Munnar
- Nikhil Shah
- Jan 16, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 8, 2024
Journeys in India are as much of an adventure as the destination.. sometimes more. This time rather than get a (relatively) expensive intercity taxi I opted to do part of the journey as a train ride to Kochi and then a taxi for the rest. Unfortunately I arrived at my designated seat to find a large snoring man (straight out of the caricature book) sleeping in it. The conductor was initially not happy with my new seat choice but after a non-verbal conversation including hand gesturing and his final Indian head nod, which I accurately deciphered as "Yeah, fair enough" I was allowed to stay put. Once I arrived in Kochi I used an app to check for cabs and found one to take me for 3,000 rupees. Upon his arrival he attempted to haggle me up to 5,000 and I learned that all cab drivers on the app will accept the job and come to the pick up point, just for the opportunity to haggle upwards when they get there. We settled for 4,000 and I was on my way.
The drive up was so scenic. Munnar is a tranquil hill station in Kerala's Western Ghats region. It is famous for its tea plantations and misty landscapes and while the town itself is rather chaotic, the surrounding areas are very picturesque and relaxing. I was a bit socialised-out from Varkala so I opted to stay in a resort hotel for a couple of days to get some solo time and managed to finish my first audio book of the trip, Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart. A candid and humorous insight into British Politics.. definitely recommend. I also started rehab up again using my travel-friendly resistance bands and I'm beginning to learn just how effective they can be. Feels like I'm carrying an entire gym with me.. let me know if you're looking for some travel friendly workouts and I can definitely help!
Having booked onto a sunrise sightseeing tour, the next day I woke up at 5.30am for the jeep. The roads up to some viewpoints were so broken resulting in a bumpy ride which was quite fun. The tour itself felt like being taxi'd to and from random view points and honestly wasn't that great however I was grateful for my opportunity to learn more about Indian 'lads on tour' culture. The best way I can describe the Indian 'lads on tour' is a group of travelling hype men all aspiring to be hybrid photographer-models. Armed with smartphones and using more filters than an old water purifier, these 'lads' are on a constantly trying to capture the perfect snap. Each member takes his turn to pose, channeling inner Bollywood stars, often with a smouldering gaze fixed at a distant object. The background may vary from the sunrise valley to the lake on the horizon, but the intent remains the same - to get the one shot where they look like the cover of 'GQ India'. The session regularly involves walking whilst stroking hair and taking off sunglasses and the results... well honestly, they are magnificent.
Later that day I went to Munnar town to check it out and found a chocolate shop to get my fix. I am always a bit sceptical about chocolate in hot countries. I opted for some dark and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was, albeit extremely sugary. I enjoyed it in small amounts and if I had to guess a percentage I would say maybe 30% dark. They love their sugar here! That evening I had my first 'indulgent' evening after doing some more exercises I just binged a show on Netflix (Fool Me Once) and ordered some room service.
I had had enough solo time and moved to a more sociable hostel called K Mansion but was a bit early for check-in so I went for a walk on the roads close to the hostel. Attempting to use some of the practical advice from my first book I was paying way more attention to my senses. The birds chirping, the tuk-tuk engines buzzing, the wind whistling through the leaves. It all sounded so much louder and more pleasing than I remembered. The shades of green from the trees, plants and tea plantations looked so vibrant against the hot blue sky. I was appreciating this beauty so much more and that's when I came across the most vibrant thing of them all. It was a sign.. hopefully not of things to come.
Naturally, I immediately looked up penile implant operation as I'm sure half of you will do upon reading this section.. I won't ruin it for you.
On the walk I stumbled across a restaurant which was part of the fancy hotel in town and the views were stunning so I stopped for lunch. I'm beginning to realise how intense and on edge the waiters can be at these places as upon hearing my positive review of the soup I was met with "Oh thank you sir, I was so nervous that you might not like the soup and now my worries are gone! Thank you so much sir. That is wonderful news!" Having witnessed a couple of other waiter-guest interactions I suspect this is driven by the high expectations and occasional demeaning nature of the rich to those working in hospitality. Perhaps a manifestation of the caste system that is still well and truly existent in many pockets of society. Either way the service staff in India are so welcoming and attentive and I always feel like a celebrity getting star treatment.
The rest of Munnar consisted of a jeep tour with a nice group of travel friends I made at the hostel and an amazing hike through the tea plantations. I was interested to learn that the Tata Group (of Tata Motors) used to own many plantations in the region supporting local employment and implemented good employee benefits including a hospital and a school for less abled children. They have since facilitated the sale of shares in the company to employees (tea-pickers and managers) rather than selling the unprofitable business. This was driven by a worry that the CSR initiatives would be cut if they sold it on to another company. Now the workers have a real say in what is now structured as something like a co-operative.
It was nice to make a few new friends in the sociable hostel from the respective tours I did and one night, Adrian, a really nice Malay guy, who had not come on the trek, went out to town to buy some beers and marshmallows for us to all have at the bonfire he had organised with the hostel. What a wonderful evening!
#bollywoodladsontour