Munnar Tour

The following morning, the tranquil sight of mist-shrouded hills greeted the early riser. Singing birds performed a duet with gentle radio. The sun punctuated the foggy morning, casting its warming rays across the otherwise cool temperature. From our hotel balcony we could see the green tea plantations, large bushes of flowers, and people beginning their daily chores. Such a contrast to the hot, crowded, and loud Chennai that we left just days earlier!

(our only) Organized Tour
Taking our only organized tour of the trip, we boarded the government van. While some of the stops were worth a photo or two, the sheer number of souvenir stalls with tacky stuff was enough to spoil the scene. For those with more spending money and time, one could also take a speedboat, paddle boat, ride an elephant, or try one’s hand at horseback riding. Trout Lagoon was rather pretty though, with its tall eucalyptus trees rustling in the breeze and high hills reflected in the still waters. Litter, as noted elsewhere in Kerala, was rather uncommon.

As we were driving along, we noticed several vehicles stopped along the side of the road. Down the steep hill in the clearing were three elephants, including a baby. Out in the wild, seeing these large animals was a treat.

Tea Plantations
While driving through one of the many tea plantations dominating the Munnar landscape, we spotted some workers in the field. A large green sack was draped around the women’s heads. Around their body was a vinyl-looking sheet, probably to help protect against sharp branches. Gathering and cutting was done by hand. Considering the large area covered by the estates (about 65,000 acres), it amazed me just thinking how these manicured-looking landscapes were accomplished by human hands. Our driver’s wife was one of 37,000 tea workers, working long hours and earning a salary of around 100 rupees ($2.11) a day. Modest housing is provided, but as the schools are inadequate, the driver had his children stay with relatives in Chennai for schooling. Sadly, the monopoly company TATA (which also has its hands into so many aspects of the Indian economy) owned most of the estates.

Going still further up the winding hills, the van stopped at one of the higher peaks, located near the state border with Tamil Nadu. Thick mist shrouded the hills, creating an even more serene atmosphere. The bushes, trimmed to a height of 1 – 1.5 meters, appeared to flow as they hugged the undulating landscape, its ripples being the spaces between the plants. A truly breathtaking, spiritual sight.

For more information about the tea plantations in Munnar, visit http://www.hotelsmunnar.com/tea_estates.htm

See my Munnar photos on Flickr.

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