Inland from Kochi: Western Ghats

We’re still pretty south but after some ‘beach time’ we head inland by bus into the Western Ghat mountain area, with its tea and coffee plantations.

Morning hike thru tea plantation provided some great views.

Green Tea View Inn just beyond Munnar near village of Anachal provide a respite from city hustle.

Thomas and wife Lisa were most gracious hosts in a lovely home, preparing a wonderful dinner in which we minimally assisted in (shelling peas, peeling veggies!)

View from balcony

After dinner Lisa dresses us in sarees.

Hiking in tea plantation

Heading North in private car to Mettupalayam, our goal is to board a ‘toy’ train there to reach Ooty.

The five and a half hour road trip took us high into the mountains where little but the odd toddy shop could be found.

Men on 125 km pilgrimage with supporting vehicle. They seemed very chipper.

Mostly what we would consider single lane roads resulting in some tight squeezes.

To catch the toy train from Mettupalayam we needed an early start. Stayed in a retirement community, Melur Meadows in village of Kumaran Kundru where the site manager, Manoj Kumar, attended to our needs and came up with a strategy to get us on the morning train even though we were on a hopeless wait list. Wild peacocks were everywhere in this community.

We met MPP walking the retirement community but it was the local indigenous cleaning women who invited us into their nearby village.

In the wee hours of the morning a driver arrived to take us to the train station. We got prime seats in open air windows!

One of several stops along the way to Ooty.

Two pictures; one gal enjoying the ride

Pretty steep cliffs along the way

Hanging out with new train compartment friends and playing with TicToc app

Needed nourishment upon arrival in Ooty. ‘Restaurants near me’ took us up the road to Ascot in Club Mahindra where we enjoyed coffee on the patio overlooking a view of the city followed by a very decent late buffet lunch.

Historic train station of Ooty has an interesting little museum; more difference now than there used to be re Indian vs European closets

Our booked hotel OYO said they couldn’t accept foreigners so a bit of a fiasco. Landed okay but we decided to go for a more rural experience a couple of hours north so boarded a bus to Gudalur the next day.