Year 12 Camp - Heading Home

Beninal, Lynn and the bricks - a matching set

Our last day was full of expectations. There was the trip home, including the 85 km descent that was still very much in some of the travellers' minds. This morning following Devotions and Breakfast there was a three hour shopping excursion planned. We were to visit the usual haunts of the TG's mates where we were assured we would get the cheapest and the best of everything, plus several places in the township of Kodaikanal before returning to the hotel for lunch and packing for a 3:00 pm departure down the mountain.

There were several stops planned along the way which would break the trip into smaller sections. Our train did not depart until 9:25 pm but Mrs Wesley wanted us to be there in plenty of time as the train only stops for one minute so we had to be ready to find our carriage and get on.

The scheduled stops were the Shenbaganur Museum, the Silver Cascade Falls (with plenty of water assured) and the aptly named Dum Dum Rock View Point.

Things went as planned but I really struggled with the four hour shopping extravaganza where we had about 70 kids from very well off families buying everything in sight and our hostel girls who walked and looked. They had some money and some of the hostel girls who did not come had given them small amounts of money to bring a small gift back.

It was more my problem than theirs as the day students walked around laden with gifts our hostel girls seemed just as happy visiting and looking. We walked and chatted and they seemed OK but I still felt uneasy about the whole thing.

We arrived back for lunch and packing which brought our next surprise. In packing I noticed that my Diabetes Testing Meter was not in its case and the testing strips were on the bench. IW thought I had just put it somewhere but we packed and it was nowhere. IW then noticed that her portable reading light was missing. The strange thing was that the Computer was still on the desk.

I went to get the Hotel Manager and he was quick to respond. He arrived with the Housekeeping Manager and they noticed that the window was unlocked. The most likely scenario was that one of the cleaning staff saw the computer etc and unlocked the window while cleaning the room. We also arrived back to the hotel 40 minutes early and I think we disturbed whoever it was and they left with things they could put in their pockets.

The Hotel staff was very good in their investigation but I don't think we will hear anymore about it. We had our bags out the door at the scheduled 3:00 departure time and found a group of girls sitting talking. They had not packed and were just enjoying the afternoon. We suggested they go and pack and got the famous 'Indian smile and head nod'. They set off in the direction of their rooms.

NOTE: For some unexplained reason our camera was packed in the port so we have no photos for the following part of the story.

At 4:00 pm there were a few kids and teachers there and the TG arrived. No one was worried so neither was I. By 4:30 pm we were in the buses, ports tied to the roof, for the famous Hill Station descent. All gir)ls (including Hostel girls) who wanted them, were administered motion sickness tablets. We had changed buses into a smaller one which made us more cramped with IW and I sharing a two-seater sideways seat at the front of the bus with one of our Hostel girls.

First stop was the Museum which was for us a disappointment. It was old and looked very unloved. There were a number of stuffed animals on display that were named incorrectly and overall it did not measure up to what had been written about it.

We proceeded on to the Silver Cascade Falls which were right on a dangerous bend of the highway down the mountain. This did not stop about fifty stall owners setting up stalls selling all sorts of eats and trinkets. It also did not stop buses, cars, motor bikes and trucks from stopping and the occupants alighting to view the waterfall. The waterfall is the overflow from Kodaikanal Lake. It was nice to see and the kids roamed up and down the stalls looking for that last elusive bargain.

After a while we reboarded the bus and proceeded to Dum Dum Rock View. Everyone seemed to be handling the downward trip a lot better that the one up - except me. We were sitting right next to the engine and the smell of the engine and sitting sideways was slowly turning my stomach into a major gymnastics meeting.

I jumped out at Dum Dum Rock to get some air and respite from the engine smell. The legend behind the name is the mythical belief that Lord Muruga used to visit the Rock on his entourage to Palani. Local people still have rituals corresponding to this belief and regularly offer prayers at this rock, and create drum-noise during the prayers, hence the name 'Dum Dum Rock'.

After ten minutes in the open I was feeling OK so we returned to our seats and continued - for a very short time. I turned to IW and said I had to get out of this so proceeded to the back of the bus and asked three day girls there if they could swap places as I was feeling quite ill. To my suprise two of them looked up and said "No, we want to stay here". I said nothing and turned to return to my seat. I had just reached the front when all three appeared behind me saying they would swap.

So off we went to the back seat where the gymnastics competition almost immediately ceased. It was a great relief to me and an even greater one for those around me even though they were not aware of it. Soon after we were at the bottom of the hill and pulled in for a 'toilet stop'.

The toilet block was a nice new, clean block but with about 70 of the 75 girls and the staff wanting to use the facilities it was an interesting experience. IW was fortunate enough to get fairly close to the beginning of the line and when she finally got to the door wondered why the middle toilet (there were only 3 cubicles) was not being used. She was informed that it was a western toilet and was dirty. Presumably that meant that someone hadn't flushed and they were happy to use the two toilets because none of them would flush it.

IW was about to go in and flush it when one of the "bossy" teachers came shuffling in, shouting and pushing girls (who had been waiting patiently) out the door and getting them into an orderly line (which IW thought was okay before) and she pushed IW into the first cubicle, ahead of all the girls. IW proceeded into the cubicle only to discover that it was in actual fact a shower room which the girls had been using for toilet purposes. Needless to say IW needed to use the facilities so did, though was fairly uncomfortable about it. It certainly didn't bother any of the girls and they probably didn't even realise it was a shower room. The usual jug sat on the floor for "flushing" purposes.

We were on the way again and soon arrived at the Railway Station. Mrs Wesley soon determined the platform and where each carriage would stop and had the girls in position. Because this was not the origin of the train there was no carriage swapping and we were in a separate cariage from the teachers and girls. We both had top bunks so would have to climb.

Mrs Wesley was worried there could be someone already asleep in our bunks so got two of the bus drivers to stand with us and carry our bags on and make sure all was OK. The train stopped, we got on, bunks were free and off we set for the 8 hour trip home.

We got our bags stored under the seat, scaled the side and laid down. We were exhausted and hoped that some sleep would occur. Again we got some sporadic 'rests' and arrived back at Egmore station at 5:45 am Sunday. Upon alighting we were met by the school bus drivers, gathered the hostel girls and set off for the 30 minute drive back to school and a good sleep.