A long drive for a cup of tea. Munnar, India

Having decided on a holiday in Kerala we decided to venture further than the coast and 

go inland to the Western Ghats. Looking at a map we found Munnar. Then we did some 

research. Munnar is a picturesque town that was once the summer escape for the British. 

It is a centre for tea and spice plantations. And the weather is unusually mild for India. 

Sounded really pretty. 

On looking for accommodation we found that a lot of the old tea plantations had 

converted their manager's homes into self-contained tourist accommodation, complete with 

staff. We chose the aptly named Silent Valley Bungalow. Munnar is only 130 km from Kochin

but the road is blind in some places and the trucks and buses drive as if they own the road. 

The road is narrow, twisty and curvy. You have to just shut your eyes as buses over-take you 

on the tight corners. The drive was interesting as we got to see  the fabulously coloured houses

that seem to be the norm in Kerala. Kerela is so different from the rest of India. 

It is very clean and there seems to be a real pride in the environment.

About a quarter of the population is Christian. It was brought to Kerala by the Apostle St Thomas 

and there are more symbols of Christianity here than I have seen in any other area in India.

After a very tense and hairy four hour drive we finally pulled into Munnar where we were checked 

in and given the details of the Silent Valley Bungalow. We transferred from the very comfortable 

town car to a  beaten-up, run-down jeep for another hour driving along even worse roads. 

 By now my usual sense of humour had vanished and I was ready to kill. My husband tried 

to jolly me up by telling me how wonderfully quiet and romantic it was going to be and how

interesting the landscape was.

 We finally arrived and the place did look great. We were warmly greeted by the staff and
shown through into our room. It was then that I discovered that although we were told the
bungalow was to be ours alone we were sharing with a family with two noisy young children
and they had taken over all the living areas of the bungalow. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!! We were asked
if we would join them for dinner. NO.

The next day we were given the good news that the family was checking out that day and the 

place was to be ours for the rest of the week. Bliss. I started talking to my husband again.

 From material supplied from the bungalow.

....."Silent Valley as the name suggests is one of the most peaceful valleys where tea estates
seem to be in constant slumber. Cuddled in the light embrace of gigantic eucalyptus trees,
this bungalow offers what very few other places in the world could offer - the inner you.
You will be gently woken by the butler with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee with biscuits
at the time you have informed him the previous day. The butler will be more than happy to
arrange for a morning walk in the tea gardens and workers lines.
Breakfast will be served on the lawns or on the dining table.
Now you are master for the day with an array of programmes to chose from or prefer to
hang around and discover yourself over a book, a drawing board or over a cup of tea.
Lunch will be served at the lunch room.
You are in the bungalow enjoying yourself; don't forget the Hi tea with special snacks
gracefully served on the lawns.
Dinner will be served to you on the lawns or inside near to a fire place.
The night sets in with a warm cup of tea and a night cap and a warm glowing fireplace to
embrace you into a cosy, blissful sleep.
Please inform your butler on timings for fire place to be lit, hot water bags to be kept 

under blankets and wake-up call with bed tea."

 I had visions of Upstairs, Downstairs with formal maids, cooks and butlers. And of someone
creeping into the room and waking me up with a tap on the shoulder with a cup of tea.
Instead we were looked after by a charming family from the local village.
The food was very authentic, and it seemed, never ending.

The first day we walked around the estate. It is heaven on earth.

 The next day we had to drive back into Munnar as we needed stuff for the computers.
Now we had time to look around. Because of it's mild temperature Munnar is a popular
tourist destination for visitors from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The town is very busy
with markets restaurants and hotels.

 

On the way back to Silent Valley we stopped off at the Munnar Botanical Gardens.
It is a delightful over-grown riot of colour with seats and bandstands falling into decay
and slowly being taken over by vegetation.

After another two hours of long and winding roads I vowed not to leave the estate until we
were to go back to the coast. Anyway there were plenty of walks to take, books to read
and cups of tea on the lawn to be drunk.

Throughout the estate are small churches and odd Christian icons.

 It was very peaceful and the tea plantations are eye-poppingly green.

My husband took advantage of early mornings walks and encountered many locals.

He was taken on the walks by our "butler" who also turned out to be a guide and tour organizer. 

And he did knock on the door every morning with a pot of tea.

The estate workers live around the plantation in small villages. The villages are immaculately
clean. This is the second time I've mentioned 'clean'. I have travelled a lot in India and my
experience has been of rubbish and trash every where. I can only think that because the caste
system is very weak in Kerala the community takes collective responsibility for each other
and the environment.

Another thing about Kerala is that it is based on a matrilineal family system. 

Inheritance is determined through the female line with children taking their mothers name. 

It is believed to have begun in the 10th century when the men would go off to war. 

They wanted to ensure that their wives' and children's futures were safe.

In Kerala there is also a prevalent cult of the mother goddess.

On one particularly lazy day I just walked around photographing the garden of the
bungalow and drinking copious amounts of tea.

The weeds between the tea plants are kept under control by the local wildlife.

Much to our surprise the nights were very chilly and the fire and hot water bottles were very welcome.

It was finally time to pack up and get ready for another terrible five hours on the road to Kottayam 

where we were to board a house boat.

I just love the signage on Indian transport so I was able to keep myself amused along the trip.

We finally arrived at the Taj Garden Resort to catch our boat back to Kochin.

But that's another story.

The waterways of Kerala revisited. India

We had business meetings in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. Being so close to Kerala we decided 

to spend some time back there. I've written about our love for the area in the previous blog.

It was the Christmas/ New year period so the rest of India was on holidays and we had left 

our arrangements until the last moment. We were to stay at the Taj Garden Resort in Kochin and

 then decided to go on a house boat. The last time we had done this it was for only one night, this 

time we decided to stay on the water for two nights. Because of the holiday period nearly all the 

house boats were taken. The hotel found us about the last available one. It was still available 

because it was so expensive. $Aus600+ per night. Gulp. Sight unseen we agreed to it as a 

Christmas present to ourselves. We drove down from Munnar to board the house boat.

Some house boat. It had a second story lounge-room, a computer room, a spa bath and two 

bathrooms all with floor to ceiling windows. In the bathroom you had to be aware of small 

boats pulling along side and peering in.

Because it was unusual to be out for so long the boat master wasn't sure what to do with us for 

two days. We just wanted to be lazy and not do too much at all. So once again we set off across the Vembanad Lake to join up with the canals and backwaters. Then we hit a houseboat traffic jam.

If your timing is flexible try to avoid the peak periods. It is still very beautiful but a bit crowded.

 The locals totally ignore all the activity on their doorstep as they go about living. 

 Large areas of the backwaters are too narrow for cars so the canals are used for transport 

and water taxis zip along. Most of the local boats are low row boats and you see children 

going off  to school, women going shopping and livestock being transported in them

 There was a never ending supply of banana fritters, fresh scones with jam and tea or coffee.

Up on the extra level the views were wonderful and we got a better perspective of life on the river

 

 Because there were so many boats there was quite a scramble for a night mooring. The house 

boats must be moored by dusk as they are too dangerous for the local traffic at night.

 It doesn't get much better than a scotch and a sunset.

After a great nights sleep we woke to the smell of coffee being brewed, the aroma of breakfast 

being prepared and the the sound of waves gently splashing against the sides of the boat.

We had breakfast watching the river come to life as people set off to work.

We traveled down to Palai to visit the 16th century St Thomas Church. As we got closer 

we were surprised at the amount of Christian imagery on the banks. Small churches and Catholic 

schools were everywhere. It is said that following the death of Jesus, St Thomas came to 

Southern India in AD52. He spent the next 12 years spreading the gospel along the Malabar 

Coast and converting the local population. He is said to have been murdered in AD72 and 

entombed in the Basilica of San Thome in Chennai. He was decreed the Apostle of India 

in 1972. The legacy that he left behind has created an enviable education system that has 

given this region a 100% literacy rate and a reasonable equality of the sexes.

  

 

  

Back on the water we passed a duck farm. The noisiest thing on the water.

 There is plenty of wild life on the river. This hawk gave a fabulous display of fishing

 Puttering around can be such hard work.

The boat master told us that he knew of a hut that had just brought in a large catch of prawns 

so we motored over and bought all the supplies for a delicious meal. Boats were pulling up all 

day selling fresh vegetables and fruit so the food on board is always the freshest you could get.

 Once again, as dusk came, the house boats congregated for the night.

And we settled in for the evening beside a rice field.  

  

Another delightful evening.

We woke to a magical mist as we started on our trip back to Alleppy. The mist dampened 

all sound and there was a quiet gentleness to the morning. A glorious way to finish.

 The locals may ignore the house boats but they have found a good use for them by tying 

themselves to the back of the boats and being towed along. The boat crew are all locals so 

they are just helping their friends out.

 

Back at Alleppy we settled into the Taj and watched another lucky couple heading out for the night.

If you're planning a trip to India go to Kerala and experience the unexpected.

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