295k to Kodaikanal

We'll it certainly was long, hot and sweaty( no jokes please). Most of us were quite nervous this morning about the days challenge. When we were told that we would face 39 hair pin bends going up to Ooty with sheer drops of hudreds of feet. The main raeson for the early start is to avoid kamikazee lorry drivers heading down hill with no breaks!
As we all headed up the steep climb you could look back and see this amazing giant mechanical centipede of black enfields slithering up the mountainside.
After a cup of chai at the top made by Jon who looked more like a coalminer than a tea maker, we headed into Ooty. Not just another chaotic city, but with a definate colonial feel about it. The hillside is littered with beautiful villas and has an English school that Ken my fellow rider actually went to when he was 6.
After riding through pineapple groves for what seemed like hours we stopped for a veggie samosa,a squashed donut thingy and a coke....... Things don't get much better for lunch on the roadside here.
Seven hours of driving brought us to the foothill of our next major climb. This climb took us up to Kodaikanal 1800m above sea level. While temperatures dropped from 38 degrees to 10 we kept winding and climbing until I saw what must be the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen in my life. A huge lake and patchwork quilt of pineapple and coconut groves surounded by majestic tree covered mountains. We viewed this as if soaring like eagles ( with ears popping) above the cloud line. It was now so cold all the locals were laughing at the sight of their own breath, and the kids were pretending to smoke.
After a breif stop for deep fried chillies and charcoaled sweetcorn dusted with lemon and chili, we crammed our burning botox lips into our crash helmets and headed for the hotel. Please let there be a bath.... I would sell Harry for one right now.
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