Evan in Ooty

Ooty is the name of the town (city by US standards) nestled in the tea growing region of the Nilgiris (which means "Blue Mountains") where the British established south India's most famous "hill station" in the southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. A hill station is basically Indian vernacular for a vacation resort area - this one founded by the Englishman John Sullivan.

Admittingly, for the first time in my trip to India I was disappointed. Udhagamandalam, or Ooty for short, most likely barely resembles its quaint and relaxing past. What Ooty has going for it - incredible mountain scenery and emerald green tea estates - is only to be found outside of the city. In my opinion, Ooty is not a destination, but merely a base camp for excursions into the mountain valleys and countryside. Despite promises of elegant British-style cottages and incredible gardens, I found a fairly typical developing city in India - complete with traffic congestion, pollution, and very few remnants of the British summer retreat.

I did enjoy the cool weather, most likely the reason the English established this settlement in the first place. We wore sweaters throughout the day and gathered around a fireplace by night. It rained a lot - perhaps it made the English feel as if they were back home.

I was saved on the second day when we hired a local guide to take us into the forests and tea estates that surround Ooty for a full day hike, or trek as the Indians will call it. The scenery was breathtaking and I can only imagine what this place looked like just one or two hundred years ago. Evan quickly became, as Jessie likes to call it, the "littlest ambassador". You'll just have to see the photos/slideshow to get the idea.

I have been very aware of my race/ethnicity while here in India. When we are in our home in Secunderabad, we are literally the ONLY white people I will see. The dark and beautiful skin of the Indians has become the norm for us, and when I see pictures of myself or look at my family I often think to myself "jeez - we are so pale!" Indians have made comments to us like "you are so white, I can't believe it." When we were hiking in Ooty walking in the hillside farms and tea estates, our Indian guide brought to my attention that we were spooking the livestock. Once he pointed this out I realized that cows and buffaloes were staring at us. And only us - Indians were nothing special to them, but our white skin was completely alien and they would stare or get spooked.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OOTY SLIDESHOW!