Brrr... It can be cold in India!

The first hillstation we visited, Ooty or Udhagamandalam, wasn't an immediate success... While Europe was baking in the sun, we were freezing in our 2 sweaters and sleeping bag - although this might be a little exaggerated, due to the lack of sleep.

The nightbusdrive from Mysore to Ooty was horrible - bad seats, no place to put our backpacks nor our feet, this typical hobbly road of India but then 10 times worse and a motor that produced at least 120dB. But we drove through the wildlife sanctuary and saw 2 elephants and a gaur, so that compensated more or less. We arrived fed up in Ooty at 6 in the morning and had to look for a place to stay. The first one we visited was more expensive than our guide book told us, so we looked for another place to stay.

Mysore update

Here I am again! We wanted to come on the internet earlier already, but the internet connection in Hampi didn't work. 

At this moment we are sitting in a small internet cafe in Mysore - with slow connection, so I can't get on my site, it's taking ages... but I'm feeling so good. We visited Tibetan refugee settlements today, some 90km from Mysore.

Tibetan settlements

First days

Aaaah... so much to say, and no time... But for sure: India is GREAT!!!

I was a little bit sad when leaving Belgium, because I had to miss you all for a long time; but this is really compensating it. I'm only here for 3 days and so much has happened already:

First: getting there. My first flight was 15 minutes late, making me almost miss my next flight - Heathrow really is BIG! But after running hard I was happy to have a window seat, next to a really friendly Indian girl. Not very unusual sitting next to an Indian, because I think I was about the only tourist on the flight :) Also here in India, it's definitely low season: only today we met our first other tourist, Jacquee from Australia, with whom we visited the caves of Ellora.

India: here I come!

Een impressie van Trivandrum op het internet

Finally, all the preparatory work is done, and the journey can start… I’m so looking forward to going that I’m not sleepy at all. However, I’d better get some sleep, because tomorrow day starts early (alarm at 4:30). I’ll meet Els, my friend with whom I will be travelling the next month, at the airport. She will leave around 7:30, and my plane – going to London - will take off at 9:45. There I’ll leave for Mumbai, where I’ll see Els again around 0:30.