MAR 13, 13 .. TRAVEL PLANS
Well I have my methods ! I am in a position where I am trying to decide the following .. when will I travel to Ooty?
There is NO question I want to and I plan to go to Ooty. And there is No question I want to and I plan to go to Kodaikanal.
The question is the order of my visits. Ooty first or Kodaikanal first?
So today .. Wednesday .. 13 March 2013 .. I FORMALLY BEGAN MY PROCESS.
I walked to the Pondicherry Railway Station. I have never been to the ‘Pondi’ Railway Station so just finding it was an adventure. I had a map but I also asked many local bystanders as I proceeded along-my-way if I was heading correctly.
And in my walk I spied the below PHOTO OPPORTUNITY and I took it !
IF YOU HAVE YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES WILL APPEAR! Field of Dreams !
Gasoline (Petrol) is 70 Rs per liter .. roughly $5.50 US per gallon. Not all that bad.
I wanted to find and go to the Railway Station because I wanted to find out IF there is a train from ‘Pondi’ to Ooty? THERE IS NOT. There IS .. one day a week .. Thursday night at 11PM .. a train from ‘Pondi’ to Mysore.
En route walking to the Railway Station I had stopped in several local travel offices. Each told me there was NO train to Ooty but I always have got to confirm and re-confirm my information here in India!
Then I went to my ACE-IN-THE-HOLE here in ‘Pondi’ .. PARVEEN TRAVEL. Last February I used PARVEEN TRAVEL to set-me-up with a bus to Kodaikanal .. and the manager Naresh put me in contact with Babu in Kodaikanal who really took exceptionally good care of me! They have a super nice office here in ‘Pondi’.
“Cap what is it you love about India?” .. When I walked into the office Naresh recognized me and came running from his private office where he was serving a client .. and embraced me and greeted me warmly.
I got all of the facts from Naresh .. a TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL ..
For those of you who explored the Travel Map on this web site .. you found that Ooty lies between two major cities .. Mysore on its North .. and Coimbatore on its South. There is NO direct method to get from ‘Pondi’ to Ooty like there is to get from ‘Pondi’ to Kodaikanal on one bus.
So you go to Mysore .. or you go to Coimbatore .. and then you make arrangements to travel to Ooty. Of course Naresh .. being a TRAVEL PROFESSIONAL .. could do whatever needs to be done.
I decided that I would go to Ooty first. Further I decided I would take the train from ‘Pondi’ to Mysore and then find my way South to Ooty.
Then back-track to ‘Pondi’ (either via Mysore or via Coimbatore) and proceed to Kodaikanal.
THEN I reversed my logic.
I NOW PLAN to go first to Kodaikanal by night bus from ‘Pondi’ on Thursday .. March 21st. I will use PARVEEN TRAVEL to do this .. which is IDENTICAL to what I did last year. No strain No pain No sweat.
When I am finished visiting Kodaikanal .. I am thinking two full weeks .. give-or-take .. I will return to CHENNAI by-passing ‘Pondi’ en route to CHENNAI which is IDENTICAL to what I did last year! One bus in one seat from Kodaikanal to CHENNAI.
THEN from CHENNAI .. I will take a train to Mysore. Then I will get myself South to Ooty. Then when I am finished visiting Ooty .. I will head North from Ooty to Mysore and then head North to New Delhi from Mysore!
This I can DO easily. I will NOT have any backtracking (except from Kodaikanal to ‘Pondi’ to CHENNAI).
SEE I KNOW HOW-TO-DO CHENNAI! So getting to Mysore is a NO-BRAINER for me.
OK I am going to sign-off here with a photo of my salad at Daily Bread this noontime.
Oh my what-a-salad! Much Joy .. Cap ..
Let me summarize the above .. SUBJECT TO CHANGE ! !
Thursday .. 21 March .. Night Bus ‘Pondi’ to Kodaikanal ..
Friday .. 5 April .. Night bus Kodaikanal to CHENNAI ..
Saturday .. 6 April .. Train from CHENNAI to Mysore ..
Monday .. 8 April .. Bus from Mysore to Ooty ..
Sunday .. 28 April .. Bus from Ooty to Mysore ..
Tuesday .. 30 April .. Train from Mysore to New Delhi ..
THEN WE SHALL SEE WHAT WE SHALL SEE .. New Delhi to Agra Cantt to New Delhi ..
Monday .. 13 May .. Jet Airways New Delhi to Hong Kong ..
Monday .. 20 May .. Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to Chicago ..
THEN WE SHALL SEE WHAT WE SHALL SEE ! !
I NEED ANOTHER .. DAILY BREAD .. THAI SALAD!
THAT IS ALL FOLKS .. MUCH JOY .. CAP ..