Madekeri: 9th – 11th January 2005

5 1/2 hours on a rickety old bus climbing up to an altitude of 1500m and we eventually arrive in Madekeri. The bus journey (although a little scary at times) was beautiful. The Western Ghatts mountain range is truly stunning and extremely lush and green. As we got higher up the hills palm tree’s and tropical plantations started thinning out and making way for more familiar evergreen trees.

Madekei is a pleasant place with a nice climate (cool in the evenings). We spend two days here generally relaxing, but also taking in some walks around the surrounding hills, enjoying being able to walk places without the normal hassle from sellers and rickshaw drivers. We walked down to a nearby waterfall which was undeniably beautiful, but like most things in India has been subject to pollution. Whilst we were there Indian tourists openly dumped plastic bottles and food wrappers. There is a deep routed ignorance in this country regarding anything environmental. Even highly educated students, businessmen and civil servants, dump their rubbish wherever they are. Everywhere you go there is heaps of plastic and nobody seems to give a damn.

We leave Madekeri on a bus bound for Mysore, although looking at it you wouldn’t think it possible of making it out of the bus station never mind down winding mountain roads. (Here’s hoping!!)