Tea, tea and more tea

We left the Nilgiri hills earlyish this morning as we had a distance to cover. We went up higher and higher and then down onto the Tamil Nadu plains passing banana and coconut plantations until we began to climb up into Western Ghats once more. We were surrounded by tea plantations as far as the eye could see - is it possible that so much tea can be consumed? Lots of the plantations are shaded by Jacaranda trees full of purple/blue flowers

The plantations are always tended by Tamil women some of whom wore wonderful hats with colourful umbrellas built into them to shade them from the sun. The tea bushes are productive after 5 years and last for about 100 years.

We are now at the Spice Tree resort which is perched on the side of the mountains looking down over fields of ginger and cardamon and surrounded by eucalyptus and sandal wood trees - the smell is lovely. Our bedroom looks out over the Bison valley and is possibly the loveliest room l ever stayed in. Unfortunately there is a festival going on in the valley below. I must say, l have yet to learn an appreciation of Indian music non stop at a decilebage which would confound the UK Factories Act!