25: Munnar Tea Gardens, Kerala, India...

Lush rolling hills of the Munnar Tea Estates in Kerala, India

Kerala is sometimes referred to as “Gods own Country”. Once we left the congested roadways around Kochi and started climbing up to lush green rolling hills of the Munnar Hill Station’s tea estates, we could see why.

Situated at the confluence of three rivers: the Madhurapuzha, Nallanthanni and Kundaly, Munnar is about a six-hour drive from Kochi. More than half of our drive was on winding mountain roads best suited for a single lane of traffic rather an two. Curiously, our bus had not only a driver, but also a “spotter,” who helped the driver gauge clearances am provide a second pair of eyes on the road. The horn was used liberally.

We leave the city of Kochi behind as we head into the Munnar Hills.

We passed the Kerala "Backwaters" on our way. Vacationers can rent houseboats
 and spend time relaxing in this natural and peaceful setting.

One of the two waterfalls we encountered on the way.

We were to have lunch in Munnar. The small city wasn’t quite what I expected. The term “Hill Station” evoked images of a bygone era, of genteel English garden estates, rather than the haphazardly overbuilt, dusty and grungy commercial area we drove through. There were billboards everywhere. One billboard, which we had seen frequently on the drive and also here, mysteriously demanded, “Call Aishwarya xxx-xxxx.” And I wondered – why?

Once we got off the bus, we started walking uphill. Our surroundings transitioned slowly until we came to an imposing gate (including a gatekeeper). The gate opened into a resort hotel, set within manicured grounds. This was more like what I expected. Beyond the beautifully tended gardens, we could see the distinct landscape of tea on the surrounding hillside. Everyone was thoroughly captivated. My only quibble with lunch was that they didn’t serve masala chai. However, they did have ice cream, which for Gary and the forty or more students, was a fitting reward for our hours in the bus.

One of the resort's gardeners.

Lake created by a dam that was built by the British during their occupation of India.

After lunch we piled back on the bus and drove for another hour or more. The scenery was just beautiful. I could feel the collective anticipation spreading among us. We couldn’t wait to get off the bus and start hiking!

The patterns and textures created by the paths navigating the gently rolling hills and the
individual tea bushes, was just breathtaking.

In the back of my mind, however, I had one nagging concern. How hard would it be for me to hike for two hours carrying my pack, taking photographs, AND manage to keep up with a bunch of 18 – 21 year olds? I breathed a sigh of relief when our guide told us that the bus would let us off and then proceed to a parking area that would be about a fifteen minute walk from our camp, so we could leave our packs on the bus if we preferred. I preferred! But interestingly, most of the students, including Gary, decided to carry their packs. I have no idea why.

We tumbled off the bus. It was just so beautiful – blue skies, puffy white clouds, clean mountain air. Even without my pack, I was often at the end of the procession. It’s amazing how far behind you can get when you stop for even a minute or two to take photographs every five minutes. Gary kept me company now and then, and fortunately, we had an additional guide at the rear, keeping track of all the photographer stragglers.

Off we go!

A single family home and vegetable garden carved out of the tea bush landscape.

We made it into camp as the sun was setting. The tents were all up, the crew was busy preparing dinner, and an area was reserved for a campfire with fifty folding chairs set in a circle around it.  One student – an eagle scout, no doubt – took it upon himself to scrounge for firewood and soon had a fire going. As we lost the sun, the temperature began to drop rapidly. The crew put out tea and snacks, and we sat around the fire and talked.

Our tents...

That night it got really cold. The zipper of my sleeping bag was broken. Our sleep was fitful. The camp toilets were, well, camp toilets.  We were roughing it! But the crew was earnest and wonderful. The multi-course dinner they prepared took a great deal of effort (and time…we didn’t get to eat until 8:30pm…but then an Indian dinner for almost fifty people is not like having a barbeque…) and was absolutely delicious.

We woke to a brilliant sunrise, and what promised to be a beautiful day. We had a full day of hiking ahead of us, and a picnic lunch.

What a brilliant morning!

We learned a little about tea bushes – that they could survive for a hundred years – and that the leaves were plucked almost every day by hand, or clipped with modified shears that pushed the leaves into an attached bag. The type of tea grown here is Nilgiri, an aromatic black tea.

Most of the “pluckers” were women – a cheerful bunch who responded easily to our greetings and smiled for our cameras, Though they didn’t make that much money by western standards, their employment benefits included free healthcare for the entire family and free education through high school for their children.

Women plucking the tea leaves in the mid morning.

Detail of the tea plant. Only one variety of tea, Nilgiiri (blue leaf), an aromatic black tea, is grown here.

One of the tea leaf clippers.

Around lunchtime the tea pluckers bring their harvest down from the hills to be weighed.

Then they bag it up again to load on the truck.

A village near our lunch spot.

A Shiva Temple perched on the hillside amid the tea bushes.
As often as we'd see a Hindu temple, we'd see a church or Christian shrine.

The village where our bus was waiting to take us back to camp.

As usual the hike downhill was more taxing than the climb uphill. Though the terrain was changing. We left the hillsides with tea behind and rolled into a village, creating a bit of diversion for the local children.

Children in the village are happy to pose together for a shot.

One last photo!

After a short ride in the air conditioned bus, we got back to camp, tired but content. Some of our group had the energy to strike out on their own for some additional hiking before dinner. The rest of us settled in for the evening. As the crew began preparations for dinner, our guide told us that we could get a lesson in making the Kerala Parathas that would accompany our meal.

Unlike the parathas I was used to (roll out, layer with ghee, fold over into triangular shapes), these were rolled and then twirled - a bit like a pizza, but not up in the air - and slapped on to the table over and over, until they achieved the correct thinness. then they were spread with ghee, cut in half, and rolled by hand to look like a cinnamon roll and left to sit. After half an hour or so, they were flattened - by hand and then with a rolling pin - and cooked on a grill. Finally, after four of them had been grilled, they were stacked up and "smushed" together so it separated into layers. They were truly delicious, as was the entire dinner.

The next morning we said our goodbyes and thank you's to the crew, then settled into our bus to enjoy the spectacular scenery of "God's own Country" one last time.

24: Kochi (previously known as Cochin), India…Town and Village

Our approach to Kochi afforded us great views of the historic Fort Cochin waterfront and these beautifully
engineered fishing net structures (said to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century).
In the background is St. Francis Church (1503), which for a time, housed the remains of Vasco da Gama.

An American faculty member on board, who had grown up in North India, once referred to the state of Kerala in southern India, as “India Light”. And without making any judgment as to the cultural sensitivity of the remark, I would have to say it has some merit.

India can assail ones senses – all of them – with its cacophony of sounds, colors, and smells. The diversity of the country – in terms of language, culture and landscape – is difficult to grasp, and only adds to its mystery, and ultimately, culture shock. Often, I have found, people will hate it or love it (which is often how people seem to feel about “curry” too …), and the only way to have a good time in India is to embrace, unconditionally, all it has to offer (while keeping yourself healthy, of course).

Docking in Kochi was like a “soft landing.” It was probably the most culturally different and unfamiliar place that the majority of the students on our ship had ever visited. But some things were familiar, like Bollywood music and dancing (all a big hit on board when our three Indian interport students came on board). English was widely spoken, and the historic areas of Fort Kochi, with its old temples, churches, one synagogue and shops, were easy to walk around and negotiate.

The most aggressive situation the students had to deal with were probably the tuk-tuk drivers trying to get their business as soon as they cleared the security gate in front of our ship. But they seemed to manage all that quite well, and based on the numbers of students I saw the next day sporting intricate henna patterns, wearing kurtas and even a sari, I would say that they made good use of the favorable exchange rate, and had a good time.

Kochi has a long colonial history. But before the Portuguese took over in 1503, it was the Kingdom of Kochi. The Dutch battled the Portuguese for power in 1683, and not to be shut out of the lucrative spice trade, Britain arrived to capture its wealth in 1795, staying until 1948.

We had a full program of three excursions here, and for all of them Gary was faculty liaison. On Day 1, right after docking, we had a “Kochi on Bicycle” tour. On Day 2, we left early in the morning for the Hill Station of Munnar and the tea estates that are found at elevations of 5000 – 8500 feet above sea level. We would be there for three days, which would include two nights of camping and about a day and half of hiking. Then after we returned, we would have one free day and then on the final day, we were on a Village Crafts and Boating excursion.

All equipped with bike and helmet for our ride through the Fort Cochin area.

There we go...it was great to travel on our own power, without the bus being a barrier between us and the city.

This historic Fort Cochin area included many large estates that date to colonial times.
Kochi was first colonized by the Portuguese (1503), then the Dutch (1683) and finally the British (1795).

Another view of a fishing net structure. According to our guide, they "catch more tourists than fish" these days.

An artist (not an engineer...) who set up shop along the waterfront. 

Business was a little slow...good time to catch a nap.

The climate of Kerala is perfect for growing practically everything from vegetables and fruits to a wide variety
of herbs and spices. Spices bring much more income, so many choose to focus their efforts on spice crops.

The Dutch Cemetery

Street Imagery...

Huge quantities of timber was stored near the docks. As best we could surmise, most of it probably

Our village visit included spending some time in an elementary school. It was full of inquisitive and beaming children.

We couldn't help but disrupt their normal school day, but the teacher was good natured about it.
Some students were hesitant; others loved the distraction.

Such beautiful fresh faces.
If there is one reminder of our common humanity, it can be found in the faces of children throughout the world.

A khadi weaving factory. Khadi is the homespun cloth that Mahatma Ghandi popularized as a symbol
of India's pride and united push for independence.

The river figures prominently in village life.

A student shows the girls their photograph.

The women in the village were all busy at one job or another, weaving, washing clothes, beating rice, spinning cotton.

This traditional hand made boat would carry us on the river.

Jumping into the river to cool off after school....

It was hot (except in Munnar), the shopping was good and the food was wonderful, but finding an internet café was not as easy as I had hoped (hence the continued delay of my posts!). There are so many more places in south and central India that are still on my list of places to visit, so I am hoping that we will be back this way again.