36 Hairpin Turns and 1000 Stairs

What goes up, must come down, and I was more than happy to be leaving Ooty and our stinky hostel in search of warmer weather and clean sheets. On the advice of our guide we took a bus down the mountain from Ooty to Mysore. It seemed like a great idea since it would be considerably cheaper than a hiring a car. Unfortunately, what we saved in Rupees we lost in time, comfort and frustration.

After circling Ooty for an hour and a half in a desperate attempt to fill the bus, I was stiff and uncomfortable. I was sitting on top of the wheel and therefore had considerably less foot room and my knees were jammed into the seat in front of me. When we finally started our arduous journey down the mountain my personal discomfort turned to abject horror. The driver, obviously a seasoned veteran of this road, sped up between turns overtaking cars, cows and motorcycles with little regard for blind curves. The engine was revving hard never leaving second gear and the brakes were creaking and groaning around the turns. The road down from Ooty has 36 hairpin turns (I wish I were making this up) and at each turn there was a large yellow sign indicating what number hairpin we had just survived. Knees jammed, teeth clenched, legs asleep, I counted down and began to wonder if the $15 we saved was really worth it.

We arrived in Mysore five hours later (more than two hours behind schedule). Our hotel, I was pleased to note, had such modern amenities as air conditioning (suddenly necessary again), cable television, and best of all sheets that did not smell of mildew. We didn't stick around long though... Next stop Chamundi Hill.

Chamundi sits just 2 km from the center of town. The 1000 meter hill provides a scenic backdrop to the tidy and charming city of Mysore and sitting at the summit is a stunning and dramatic temple. In order to reach the temple pilgrims must climb the 1000 stairs leading up the mountain - the less pious can drive. For us there was no question - we would climb!

It was a beautiful, albeit sweaty, journey to the top. There were lovely views of the city, flowers, trees, and most interestingly - hundreds of large hairy spiders hanging in webs above the stairs.

Once we finally reached the summit a fog had rolled in making the temple seem even more dramatic in scale and beauty. There were thousands of people around the temple creating a kind of festive spiritual atmosphere. Pilgrims bowing in prayer sharing space with hawkers selling balloons, noise makers and flutes.

I am happy to be in the swirling chaos of this place.