Thursday, November 29, 2007

Mission Munnar


There is a perennial cloud hanging over Munnar at present even though the skies are azure blue there is a mood of uncertainty in the air as Mission Munnar threatens to restart in earnest.
Mission Munnar is the ruling communist parties attempt to clean up Munnar and stop the illegal building that has sprung up on the nearby tea and cardamom estates which are by law only to be used for that sole purpose. Attempts to bulldoze down the encroachments started over the summer and in a sinister twist buildings owned or linked to the previous Congress ruling party were targeted first as was my long term hotel stay which had the misfortune to be built a little to close to the National Highway and was on the way back from the bulldozers real target, so a bit of overtime saw that half of it was demolished and in Indian style the remaining bit still runs as a hotel.
Locals protested, court orders where invoked and mysteriously Inspector Singh (ex flying squad) popped back up to the Punjab claiming his mother was suffering from an ailment, now he is back in town with his map full of big back crosses and the bulldozers are expected to roll back into town soon.
On a more positive note had a super 4 hour ride this morning and dicovered yet another cracking downhill through a tea estate that I had previously been barred from, no sign of the watchman these days and the new ruse of saying " I am looking for elephants" usually apeases even the most jobsworth Indian Security men who will usually give you tips on where in the previously out of bound tea estate you should look for them.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thirst past the post.

Late with this as I have been rushed off me flip flopped feet this last 6 weeks with the success of me mountain bike tours of Kerala.
Anyhow in internet cafe dying of thirst so will be brief and do not want to miss me mandatory pre sun set ale in the infamous and widely maligned Ice Bar here in the Keralan tea capital Munnar.
Too much to tell and probably not worth telling but for those who followed progress last here have run two groups of mountain bikers through the tea covered iddyllic Iddukki district and all have enjoyed it. Fears of unrideable descents on trails of pure green slime proved unfounded as the 6 months of almost continous rain subsided a few days after I returned.
Highlights. All from Singapore and Uncle Jim Metcalfe the worlds best town plannner and freely available at reaonable rates for all your town planning requirements.
Low life. Bars been closed on the 1st of every month to stop the government workers from spending all their cash on brandy in one night.

Think that covers 6 weeks quite nicely.