A trip to Ooty..... na na Masinagudi... Day 1

In the last post I stopped as we reached Masinagudi........We reach Bamboo banks with no further adventure!! But ha ha hold on.......the entrance gate to this place is quite interesting....it kinda looks like the gate that one would traditionally see in security check posts- a bar which lies put horizontally n which a guard pulls up (kinda get the idea. C the pic 4 to ur left 4 a better idea.....well after all a pic is worth thousand words...so who asked me to describe the gate in first place hey??) But ha ha again as there seems to be nobody manning this gate...so how do we get in -horn, shout or jump the rod? Well that is when we read this notice on the rod-c the pic to ur right (no wasting efforts on a futile desc again)! So u pull the rope and lo n behold the gate opens!! Well there is no magic behind this....it turns out that the rope is attached to a bucket and as u pull it, the bucket gets filled with water (from a drum placed high on a Bamboo tree) and as bucket gets heavier it comes down pulling the gate up....got it?? No worries if u don't.......

Ok now lemme at this point tell u something abt Bamboo banks....As u must hv already figured out its this kinda cute place located almost in periphery of Madhumalai forest! Thou I know our friend Mr.Binoy Joseph doesn't agree with my description- as per him its like any other home in his hometown kottayam - But well dont u let him bother u much; for city breds like me this place is a big welcome break from concrete jungles! So back to Bamboo Banks - its run by a Parsi family - or rather by this Parsi gentleman in the pic. This man is a character in himself ..... The adjectives used to describe him varying from 'interesting' , 'Snooty' (Courtesy: Binoy again), 'Unpatriotic' (Courtesy: Sabi) !!

Back to Bamboo banks ,(ha ha how i keep deviating from the subject) the place is quite good with a few good rooms. (The cottage we lived in is in the pic)Check //bamboobanks.in/ for further details.Before setting out we did a thorough study (supposedly) and zeroed upon Bamboo banks after reading the rave reviews and of course the good deal we got there - 2000 bucks per days - not a princely amount considering its 4 people! But its a comp diff story that at the end of 4 days we end up paying like 25k - in contrast to the original budget of 10k (courtesy: our ignorant husbands who didn't bother to find out the food tariff ... @#$#$%#^)!

But well the food there is really yummy....n the service v prompt!

So after a yummy lunch and quick game of UNO we decide to visit the Murugan temple located on a hill top! Now before u roll ur eyes n say temple lemme clarify that more than any religious value this place is visited for its scenic beauty! The drive up to the hilltop is itself a mini-adventure.....All your Altos, Santros, I10's wont stand a chance......its only the good old jeeps that will ake u there (something to do with the four wheel drive I am told)! For most of the drive there is nothing like a pucca road n ur jeep is almost going nose deep....n once u reach top the song that comes to mind is "AAj mein oophar, Aasmaan Neeche"..........

After this adventure we return all pepped to bamboo banks n relax with a cup of hot tea, Whisky\Wine, snacks n a biggg dinner.........So thats day 1 for you...a perfect start to what a perfect holiday!