The plain white ceiling stared back at me. I had a soft, cozy quilt on me but it was still really cold. My sister grinning up at me explained the prodding. But still, I was in a different place. My bed was smaller and there were so many other beds around me, as if I was sharing a room with many other people. What is this place?

I slowly sat up and smiled as it all came rushing in. I knew where I was! Getting out of bed, I confirmed my theory when I saw my aunt sitting at the far end of the room, folding up some clothes. Suddenly, she turned around, smiling. ‘I was wondering when you would wake up,’ she said, walking over to me. ‘Go on, freshen up. The others have gone to get coffee.’ After a very energizing stretch with my three year old cousin, I washed my face, brushed my pearly whites, and pulled on my favourite sweatshirt. By that time, the rest of the grown-ups had arrived, with fresh coffee and Parle-g Biscuits. Today was off to a great start!

Oh! I almost forgot about you guys! Sorry to start off with such a cliffhanger, but let’s continue with it as we have started already. I’ll give you a little background info so you understand better. Me and my family along with my aunt, uncle, little cousin, and grandparents were in Ooty! Of course you’ll have heard of her, for it is Her Majesty the Queen of Hill stations herself! Being a South Indian was a bonus point, but still, it had taken me twelve long years to get there. We had set out yesterday, divided into two cars, filled with excitement about the jaw-dropping ride to OOty. We found out that it wasn’t fun the whole time though, as we had two throwups, four stomach aches, and three restless cases, but I’m proud to say that we made it through. Being tired from the ride, I had been guided to my bed and had not paid attention to my surroundings, thus resulting in my confusion in the morning. That’s enough of flashback, don’t you think? Now let’s continue on with the story!

After everyone was dressed and ready, we went out and circled around the little town. Finally, we found a suitable restaurant, and trooped in for breakfast. The hot food filled us up, and increased our mood range from good to great! Our first place to visit was the Boating Agency located not far from our hotel. It was a large lake with huge houseboats, paddleboats (so many people were huffing and puffing!), speedboats and many other kinds of boats. We ruled out the paddleboats (huffing and puffing!) and the huge houseboats. In the end, we opted for a medium sized motorboat with a driver. After a fun time in the water, we bought a few sweets and had a ride on the tiny toy train. Next, we headed for the Pine Forest. This took a bit more time, as we had to drive closer to the forest edge. But, really, it was definitely worth the wait. It was super steep and sloped all the way down with all those tall pines growing here and there. My sister and cousin slid all the way down, while the rest of us hesitantly walked down, holding the huge pines for support. It was super fun though and there was a really large lake at the bottom. After an amazing photoshoot we embarked on the not so fun climb back up to our cars. We were all tired by then, so we headed back to our inn. After having a filling lunch, we changed our clothes, (the pine forest had made us sweat!) and set out again. Then we visited the Botanical and Rose garden. The colourful roses, different types of flowers and trees along with the slight breeze and drizzling rain! The flower show was just spectacular. The collection and display of a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names, that too in that awesome foggy ambience! It was oh! So perfect. Fueled by enthusiasm, we also bought keychains and souvenirs from the local gift shops. Then we headed to the place we were all waiting for. Thunder World. It was an amusement park just opposite our holiday inn with a snow park, dinosaur museum and more. And I guess that it was the best part of all. Going down the huge snow slide, cowering from the roars of the dinosaurs, visiting the wax museum and so much more! By the time we got out, it was dark and super chilly. Huddling into the warmth of our cars, we headed back to our inn for hot food and a good night’s sleep. Waking early the next morning, we set out on the long journey back home.

Visiting Ooty was one of the best traveling experiences in my life. Even though we had some terrible dining situations along the way, along with nausea and dizziness, I have to say that it was all worth. I feel like this vacation was utilized to its fullest by visiting this amazing place. So, let me end by saying ‘au revoir, salamat and gracias’ to Her Majesty, The Queen of Hill stations.