Adults in the Toy Train?

After a good 4hours walking around Coonoor, we were making our way towards the exit at Sim's Park when my friend was telling her daughter about the Toy Train. The Kiddo looked up at us and said with all innocence "but how will you all fit into it, how will you come to Ooty?".We laughed and then explained to her that though it was called the Toy Train, it was for people of all ages and sizes...

 

A steam engine takes place of honour outside the Coonoor station after having given years of service to the railways. 

 It was my last day there in Ooty and my friend's husband [well, he is also a dear friend now] suggested we explore Coonoor and maybe try the Toy Train from Coonoor to Ooty. We all chimed in "Yayy", but then came the question of how do we do this? logistics? I suggested Bus or cab, friend's hubby A said "We'll drive down, you guys come by train, I'll drive back to Ooty and pick you up". I screamed at him saying that was a stupid idea and no fun. Finally, we hired a cab from the resort, picked up tickets for the train journey from Ooty station and headed out.

 A church i spotted while waiting at Coonoor station

The clock was about to strike 4.25 as we rushed into the station, spotted the TTR and found our compartment and seats. It was very different from the Mettupalayam Ooty train, probably cos we were in the  2nd class compartments. The seats were wooden planks, and small cubicles with small rickety windows. Anyways, we were all excited and quite high :-)

The train took one hour to complete the 18km journey, but the sights were worth the time. The lush greenery, endless mountains with green fields, clouds gliding across the mountain tops, and the herds of Bison that were grazing along the railway track that paused to give us a look [ i kid you not, they stared right at us as if to say Whats up?]  and ofcourse the 16 tunnels. Our cab driver had mentioned that some parts of the Chaiyya Chaiyaa song from Dil Se had been shot here on the tracks and we wondered where.

We crossed Wellington, Ketti Valley, Lovedale before pulling into Ooty station. The kids were excited to spot our cab driver on the platform. What a fun journey that was!!

The train operates through the day, about 4 times, from Ooty to Coonoor and back. The last on schedule is

4.30pm departure from Coonoor to reach Ooty at 5.25pm. You will see a chart with timings in Ooty station,  and the counter opens 45mins before the train departure time. 

The cost of ticket for the 5 of us in 2nd class was Rs138/- .. If you go early, you can grab a seat in the 1st class.

This post is also an entry for momentum of moments contest of www.redbus.in

Skywatch Friday.. Flower Friday.... Roses Galore

We were in the Blue hills, the Nilgiris and this trip was with my dear darling friend and her family [who are as good as mine]. Since it was my friend's 1st time in Ooty, we decided to do all the touristy things. One of them was a visit to the Rose gardens[also called Centenary Rose Park], situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill in Vijayanagaram area. Luring the kids with a promise of a park, we piled into the car and drove down to the place. Upon parking the car, I ran ahead with the kids only to stop stumped. The Rose gardens seemed never ending. My friend's son and I tried to see far ahead and all we saw was mist and a hill hiding behind the sheet. Wow... We wondered how large the garden was and if we would be able to explore the entire space. The other interesting thing about this place is that the tiles you walk on have rose image engraved on them. :-) 

Jumping down the staircase one at a time, we kept pointing out to the largest rose in the garden. He would point to one, and I would rush over to see it; pretty soon his sister would point to one and we would tumble across. This went on till my friend and her hubby joined us and knocked some sense into our heads [atleast we let them think they did..] My friend had knee pain, and could not walk long. We asked them to rest in the gazebo while the brat and moi went ahead. The girlie wanted to join, but I knew both would be more than  a handful. I made a pact, 2 rounds with her brother and then it would be her turn to walk with me. :-) 

The roses we saw were beautiful, some were huge, bigger than my palm [yes, I have big hands]. It was such a burst of colour- pale pink, bright pink, white, red, burgundy, yellow, orange, peach, orange and red, yellow and red, the colours were just amazing. Some were small, some were large, some with pretty petals while others had small petals. Some stood tall, while others seemed to be searching for something on the ground below. 

The skies were clear and blue, the roses such a stark contrast to the soothing skies, as if they were telling the visitors "this is how life is, good and bad, bright and dull, learn to accept & move on"... 

Phew, not sure how long we were there, but we were exhausted and had managed to see about 3/4th of the place. Would need a day, but we dint have that kind of time. Suddenly, I heard my name being called out. It was time to scoot, we headed out but not before taking a few group photographs. 

PS: This garden has received the as "Garden of Excellence" by the World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) in 2006.. There are only 4 other gardens to have received this award. 

For more beautiful skies, visit skywatch Friday. Am also submitting this for Flower Friday, the theme set by Chennai Bloggers Club for today! 

Pretty Pansy in Ooty

During my visits to Ooty, spending a few hours at the Botanical Garden has become a routine of sorts. This time too i was there with friends, mainly cos it was my friend's 1st time in Ooty and because the gardens provided the kids open space to run and have some fun. 

I noticed this peculiar flower during my earlier visits as well. This time, i went up to a lady sitting nearby [who  had a bucket and a broomstick, and looked like someone who took care of the place] and enquired about this flower. She said it was called the Pansy, and dint know any more. They always remind me of Master Shifu from Kung Fu panda. the tiny face, focussed eyes and cute structure i guess.  Here are some shots from the recent visits and finally one from my earlier visit. 

                                                More from Ooty can be seen/read here

Skywatch Friday and 275th post... Welcome to the Blue Hills

It is not often that you take a holiday that leaves you wanting more. I had one such experience recently. Even though it was a trip to a familiar destination, it was with friend and her family, which made a world of difference. I enjoyed myself, visited familiar sites, saw new things, explored unseen sites, spent nights playing card games and word games. Must also mention that this was my 1st time at a Club Mahindra property. :-) We stayed at Club Mahindra's Derby Green in Ooty... 

The temperatures were 12-18 during the day and 5-7 at night. It was heavenly, being able to walk around in a Tee shirt and capri, not worrying about sweat, enjoying a hot cuppa chai and a bowl of maggi after spending hours exploring the Botanical Gardens. It sure was a memorable vacation :-) 

 

And through the days, the clouds and blue skies kept us excited, the drama, the movements, the shapes, it was sheer magical..... sweet memories....

Participating in Skywatch after long and just realised this is my 275th post on this blog!! Yayy~!!

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... Well, today is the last Skywatch of this year, see you all in 2013. Wish you a very Happy New year!

Skywatch Friday... Rolling grasslands

The winding path, and clear skies kept us company as we drove from Ooty towards Wellington. Why? After 3 fun days with the dogs & their owners/trainers, it was time to check out the Horse show that happens at the Gymkhana Club every year. The lush greenery, beautiful endless stretch of mountains was just breath taking.

 

As we entered Wellington, i spotted a few horses running in the wild, and thought to myself  "how wonderful it must be... to be so free.." and just as my mind was beginning to wander, the car came to a halt and i was welcomed by the sight of children all dressed in Jockey outfits, looking smart and ready for the challenge. The Equestrian track had been set, and rules were being announced. I took a few minutes to wander the vast club before heading out towards the judges tent to watch the show. There were a few brown horses, 2 white and a majestic black one. One of the riders looked like a kid, she was no more than 12yrs of age. 

Once the signal was made, off they went, jumping, skipping, trotting and running across the various obstacles. I watched them with bated breath, praying none trip and fall, or lose a point for not making the jump. Phew, it was quite an exhilarating experience.

Subsequent to the show, i wandered towards a group of children sitting under a tent, only to discover they were all students from the Equestrian club, aged between 6 and 12, and were here to participate in the show. Past them was where some of the owners were walking about while their horses were being tended to by helpers. Wow, what a day it had been.. The hours spent watching the horses jump and work their magic, the kids rejoice every time a friend achieved a medal added to the experience.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

The Thread Gardens in Ooty

I walked out of the Botanical Gardens thirsty for more.. I wanted to explore Ooty some more.. I knew i might not have time the coming few days and decided to make the most of the day left. Hopped into an auto, and asked him to take me to the Lake.. I had no plans of going Boating, but wanted to walk around, enjoy the place. 

As i got off near the Boat house entrance, i noticed a board across the road "Thread gardens". The place looked run down and unkempt. But i dint let that alter my decision... Few short steps and i was at Ticket counter. The entry is Rs10 and additional Rs15 if you wish to take pictures. I noticed a man standing near the entrance, and the minute he saw people coming by, he got ready. He spoke about the gardens, the items on display and what was unique about them. 

This beautiful garden has been created by Mr. Antony Joseph and his team of 50 workers over 12years. Nearly 6cr meters of embroidery thread has been used in creating this one of a kind garden. And, to top it off, no machine has been used to create the flowers, lawns, ponds and so on. They have all been done by hand. Amazing...  You need to see it to believe it... 

A self invented technology called 'Four Dimensional hand-wound Embroidery' was utilized in creating the garden. There are over 400 different colours apart from the natural coloured threads that have been used across the display.  

Cardboards formed the base for the flowers and petals while copper& Steel wires became stems, all of which have been covered with colourful threads.  In all, there were about 150 kinds of flower and decors which will remain fresh and alive for years to come.  

Infact, as the walk through the gardens came to an end, i spotted a table with a few individual flower plants nestled within glass case for sale. These too had been painstakingly woven from thread....Beautiful.. I couldnt imagine having so much patience, doing such intricate weaving by hand...

Love in the middle of nowhere

I was in Ooty few years ago on an assignment. I had landed a day early, and decided to wander around, explore a bit before i got into work mode. As i walked downhill towards Charring Cross, i spotted this abandoned sculpture sitting on the side wall..

"Love is eternal & needs no fancy place or comfortable surroundings" they seem to say...  Have a wonderful day!

May you find love in everything you do and see.