APR 2, 13 .. SOME ODDS AND SOME ENDS FOR YOU ..

By Cap Chastain April 2, 2013 Calla Lilies, Kodaikanal 2013

Kodaikanal is built on a mountain.  You walk up .. and you walk down .. but you pretty much do one or the other. There are very few flat areas.

The below photo shows you what I mean.  Focus in on the tiny little yellow building with the blue roof on the right side of the below photo peeking at you from between two trees immediately above the red roof in the foreground. Way down there is where I was headed after I snapped the below photo.

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After a ‘bit-of-a-hike’ .. all of it downhill!  I arrived here at my Internet Cafe (Red and White signs) that you see on the left side of the below photo.  Straight ahead of you is the NOW-NOT-SO-TINY little yellow building with the blue roof you saw above.

Note we are on a hill!  The street is not flat nor level!

NOONWALK 003

There is a lot to be said for ‘staying put’ in one place for awhile.  Today I discovered that I have access to a water filtration and ozone purification machine here at my Raahat Inn.  I will also treat this water with eight (8) drops of Clorox Bleach per gallon of water simply to be absolutely sure the water is safe to use for brushing my teeth and all other uses EXCEPT I will not drink it!  Having it will save me money because here-to-fore I have been using my bottled drinking water for all of my water needs.

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A MOST HANDSOME LAD!  It really appears to be ‘state-of-the-art’ and it produces a large volume of water.

I also discovered yesterday that I have immediate access (the doorway is immediately to the left of the above water filtration machine) to the roof of the Raahat Inn.

SO?  So what’s the big deal about being able to get-out-onto-the-roof?

It is said that one photo speaks one thousand words!

RAAHAT 002

Hanging in the sun are two of my wash cloths .. a pair of my socks .. and one of my two T-Shirts.  The ten clothes pins are happy Bobbseys ‘working’ hard to earn-their-keep! I did my first washing here in Kodaikanal last  Sunday.  It took the one cotton item that I washed a FULL 24-hours to fully dry inside my enclosed bathroom!

The above wash cloths/socks/T-Shirt dried fully in THREE (3) hours in the sun!  And sun drying is much nicer.

It is a real BENEFIT to be able to get on-the-roof!

Lastly .. I got some snacks for some ‘little creatures’ in the out-of-doors.  So far two specific birds have come-calling as well as one CHIPMONK! Goodness knows where he came from! I was in my chair by my window looking out when he ‘sauntered’ up for a look-see! He came from the left and continued to the right when he was satisfied with his ‘find’!

See their ‘treat’ .. the small pile of grains .. at the bottom of the window grating?

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ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SETTLED-IN do you have the time for activities such as feeding some wildlife outside of your window! I mean I REALLY ENJOY SITTING by my open window just relaxing .. talking to Patti .. and soon I will begin to write Post Cards from Kodaikanal. I will write them sitting at my window!

Well for-good-measure I will close with two photos of my Calla Lilies!

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EASTERLILIES

Much Joy!  Cap

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Today I was successful in canceling my paid-for-ticket on the India Railway System from Chennai to New Delhi leaving Chennai on 1 May 2013.  I received a full cash refund (less 60 Rs Indian or $1.20 US Dollars service fee).

So now I have no formal travel dates except for my two airlines flights on 13 and 20 May to Hong Kong and to Chicago.

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Today I also discovered some Post Cards in a book store. The book store was closed for inventory today so I will go back tomorrow and see if I can find some Post Cards that I like.

OK.  Over And Out For Now .. Cap