昨晚坐11:45分的火車，今早8:30先到芒格洛爾，隨即到巴士站坐4小時車到馬蒂科里。
巴士沿途景色怡人，都是一棵棵綠色大樹，空氣清新，令人輕鬆。
馬蒂科里是果達古﹝古爾格﹞區的一部份，這裡的原住民叫果達古人。這裡是行山的好地方，如季節合適，可以見到很多大象，可惜我早了一點到這地方。而據旅遊書介紹說，這些原住民嫁女不用付嫁妝。我沒有證實這消息，但如果這是正確的話，可真是一個好的情況，因為印度經常發生婦女付不起嫁妝而給夫家燒死的事件，在農村情況特別多。
到步後，跟隨寂寞星球的介紹找到Dawn旅館，旅館老闆Anoop Chinnappa是一個環保戰士，詳情可看這裡。
傍晚與法國夫婦Patrice及Fanny和Anoop Chinnappa步行45分鐘上山看日落，Anoop的兩只狗Pinko及Snowie也跟在一起。這裡的風景真的很好，山上白雲很多，很舒服，可以想像在不同的時間，這裡的景色會有所不同。
Anoop在6年前，在街上看到Pinko被人遺棄，把牠拿回家收養。牠去年生了四頭小狗，但其中兩頭被人偷去，另外一頭被車碾死，只留下Snowie。牠現在又懷孕了。
步行後，跟法藉夫婦一起找印度人Vinod晚餐。Vinod是一間當地環境教育中心的負責人，而他同時也是一個商人，也是一些滿腦子有不同計劃的人，例如他想把生意盈利的百分之5抽起，用作在互聯網推動環保發展。
很高興在這地方看到熱心的人。
I was on board the train at 11:45pm last night, and arrived Mangalore at 8:30 this morning before taking a 4-hour bus to Madikeri.
The scenery along the bus route is nice. Trees are scattered along and the air is fresh. These just make me relaxed.
Madikeri (Mercara) is part of the Kodagu (Coorg) region, and its native is called Kodavas. This is a place for hiking, and you can see a lot of elephants if you are traveling in the right time. But it seems that I have arrived earlier.
Travel guidebook says the wedding of the native people here rarely involves dowry. I have not verified the information, but it would be a good news if it is true. Many women in India are burnt to death by their husband families for failing to pay the dowry, which is more common in remote villages.
I follow the recommendation of Lonely Plant to reach Dawn guesthouse. The owner of the guesthouse is Anoop Chinnappa, who is an ecowarrior. Details about him can click here.
Anoop took me and a French couple, Patrice and Fanny, for a 45-minute short walk to the hill to see the sunset. Anoop’s two dogs, Pinko and Snowie, also accompany us. The scenery is impressive. Blue sky and the clouds are clear, and I can imagine that the scenery keeps changing in different times.
Anoop took stray dog Pinko home when she was abandoned six years ago. She gave birth to four puppies last year. But two of the small dogs were stolen, and one killed after being trapped beneath a car. Only Snowie can survive. Pinko is pregnant again.
After the walk, I go to dinner with the French couple and another Indian Vinod. Vinod is the person-in-charge of an environmental education centre in the city, and himself is also a businessmen. He is also the person with many ideas in his mind. For example, he wishes to donate five percent of his business income for promoting environmental awareness with the internet.
It is glad to see enthusiastic people.
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