March 18, 2011 Munnar, Kerala, India

Begrudgingly we left Kochi but headed to Munnar, the Tea capital of the south. Most of the Tea in India, the best anyway, comes from the foothills of the Himalayas. This area is about the same altitude. Cultivated for many years, the small communities are almost all tea plantation workers and their families. Extremely nice people and everything was so green, even in March, which is almost the end of the dry season. Most of the moisture comes from low clouds pouring over the mountains, giving the gift of life.

On the road to Munnar we pass this procession headed by an Elephant.

On the road to Munnar, a beautiful waterfall.

Some of my new friends!

The Tea fields of Munnar

Boulders the size of houses dot the landscape, the tea fields just wrap around them.