Tea in the hills

Jacob briefs the driver

It was a leisurely start, because Munnar is cold and damp in the mornings, but by 9.30 the sun is up high enough to take the chill off the air. Victor, my rickshaw driver, came to pick me up and Jacob, the owner of the homestay came to give us some tips on where to go. The road up to the homestay is too steep for most cars, so the taxi-drivers borrow an auto-rickshaw for the last quarter-mile up and down the hill.

Tea bushes cling to the hillside

The estates are still run on very patrician lines, and one wonders whether the workers actually prefer the "cradle-to-grave" structure of this kind of business. 
They all draw a basic pay of just +/- £2.12p per day . . BUT - They are provided with housing on the estate, together with an allotment where they can grow vegetables and fruit. They have completely free medical treatment and there is free education for their children. They have a pension scheme and in addition the company pays into a retirement fund that accumulates interest and is paid to them tax-free at the end of their employment.

Enchanting vistas at every turning

Victor explained that the tea bushes are planted for 100 years, after which that part of the estate is grubbed out and replanted. Every three years the bushes are hard-pruned, right back to the bare branches, and next season the new growth comes through. They are very tough bushes and the pickers wear heavy aprons to stop their legs being badly scratched and torn as they move between the rows, cutting only the tender, new growth, and packing the leaves in huge sacks to be taken away for processing. 
The stumpy bushes, separated by a network of paths, make for an attractive patchwork across the steep hillsides. In the background, hills and mountains tower in the distance, creating a unique landscape.

The pickers pause for a mid-morning break

Bundling the tea for transport and on to processing

  

There are two big surprises after the journey up from sea-level. At an altitude of around 2,000 metres, the air is thin and I found myself disarmingly light-headed. Of course, the restricted diet of the previous weeks added to the dizzy sensation, but I did find it a bit worrying at times.

The other shock is the cool temperature, Thank goodness I brought a sweater, and at night I was wrapped up in a long-sleeved tee-shirt and had two blankets on the bed.

It was difficult to relate this climate to the ambiance at Mattindia. 

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