Finally, after months of deliberation and delay, I determinedly got into a semi-sleeper bus headed for Munnar at the crowded Koyambedu bus stand in Chennai. I was alone, a backpack slung over my shoulder. The journey was comfortable. I reclined my seat well back and slept fitfully for ten hours before I woke up at 7 am to a rude shock. “Passengers heading to Munnar get down at Udamalpet. There’s a strike in Kerala,” our conductor said tersely. Continue reading