Cloud9 Resorts Munnar

We had a great drive up into the mountains. The drive up was curvy and we stopped a few times to look at rubber trees, spice plants, and waterfalls.

The Dew Drops Home stay is quiet and the temp has cooled down into the 80s. There are occasional rains, but nothing sustained. The result is a misty mountain experience. The guest house is located at above 5000 ft elevation. Barb and I ...

We had breakfast at eight and the fare consisted of corn flakes with hot milk, eggs, pepsi, seven-up, toast, jelly, coffee, and tea.

Our touring began with a visit to the Eravikulam National Park. After paying the entry fee everyone takes a minibus up a narrow one lane mountain road (no shoulder and busses are also coming downhill) to the park entrance. Features of the park are a rare mountain goat (nargili tahr), lemur, elephants and ...

... his shoes, deep in thought. The bellboy ran in through the door and announced the bus, which stood outside gurgling and spewing diesel fumes into the surroundings, its windows shot in and never replaced in a drive-by. The great beast slowly filled with people and our heroes hopped on the back, stowing the satchels between the back two seats and making themselves comfortable. After some waiting the bus pulled out of the station and screamed down the single lane road, forcing ...

... as far as the eye can see. When I was getting back into the jeep on the opposite side, I noticed the ten cm flap of loose rubber on the rear tire and how the tire had been retreaded, although that is a misnomer because there was no tread on it, just a rather thick layer of rubber. We were told that the only way to get to the tea factory at Kolukkumalai was to take a jeep because no other vehicle would be able to negotiate the roads. The road didn't get bumpy ...

... the food was the blandest yet! DAY 3 On the last day we visit the tea museum in Munnar and saw a short film about the history of the area and of the company which seems to be very philanthropic (social provision for employees and their families) and forward thinking e.g. tailoured education and employ,ent for children of employees who have learning disabilities). We then saw the tea - producing process before driving back to Fort Kochi.

... Yuuuuuuum! And oh yes ... of course we have put on weight ... harlow!!! Alan has put on 3 kgs - he weighed himself on a tea weighing machine. As for me ... dare not weigh myself for fear that I will stop eating altogether. Please I still have 17 days of eating and I'm not stupid! ahahahahahah Love you all ... this place only had dial-up connection - helluva slow!!!! So you may not hear from me until we get to Cochin.

... met three British girls and did a 22 hour tour of the palm tree fringed Keralan backwaters, which was definitely a highlight. Then we headed up to Kochi for a day, and then arrived in Munnar yesterday. One thing that's been on my mind lately is the idea of happiness. The thing that really blows my mind is that everywhere in the world, kids just want to laugh and have fun. Watching a kid play with a kite in Alleppey is the same as watching a ...

... but *fter my unfortun*te choice of *ccommod*tion in M*dikeri, I must *dmit th*t I've cr*cked open other tr*veler's Lonely Pl*net's * few times. My hotel on the first night w*s prob*bly the worst I've encountered *nywhere yet. Bug infested, dirty, d*rk, d*nk, noisy....*ll the le*st desir*ble tr*its you could im*gine, but it w*s che*p! It w*s *s if they h*d turned * derelict hospit*l into * hotel, *fter p*inting over the windows *nd letting the bugs t*ke up perm*nent ...

I had started to worry that I had stopped noticing all the little differences around the world, mainly the scenery. I was anxious that I wasn't appreciating it as much as I should. Now I realise that I was wrong and that I shouldn't worry about being jaded; the little things are still taking my breath away. Munnar was the best few days of the trip so far. There are quite a few hill stations in South India, but we went for one that was hard ...

... ndern zustande kommt. So hat sie zuletzt für Familie Senftleben gearbeitet. Jedenfalls ist sie Gold wert, denn, wenn wir nicht weiterwissen, Mary weiß Rat. So ist sie uns eine unglaubliche Hilfe und ohne sie würde hier einiges im Chaos enden. Der einzige Nachteil der ganzen Sache ist, daß wir uns natürlich total von ihr abhängig machen, aber das nehme ich im Moment gern in Kauf. So ich denke, nun haben wir Euch erstmal genug mit neuen Berichten und Beschreibungen über unser Leben hier in ...