Day three dawns in clear and bright – our best morning weather in Ooty so far. There is no fog and visibility is very good.
Clear to the left
Clear to the centre
Clear to the right.
We’ve got the last of the CM family meals pending and that’s breakfast. So we trudge on to the dining room, I grab a news paper and start the slow process of “paisa vasool”. And finally we get to spend around two hours in the dining room – and what do we eat? Practically nothing!!!
I sit there with the paper and have around two idli, one vada, a toast and coffee, Calvin has egg, bread and butter and Susann tries a little bit of everything.
Me: “Hey, wanna go somewhere?”
Together: “No”
M: “But you didn’t even ask me where!”
S: “Doesn’t matter”
C: “How far is it?”
M: “A couple of hour’s maybe”
C: “No, thank you”
S: “Definitely not”
I’m beaten. “Well how about the lake? That’s not far.” This gets Calvin interested. “Can we go in a boat?” “Yes.” “Can I row?” “Well, they don’t allow you to row and you’re too small for that.” “oohh.” I could feel the hope disappearing. “But you can pedal.” “Really?” “Yes.” “Yipee let’s go.” And finally I was in the majority group – Calvin and I vs. Sue. Score one for the men.
And so it was that we went to the lake. But not before we went back to the room, took our warm clothing and our books. Yesterday Calvin had made us buy some caps as his ears were cold (ours too). So the stuff that we’re lugging around is increasing. So we reach the lake and there is the guy at the gate stopping cars. There’s a Rs.10 parking fee – oh well. Stand in line for the entry ticket and then look for the gate. We showed our pass at the gate and the guy asks “video camera?” “Nope, regular”. He gives me the look that says that I’m cheating him – how do I tell him SLRs are this big!!
A pedal boat costs Rs.125 for half an hour and there is another Rs.125 deposit. I pay the money, take the ticket and walk towards the landing. That is when I realize that they have now divided the lake into two parts, on the left towards the children’s park is for row boats and pedal boats and on the right towards the dhobi ghat side it’s for the motor boats – bummer.
We spend around 10 minutes waiting for a guy to get us our boat. Now there is a very specific science to the way that we boat in our family – at least until now. We hire a boat, pedal around 20 meters from the shore, stop, open our books and read and then pedal back when the time’s up. We did it last time, the time before that and the … well you get the flow. Which is why Susann and I had stopped by our room to get our books before coming to the lake. Who knew that this time it would be different!!
We get into the boat – Calvin and I on one side and Susann on the other. If you were looking at it pedal wise, they had one pedal and I had the other. And the journey started. “Appa pedal as fast as you can.” “Hold on Calvin, we first need to get out of the docking.” “Appa pedal, Appa turn, faster Appa, turn Appa……” And we were not even a meter from where we entered the boat!! It’s a miracle that we actually got out of there. Pedal, pedal to the middle of the lake and I’m ready to bring out the book. “Apppaaaaaa…” – this can be heard all over the lake. “Pedal Appa, pedal. Pedal as fast as you can to the other end of the lake.” The little tyke has now got so excited that he’s standing on the pedal. Susann has a smug look on her face which says “told ya.”
Calvin standing on the pedal.
We reach the other side of the lake. We glide by a nice shady spot and Susann says “Let’s stop here by the shade.” Oopps, too late we’re already out of it. So the captain gets into action again. “Pedal Appa, pedal. Turn. Pedal..”
I soon realize two things: 1. that the captain is now aiming for a shade which is on the other bank and 2. I am the only person pedaling.
In between all this pedaling this is the only other living thing that we saw.
And a picture of some hidden beauties.
Anyway after peddling this side and that and then this side and that again, our time is up – finally.
We dock the boat, collect the deposit and get the hell out of there. Just as we are coming out, Calvin spots a guy selling toys and he buys a bubble blower. This will now be the beginning of what happens during the rest of the trip.