“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from cares which will not withdraw from us”
Maya Angelou
This was one of the most awaited family trips I had been planning for a couple of years now. A time when I could completely relax myself, forgetting my work progress chart (of course temporarily) and sit with my mother to listen to her family tales, to have some serious conversations about life with dad and to enjoy fun loaded college stories with my brother. Time spent with family is always worthwhile, and when we decide to take a quick break from the scorching sun and escape into the misty hills of Munnar, it becomes all the way magical too.
Our journey to this land of pristine air, mist descending valley began quite early in the morning so that we could make our 5 hours long drive a little stress free. We witnessed a variety of scenery on our ride which started with semi-arid lands of Madurai, silently moving into least disturbed silent villages of Theni district. With drizzles of rain welcoming us, we stopped for a cup of steaming filter coffee and hot mirchi bajjis. The lushful land of greenery welcomed us with the smell of cardamom in the air. Munnar (meaning the place of union of three rivers) is a famous hill station in Kerala located in the Western ghats known for its rich tea and cardamom estates. We reached our place of stay, which was a secluded and peaceful resort amidst cardamom plantations. With delicious lunch and quick refreshments, we were all set for the explorations. We started our evening in a nearby park with happy strolling and few mandate photoshoots.
We then visited the Munnar floriculture centre which was a colourful treat to the eyes with fresh blooming flowers. From here we headed straight to Attukad waterfalls. This captivating destination lies hidden on the way to a silent village and experiencing sunset here with the sound of water gushing felt so satisfying. We planned our next couple of days to have an exciting elephant safari in Carmelagiri elephant park in Kanan Devan hills. Then we started off to visit the exquisite tea factory in Munnar – “The Ripple Tea”. This tea is the brand of Kanan Devan hills plantations and is the first ever employee owned plantation company in India. We also got a chance to witness a live demo of the making process of various grades of tea powder. Mattupetty dam nestled inside the Munnar hills and Anamudi peak welcomed us with huge greenish valleys and fabulous climate. The hugely spread lake with reflections of the surrounding tea gardens in it is a perfect spot to experience a soothing sunset.
On our way back, we started off early to visit someone very special in the Eravikulam national park. Yes ! “The Nilgiri Tahr”. Nilgiri Tahrs are endangered species in the IUCN red list and Eravikulam wildlife sanctuary holds the maximum population of it. Our journey for this special visit was a combination of a mini bus ride followed by mild trekking. Glimpses of a couple of them strolling in little distance made me realise waking up so early in the morning was really worth this sight.
“In times where the boundaries between work and life are slowly dwindling, let us take time off to recharge ourselves, revive and get our routine out of rut.”
Mercy Rophina, pursuing 3rd year of PhD on Genomics of rare blood groups. A person who is fascinated about science and never stops exploring the magic of art!