Ooty with Mom!

We had a wonderful time with my mom here. Her short visit flew by, but it was so sweet. After a few days in Bangalore, we drove (8 hours) to a famous hill station for a weekend away. It was a world away--high hills/mountains, chilly mornings and evenings, lots of mostly fresh air. The last part of the drive included 36 hairpin turns (signs photographed for your viewing pleasure); Hannah called them "hair clip turns". :) Matthew loved saying "Ooty!"

The photos are in 2 slideshows: the first is the drive (part of it through a wildlife preserve), the setting and lunch at one of Shae's team member's (Target speak for coworker) homes. The second is the amazing botanical gardens, a highlight of our trip. The high altitude yielded an amazing combination of cool weather and tropical plants. We loved the amazing variety!






Not shown is the train trip we didn't get to take because tickets were sold out after waiting in line for 45 mins (wrong information from guide book and hotel concierge). Also not shown, the "scenic" viewpoint--the highest peak in southern India--from which you could see trash, more trash, pollution and way too many people. Didn't even take the camera out. Sad.