Morning down the mountain
Car selfie at its finest
Making our first trip out of Kodaikanal was nothing but a fun continual adventure. We left house around six in the morning and very quickly found out that the qualis squished the group a little more than we intended. Some people were still a little worried about the drive down the hill so we came up with a game to play in the car. Before we turned each hairpin turn, which was on the side of the cliff, we all guesses the level of danger that would come from the approaching traffic. A motorcycle was a one, while a large bus coming within inches was an eight or nine. As we got down from the mountain it was as hot as a valley in India in the summer…… literally. I cannot begin to comprehend how people dealt with the heat wave that came a couple weeks ago. After arriving in Thekkady at the Periyar tiger reserve. We took a boat ride through the reservoir through the reserve. After that was the best part of the trip and right up there for the week. As we bought our tickets to ride the elephants we stood at a platform about ten feet above the ground. I did not realize how big these animals were until getting on them felt like boarding a small prop jet. Meera, our elephant, took us up and down the hill and helped pose for a couple pictures here and there. The experience was something I have never felt before, but I would not want to be anywhere near those huge creatures when they stampede. For dinner we went to a restraunt in the town close to the reserve. I am still getting used to how the meat is made here, so I did not eat much. The chicken here is just chopped up into pieces, bone and all. The rest of the evening was easy, besides the overheating car, slightly lost driver, and nauseous people in the car. The car even came with a free sauna in the back seat, sweat is complimentary. Getting back at eleven, the seventeen hour journey was beyond worth it.
Riding Meera
A beautiful boat ride
Manly men
Baby and the momma