Travel: A 7 day vaction in Kodaikanal

A 7 day vaction in Kodaikanal

Written by Vijay Chidambaram

Hai! My name is Vijay and I live in Chennai. Chennai, though a very pleasant city in many other ways, gets intolerably hot in summer. This year, Chennai recorded repparttar

second highest temperature in two years! We were melting in our clothes. This is why, we shouted with joy when my father told us he was taking to Kodaikanal (a hill station) for a leisurely summer vacation. Our father booked repparttar 134199

tickets through repparttar 134200

Internet, for our railway journey. On May 11th, we started off our railway journey to Kodaikanal. My father explained that our train would stop at Kodai Road, from where we would take a taxi to Kodaikanal. Our train started from Chennai at 8pm on May 11th. Early next morning we arrived at Kodai Road. The air was fresh and deliciously cool. We took a taxi, an old Ambassador car. We were informed by our taxi driver that repparttar 134201

journey would take 3 hours. On repparttar 134202

way, I relished in seeing repparttar 134203

beautiful scenery – tree-covered hills, village folk, and repparttar 134204

morning sun. It was delightful. After a while, my younger brother and I began to get bored. My brother took out repparttar 134205

walkman and began to listen to film music. I took out my trusted book, Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin by P.G.Wodehouse. After reading for sometimes, I put away my book. I told my mother that I was hungry. We stopped at a roadside restaurant, Sapeet At Sapeet, we had light breakfast. It was a wonderful place, with domestic rabbits, lovebirds and fish. On repparttar 134206

fish-tank was written,

Spin around twice and drop a coin into repparttar 134207 tank, Like for so many people before you, Your wish will come true! I was amused by this little verse and peered into repparttar 134208 tank. I could see all kinds of fish, and also, two coins! After repparttar 134209 driver finished refilling repparttar 134210 diesel tank of repparttar 134211 car, we once again set off. As we traveled to Kodaikanal, we came across many little towns. As we started climbing repparttar 134212 mountain, repparttar 134213 air began getting cooler and cooler. As we climbed repparttar 134214 hill on which Kodaikanal was located, we had a panoramic view of repparttar 134215 plain below – entire towns, lakes, wide fields, they were all visible. The taxi had a FM Radio, and we listened to repparttar 134216 songs chosen by listeners, thinking about repparttar 134217 poor taste of majority of repparttar 134218 listeners. Finally we arrived at Kodaikanal. We saw dozens of Kodaikanal natives, rushing about, clad in woolen sweaters, going about their daily lives. In Kodaikanal, we stayed in The Kodai Resort Hotel, which was a three star hotel, located centrally in Kodaikanal. My father had booked rooms in repparttar 134219 Kodai Resort Hotel, through repparttar 134220 internet. The check-in time for most hotels in Kodaikanal is 9 am. After we checked into repparttar 134221 hotel, we went to our rooms, which were quite cozy. After bathing, we went to Coaker`s Walk, which was quite near repparttar 134222 Kodai Resort Hotel. It is long walk at repparttar 134223 edge of repparttar 134224 mountain. It gave a birds-eye view of repparttar 134225 plains below. However, there was mist over repparttar 134226 plains and this spoiled our view to a great degree. We returned to our hotel and had our lunch. Then, we went to repparttar 134227 Bryant Park, which was also quite near our hotel. We brought a Frisbee at a shop near Bryant Park. We had no idea how many hours of joyous play repparttar 134228 Frisbee would give us. The Bryant Park was a large park, about repparttar 134229 size of a football field. All kinds of pretty flowers grew there. There was also a great deal of empty ground, where many people where playing Frisbee. The park was a place, where repparttar 134230 tourists and natives of Kodaikanal relaxed and enjoyed their leisure. Big families came here and relaxed on repparttar 134231 lawn and played Frisbee. It was a grand sight. From repparttar 134232 Bryant Park, we went to repparttar 134233 Kodai Lake. The Kodai Lake is a magnificent man-made lake. It is star-shaped and has three main boat-houses. We went to repparttar 134234 boat-house nearer to us and rented a row-boat, with a native doing repparttar 134235 rowing. We went for a full round. The boatman took us around repparttar 134236 lake in his boat, showing us repparttar 134237 grand Carlton hotel, which was repparttar 134238 only five-star hotel in Kodaikanal and also repparttar 134239 only hotel in Kodaikanal which had its own boat-house. The boatman also showed us repparttar 134240 Sathya Shree Sai Baba temple, where repparttar 134241 Sai Baba was staying at repparttar 134242 time. Because of this, Kodaikanal had more than repparttar 134243 normal amount of tourists. We finished our boat-ride and alighted at our boat-house. Then, my brother and I went horse-riding. There were a number of men there, who took people horse-riding for a fixed amount. We went for a full round on a horse, for one hundred and sixty rupees. The trainer of repparttar 134244 horse would ride on a cycle, holding repparttar 134245 reins of repparttar 134246 horse and nudging repparttar 134247 horse with a stick. It was a queer experience, riding on a horse. I had never before ridden on a horse. I swayed from side to side and had a sensation that I would fall off. But as repparttar 134248 ride went on, repparttar 134249 swaying stopped and I found myself enjoying repparttar 134250 experience.

Historic Cumberland - A Step Back in Time

Written by Margot B

The historic, quiet village of Cumberland is nestled in repparttar

foothills of repparttar 134198

Beaufort mountains, surrounded by forest, bordered by repparttar 134199

incredible wilderness of repparttar 134200

beautiful Comox Valley, repparttar 134201

eternally snow-capped mountains and repparttar 134202

inspiring Comox Glacier within view. Cumberland’s population is approaching 3,000.

If driving from Victoria repparttar 134203 time is about one and one-half hours to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo there are two routes to Cumberland: If you take repparttar 134204 scenic coast shore route on Highway 19 repparttar 134205 driving time will be about one hour and twenty-five minutes. Or you can further shorten repparttar 134206 driving time to Cumberland by taking repparttar 134207 new Inland Island Highway from Nanaimo to Courtenay, which is an hour’s drive. Cumberland is ten minutes west from Courtenay.

After a day of skiing or golfing nearby, or recreation activity of your choice, Cumberland is repparttar 134208 perfect retreat and has something for everyone..

Spend a day exploring repparttar 134209 countless unchartered walking trails - to an old mine or hike to repparttar 134210 lake for a picnic and swim. See repparttar 134211 final resting place of repparttar 134212 Asians who worked in repparttar 134213 coal mines, at Chinese and Japanese Cemeteries located on Union Road off Cumberland Road.

Take a walking tour of fascinating heritage buildings in Cumberland that date back to repparttar 134214 1800s; browse through some of repparttar 134215 unique shops downtown, and then enjoy lunch at one of repparttar 134216 many great village cafes. Don’t miss repparttar 134217 antique shops for a real step back in time - travel almost any street to see heritage buildings and trees over a century old.

The Cumberland Recreation Institute offers a universal gym, sauna, whirlpool, squash courts, indoor climbing wall and a wide variety of scheduled programs for all ages.

Events in Cumberland:

Oct 31: Children’s Halloween Party at repparttar 134218 CRI, with prizes, hot dogs, juices [free].

Nov 30: Christmas Artisans and Crafts Faire at repparttar 134219 CRI.

December: Cumberland’s Christmas Lighting Contest, Sponsored by repparttar 134220 Cumberland Chamber of Commerce. Contest for Business & Residential.

December: Cumberland Santa Claus Parade: Santa Claus Parade starts at Village Park and ends at repparttar 134221 Cumberland Recreation Hall. Then you can have lunch and visit with Santa. This event happens within repparttar 134222 first two weeks of December.

1st Saturday in December: Cumberland Chamber of Commerce Arts & Crafts Faire

9 am - 4 pm CRI Hall, Cumberland. Door prizes, Concession, Free admission.

Dec 14: Children’s Christmas Party at repparttar 134223 CRI.

Feb/Mar: Early Empire Days Cinch at repparttar 134224 CRI.

April 17: Children’s Easter Party at repparttar 134225 CRI.

May 1: Baked Bean Dinner, at repparttar 134226 Cultural Centre.

May 10: Empire Days Cinch, at repparttar 134227 CRI.

May 17-19: Annual Empire Days; May Queen crowning, Soap Box Derby, dinner, dancing.

May 25: Cumberland-Port Alberni Cavalcade at repparttar 134228 CRI parking lot.

June 4: CUMBERLAND’S ANNUAL CAVALCADE - The Valley Link Highway Project. This event is sponsored by a committee made up of citizens from repparttar 134229 Comox Valley, Port Alberni and repparttar 134230 Cowichan Valley.

The Cavalcade is to promote repparttar 134231 concept that was recognised by political leaders from all over Vancouver Island to Link repparttar 134232 Cowichan Valley, Port Alberni and repparttar 134233 Comox Valley with a Highway. This event usually takes place at repparttar 134234 end of May.

June 20-21: Miner’s Day Memorial Celebration.

July 26: Classic Cruisers Car Parade - Cumberland/Courtenay.

July 27: Classic Cruisers Car Show at Village Park.

August: Waverly Hotel’s Golf Tournament at Sunnydale Golf Course Courtenay 336-8322

Aug 1-4: NADS Fastball Tourney at Village Park.

Mid Aug: Community Benefit Slo-Pitch Tournament at Village Park.

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