The last time I went on a trip with my family was over 5 years ago to Kerala . A random passing thought I voiced out at home got an unusually positive feedback. It’s funny when the fear of missing out brings everyone together .
Our decision to go to Ooty was not motivated just by the tranquility , lush green mountains and a chance of escape from our monotonous loops but also by the nostalgia of our previous trip nearly two decades ago. For my parents , it was mainly about reminiscing my sisters’ childhood , with their silly quarrels and never-ending want for more earrings / hairbands ( I was too young of course ….Duh!).
As I was the self volunteered chauffeur and in charge of the planning division , I could barely get any sleep the night before we left ( Nah! Excitement is the culprit there 😀 ). Thanks to my gigantic ego and my insatiable appetite for responsibility , I took up driving for the first half of the journey. Alas! If only I wasn’t tempted to race a group of guys in a Zoomcar ( I know you drivers out there have done it too -.-), I could have avoided a pothole which caused the puncture . Naturally the phrases “Ivat agolla bidu” and “Devre hogbeda andru” were stated throughout the wheel changing process. Since this happened during the first 100km we stopped in Mandya and got a replacement for the damaged tyre to prepare for the worst case scenario . An uneventful 150 km later , we entered Bandipur forest. A technical glitch in our logistics department ( dad says mom , mom says dad ) caused a petrol shortage in the middle of the forest but due to the help of a ” pakkka lokal ” store owner , we were able to get petrol bottles in a nearby village Mangala ( you can keep this in mind ) . A couple of tea stops and ” View stops ” later , we reached Ooty (Woohoo! Finally!) . The first thing you notice in Ooty is how crowded it is . But being from Bangalore , we felt right at home 🙂 . We didn’t waste any time searching for a hotel as I had booked one online ( Reflections Guest House –  comfortable ) .
Since none of us were too keen on visiting all the tourist spots , we settled with going for a walk to satisfy our caffeine craving ( All the while exchanging memories left of a simpler time ) . For dinner , we ended up at A2B . It almost looked as though every tourist in Ooty was there waiting for food exclusively available at that place. North Indians ordered roti with curry , South Indians ordered dosa-idli-vadas . No comfort zones were broken on that day . At the end of an unforgettable but pain in the ass day , we were only too glad to hit the bed. The perfect symphony of my parents’ snoring made me laugh so hard, I swear a tear came out ! . The next day (today), a morning walk accompanied with the customary tea was followed by a visit to Doddabetta peak , the highest point . The most exciting event of the day was the visit to the Tea and Chocolate factory . It’s so awesome to see the making of something you use everyday ( Note – This place has been officially added to your List ) . After lunch , we just took it easy in the room in preparation for travel the next day. That brings us to now , it’s 9:00 pm as I am writing this , with homemade chocolates in one hand and memories flowing in the other , I can safely say , this has been one helluvan adventure . Until next time !! .
PS – We drank about 9 cups of coffee/tea EACH in these 2 days (:P) .
Nothing like mom’s coffee though.
A view of Life through my Kaleidoscope 