Temple-tastic travels

Done. That's it. Seen enough amazing temples and some shockers. In the mountains currently residing at a balmy 2200m hill station called Ooty. Having ridden India's steepest railway (1:12) from Mettupalayam (330m above sea level) to Udhagamandalam (Ooty's real name at 2286m) I've had to don a thermal tee and jumper. It's chilly. But back to our toy train. It was small. Fraser and I now the train buffs that we are slept on the station floor, the night before. Just so we were first in line for our tickets, nothing to do with the fact it doesn't cost!


Naturally we weren't first in line. Three Germans showed up about 2 hours early for the train at 5am. Poolside in a resort or in the middle of India they're getting their towels out early! Regardless we got in line and then had the jolly old time of having one of the Germans telling a French threesome, whom appeared around 6am not to jump the queue. They were behind us but he had automatically assumed we'd just gone to the actual front because in his word's we'd, "Slept in the train station so really want to ride the train." "Aye, mate, totally. We reaaaaaly want to ride this train!" Was the early morning Scot's sarcastic reply. I still think he thought we were serious. Very literal these Germans.

Given UNESCO world heritage status early in the 21st century, the Lonely Planet has dubbed 'The Nilgiri Toy Train' (We're currently in the Nilgiri Hills) the most romantic train journey in India! So while pondering what this meant for Fraser and I's friendship we boarded our we cabin.

I'm going to stop here as my hour is up on the internet but I want to leave you with the dictionaries definition of romantic and romance. Next time I'll let you know how closely it matches our journey into the mountains.

romantic - of, pertaining to, or of the nature of romance; characteristic or suggestive of the world of romance. Also, imaginary, fictitious, or fabulous.

romance - a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting.

Ramble on.........................