More shades of green than an Absinthe bar
Trip Start
Feb 08, 2012
1
18
22
Trip End
Jul 28, 2012
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Ooty, Andhra Pradesh, India
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Ooty was originally founded by the British and quickly became the mountain resort of choice for all the expats living in India. It then gained wider popularity with the locals and underwent a massive growth explosion which made the town itself a bustling crowded eyesore with the odd glimmer of past glory as it stands today. That's probably a bit harsh, but it's saving grace is the cool weather and its location nestled among the hills of the Nilgiri mountain range and surrounded by tea plantations which paint the hillsides in more shades of green than an Absinthe bar.
The next day was spent checking out the sites in town. 1st stop, a man made lake at the bottom of town which turned out to be a disappointment. The guide book talked about a serene mountain lake, peppered with paddle boats and picknickers. The reality was a dirty, rubbish strewn fenced off, stagnant mire with a dodgy theme park packed with locals as the only way to access the lake front. From the look of the water alone, I wouldn't have risked getting on the water as one spill in the drink would undoubtedly have left me with a disease bearing my own name (as the 1st known victim). There was nothing redeeming about the place, so I turned back and headed to the other side of town to visit the botanical gardens. These were very nice as botanical gardens go and I spent a good few hours wandering about.
Day 3, however, was a cracker! I'd read that Ooty is home to the best motorcycle ride in the world (http://urbanmixtape.in/2011/11/coorg-%E2%80%93-ooty-munnar-route-crowned-the-worlds-ultimate-riding-wonder-at-the-shell-advance-malaysian-moto-gp-2011/). Due to having no internet access, I couldn't look it up again when I was there, but discovered one which was the best I'd ever done. I'm sorely tempted as I write this to head to the end-point Munnar and give it a crack on an Enfield. I found a rental place and took them through my newly devised bike hire checklist:
1. Horn - pass
2. Brakes - pass
3. Helmet that provided some chance of surviving a spill - pass
4. Mirrors - fail, but after a short but emphatic conversation, pass
...And I was on my way. I headed up the local mountain which afforded great views over Ooty following a short but windy ride. . Straying off the main trail at the top I found myself in Australia, surrounded by towering blue gums. It felt like the blue mountains. Eucalyptus was introduced here in 1790 and cover much of the Nilgiri range of mountains. Heading off again to Coonoir, the neighbouring town, I soon discovered a mountain pass which led all the way down from above 2000m to the plains below. It was like the Clyde mountain pass in Australia but about twice as big. Winding roads, well laid, snaked there way down setting up blissful corner after corner. I had to be careful of overloaded trucks coming at me head-on on the wrong side of the road, but apart from that, brilliant. Passing tea plantations, waterfalls and stunning views down the valley, I spent the next 5 hours just taking in the great riding and great views. toward the bottom of the ride, I knew I was in India when I saw a sign outlining the fact that by law, Elephants have right of way. Not having thought of it, I decided that if I came across an elephant, I would probably give it right of way sign or no sign. I headed back up the pass and spent an hour checking out Coonoir which turned out to be crowded and dirty before heading home for an early night before moving on to Kochi, my next destination.
