Plucking Tea

Shannyn washing an Elephant
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Next up we headed to Munnar, an area famous for its tea estates. We decided to book a three day tour complete with a driver/guide and it was worth every rupee as our guide Siraj took us to see places that we never would have known about or been able to get to by ourselves.

Our first stop was at the Kodanadu elephant sanctuary and surprisingly there were only a handful of tourists here. We were lucky enough to join in and assist with the elephants daily bath. We scrubbed these beautiful creatures in the river with the inside of a coconut shell and found them to be very well behaved and gentle and felt extremely privaleged to spend time with them.

Gary picking Tea
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Next up Siraj took us for a trek through a forest area where groups of tribal people lived. Siraj knew many of the families here and we were able to visit their spice plantations and learn about what each of the spices was used for. Some of the spices we saw included Cardamom, Turmeric, Nutmeg, Vanilla, Cloves, Lemongrass etc. We also visited some familie's rubber plantations and got to watch them processing the raw rubber into a semi finished sellable product. We were told about how profitable the rubber business is and this explained why there were so many huge amazing looking brand new homes in the surrounding area that made the Mcmansions of Sydney look like match boxes. Whilst here we also visited a primary school and spent time with the teacher and her students whom were all very excited to meet us and couldn't wait to have their picture taken. Gary helped them practice their alphabet in English.

Munnar tea pickers family
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As we approached Munnar we were stunned by the extreme beauty of the surrounding tea plantations. There were lush green fields everywhere amongst the rolling hills. Surprisingly our guest house was located within the Tata tea estate and had a huge balcony complete with the most amazing views in Munnar even surpassing those of the 5 star hotels!!! We spent the afternoon walking around the tea fields with Siraj learning about the processes involved with growing and manufacturing tea.

On our second day we visited the tea museum and learnt more about the workings of a tea estate and its employees. We then visited many rivers, dams and water falls in the surrounding area. Siraj took us into one of the plantations where the women tea pickers, dressed in brightly coloured saris, were busy at work. These women were extremely friendly and happy to let us watch them at work and also photograph them. Never at any stage did they ask for anything in return which was a nice change for once... In the afternoon Gary and I went for a walk around our guest house weaving our way in and out of the tea fields along the narrow pathways. Here we were met by even more friendly and inquisitive locals who, although they had very basic English, were interested in us and wanted to know more about us.

Shannyn wading through the tea plants
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On our third day we visited one of the villages where the tea workers lived. This was very rewarding and our favourite part of our Munnar experience. This village, rarely visited by foreigners, housed about 50 families and welcomed us in with open arms. A group of children called me over straight away and asked me to photograph them. Gradually one by one more family members shyly popped out of their house and also wanted to be photographed. Next thing I knew the women of the house were dragging me inside and dished me up some of their porridge like breakfast. The food was delicious and they spoke a little English so we chatted for a while. They then showed me around their tiny yet immaculate home. By the time I had resurfaced I found Gary in a little locals tea house also full of inquisitive people beckoning to have their photographs taken. One small boy of about 2 years was terribly frightened by us as he had never seen white people before. He got used to us after a while and was soon smilling too. We went for a walk around the village and were shown into a few more locals homes which was interesting.

Elephant feeding
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As we headed back to Kochi we spent the next few hours driving through beautiful landscapes of green rolling hills. Upon arrival back in Kochi Siraj invited us to his familie's home where we got to meet his wife and children. His wife even prepared us some very tasty pancakes.

For us Munnar was definately a truly unforgettable experience and without a doubt the best place we've been in India. Its also been one of our favourite places on our entire trip. If you want to see the real India and mix with some really friendly locals who aren't just after your rupees then this is the place to do so. We booked our tour through Wilson travels in Fort Kochi. Shannyn