January 10, 2016
To Ooty: No train for you!
"Wait ten more minutes" says the train's mechanical engineer, it's now about 7:00am and we've been waiting in the unreserved line for a ticket since 5:30 then were told the bikes are not allowed on the train. A police officer from Kochi who was in line with us is also trying to intervene with the Pay master in charge to allow us and the bikes on the train. Saving face, the Pay master held his ground, it's a no go for us.
The process of getting a ticket on the train is confusing and difficult. Online reservations are possible only with an Indian phone number and Indian credit card. Without a reservation, the other option is showing up early for when the token for unreserved passengers are passed out, then the token is taken to the ticket counter. Even more confusing is how the train is loaded, only the Indian people understand this system...from our standpoint it looks chaotic and unorganized.
Not getting on the train was a disappointment. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is designated by UNESCO with World Heritage status. The train has special cog wheels that interface with a toothed rail on the ground and the cars are pushed up the steep gradients. We move on to plan B, whatever that might be.
Leaving the railway station, Patrick asks a group of men standing around where to find a taxi to take us to Coonoor, this would be past the steepest part of the climb and we give us time to cycle to Ooty. Wow, we now have 5 men helping us to a taxi. Two helping load the gear and tie the bikes to the roof, and the "mandatory" three men watching. An hour later, we are dropped off at the train station and we cycle the last 20 kms to Ooty. Being Sunday, as we ride through the villages, we hear Christian music, we see Hindu men walking along the road headed to a temple, and the Muslim call to prayer.
We beat the train, arriving in Ooty around 1100am. The tablet has run out of juice, but luckily Patrick remembers some of the map of the city and we find the Old Bazaar Street with the Green Apple guesthouse. For lunch we have a Thali meal then walk around the municipal market.
Tomorrow a rest day to explore more of Ooty.
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Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 11,199 km (6,955 miles)
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