My concerns have been confirmed.
There is a strike – so there is definitely no bus going to Mysore today. The reason is not entirely clear, but it appears to be local Tamil Nadu. -to be topic. Is it just the bus drivers or is it possibly even a general strike?
The sullen gentleman at the ticket corner grimaces his round peach face and mumbles something into his three-day beard that could mean “no idea”. For him it means calming down angry customers for the next few hours and teaching them that even the loudest swearing is useless.
Strike
I am not amused, nor are the other people, especially the tourists, hoping to get out. The locals don't seem to give a damn. A shrug, a grim smile is their only reaction. It can be assumed that such shortcomings are part of the daily routine in this country.
Serenity means taking things as they are and not as we would like them to be. I got used to it long ago (or am I just imagining it?). In such situations, you have to keep pointing the finger at yourself and not at the supposed perpetrators of the problem. It seems to be our inevitable fate to get angry about irrelevant things. And it doesn't get better with age.
Anyway, the cheerful gathering of the most diverse people at breakfast provides an unexpected solution. I am proposed to join a trek that will start in a few minutes and will last all day. No idea where the journey will take me, but it sounds like fun.
The mood is perfect right from the start - as is usually the case in such matters, characterized by flexibility and tolerance. We let ourselves be transported to the starting point and then set off.
Forests, colorful houses, noisy children
The sun is shining, the early morning chill has reluctantly gone, and so we happily stride out. Always follow the guide, who talks non-stop and shares his knowledge.
At first you listen, captivated by all the crazy stories that make up this country. A little later concentration wanes, you are in your own world, drifting past colorful houses, full of noisy children, through forests and fields and along strange canals that are used for irrigation.
Tea plantations
And then we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a green world. A light green, dark green, pale green, shiny green world full of tea plants. I am not a tea-drinker, I only drink tea in times of extreme flu or colds, but in view of these wonderful, already from afar fragrant fields even I might actually become a tea aficionado.
The Nilgiri mountains are famous, not only for their pleasant climate, but especially for the famous Nilgiri Teawhich is grown here. Originally the area around Ooty was the homeland of the All , a mountain tribe of shepherds living in almost complete isolation from the cities of the surrounding lowlands. The Todas were evangelized or persecuted and driven from their land by the tea farmers.
Tea Processing
At the end of our little journey into the world of tea, there is, of course, the presentation of the next step in the long process of tea processing, until it is ready to be served in the familiar tea bags on our tables. The corresponding building is located above Ooty, an inconspicuous house where people are busily working. Of course, our guide, this time supported by the boss of the company, explains the various steps. The scent floating in the air is beguiling, reminding me of long forgotten scents from my youth. Of course, all visitors receive a bag of the wonderful tea. Not that I'm already looking forward to the next flu, but it will definitely be a special experience to breathe in the incomparable scent and savor the drink.
And then we are standing on the road and say goodbye, very warmly, as if we had known each other all our lives. These are the things that make a journey so wonderful and so sad at the same time.
The guy at the ticket office of the state bus company is just as much an ass as he was yesterday. No bus ticket. After all, I find a chance in a travel agency to book a ticket for the morning bus to Mysore. Imagine the picture: a young man sitting on a rickety chair at an equally rickety table, a few brochures in front of him, behind him a devastated restaurant, which is either under reconstruction or simply devastated. Let's see if that works tomorrow.
P.S. Matching Song: Spencer Davis Group - After Tea
And here the journey continues ...
