Tea pickers

The day began slowly without precedent but gathered momentum somewhere in between. We drove towards the most preferred sight-seeing route all the way to Top Station. The existence of the vast lake, a reservoir of rain water was almost uncanny. It was beautiful, spoiled only a little by all the clamouring tourists, who had littered the area despite Munnar being called a "waste free zone." Our idea was to spend less time at the famous "view points" and be on a lookout for others. We did spot some, walked deep into them to enjoy the place for what it was. The views all around inspired joy. Our driver, Mani was most knowledgeable and cooperative.

On the way, we encountered a large group of ladies picking tea leaves using what looked like large scissors with a box attached on one side to hold the plucked leaves. Conspicuous in their non-green attire, they dotted the valley. They were more than willing to pose for the camera; some even took off their head-scarves to adjust their hair! S & I started quite a stir and the valley began echoing with shrill chatter. I think all the ladies wanted their photo clicked. Their supervisor arrived and almost apologetically said that the very reason they don't allow tourists into their garden is that the tea-pickers are prone to getting distracted and consequently become slow. But the vibe in the air was friendly and there were plenty of smiles.

The highlight though was our little hike down to one of the valleys. It was a wide expanse surrounded by hills blanketed with tea plantations. Through it, a mountain stream flowed. Cattle grazed on the grasslands on either side. Where the pastures ended, a vast array of fields starting with coriander and ending with cabbages began. Neat village huts formed the boundary. We balanced along the ridges and hopped from one field to another, lost our way a couple of times, landing at dead ends or in someone's backyard. It was the hike's unexpectedness that set things into motion. A few more of the mind's shackles had broken down by the time we climbed up.

The day ended in smiles.