Elephants, Wild Boar, Long Tailed Monkeys, and Wild Peacocks: What's not to Love about Ooty

Yesterday was my first full day in Ooty and despite starting off very slow and relaxing, it was very eventful. The kids at this home are very shy and start school later so they are older despite being in lower grades. I did not get to spend much time with them since once they came home we left. I did get to go see a Tribal Settlement though! It was quite a surprise since I didn't know that was where we were going. I didn't get to spend much time with the children there either but they were all very cute and had a ton of questions for me! (Including asking why my earrings were that shape!) I was also surprised by how many cows there were!

After the visit, we drove through a Tiger/Elephant/Peacock/Panther Reserve. It was a nice drive and very pretty. I got to see lots of wild boars, wild peacocks, monkeys, wild chickens, and a few elephants. The elephants I saw weren't wild however, they were chained up. Some people (mostly Tribal people) live inside the reservation and the elephants are used not only to help transport large amounts of timber, but also as protection against wild elephants coming into the village. I got to see the Peacocks and the Monkeys very closely though which was exciting :) :)

So, all in all, I am really liking Ooty and the Nilgiri Hill Districts (since we are traveling quite a bit between towns). It is a bit chilly compared to Madurai and I have to wear a sweatshirt but there are no lizards or mosquitos, the internet is faster, and it is beautiful.

MORE MONKEYS :D :D :D

There are lots of tea plantations here. They aren't really what I expected but they are very beautiful

I got to visit a Tribal Settlement and see a bunch of the children. This little girl kept walking around us and when it was time for us to go she said "Ta Ta"

The town

Sunset in Ooty

The Tribal Children's home

Another view of the home's garden/backyard. It is very different from the Children's home in Madurai! Much greener!

I can't tell if that's a baby elephant or not! It looks like one on my computer so I will pretend it is! I also saw some elephants that had been captured by the people living in the forest/jungle/reserve.