Entries about coonoor

Day 106: Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 13/01/12

Well, Friday the 13th saw us really struggle. Was horrible to realise this morning that we would be leaving our brief lap of luxury and return to normality. After a breakfast of pancakes and a lie in the huge, comfortable bed, with the log fire roaring (learnt that throwing awful Indian hot chocolate powder on the fire produces Potteresque green flames) and the light, airy room teasing us, we checked out and caught a tuk-tuk to the station. After agreeing a fare of 80 rupees, the driver announces he has now change for my 100 rupee note. As Gemma goes to get some change, small talk with me bores the driver into miraculously producing the required change…

The train to Coonoor is a steam train and the one hour journey costs us 3 rupees each. The carriage is full of people that seem to think that shouting and screaming every time we pass through a tunnel is amusing. It is not. It is annoying.

Find a cold, depressing hotel room back within the budget and have soup in the restaurant downstairs. Mine is so spicy it makes my lips quiver involuntarily. We trundle round the cold, scruffy town and settle down in the sleeping bags for room service dinner.