HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVE…

21 Jan. 12
Left nice hotel without time to use gym or pool and this is possibly the best hotel booked. Stopped for tea at the fabulous Laitha Palace Hotel which a kindly Raj gifted to his wife. Just where are these generous blokes these days?!! At around 200 euros per night only the rich Indians could afford this ostentatious luxury. A full time maid here earns about 60 euros per month. A glass, yes a glass, of wine in this palace costs 15euros!!!! Boy, am I going to appreciate my Spanish vino on return.
Leaving behind the city, we climbed up to beautiful green Bandipur National Park. Saw lots of monkeys, deer and a few elephants but the chances of glimpsing a tiger is remote. Stopped for chai at a dirty shack and took photos of the UGG toilets.
Arrived at Brookdale Village where I have a “cottage”. It´s cleanish and basic but does have beautiful views over tea plantations and mountains.
An hour more into Ooty to visit Botanic Gardens and Boating Lake (full of tacky stalls so didn´t stay). On way back climbed up a hill with my driver to a lovely place where movies are filmed. Back at hotel for a meal. No one else here in restaurant…no music, silence and not even a beer! Four Indian men had lit a fire in the grounds and invited me to chat. I had read that Indians will ask foreigners blunt question and it was true to its word. Several people have asked me, “Where is you country”? “What is your name?” then, apparently satisfied, they move away. One of these gentlemen went several steps beyond this. “Where are you travelling to?” “How much did you pay?” And …”Give me your email address”!...Scuttled back to room and spent 15 minutes trying to get a small frog to leave. I put a bucket over him and got him outside. (He appeared back the following morning!)
I read in the newspapers that Indian graduates studying in UK are returning to India to get work. Maybe some could research the tourist facilities and come up with a way to clean up the rubbish that is just left at roadside….despite posters urging people to think of the environment.