Mudumalai

I dream in technicolor every time we plan for a visit back home but the reality is more black and white.

Geniuses aren't they?

After the mandatory 3 hours in the airport which is true for any international flight, with two excited kids who could not wait to meet their grandparents and extended family we finally took off, only to be back were we started due to some drama in the air. An hour into the flight we were informed that the plane had developed some mechanical problems, one of the generators had failed and had to get back to the closest airport - none other than the one we started at a couple of hours ago.

See the little one?

The pilot asked us not to be alarmed at the fuel that had to be dumped through the rear tail and make it possible for the plane to land. With anxiety about the connecting flight, if to stay back and start the next day we descended into the airport once again wondering what would happen to the fuel that is dumped mid air? does it evaporate? It might not be pleasant to have anybody's house being drenched with jet fuel we thought!. It took about 5 hours to get another plane ready by which time we were tired, hungry and certain we would miss the connecting flight from Frankfurt.

Though the airline took care of most formalities the rush to inform people on both sides about the happenings had us literally on our toes the whole time with aching limbs and no mood to shop. We eventually reached home about 10 hours late via Dubai. By then we had spent a little over 24 hours in planes and airports and still had a while to go before we reached home.

It would have been anti climatic if the train we took had arrived on time. The jinx continued and the train was 3 1/2 hours late reaching our hometown and we were one exhausted bunch. The flight from Frankfurt to Dubai was Emirates Air and they have one of the best services. On board entertainment being top notch. Sadly we do not have Emirates Air flying from our neck of the woods to Chennai. We have to go New York to board one which is never a problem while leaving but always a bit too much when flying back in.

We went on a planned trip to Mudumalai forest. We saw a whole lot of elephants and they are majestic creatures indeed. We stayed in the government accommodations which was more practical than luxury, but the food was another matter altogether. In the ramshackle kitchen the cook whipped up some delicacies that were truly mouth watering. I was too busy eating and forgot to take pictures. The thing is whenever we visit most anything we eat tastes delicious but the consensus among family members who have a superior sense of taste was that the food was outstanding. So everybody was eager to get the recipes which the cook gave out without any hesitation. No exotic ingredients just regular every day stuff. I am eager to recreate them when I get back. The broken wheat payasam (pudding) with coconut milk was the best of them all.

Pykara Falls

Keeping up with the forest theme we did not have power through the night and were glad when it was daylight again. We saw a quite a lot of elephants in their habitat but the more exotic creatures chose not to reveal themselves.

In and ...

There are pythons and other snakes that live there, though common sense that these creatures live in the forest luckily we had not heard stories of them till the morning or the midnight tryst to the bathroom in the fading cell phone light would have been too scary.

... around Ooty

Have a great Fourth of July everyone.

Picture Courtesy: DD and DH's brother