Good morning from the border of
Tamil Nadu and Kerala states.
I'm currently on my way from Madurai to Munnar
by this car.
Costing 3,500 rupees
plus I've had to give the driver and extra 500,
he's away to get the state permit.
All these vehicles kinda stopping here,
getting some permit.
I've been baking to death
in this car. I've been sitting in there for like half and hour
baking to death.
He didn't leave the AC running or anything like that, so
it's quite uncomfortable.
Anyway, I'm paying 3,500 rupees for this taxi
plus 500 for the permit, so 4,000 total
and a journey lasting 5 hours.
The reason I've done it like this is
I'm gonna get to Kerala,
I'm gonna get to my hotel in Munnar about 1 pm,
which is gonna leave me the whole day to go and do stuff.
If I was gonna take the bus,
the whole process would be,
oh I guess, like 8 hours on 2 different buses
plus the time getting to the bus
and from the bus to my hotel.
Maybe 9 hours, maybe 10 hours.
The whole day would be gone.
I'd be getting to my hotel just as it's getting dark, so
just now the time's more valuable to me than the money
so I've just spent the money to kinda like save myself a day.
Everyone's kinda staring at me here.
I'm the only white guy around
in this, just, random part of the country.
But I guess I'll see you in Munnar.
Okay, you got it?
I was sitting here because
I was getting burnt to death there.
No problem.
Okay, good.
Got the permit,
now on our way to Munnar.
See you guys. Bye.
Okay, another checkpoint
so I reckon I might
speak to that woman there
and see if she can open up one of those coconuts for me.
I guess that's why she's standing there,
because it's like a checkpoint.
30 rupees? Okay, good.
1 coconut please, yes.
It's good?
Fresh?
Fresh.
Good.
Oh, your whole family drinking them?
Yes. Ah, good.
Oh wow.
Sliced it open.
Okay.
30 rupees.
Okay.
Hold it like this?
Yeah.
Okay, good.
They don't want me filming? The police?
Ah, okay.
They might tell me to turn the camera off.
Oh, you're back already?
Okay,
I thought you were gonna be a few minutes,
so I thought I would stop for a coconut.
Okay, I'll,
I'll drink this and get back in the car.
Mmm.
20, 20, 20.
Oh, they bargaining?
She's asking for 30, he's asking for 20.
She's not having it.
30, 30.
What's normal price? It's 20?
Because they're asking for 20.
Haha, okay
but she's on prime real estate
right next to the checkpoint
so she can ask for more I think.
She's in a good position.
No, no, let's see if she can chop it open for me.
Oop.
I better not be too close when she's
throwing that axe around.
Can you chop it open?
No?
Only for drinking?
It's another.
Only for another, this is too tough?
Ah, that's fine.
I won't bother then.
Wow.
All this coconut tree, right?
This coconut tree.
Yeah.
This one farmer
or this is government or something?
No, no, totally
2, 3 farmers.
2 or 3 farmers?
It's private property, not government land. Ah, private property? Ah, okay.
So they will own this massive plantation
of coconut trees. Wow.
Huge.
This road made by the British government.
Oh the British government made this road? Yes. Yeah.
It looks small distance on the map
but then it says 2 hours, 23 minutes
because it's all like this, right?
Before this road existed
how would people get from
Tamil Nadu to Kerala? They couldn't right?
Actually,
very hot in Tamil Nadu.
Yeah.
Okay, then the British government check,
where is the climate,
we want cooling session.
Yes.
Then he,
first are checking Kodaikanal.
Kodai, yeah, I know Kodai, yeah Kodaikanal.
Then he select Kerala.
Kerala, yeah.
Then make the road.
Ah, so they make the road.
Yeah.
British government make the road
and they build up the town and everything,
make the top station.
Ah, okay good,
so there was nobody living there before?
So it's all the British government
made the infrastructure.
Then after, after some years,
the Kerala people in see so
the seaside they're leaving.
They, up, up, up he come.
Ah, they start coming up, up, up
because now there's the infrastructure.
Ah, okay.
Monkeys blocking the road.
Oh, because they threw food out. That's why.
I think, yeah,
somebody threw food so now they're blocking the road.
Well, I'm in Kerala now
and doesn't this remind you of Sri Lanka?
The auto rickshaws driving down the road,
the tea plantations
right here,
the perfect climate for the tea.
The rolling green hills. Aye.
Getting good memories of central Sri Lanka.
Hopefully it's just like that.
It'd be perfect for me,
here in Kerala.
Right, we're about an hour away
from the hotel though.
Avoid the wee bit of traffic that's here,
get back in the car.
Oh, nice.
The road takes up,
but now down.
Sometimes up, sometimes down, like this.
But never flat.
Yeah, never flat.
The city only flat.
Yeah.
Okay, so looking at the map,
only 2 kilometers and it's
that way and that way, so I guess
this is the hotel right there.
Hopefully my room is one facing out.
That will be nice.
Nice.
Yes, nice fresh air.
Open the window and
yeah, fresh air.
Huh, really?
This is the road?
No, this is the road.
It looks like it's for pedestrians.
Can your car fit through there?
Wow.
Just.
From the left, from the right and from the top
we can just squeeze through.
I think there is no network, right?
No.
Ah, then how can I close the bill?
Ah, yeah. Oh.
Huh.
Maybe you can connect to the WiFi at the hotel
and then you have network.
Because this must be,
this situation must have happened before
many times with Ola drivers, right?
So maybe the hotel know.
You can, they will let you connect WiFi.
Then I think it should be okay.
Okay.
Here we are.
Abad Copper Castle,
Munnar.
Ohhh.
Looks nice from the outside.
Let's see what it's like on the inside.
Check in.
Sorry sir?
Yeah, no net, right, for 4G?
Yeah, so he needs WiFi to connect to Ola
to close the.
WiFi is not provided to drivers.
Uh?
Only sir, WiFi provided ?????
You don't have WiFi or?
Only for guests. Only for guests? Ah.
Ola. Bill close.
ID card, he ask for WiFi.
Try to.
You don't give him the WiFi?
No, the problem is we don't give the public.
Only the staying guests only we used to give.
If the driver, for emergency purposes only, asks for the WiFi
he has to provide an ID card.
Ah okay,
so you know what he is doing with the internet.
Ah, okay.
Yes.
But you will give him, yes, for emergency purpose?
Yeah, emergency purpose.
Because here there is no 4G.
Because you are my guest.
Oh, thank you.
I can't ignore you.
Yeah, it's a difficult situation.
This happen before with Ola drivers?
Yeah.
It must have happened before, right, with Ola drivers?
Yeah, few of them, few of them.
Because they can't close the bill.
Yeah, yeah.
If they need to but the only thing is ID card at least.
Ah, okay, okay. No problem.
So you have reservation, right?
Yes, I have a reservation.
I paid already on Agoda.
Yes, yes.
Dale Philip.
Agoda?
Yes.
No problem.
Your hotel very bust at this time of year, right?
Yeah, it is.
Full?
Full, full, full.
Ah, okay. Everywhere full, right?
Yeah, almost all hotels.
Because I only book, maybe 6 days ago or something
and everywhere was full when I was looking.
Yes, yes.
Almost all the hotels are full.
All, yeah.
Maybe homestays or some lodges are available.
Yeah, there was only like some of the lower ones.
I didn't want to take the really lower ones.
Concert in the evening.
Concert in the evening? Ah.
Live concert of saxophone or
Saxophone, yeah? Oh, good. the flute and the violin.
Not violin, we have guitar.
Oh, a live band?
Yeah, it's not a band actually.
It's a single.
Is that over dinner or it's separate?
It's a separate.
Separate thing, ah okay.
Yeah, yeah but if you are interested
you can if you know how to do the flute
or the saxophone or piano.
Oh, you want me to play?
No, I have no musical talent whatsoever.
Yeah.
Is it possible to rent scooter from here
or I have to find a business in Munnar?
Outside. Outside?
Where you think the best, in Munnar down the best?
Munnar town, yeah.
Okay, I will do that. We don't have it.
You don't do that service? Okay, no problem.
And sir, your package include today dinner and
today's special dinner.
It includes dinner? Really?
Yeah, today dinner is included in your package.
Today or every day?
No, today only.
Only today? Ah, okay.
So I have some package? Okay.
And then all breakfast included.
All breakfasts are included and dinner is included today?
Today dinner. Ah, okay.
I didn't expect that. I'm pleasantly surprised.
Okay so today dinner and tomorrow breakfast
and next day breakfast.
Okay, good.
And sir, our facilities starting nearby our indoor games section.
Indoor games?
Karom, table tennis, chess
and ground floor garden with the children's play area.
Ah, okay.
And tonight the ground floor,
campfire with music will be there.
Oh, campfire yea? Oh, good.
Ah.
Would you like ginger coffee?
Ginger coffee?
Oh, okay. In fact, I don't like coffee, so
if it was tea I would have drank it
but I don't like coffee my friend, sorry.
The second floor we have the massaging service.
Ah okay.
Um,
and your room, inside some minibar items will be there,
all items is chargeable.
Chargeable, right, okay, no worries.
I brought, brought my own big bag of stuff.
Just wait here sir.
Okay.
No worries about the chargeable minibar
when you bring a big bag of goodies.
Jesus, you think they could replace the bats
in a hotel where they're charging 100 bucks
a night for rooms.
This is a wee games area.
Still dunno what this thing is.
Like a cross between draughts and pool.
And the wee pockets there.
Oops.
Right.
Oh, you have my key? Okay, great.
Where we going?
No, it's okay. I got it.
Handle my own baggage.
Oh, what a view.
Amazing.
Ho ho ho.
Okay.
Hopefully I'm facing outwards.
Let's make it happen.
In fact it looks like all the rooms
are probably facing outwards.
Huh, we'll see.
Okay, 206.
Yes.
That's me.
Okay.
Fantastic.
Let's have a look at the balcony.
Yes. Hang on.
Let's have a wee look outside.
Oh, fantastic.
Got the balcony with the nice view.
Ho ho ho.
Ah, lovely.
This will be nice to wake up to in the morning.
Okay my friend.
Uh? Okay.
This minibar items are.
Yeah, chargeable. Oops.
Sorry sir.
Minibar's chargeable. The two waters complimentary.
Complimentary.
And the bathroom's taps have hot water right side.
Say what for the hot water?
Left side hot water.
Normal, hot.
Normal and hot?
Yes.
Okay, left side for hot?
Yes.
Okay, thank you my friend. Cheers.
Okay.
Look at the massive key fob.
I will be getting rid of that.
Yeah, one thing I really don't like about hotels
is when they try and grab your bags,
they try and like,
take your key from reception and
show you the room, give you the room tour.
They'll say "oh look, that's a hairdryer."
Look, bet you didn't know what that was.
Oh that's a bed, you can sleep in that.
Oh look, that's water, you can drink it.
That's free. Aye, it's free in every hotel.
Oh that's a minibar, it's chargeable.
Yeah, already told me that, so just like,
useless information just because
the guy wants a bit of that, you know?
I just find it annoying and I can do without it.
And usually I try and refuse it as much as I can.
I'll refuse the
them taking my bags for starters, and then
I try to get the key directly from the receptionist
so that I can just then say to the guy
"no, I'll go on my own" and that usually works but
in this instance they gave the guy the key.
No worries.
Oh, this is nice.
At least I got to check in early.
I think it's only like 1:30 pm.
I think check in time is like 2:30 or something, so
got to check in an hour early, which is nice
considering that they're full.
Okay,
I guess there's no point doing a bit of a room tour.
There's no point the guy giving me a room tour.
In fact this room it's pretty basic, isn't it?
I would say this is just like
cheap 3-star hotel that you might pay
in Delhi or something you might pay like 2,500 for
something like that
but yer man,
he's paying 7,000 per night.
A hundred bucks, a hundred US bucks.
for this room.
But it's peak season
right now so
prices are through the roof
and this is what a hundred dollar room looks like
in Munnar
one day before Christmas.
Christmas Eve, in fact, it is right now.
So, yeah,
that's the room, just basic.
I'm sure I can make myself comfortable.
I'm not bothered, that's a really crap TV innit?
You couldn't even call that a flat panel.
It's almost as fat as a bloody CRT
and it's tiny.
Like about the same size as my bloody laptop but
I never use the TV.
This place it's called Abad Copper Castle.
I wonder if Copper Cab has ever stayed here
or maybe they named it after him.
Maybe they're fans
of the ginger.
Right,
let's have a look in here.
Well, the shower doesn't look too bad, does it?
If I get constant running hot water
I will be fairly happy with this room.
And, yeah, my first mission
is gonna be to go into Munnar town.
We're a wee bit outside the town,
which is nice.
Away from all the hustle.
Nice and quiet, isn't it?
No noise, apart from the river down there
and that's a relaxing noise
but my first mission
is going to be
to go into town and
to procure a scooter, to get around here
otherwise, you know,
what am I gonna do? Stay in the hotel?
Can't really be walking places.
There's not even pavements. It's just road
that goes all the way up there, so, yeah,
gonna find a scooter,
hopefully.
Well here is the hotel's mini bar.
Little bit small, isn't it?
What's this, just some rubbish oat biscuits?
One can of sugary 7-Up? Nah.
What is this?
It's advised to keep your doors closed because of the monkeys.
Okay, need to remember that
but here is yer man's mini bar.
Oh, never mind your one can
of bloody sugary 7-Up
because yer man's got 10 cans,
well I had 15, I've already drank 5 of them since last night.
Yer man's got 10 cans of Pepsi Black, zero calorie,
all the little chips and all that,
the noodles, the chocolate,
the plum cake for tomorrow, Christmas Day.
Oh, that's gonna be nice
and oh,
some muff to eat.
But I dunno how I feel really about eating muff with red stuff
coming out of it, you don't really,
that's not advisable.
Anyway, nowhere for me to leave my passport.
There's no safe or anything like that so
gonna have to leave that and hopefully it doesn't get nicked.
I've taken this key off this stupid thing.
Imagine having that in your pocket, bloody
scratching up your phone and weighing you down.
I mean, it's really heavy.
It doesn't look that heavy because it's thin but look.
It's pretty heavy, so I'll just take the key like this
and go into Munnar town
and try and find a bike.