Three Days in Tea Town

The next three days in Munnar are for the most part fantastic. Great weather, food and scenery make for some of our most relaxing time in India so far. At times I'm reminded of being in a small European hill town, at least in the way the beautiful countryside views greet us at every turn as we walk through the steep terrain. As we walk a mile or two into town, it turns out Lori knows exactly where we are - she's been here before! Her group came this way in 2002, and at this very spot they shot scenes for a mock Bollywood video! Watch it here on Youtube - the quality is low but you might be able to spot my favorite movie star...


Munnar town is 100% India, complete with giant buses rampaging down narrow roads, tuk-tuks blasting exhaust and noise, and dozens and dozens of shops crowded along the road. Walking into town after breakfast and exploring doesn't take long and in itself isn't much to see. But the large tourist-oriented spice shops are awesome! From dozens of varieties of Munnar tea to five kinds of pepper to red-hot cinnamon bark and more, it's all here, picked and packed in the hills surrounding us. We stock up a lifetime's supply of spices and other goodies, then catch our first rickshaw ride on steep hilly roads back to Olivebrook for a guided walk to see the tea plantations.

One of the best things about our India trip is seeing how stuff is made and where it's from. Sure you can do this in the U.S., but I think we're more consumers than producers these days. But after India I now know what a cardamom plant looks like, where tea comes from (and what “tips” are) and how it's processed. The following day after a disappointing visit to a natural park (it takes a few hundred rupees and long drive to learn that 90% of it is inaccessible), we tour a local tea factory and see freshly-picked tea leaves come off the truck and get processed. The 30-minute company history video is even watchable!

Another great afternoon follows at Olivebrook, drinking tea but now with a much deeper understanding. We relax and listen to the fantastic bird calls (sorry Mom, I have no idea what they were). Unlike our trip to the park earlier that day, we even spot the giant red flying squirrels in the trees down the hill. Somehow I manage to get the timing perfect for a mid-air shot! Alas my camera lens is not National-Geographic-worthy, even if my timing is...