Had a great weekend as we drove down to Ooty to attend a friend's marriage. Nanda's picked up a car and he wanted to go on a long drive and this marriage event came up at the right time. Basically Nanda and Shraddha drove alternatively both ways. Shraddha's calm experience, I guess was useful, during the return drive while coming down the Nilgiri hills in sharp-pouring rains. All in all was good fun. The trip to ooty Via mysore is very scenic and beautiful particularly as you go through Bandipur and Mudumalai forest. Bandipur is on the Karnatka side of the forest, is much more lush and green and clean. Roads are impeccable and the drive was fun, we spotted some deers and black faced monkeys. At one point we stood on the road, amidst the monkeys, trying to take some photographs of them. Most of them appeared pretty docile and harmless, suddenly one monkey jumped out of the tree and straight latched onto us. My window was open and I just bent and lied down to avoid the monkey's strike. Shraddha started moving the car, the moment it saw the Monkey jumping from the tree and I was in time to close the window. Then it , struck all of us, the reason - Mango. Shraddha had just managed to bite into a slice of mango a moment back, the monkey might have spotted that piece of mango and latched onto us.
The night before the marriage was OK. Had a good time seeing the Badaga dance, a tribal kind of dance before the marriage. Vasu was the one who was getting married.The usual drink and masti was on, which I was not really interested in. I don't why, people assume that getting pissed drunk before any event could be part of so called fun. I just wanted to stay sober and enjoy the marriage proceeding and enjoy the cool climes of Ooty.
The thing which I vividly remember was Vasu's Dad wishing me well on how I danced. Well I hardly danced ,we were forced/pulled into the badaga marriage dance and I just shook a leg here and there. Also the 'Oouu Ouuu' noise the oldies and the elders were making while taking the bride and the groom to the Mantap, wedding hall. We were told by an friendly elderly the reason behind that. Back in olden days, when electricity was not around, the groom's marriage party would pass through forests and to frighten the animals while the marriage party was passing on, these noise were made by the people in the procession.
Nice long drive, Shraddha certainly enjoyed as she got to drive a bit.
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