To the hills!

I've never been one to really support the actions of colonial England, but with the recent discovery of the hill station, I can at least tip my hat to them for that idea.

Kudos colonial England.

This last weekend John, Michelle, Anita and I ventured to the hill station of Yercaud for some rest and relaxation. Hill stations dot southern India and have been a place to escape the brutal heat of the plains since colonial times. The Brits discovered that as you go up in the hills, the temperature comes down, so they would head to the mountains for the summer. Pretty smart folks. Friday after work we hopped on a train for the three hour ride to Salem, followed by an hour of switchbacks as we ascended the Shevaroy hills to an altitude of just under a mile. We arrived a little after midnight to a temperature cold enough to make me shiver, which was a welcome change after a month in the heat.

We stayed at the Grand Palace Hotel, enjoying HOT showers WITH water pressure - a combination never before seen in India by this traveler. We hiked to Kilyur falls, visited pagoda point and made an accidental 6.5km trek to the Servarayan temple. All in all, a very nice weekend.


In case you would like further information... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yercaud