The Sienna Village Munnar

... us. To compensate, we visited the tea museum, where we learned the history of munnar (meaning three rivers) and how they make tea. Do you want to know? That is a story for another day. So we got a few beers in the only shop that sold it in the town, some dinner, and we sat outside a store, talking about grand and intellectual things with Jon, while a chime played the same annoying song behind us and people stared and giggled at us for drinking beer in public, which was illegal. But ...

... How they managed to climb and pick on the practically vertical slopes is a mystery to me.<br><br>We took advantage of Olive Brook where we were staying to have a truly relaxing time out of the heat and invested a day of schooling as there was lots of room and good desks for the kids to work at.<br><br>After three glorious nights we took the bus back down to Cochin, picked up the shoes that Isobel had left under the bed, and then went to the station to catch the train further south.

... is 12 KM from Bodhi Zendo.<br> <br>About the Zen Master <br><br>Bodhi Zendo is run by the Zen master AMA Samy. He became a Jesuit priest at a young age. Since he did not find spiritual fulfilment from Christian spirituality, he started visiting Hindu ashrams and Buddhist meditation centres before going to Japan to learn Zen.<br> <br>He spends a few month of the year teaching abroad. I knew that he was not in India during the 1-4 October mini-Sesshin, but was ...

... a jumper). When your in Munnar it gives the town a rather gloomy feel, but when your out amongst the countryside, it gives the whole landscape a more mystical feel.<br>Its a big change from the coast of Kerala and a welcome one at that.<br>We fly to Bangalore the day after tomorrow, so are taking the long bus back to Fort Cochin tomorrow morning... Fun.<br><br>Kieran<br><br>

... tea plantations are owned by Tata who in turn own Tetley so we are walking through and looking at our future breakfast tea leaves. We visited a tea mueseum which shows the whole process of drying and oxidizing.We're trying to get hold of some white tea but it's not readily available at this time of year. It's not a place to sample different teas unless you have a kitchen. All the cafes make chai from low ...

... hill station of Munnar. SK's been driving tourists around Kerala for 18 years and is a keen amateur naturalist and a great source of local gossip and stories. On reaching Munnar (elevation 1600m), it was fantastic, thrilling even, to feel cool again. The Windermere Estate is stylish and welcoming and thanks to the altitude doesn't even need air-con. If it sounds like we're obsessing about the heat, yes we are and this does at least accurately reflect the time ...

... Periyar Lake, a dammed reservoir created over 100 years ago. The lake destroyed core stream and evergreen tropical forest, but at the same time created the perfect opportunity for the masses to visit remote areas safely--for both the wildlife and people. The boat tours on Periyar Lake packed dozens of people every day. I took two boat tours and on each tour, saw dozens of bison, deer, birds, and elephants. The kids loved it and no one had to worry ...

... back and the plantations and spice gardens are still thriving today. Our first stop was in a small hill station called Kumily, right next door to one of indias largest wildlife reserves, Periyar. We decided to visit the park on a bamboo raft trip, organised by the park wardens. Although we found it pretty tedious at first, our silent, super slow transport payed off when a couple of ...

... notions that we're better off and happier than the rest of the world because we're wealthier. This simply isn't true. As you wandering through little towns and villages, and talk to all the friendly faces, it becomes apparent how simple life actually is. When you grow up in a town like Munnar, which is completely surrounded by tea plantations, it's pretty easy to see what you'll be doing when you grow up. Everyday, bringing tea, fruit, and ...

... than the last. The most impressive sight was Mount Anamundi, the highest peak in South India. It was shrouded in cloud but we could make out a few of the thousand Nilgiri Tahr (mountain goat) on its slopes. I actually found myself dripping wet from walking through the cloud cover and out of breath from the lack of oxygen. The views of the Western Ghats and Tamil Nadu just made me gasp and left me wondering what New Zealand will be like!