* Stop for brakfast at Kamat. There's a new one open on this side of the road, further down. Nevertheless, we decide to have it at the usual joint. The showpiece of this stop is a bunch of monkeys.
* The monkeys are more intelligent that the family of 9. First, at the payment counter, the lady can't decide how many of them are there - seven, eight or nine. By the time they decide, the vadas are over.
* Due to my bad luck, i run into the father, mother and daughter from the group at the dosa counter. The lady can't wait. She starts chastising the cook for not being able to make 20 dosas in 20 seconds. By the time the dosas are brought out, the three of them want everything for themselves. The waiter does not oblige, and gives us, the lesser mortals, some helpings. Needless to say, the lady is livid.
* I run in to the girl again during coffee. As i am drawing my coffee, the girl comes in with a cup and tries to push mine away. I give some advice, and she runs off to her mother. The mother glares at me, and i glare back with more venom. Battle won!
* We stop for tea at a wayside stall in Gundlupet. Nobody else does. They all stop next door at the spanking Coffee Day. Needless to say, the tea is good, but the place would shock all you so-called social human beings .
* Bandipur: We spot a handful of deers. Other than them, the only animals visible are a hundreds of malnourished cows.
* We pass the border into Tamil Nadu. "They'll ask for money" says RM. "You're going for festival, no? Give us some money, they'll say. If they see the camera, they'll ask for double." Surprisingly, nobody asks to money.
* 36-odd hairpins to Ooty. The little Marutis that showed such great hurry and overtook us, are seen struggling to make the turns
* There's a huge traffic jam leading into Charing Cross. But the vehicles are lined up obediently in a single file - except for a couple of cars with Bangalore licence plates who try to jump the line.
* Charing Cross is empty. There are hardly any shops that are open. We struggle to buy chocolates.
* Descent to Mettupalayam is worse...People simply can't wait to overtake. One guy almost bangs us from behind.
* I almost forget my camera after lunch in Mettupalayam. Lucky escape!
* Another traffic-jam half way to Coimbatore. On the way, we had spotted a huge arena for amma's election rally. I hope the jam's not due to some stupid politician. People are thankfully well behaved, except for the Indica fellow. He was crawling along the road at 10 km per hour, and now he cannot wait in a queue!
* We stop for bajji and tea at Palakkad. Oil seems to be cheap in Kerala now. The bajji is overflowing with it
* The buses on the Palakkad-Thrissur route are still driven by madmen.
* Arrival time in Ernakulam: 9:00 PM - one hour before the ETA
1 comment:
Crisp!
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