediately started taking care of our needs. A cup of steaming tea soon found its way into my hands. Hot tea trickling down your throat while the world outside is tethering on the colder side has got to be one of the things you were made for. Gopalakrishnan was quite talkative after he found out that we spoke the same language-literally...told us about the places to see around Conoor too. We had brought the traveller's bible, Lonely Planet, along with us (It remained in my bag all the time. And my bag remained in the guest house for both the days that we were at Conoor).

It was around 6 PM when we got out of the guest house for a walk. I finally had an opportunity to wear my jacket!!There was the slightest of excuses for that..Had a hot snack at one of the many roadside vendors near Sims Park..We took one of the winding roads from Sims..As we walked, the air grew quieter with the sounds of civilisation and louder with the sound of nature...B had an interesting thing to say..about how the air was so free of smoke that we could actually feel the freshness..I nodded wisely in agreement..the road forked further on our way..and we took the one that looked quieter.It said "No Thoroughfare".the trees that lined the road were HUGE! Took me back to my Gulmohar text book that talked about huge coniferous trees. We soon reached a guest house..belonged to the Forest Department..we were just trying to see if a friendly soul would probably offer a cuppa tea when yet another cautious face greeted us..wonder why all caretakers look cautious at first sight. This one was Raja. We asked him a few visitorly questions to put him at ease, and very soon Raja was on talking terms with us! He even told us about the bison trail that went up the slope behind the guest house.B wanted to try it then and there. I did not! I won.

Dinner was a delicious and heavy affair..sleep was heavier. Woke up early on day two..4 in the morning! We were out by 6 for an early walk. Came across a couple of joggers too..no, they weren't women..one of them was cruel enough to make his poor dog run along with him too..I wonder if the dog shared his enthusiasm..the poor mutt certainly dint look like he needed the exercise. Looked mean enough to me for sure.

The larger part of the day was spent at the Highfield tea estate. We jumped the gate and went right into the tea gardens that were sprawling on either side of us..later on, we went to the tea factory there..had a schoolboy's tour of the place for 10 bucks..and had a sample of the tea produced there..even bought some of it..folks say it isn't all that bad too!

We had planned to return to Coimbatore by the Nilgiris Rail that evening.The train was at 4 and we reached the station early. Saw a worker cleaning the engine of a locomotive. Right out of a movie that one!! The trip down the hills would have been unbearable without a seat on the toy train..and a seat was impossible without a small 'gift' to the Ticket Inspector...but the price was way too small for the return journey...lots of 'oooh-aaah' sights on our way back too..B even managed to catch sight of a bison..Every now and then the spray from the engine would hit our faces..and every now and then we would enter a tunnel when a bunch of lads in our compartment would start acting like they were doing one of those tribal dances that we see in movies..

It was 8 PM when we were back in Coimbatore. B left the next evening for Trivandrum..Had a lot of snaps to remind me of our trip. Had a packet of Highfield tea too...And now..i have these two entries..

Shain