Don Curry under steam

Don Curry has learned one thing in India: things don't go according to plan, but they go somehow. That's how it was with his forgotten jacket and ID in Jaipur. Every day he received different information about its whereabouts, and in the end, it was simply handed to him in Agra when the group arrived there. The same thing happened with his train ride: it was supposed to go from the valley to the mountain in the early morning, then it was changed to go from the mountain to the valley, and now it seemed clear: in the afternoon from the mountain to the valley. Would it stay that way?

After a rather cold but pleasant night thanks to a very quiet heater and a thick blanket, Don Curry enjoyed the pleasures of a royal breakfast: cereal, fruits, fried eggs, toast - everything was brought to his table in the huge dining room, along with some awful coffee. Even though Don Curry would spend another night in Ooty, he had already decided yesterday not to repeat the palace indulgences due to the palace prices. However, he allowed a very friendly maid to show him the Maharaja Suite, which would have far exceeded his daily budget. So he checked out contentedly, took some souvenir photos of the expansive grounds, and let Prince take him to a hotel owned by the Surya FunCity Hotel in Ooty. Here, he got a functional but clean room at a quarter of the price he paid yesterday. Additionally, he was able to print out the train ticket that had been sent to him via email.

Before the train tour, he took some time to visit the sights of Ooty: first the view from Doddabetta, the second highest mountain in South India at 2633 m, then a visit to a tea factory, the venerable St. Stephens Church, and the idyllic lake of Ooty, which can only be approached with payment. Prince also had a restaurant recommendation for this tourist spot. However, for the first time, Don Curry was not quite impressed by the chosen inn; he was the only customer there. 

Twenty minutes before departure, he arrived at the train station and tried to upgrade his 2nd class ticket to a 1st class ticket - unfortunately, it was hopeless. At least his ticket for the almost four-hour journey, worth 0.60 €, included a seat reservation.

The compartments of the Nilgiri Blue Train can only be entered from the outside and each contain 2 very narrow, opposing rows of seats with 5 seats each. Indians don't shy away from physical contact; in this train, it was inevitable to have direct contact with the seat neighbors, and there was at least knee contact with the person opposite. Therefore, Don Curry was relieved that only two Indian fathers with one child each were still in his compartment. 

A blue diesel locomotive would bring the 6 blue coaches up to the third station, Coonoor, which had the steepest part of the track. Just before the third station, the fathers asked Don Curry if he would be willing to move to the neighboring compartment so that 6 more members of their family could join them. Don Curry was ready, and while his old compartment was now packed, he shared the 10 seats with 3 Brits and their Indian guide. In this way, he also got some information about the train and the route.

In Coonoor, the locomotive was replaced. The diesel locomotive could be replaced with an old steam locomotive since the rest of the track was not as steep. The Brits and their guide ended their train journey, and a three-member Indian family got on board. 

Just as Don Curry was about to close the compartment door, a whole busload of Australians stormed onto the platform and then onto the train. Now there was no more free space - not even in Don Curry's compartment. The Australian lady next to Don Curry found train rides extremely boring and regularly dozed off, but just before she leaned on Don Curry's side, she woke up again. Her husband watched this with visible pleasure and winked happily at Don Curry. He was still trying to enjoy the now quite slow train ride, but he winked conspiratorially back at the Australian.

The constant noise of the rattling wheels and the frequent whistle of the locomotive made it impossible to have real conversations. At the small intermediate train stations, one could at least stretch one's legs briefly or observe the wandering monkeys. After a little over four hours, this antiquated transport ended in Mettupalayam under extremely cramped conditions. Prince was already waiting on the platform, and Don Curry enjoyed the ample space inside the Toyota Innova.

Two hours later - in complete darkness - both returned to Ooty. Don Curry quickly had an egg curry prepared in the simple hotel restaurant and went to his rather cool room. The next day would bring a particularly long journey; would everything go according to plan?