Saturday, March 2, 2019
Munnar
Filling in Sightseeing Gaps in Munnar
Namaste from Munnar!
It was a day to take things easy. Michelle and I awoke to catch the sunrise from our balcony in the Lake View Resort, but there was ample cloud cover today and dawn was an orangey glow over the Eastern mountain slopes as the first rays of an awakening sun gilded the verdant tea estates. Oh well, at least we tried.
Michelle decided to go for a swim before breakfast while I sat blogging and enjoying the mountain air. We also had to sort out our accommodation for one more night as Michelle had mistakenly made our booking for just two nights instead of three. The Receptionist called to tell me she did have a room for us but it was non-AC (not really needed at these heights) and was in the main building of the hotel above the Reception. We had no choice, so opted for it after bargaining down the regular rate. Showering and packing of our belongings then followed so that the hotel staff could transfer our cases to the new room—which was just as good in every way except for the AC. We still had a view facing east over the mountains and overlooking the little trickle of a river beneath us.
Breakfast and Off for the Day:
Breakfast then followed in our hotel dining room. Each day’s offerings are different at the buffet and today I opted for utthapam with sambhar and chutney and the fluffiest corn fritters which I ate with delicious local honey. I also opted for a slice of white bread toast with butter—heavenly and something I have not eaten in a very long time as I do not own a toaster in my studio apartment. I shall certainly eat more toast tomorrow! Filter coffee here is divine and I treated myself to two cups despite the fact that it was not decaf. Luckily, it does not seem to keep me awake.
So, over all, it was a very slow start to our day and it was only about 11.00 am that we summoned our driver Abhijit to take us sightseeing for the day. The idea was to tick off the other curves in the mountains that we had not seen the previous day. We had another glorious day in the mountains for such an expedition and he told us he would start us off at the Erakuvilam National Park which was about ten miles away. However, he did also warn us that the park is closed as it is breeding season for the unique mountain goat called the Tahr that is native only to these parts and well-preserved by naturalists to ensure it does not meet with extinction. Still, it would be good to get to the national park—even if it was only to its entrance.
The drive through the mountains of Munnar is absolutely delightful and if this was all I did while I stayed in this curve of the Western Ghats, my trip here would have been worthwhile. When we left the manicured velveteen slopes of the tea estates behind us, we were in rugged mountainous terrain surrounded by silver oak trees and towering fragrant eucalyptus. We passed many little streams with small bridges built over them—a couple had suffered damage in the severe flooding that had hit the state of Kerala in August of last year. They can no longer be used. The pot holes on the roads are also problematic in certain places but whether those are flood-related or just a result of wear and tear, it is hard to say. Poinsettia bushes grow wild over the edges of the tea gardens and when we passed by a particularly appealing bend in the road where two hills came together to create a picture post-card vista, I requested Abhijit to stop so that we could take pictures. This is the image of Munnar that I would like to preserve in my memory and take back with me into the world—Of the pure silence of the tea slopes with their perfectly topiaried bushes, of poinsettia standing tall, of silver oaks swaying in the gentle breeze.
Many pictures later, we continued on our way to the National Park whose posters offered tantalizing glimpses of the goats that we just beyond our reach. The park, also known locally as Rajmala, is renowned for the Neelakurunji flowers which resemble blue crocus that covers the slopes of these mountains only once in twelve years! Again, last August was the year they bloomed—a time that cruelly coincided with the coming of the floods which robbed naturalists of the joy of photographing them at their zenith. We took pictures of the entrance and then made our way down the mountain slopes again, stopping en route to give a ride to an elderly local man who was pounding the pavement in an attempt to get to his destination.
Next Stop: The Tea Museum
Yesterday, Abhijit had taken us to what was called the Tea Factory. Today, we requested him to take us to the Tea Museum as we had seen hoardings for this attraction everywhere. Both these places are run by the Kannan Devan Development Corporation which has owned these tea estates since the 18th century. Hence, the guard at the gate allowed us to enter for free based on the strength of the receipt we showed her of the tickets we had purchased yesterday at the Tea Factory.
This place was far better in every respect. For one thing, we were ushered through the small rooms of a really cute museum whose walls were covered with taxidermied animal busts and horns into a screening room. Here, we were treated to a 25 minute long movie that was superbly filmed that introduced us to every aspect imaginable of the history of tea production in Munnar. We learned that it all goes back to the year 1790 when Lord Wellesley came on horseback to explore this area and discovered the pristine beauty of the mountains. He then sent British surveyors to the area and their mapping of the range began with special emphasis on the mountains of this region and its highest peak Anamudi which one can see from the national park.
It was not long before the British penchant for tea that was traded world wide through the conquest of the Chinese market and the sea routes established for the precise purpose of transporting it around the world, led to the planting of tea saplings on the mountain slopes. Initial planters were, of course, British pioneers whose entrepreneurial zeal led not only to the creation of the terraces upon which they planted tea, but to the roads and railway that would allow them to disseminate their production around the colonial world. British engineering of a long lost era can still be admired on every curve of these mountainous roads and the heart-stopping bend in every river.
The film also taught us about the flora and fauna of the region and British attempts to preserve them. There was further information about the social welfare projects that were created through the centuries that put ownership of the tea manufacturing plants in the hands of the workers, the actual tea pickers whose livelihood depends on these tea gardens. We were shocked to discover that the workers form 97 % of the share holders of the company that has changed hands over the years. The bulk of it now rests in the hands of Tata that has brought sustained development to the area through the construction of schools, hospitals, maternity wards, daycare centers, etc. to the manufacturing plant so that the overall welfare of their employees takes up a good part of the company’s concerns. Gosh! It was such an education and both Michelle and I were absolutely stunned by what we learned. We will probably never sip a cup of tea with the same nonchalance again. Now that we know what goes into making tea the cup that cheers, I know I will have greater respect for my daily cuppa.
We then wandered about the little museum which I found to be the most fascinating part of our visit. In the first room, the animal remains were the results of those shot down during shikar—a favorite pastime of British colonials in an era when the mountains were filled with all kinds of deer, wild boar and even gaur (Indian bison) and bears. There were a few items from a bygone era on the walls (punching clocks, for instance, which were known as tell-tale clocks because they revealed the exact minute at which workers clocked in and out), weighing scales, pruners, secators, etc. In the room that I found most fascinating were black and white pictures on the wall that showed us what colonial life was like in the mountains in the Victoria and Edwardian ages—white women in clothing fashionable in the era with startlingly huge hats to shade their delicate English complexions from the merciless South Indian summer sun, men with sola topics (many of which lined the walls), local Munnar Gymkhana sports that included horse racing and, later in the twentieth century, even car racing. There were notices on framed posters inviting people to come for the racing that would include cream teas with scones! You can just imagine...I found everything so charming. Memories of a way of life that has gone with the wind are being preserved in this little corner of Munnar—long may they reign. For anyone with an interest in colonial and post-colonial history, this place is a little gem.
We ended our visit by being given a personal tour of the factory premises by a lovely old man who took us from one section of the production floor to the next to teach us how tea leaves go from the pickers hands to the tea bags that make their way into our cups. We got to smell and touch the leaves at every stage of production. It was so hands on—far better than what we had seen the previous day in the Tea Factory (which was just huge machinery that were not even working from a height and behind glass). This was so much better and so much more vivid and immediate an experience. Michelle and I took so many photos through each process of the game.
At the very end, we came to the restaurant and showroom where we drank hot ginger tea and then sipped Iced peach tea—so refreshing. Naturally, we could not leave without purchasing some of the lovely products made locally from freshly picked local ingredients— in addition to tea, there was chocolates, jams (I purchased guava jam for my Dad and Russel), coffee, cocoa powder, etc.
Back in the car, we requested Abhijit to take us to a restaurant for lunch (not because we were hungry but because we needed a toilet).
Keralite Delicacies for Lunch:
Abhijit took us to Munnar Town and parked our car at a restaurant called Gurukrishna Restaurant which really did not look like much at all. However the place was packed—with locals and visitors (which led us to believe that it was good). We were still doubtful about the toilets as, judging from the patrons, we thought it would be tough to find a non-squatting, Western-style toilet. To our great joy, we found that they were impeccably clean and that Western-style ones were available. Abhijit had come through for us again!
We invited Abhijit to join us for lunch—which he did—and passed him the menu so that he could choose something to his liking. He ordered Chicken Fried Rice from the Chinese menu. Michelle and I got two appams (as she had not tasted appams yet) and Avial—a mixed Keralite vegetable dish that uses coconut quite generously. It was very good indeed. We also ordered Prawn Biryani which I have not eaten in a very long time—it is a dish I really do love. This version was very good and came crammed with prawns. Michelle and I shared our order and drank it down with lemonade sodas. We were amazed at how inexpensive everything was.
Lunch done, Abhijit dropped us off to Munnar Town so that we could do some exploring on foot.
Exploring and Shopping in Munnar Town:
Munnar Town is really the center of the hill-station. It has developed enormously since the place was run by white British planters. Shops galore offering local people all their daily needs as well as souvenir shops that appeal to visitors were plentiful. At Abhijit’s suggestion, we visited the indoors vegetable market. Michelle was keen to get some money exchanged and was very pleased when she came upon a Western Union place. I was keen to buy something called Black Kerala Halwa of which my Dad is fond. It was hard to come by and I had to traipse through several shops before I found a place that sold it. I bought a kilo for Rs. 200 as well as a quarter kilo of wonderful dark chocolates of which there was a huge variety at half the price that we had paid on the first day en route to Munnar. Live and learn. Do not buy anything from shops that have a dozen hoardings screaming at you to buy from their store en route to a destination.
Our shopping done, we returned to the car and put ourselves in Abhijit’s care again. He told us he was taking us to a view point—so that was where we headed.
Viewing the Mountains from Pothamedu View Point:
You have to climb quite a height to get to Pothamedu View Point along a scary narrow mountain road that winds along tea estates. Once we reached the View Point, however, we found that mist obscured the bulk of the peaks in the distance. However, the tea gardens that stretched down below us along the curvy mountain road on which traffic made its way was a sight worth seeing. We walked just a little way down the hill and were picked up by Abhijit a few minutes later.
Enjoying the Attakul Waterfalls:
The Attakul Waterfalls to which we next proceeded were certainly one of the highlights of our day. To get to this spot, you had to do just the opposite. While Pothamedu View Point involved climbing higher and higher, Attakul Waterfalls involved driving deeper and deeper into the valley along an extremely narrow mountain road which is usually only tackled by jeeps that go off-road or motorcyclists. Brave Abhijit decided he would take us down there and, believe me, it was the best part of our day. The falls are neither high nor voluminous, but they are situated in a very picturesque spot with massive boulders lining the river banks that it makes for a very rugged scene in a completely unspoiled location—the only eye sore was a modern hotel that juts out over one of the mountains and destroys the natural idyll.
We walked along the length of the bridge that is build above the falls so that you actually walk over them at one point. There were many visitors—mostly young folks who had some on motor-bikes—and it made the scene very lively. We took many pictures before we left this lovely part of the hill-town.
On the way up, we noticed a very decent lady slowly trudging along the mountain road in a turquoise blue sari. We instructed Abhijit to pick her up, if she would welcome a ride. She was more than willing. She told us, once inside, that she was an elections officer, on government duty, to find out if any more voters needed to be registered and to match up those already registered, in previous elections, with the actual residents of a home. She turned out to be a lovey lady who spoke fairly good English and we enjoyed our interaction with her.
We were quite tired by this point and Michelle was keen to fit in an Ayurvedic massage at the Green Spa, not far from our hotel. Abhijit got us back to our hotel, we took the keys to our new room and settled down. I decided to while away the evening reading as I was in the midst of a wildly exciting book (Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman). This author, incidentally, played Lady Mabel Lane Fox in the fifth season of Downtown Abbey—she is the fiancé of the man who has a real interest in the widowed Lady Mary and then has a one-night stand with her—a matter of which Lady Mabel suspects. She is a very pretty actress whom I have seen at work in a lot of other British TV too. Anyway, she is a compelling novelist and I am finding it difficult to put her novel down.
I also did some blogging and made a quick call to my Dad and Russel.
Dinner in our Hotel:
Michelle returned from the spa about an hour later feeling a bit disappointed with the experience and telling me that she preferred the Thai massage she’d had in Bangkok as that was far more gentle. She then left for the swimming pool and spent a while there. After her shower, we decided to have dinner, but as we had doggie bags from our two days in Munnar, we decided to finish those up. So we ended up eating prawn biryani and Mutton Dry Fry—a very delicious meal indeed and one that made us feel virtuous as we did not waste any food.
Michelle also listened to my Fulbright presentation as she had missed it when I had delivered it in Cochin—she was in Washington DC interviewing for a job and arrived late to the conference. She also told me that she really liked my presentation and has become quite fascinated with my work.
The two of us then got ready for bed but sat reading for a very long time as we were both absorbed in our books. It was after midnight when we wished each other goodnight and fell asleep after feeling fully satisfied with our few days’ excursion to Munnar.
Early tomorrow morning, we will wake up to have breakfast and then begin the long drive back to Cochin where Michelle will spend two days and I will board a flight for my returning journey to Bombay.
Until tomorrow...
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