A 7 day vaction in Kodaikanal

Written by Vijay Chidambaram


Continued from page 1
Byrepparttar time we finished our horse-ride, night had come on and we went to Hotel Austoria (which was recommended to us byrepparttar 134199 horse trainer) had our dinner there. The food was superb and I enjoyed my meal. The idlis and dosas were just like mother made! After we finished our dinner, we walked home. There were no autos and very few taxis in Kodaikanal. So we decided to walk home. However, Kodaikanal’s roads were sloping, uphill and difficult to climb. So, after a strenuous bit of walking, we arrived atrepparttar 134200 hotel and retired forrepparttar 134201 night. Thus ended our first day at Kodaikanal. Onrepparttar 134202 following days, we visited a great deal of places and ate at a variety of hotels. We visitedrepparttar 134203 Tibetan shops where Tibetans were selling Mats, sweaters and bags at fixed prices. Alongrepparttar 134204 Kodai lake, men were renting out cycles at 10 rupees an hour. I, my brother and my father rented three cycles. My brother and I rode alone, while mother sat onrepparttar 134205 cycle with father. We coasted alongrepparttar 134206 lake’s circumference, enjoyingrepparttar 134207 breeze andrepparttar 134208 scenery. It was fun. However,repparttar 134209 second time, we rentedrepparttar 134210 cycles atrepparttar 134211 time when Sai baba came out ofrepparttar 134212 temple and sorepparttar 134213 roads were congested with people and cars. To escaperepparttar 134214 crowd, we got down from our cycles and rode onrepparttar 134215 pavement! We visitedrepparttar 134216 Kodai Astro-Physics Observatory andrepparttar 134217 nature museum in Sacred Heart College. When we visitedrepparttar 134218 Observatory, it was cloudy and therefore, we could not see anything withrepparttar 134219 telescope. We only visitedrepparttar 134220 museum insiderepparttar 134221 Observatory grounds, which had pictures of stars and comets. Personally, I foundrepparttar 134222 astro-Physics museum a bore. The Sacred heart museum was much more interesting. It had preserved butterflies, insects, stones and a numismatic collection. There was alsorepparttar 134223 skeletal frame of a number of animals. We visitedrepparttar 134224 Silver cascade falls andrepparttar 134225 Liril Falls. The Silver Cascade was a beautiful falls, with mountain water falling downrepparttar 134226 mountain from a great height. The Liril Falls faded in comparison withrepparttar 134227 Silver Cascade. There was very little water andrepparttar 134228 waterfall more like small rapids! Our driver explained thatrepparttar 134229 original name ofrepparttar 134230 falls was Pambar Falls and that since an ad for Liril(a soap) had been shot there, it had been renamed Liril Falls! We visitedrepparttar 134231 Moir Point, The Upper lake view andrepparttar 134232 Palani view. We also visitedrepparttar 134233 Berijam Lake. It is a beautiful lake. In order to view this lake, one has to get special permission fromrepparttar 134234 forest authorities. We also visitedrepparttar 134235 Neptune-Cool Rapids. In order to seerepparttar 134236 Neptune –Cool Rapids, one has to trek intorepparttar 134237 forest. It had been my first trekking experience and I enjoyed it immensely. The rapids themselves were unimpressive, butrepparttar 134238 trek was very nice and enjoyable. We also visited many villages onrepparttar 134239 outskirts on Kodaikanal, like Manampahur. In Manampahur, we visitedrepparttar 134240 Sheep and Rabbit Farm and saw Sheep grazingrepparttar 134241 grass on hills. It was a beautiful sight. We also watched Rabbits. The rabbits grown there were ofrepparttar 134242 German Angora variety and were huge. It was very nice, to touchrepparttar 134243 fluffy coat of these rabbits. We went torepparttar 134244 Kurinji Andavar Temple andrepparttar 134245 Chettiar Park. Both were nice places. There were many varieties of roses inrepparttar 134246 Chettiar Park. We also visitedrepparttar 134247 Pine forests. There were pine trees everywhere. As we started enteringrepparttar 134248 Pine forests, a man who was selling carrots warned us, “You won’t get anything to eat there for hours. Come on and buy my Carrots!” Every night, there was a campfire inrepparttar 134249 hotel park. We would go there and sit nearrepparttar 134250 fire and warm ourselves. It was a treat to watchrepparttar 134251 campfire. Every couple of minutes, it would send up inrepparttar 134252 air, fresh sparks! Thus we spent every night and soon it wasrepparttar 134253 18th.Onrepparttar 134254 morning of 18th, we packed our bags and checked out of Kodai Resort Hotel. It had been a delightful vacation for us. All of us felt like staying on at Kodaikanal for a few more days. However, asrepparttar 134255 saying goes, all good things must come to an end. We traveled in a taxi to Madurai and from there, caughtrepparttar 134256 Pandyan Express that night and onrepparttar 134257 next morning on 19th, we were back in hot, polluted Chennai

You can find many more travelogues like these at http:vijay_chennai.tripdo.com



The author is a student in Vana Vani Mat.Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He is 15 years old.He can be contacted at vijay03@hotpop.com


Historic Cumberland - A Step Back in Time

Written by Margot B


Continued from page 1

Aug/Sept: Heritage Lemon Tea, Cumberland.

Cumberland offers a variety of accommodations:

1. BED & BREAKFAST: 2593 Derwent Ave., Cumberland, BC [year round].

2. THE CATS PYJAMAS - 336-8884 2695 Windermere Ave., Cumberland, BC. This is a large heritage home with a cozy fireplace and a welcoming view ofrepparttar Beaufort Range. Your Hosts: Lucy & Andreas Conradi.

3. THE WAVERLEY HOTEL - 336-8322 2692 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland, BC. Bright airy rooms or one bedroom suites with phones and television. Located onrepparttar 134198 B.C. Transit route for added convenience. Your Hosts: Harvey & Shannon Brown.

4. CUMBERLAND LAKE PARK CAMPGROUND is a 57-acre recreational park, located onrepparttar 134199 beautiful glacier-fed Comox Lake only 3 km west ofrepparttar 134200 Village of Cumberland. Come and enjoy this family-oriented campground inrepparttar 134201 heart ofrepparttar 134202 Comox Valley. This offers excellent summer beach, campsite and boat launch facilities.

In 1853 J.W. Mackay found coal inrepparttar 134203 Comox Valley and years later this was confirmed by Commander Robert Brown, who described a ‘rich coal field inrepparttar 134204 Comox Valley’, in 1864. He, along with other prospectors, organisedrepparttar 134205 ‘Union Company’, from whichrepparttar 134206 early settlement derived its’ name, Union.

Many unsuccessful attempts were made to minerepparttar 134207 area, until finally, in 1883, Robert Dunsmuir & Sons acquired all shares inrepparttar 134208 local coal operations. Dunsmuir invested half a million dollars in developingrepparttar 134209 mines and improvingrepparttar 134210 wharf in Union Bay. Underrepparttar 134211 direction of Dunsmuir's son, James, in 1892, a new town site was developed east of Union.

The village was named after Cumberland County in England and its streets, after places within that county. Cumberland incorporated in 1898 with coal mining succeeding for years, untilrepparttar 134212 production of oil in Leduc, Alberta in 1947, which markedrepparttar 134213 beginning ofrepparttar 134214 end forrepparttar 134215 Cumberland coal industry. By 1966repparttar 134216 last mine, Tsable River Mine, closed and Cumberland transformed into a quiet peaceful village.

For a tour of a model coalmine, stop byrepparttar 134217 Cumberland Museum and Archives. Downstairs is a replica ofrepparttar 134218 old coal mine, which was constructed a few years ago by retired miners...this gives visitors a very good idea ofrepparttar 134219 feel of a coal mine. As you start downrepparttar 134220 stairs you will see a model dressed as a Draegerman, a miner who went down to rescue during cave-ins, explosions, or other disasters. Working in groups of six, each carried 30 pounds of gear and had to be prepared to stay below for up to three days, searching for and assisting trapped or injured colleagues.

The word ‘Draegerman’ came fromrepparttar 134221 Draeger Company in Germany that maderepparttar 134222 safety equipment carried byrepparttar 134223 ‘Draegermen’.

With your first view ofrepparttar 134224 mine you will seerepparttar 134225 coal cart, which can hold one ton of coal. Five of these were pulled up torepparttar 134226 lift by one mule. From there,repparttar 134227 coal was hoisted torepparttar 134228 surface for processing and shipment.

The museum displays many ofrepparttar 134229 original maps ofrepparttar 134230 underground working ofrepparttar 134231 coal mines.

Learnrepparttar 134232 story of labour leader organiser Ginger Goodwin, watchrepparttar 134233 video presentation about Cumberland’s Chinatown and take a look atrepparttar 134234 last surviving building, Jumbo’s Cabin, situated on Lake Road. It has been home to a county jail,repparttar 134235 office ofrepparttar 134236 paymaster forrepparttar 134237 Union Colliery Co [1869-1883], and wasrepparttar 134238 home of Hor Sue Mah, Chinatown’s last resident.

Don’t forget your camera as Cumberland’s scenic beauty offers unparalleled photo opportunities forrepparttar 134239 camera buff.

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mailto:margotb@wonderport.com http://www.worldisround.com/home/margotb/

The historic, quiet village of Cumberland is nestled in the foothills of the Beaufort mountains, surrounded by forest, bordered by the incredible wilderness of the beautiful Comox Valley


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