Penguin Travels: Southern India - 14 February 2012 (3)

Train Trip to Ooty (2)

Train Taking On Water

Train Taking on Water - Hilligrove Stn

We filled up with water twice more on the trip. It reminded me of the trip up to the thermal baths in Peru, when the bus had to keep stopping to fill the radiator with water from the mini-waterfalls created by the melting snow.

Mother and Baby Macaque

Brave Little Macaque

The first time was in Hilligrove Station where the train was enthusiastically greeted by a large troop of macaques. There were big ones and small ones, including a little one which had lost half an arm. I saw a mother carrying a tiny baby, who didn’t get down to platform level and stayed on the roofs of the station buildings.

Macaque on Train

Macaque with Breakfast

Some of the macaques climbed up on the train and I feared another one would lose an arm when it got near to a door as someone was shutting it. We had been warned to keep the doors closed as the macaques liked to search for food in people’s luggage. Several did get lucky and were given the remains of several packed breakfasts. I saw two ripping into the juice cartons and happily drinking the contents and lapping up what had been spilt on the platform. Someone handed out cookies, which were taken under the train to be enjoyed. It was a long time before the whistle sounded and we climbed back aboard.

Macaque Drinking Juice from Carton

Steve Taking Photos!

The final tanking operation was where there was a very steep climb down from the train. When we got on, I swapped places with Steve. I thought he was after the views down the mountainside and felt that he had drawn the weaker straw, because the view now opened up on my side, so I still got to see most of the countryside. Jen reassured me that he was really after shots of the engine. I could believe it as I watched him kneeling on the bench with his head out of the window almost all the way to the next stop.