Madikeri

I arrived in Madikeri in Coorg. just as the sun was going down. I had planned to arrive earlier but was late dragging myself out of bed. Then I decided to walk down to the bus stop as I thought I new where it was, however I went to the wrong bus stop! Only private buses left from here and I needed a goverment bus. So I hopped into a tuk-tuk and caught the correct bus. Four or five hours later I eventually arrived in Madikeri. The last fifteen kilometers took over half an hour as the bus slowly crawled its way up the road.

I got a room in Hotel Cauvery but it wasn't that great. At 23.00 the room became mysteriously illuminated. It turned out what I intuitively assumed was a wall actually had a window looking through to the dining hall from where the light and noise of the staff came. That would explain the two set of curtains!

I moved into Hilltown Hotel the next day a pleasant hotel for not much more dosh. You even get a free paper slipped under your door in the morning.

I decided to try and find a hotel listed in the Lonely Planet which has a terrace and is a good place for a sunset drink. I stumbled across it and wandered in. The terrace appeared to be next door to the garden I was currently in and the view back across the valley was obscured by hedges. So I traipsed back indoors and asked the staff for the terrace where I was pointed up the stairs and to the left. I appeared higher up, but on a building site! I guess the terrace is being reconstructed. I just can't see being allowed onto a bulding site in Britain, never mind being directed by the staff! But I guess that's what makes India a bit different.

I had a look about town coming across a typical Indian corner shop where I wondered if the cat was also for sale. I found the macros button on my camera and took some closeups.
Later I came across an even better cat with execellent eyes.
I went to a museum where they had a couple of large elephant statues. Then I went for a walk out of town into the greenery with big spiky plants.

I headed back to the park for a good view of the valley. Coorg covers only 2% of Karnataka but has 40% of the ecological biodiversity. The landscape is a mixture of forests and green fields set in rolling hills.

Next stop is into the forest!