Transfer to Munnar

Day 13 - 16th February 2019

The road to Munnar

Up before dawn, I watched the sun rise over the trees. River traffic was building up as the commuters headed for work and the ferries plied their trade, with passengers hoping on as the boat barely stopped at the piers.

An excellent breakfast was served on board prepared by the chef in his tiny kitchen at the stern.  But we were not the only ones having breakfast as a I later discovered by legs were covered in bites.

We passed through a
rubber plantation

We then set off on a short cruise along the Kottampuram Waterway before returning to our start point to meet up with the car that was to take us to Munnar. There was the minor business of having to settle up with the boat's captain, who had paid for our massage. However, this was resolved when the car driver handed over the cash, selling on our debt.

The driver had come down though the night, and so had already been on the road for about five hours, so I was concerned that he might struggle to keep awake and on the road. However, he talked incessantly about Kerala, and about the various things of interest that we passed. I was fascinated by Kerala architecture, but he wanted to show us monkeys, cashews on tress, tapioca plants and more.

The money he had borrowed was earmarked for pineapples required by our homestay, so after a stop at a ATM, we stopped at a pineapple stall. Whilst the driver bought the fruit, we bought freshly squashed juice. There then ensued an argument over the price, which was clearly marked on large roadside signs.  The driver resolved the issue by handing over the difference. How embarrassing was that?

Ar another stop, we were offered freshly chopped cocnut flesh, which was very refreshing. I had been offered this in Chettinad, by a young girl carrying a bucket, but had not recognised it, so did not accept it.

Rose Garden Homestay

By now the roads were increasingly wiggly and climbing ever higher. After a thali lunch, we continued onwards and upwards.  The driver would not let us use the public loos, and insisted on roadside stops.

Tommy in his garden

We finally arrived at the wonderful Rose Garden Homestay where we were met by Tommy, who, once we had found our room with its balcony, took us on a guided tour of his garden. However, rain stopped play!  Later arriving guests were also shown around, so we joined them for an entertaining and educational walk around the flowers and spices growing around the house.

There were 10 of us for supper, which was convivial. But after a tiring day, we retired in good time.

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