Early this morning we left the boarding house to set off on our long journey to Kodaikanal. We set off in two of SJS's mini buses - unfortunately I was the who had to spend the entirety of the drive seated in the squeaky chair. This was not ideal for a six hour journey up around the spiralling mountains. However the ever-changing scenery and the continuous glimpses of Indian life, as many stalls and houses lined the roads we were travelling on, constantly entertained us.
After the first two hours of driving we stopped off at Madurai (one of the largest cities in Tamil Nadu) for lunch and to visit the Madurai galleries. The rooftop of the Madurai galleries was an ideal place for checking out the largest temple in India which we are due to visit on our journey back to SJS on Sunday. The Madurai galleries is not a gallery as its name suggests, but instead a three-floor shop bursting which classic Indian trinkets and antiques, as well as a whole floor dedicated to beautiful handmade Indian carpets in an array of colours and sizes. One of the shop assistants, who had a family history of making carpets, gave us a short introduction to the variety of carpets for sale. We were then free to browse the shop where most of us attempted to barter for different items. A number of chess sets were purchased as well as mini wooden elephants, jewellery and Mrs Morrison-Bartlett bought herself a carpet.
After we had all purchased what we wanted we proceeded to the 'Germanus' hotel for lunch. We were swiftly shown to the underground bar where we would be eating. I can honestly say this is perhaps the weirdest place I have ever eaten. It was bathed in a royal blue neon light with flashing disco lights on the ceiling. A dubstep cover of Michael Jackson blared out from the speakers and the stench of old food and bathroom cleaner was unavoidable. Despite the greasy, salty food that arrived long after it should have, we all enjoyed the meal and dancing along to the odd but entertaining club beats.
We all piled back into the mini buses and continued our journey along the manic Indian roads. After two hours we reached the base of the mountains where our driver pulled over to let us use the toilet before we began our ascent. The loos were at the back of a plot of land inhabited by goats, dogs and chickens and after using the delightful long-drop and witnessing an awkward moment where someone's toilet door swung open mid-long-drop we were ready to climb back aboard the bus. The final two hours of our journey consisted of climbing though winding mountain roads whilst admiring the beautiful valley views below. As nice as this was the journey up the mountain was slightly unnerving. The narrow road was quite chaotic, and at some points there was road works taking place on either side of the road we were driving on.
Finally, we arrived at Kodaikanal. It is a beautiful mountain hill station surrounded by sloping green hills. We checked into the hotel, dumped our bags in our rooms and went off to explore the grounds. We were thrilled to discover a playground, a spa and gym, a small temple, mini golf course and, last but not least, a pen full of emus. We then had some time to relax before dinner. Browsing through the menu, many were delighted to see the English dishes on offer: Shepherd's Pie, roast chicken and potatoes, macaroni cheese and fish and chips. However, some of us (myself included), in the true spirit of travelling, decided to stick to the local food. After a long day we collapsed in our luxurious double beds (with no mosquito nets!) ready to explore Kodaikanal the next day.
By Katie and Kimberley
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