Ooty

Good morning everyone. I am at a hill station in southern India, the British bought up all this land from the local tribe for 2 rupees and then explained to them the monetary system to the tribes people. They established these hill stations for the army troops so they would have a place to rest. It is hard work concurring and pillaging a nations people and resources. Yesterday we went on a hike around the tea plantations. It was beautiful, we walked through the hillsides and into some very interesting villages. I have pictures but cant use this computer (S.S.D.D.). After having lunch in a fly infested hole in the wall, but it did have great chai (tea). We started up a small mountain for our final destination. We were about 1/3 the way up when these locals came running out of the trees yelling at us to change direction because there is a wild elephant roaming the hills making messes and harassing the locals. We went up anyway with out any sightings of the trouble making elephant. The day before was our travel day we had to wake up at 4am to catch a train so we could catch another train. The second train was what they call a toy train. It was a old steam engine probably 120 years old, that is what the German guy sitting next to me told me. It traveled at 10km/hour in a very jerky fashion. I could not stop looking around at everyone trying to sleep as they received a mild case of whip-lash. We had to stop every 10km or so to let the engine rest, fill back up with water and add more oil to the leaking moving parts. It was quite the experience. It is cold here at Ooty about 0 degrees C. There are a lot of horses roaming the streets there are cows and goats just like everywhere, but more horses then anything. At the train station a fight broke out between two groups of guys trying to get on the same train car. The train car did not have any seats and was standing room only like a cattle car but voluntary. I am starting to get use to the squat toilets, but I am still using toilet paper. Just thought you all would like to know.

-Jim