Travel: A VISIT TO HARRISONS MALAYALAM LIMITED TEA FACTORY

Since the area in and around Meenmutty Resorts is rife with tea plantations, I was keen to visit a local tea factory. The resort people organised a jeep for us to take us to Harrisons Malayalam Limited that was about 20 km away.

Drying the leaves; there are fans underneath

The people at the tea factory were very friendly and showed us the whole process of “orthodox” way of tea production as against CTC. “Orthodox” tea is both black and green tea of different grades that are used for making tea that is had without milk.

They keep strict track of temperature

Harrisons Gold is their product that is mainly manufactured to be exported to UK, Singapore and a few other countries. The factory produces 35 tonnes of tea on an average day. Yes, my jaw dropped too.

Shredding machine

Tea leaves are plucked from the plantation and brought to the factory by lorry. They are spread over a huge rack with fans underneath along with a temperature gauge. This first process is to ensure that the leaves retain moisture of 58%. The process takes place over 12 hours. The drying process should neither be too fast nor too slow. This process happens on the upper floor.

Sorting into different grades

From here, the tea leaves fall through a chute onto a machine where it is shredded and separated into different grades.

Tea leaves browned @ 120 degrees F

Then the separated tea leaves are passed through a barrel like structure where they lose more moisture.

The machine trips off the second the heat goes up by even half a degree

After this, the shredded tea is spread on the floor in batches and dried under fan in a room for a few hours.

The kiln runs 24/7 - water distilled and converted to steam using wood-fire and...

Next, the tea is heated once again in something like a kiln. The maximum temperature setting is 120 degree F. The temperature is automated to avoid burning. The tea is dried by the heat of steam from distilled water that runs through pipes.

...and this mixture of wastepaper pulp & groundnut oil cake

The water is distilled on the premises by heat created from burning wood and another product which is a mix of wastepaper (this is usually from cash recycled by the Reserve Bank of India is what we were told) and the residue that occurs after removing oil from groundnuts. This part of the tea-making process is the most expensive.

The tea is ready for cooling and packing

After checking out the whole process, we got to sit with the supervisor and taste their Orange Pekoe Black Tea that was too delicious for words. We got to purchase green tea, black tea and some CTC tea (regular tea that we have at home with milk; CTC Tea is manufactured at other outlets of their factory, not in Wayanad) at less than half the market price from their recently opened sales outlet on their premises.

Orange Pekoe "orthodox" tea

I was happy to find out that most of the employees have been working for Harrisons Malayalam Limited since more than fifteen years. The attrition level is almost nil. They have 40 employees working per shift with three shifts running full swing.

Employee Udaya Kumar (with Venkat) explained the whole process

All the employees have family accommodation, one day’s leave per week and nearby schools for their children. I thought that they got a good deal, working for the company.

Viggy admits that he didn't regret the trip to the tea factory ;)

An interesting trivia the supervisor mentioned was that the tea plantation / factory is surrounded by forests. Wild elephants walk down to the factory compound every night once the main gates are shut. That must be some sight for sure!

Travel: MEENMUTTY RESORTS @ WAYANAD, KERALA

Our rooms on the first floor at the topmost point @ Meenmutty Resorts

We left home at 9.45 am on June 13, 2015 to catch our Indigo flight to Coimbatore at 12 noon. The flight left half an hour late for whatever reason and we finally landed at 2.15 pm. The car that Meenmutty Resorts had arranged for us was already waiting for us.

Inside the room

We left for Wayanad that is 6-7 hours travel by road. While the distance is about 240 km, most of the travel is done on mountain roads via Ooty. That’s why it took so long to reach the place, especially as we stopped on the way a couple of times.

Another section of the room @ Meenmutty Resorts

 The scenery on the way was some of the best that I have seen; with mountains and valleys lush and green due to rains. Though the weather was wet, it only drizzled most of the time. The route goes via Ooty and further towards Kerala.

The view from our balcony

We finally reached Meenmutty Resorts at 10.30 pm through thick mist. We could see barely five feet in front of our car as the driver skilfully traversed the hilly terrain to reach the hotel. We had to drive more than a km after reaching the gates.

View from the reception @ Meenmutty Resorts

The resort is set in a large property of 12 acres, predominantly of tea plantation terraces. There was a bit of coffee plantation, a few jackfruit trees, many flowering plants and a variety of other trees.

Tea plantation that's part of the property

We finally arrived and were taken to our rooms that were set at the topmost point of the property. One room was regular in size and the other was three times as big. Venkat and I were lucky enough to take the larger one. There was a huge balcony – a common space – in front of our rooms. Unable to see much due to the mist, we had a bite of dinner before crashing for the night.

Venkat, Vinny & Viggy on their way down to Bamboo Island

Vinny making coffee in the garden

It was only the next day we got to see Meenmutty Heights. It was truly a jaw-drop moment. Stepping out of our rooms, we could see that we were high up on a mountain with a valley at least a 1000 ft below. Across were more mountains, all surrounded by clouds. In between, we got to see the clearest of blue skies in small slits. Sigh... loved it. The background music of water running down a rocky slope along with bird and insect twitter was the most beautiful sound I have heard. This was on 24/7.

On the way down to the dining room @ Meenmutty Resorts

We had to walk down a gentle slope for 15 minutes to the restaurant. That’s where they served the buffet breakfast every day. It was possible to order all other meals to our rooms. The service was excellent. Young boys use a motorbike to deliver our orders – towels, blankets, coffee, water and more – within 10 minutes of placing the order. Of course, food took a little longer.

It was such fun walking through the clouds

Saajan is your guy there. A hotel management graduate, he’s been in the industry for five years. It was difficult to believe that he had joined Meenmutty Resorts just a couple of months back. He had all information at his fingertips and was completely organised. For almost a day and a half, we were the only guests. Saajan went through the menu with us, checking what we were interested in eating, making suggestions and giving us the best.

Shaji the cook making masala omelette

We stuck predominantly to Kerala fare. They made the softest of Idlis that I have ever had. The yummy Sambar – though also made at our Tamil abode – was quite different with a variety of veggies thrown in. There was Idiyaappam and Veg Stew with a dash of coconut oil that gave it a flavour that I have never tasted – too delicious. They served us a Kerala Mini Meal for one afternoon and Kerala Thali on another day. Both were awesome with non-veg side dishes thrown in for Venkat and Viggy. They served fish, chicken and mutton for different meals.

That's Saajan standing between Venkat & Viggy during breakfast

Dinners mostly consisted of North Indian or Chinese. The Paneer Makhani; Mixed Vegetable; Dal and Phulkas were to die for. Gobi Manchurian and Veg Fried Rice were also yum. Shaji is the cook at Meenmutty Heights. He used to step out of his kitchen during breakfast to make the most delightful Masala Omelette on a huge iron skillet.

Vinny and Viggy ready to swim in the waterfalls

The resort offers an Ayurvedic massage facility. Set in those sylvan surroundings, I expected it to be the best experience there. Alas, it was pretty mediocre.

That's how it was most of the time :D

The brilliant blue swimming pool set deep down a valley appeared like a jewel from the top. Venkat, Vinny and Viggy had a blast there despite the cold, wet weather.

Venkat walking through the clouds @ Meenmutty Resorts

The best experience was walking through clouds. We could see clouds floating down from the skies and passing us by. Walking through them was just amazing.

I found this cute antique cupboard @ the reception

All in all, it was a wonderful trip amidst nature; comfortable rooms; excellent service and delicious food that I didn’t have to cook. I couldn’t ask for more.

Travel: FAMILY TRIP DOWN SOUTH INDIA

Inside the Indigo flight - Vinny, Viggy & Venkat

It’s been years since the four of us in the family got to go on a long trip. As all of us are working, it took us a lot of planning to ensure that we could get away for a full week together. Venkat had been keen to go to Ooty for a while and that’s where we decided to go.

Yours truly

Vinitha booked us on Indigo to and from Coimbatore International Airport, well in advance. She even pre-booked our meals. The plan was to leave Mumbai on June 13, 2015 and return on June 20, 2015.

Landed @ Coimbatore International Airport. Managed to click this pic before one of the attendants shooed us off

Once the tickets were booked, we checked out the hotels and sightseeing options in Ooty. That’s when we realised that there wasn’t much to do in the place unless one is ready to rush from one point to another. It was definitely not our cup of tea. 6D/7N in Ooty would have been too much.

I was lucky with this random click when we stopped on the way to Wayanad

Luckily for us, a few of Vinny’s friends visited our home. When they heard that we were planning a trip down south, Nitin suggested that we should go to Meenmutty Resorts / Meenmutty Heights (both are names of the same place), a resort owned by his uncle.

Scenic Route from Coimbatore to Wayanad via Ooty

We checked their website, the distance needed to be travelled, etc and decided to go ahead. Meenmutty Heights is in Wayanad, Kerala. Though that’s a different state altogether, the property is actually very close to Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. We needed to travel only half an hour into Kerala before we reached Meenmutty Heights.

Tea Plantations - a close-up

Coimbatore Airport to Ooty is 3 hours by road. Meenmutty Heights is another 3-4 hours further. It made sense to visit Wayanad first as longer hours of travel before a return flight from Coimbatore to Mumbai at 2.15 pm made no sense. That’s how we ended up planning to go to Wayanad first.

Luckily, there wasn't much rain despite the grey skies. Doesn't that look awesome?

We booked two rooms at Meenmutty Heights paying a token amount in advance. This was for Bed & Breakfast from June 13-16, 2015. The plan was to leave Wayanad and travel to Ooty and stay there till June 20.

This is the view from behind Hotel Lakeview, Ooty

After checking out TripAdvisor and the respective websites, we zeroed in on three hotels in Ooty. Finally, it was Hotel Lakeview that we liked. We called the hotel and had two cottages booked, paying an advance there too.

The garden @ Hotel Lakeview, Ooty. The building houses the reception and restaurant

Yeah, Hotel Lakeview has only cottages – beautiful and comfortable. Since we booked three months ahead, we got two of the best cottages that were quite close to the reception and restaurant in the 8-acre property.

The tree with white flowers outside our cottages @ Hotel Lakeview, Ooty

It was a week of fun, frolic, rest and rejuvenation with family. I must say that it was one of the loveliest trips that I have ever had.

Travel: CECIL HOTEL @ MATHERAN

I have always stayed at Cecil Hotel during my trips to Matheran. We have checked a number of hotels here, and feel this place is total value for money. We called them and booked our rooms in advance. 

Varda in the open space below our rooms

Cecil Hotel is set in a sprawling property with old buildings. The rooms are large with high ceilings and can easily accommodate four people. They allot you rooms as per requirement. There’s an attached bathroom and a dressing room to boot. 

There’s a veranda running outside the rooms with a railing. Then there is the sit-out beyond that, with the garden full of plants, trees and a few flowering shrubs. The place is quite rustic and that just adds to the charm. They have 20-odd staff working at Cecil Hotel. These men are friendly and helpful. 

The package includes stay, breakfast, lunch and dinner at Rs. 1400 per person. It’s a pretty good deal. They have a huge dining room that has tables and chairs to seat fifty people. By Mumbai standards, the room can comfortably seat a hundred. Breakfast is served on the veranda outside the rooms along with piping hot coffee or tea unless there’s too much crowd. In such a case, they serve it as a buffet in the dining room. Lunch is served at your table and it’s a set menu. It’s the same with dinner. There’s an old-fashioned brass bell outside every room, to call for room service. 

Gujarati Thali

The food is in the style of a Gujarati Thali most of the time, though they do serve Pav Bhaji or Chinese Fried Rice & Manchurian Gravy on some nights. They also try to please the customers by making something special if we tell them a few hours in advance. 

A section of the dining room

The place is silent and calm, all the time. There’s a section of garden with swings and see-saw for children. There’s a badminton court and one can borrow racquets, shuttlecock, badminton balls, etc from the office. They also have indoor games like carom and chess. Yeah, all olde worlde! 

Venkat

There were four dogs that hung around, obviously fed by the staff. They were quite friendly and were helpful in chasing away the monkeys that run amok in the area. There were also a couple of adorable kittens that lived in the kitchen. 

Two of the friendly doggies

It’s the best place to unwind, I would say! 

Monkeys

Monkeys on the railings outside the veranda. The one on the left is eating a kulfi that we gave him

Travel: A TRIP TO MATHERAN

A view on the way to Matheran

This is probably the sixth time I am going for a holiday to Matheran, a hill-station close to Neral near Karjat. We were six of us in the family who left home at 6.30 am on Friday to catch a local train from Sion station to Kurla. From there, we caught a fast train at 7.12 am to Neral. 

Venkat, Vinny and Yours truly in the toy train

We reached Neral at about 8.15 and booked tickets on the toy train. We had vada pav for breakfast as we waited for the train to leave. It left a few minutes late and we chugged out of Neral on our way to Matheran. The train runs across hills and valleys throughout the journey that is supposed to last two and a half hours with two stops in between. Ours took a good four hours to reach Matheran station. 

Water Pipe is one of the stations on the way to Matheran

While it wasn’t the most comfortable of journeys, the view more than compensated for it. Travelling across a vast amount of greenery, we were also entertained by a number of monkeys that came close to the railway track foraging for food, especially close to the stations. There were a couple of them with little babies clinging to them. When we threw some berries, they rubbed away the salt and masala with both their hands before popping them into their little mouths. They are just too smart and intelligent I must say!

He's dusting the salt-masala off the berry before popping it into his mouth

It was almost one o’ clock when we got off at Matheran. While there were two men from Cecil Hotel to carry our luggage, we trekked up the gentle slope for another half an hour before we reached there. 

He's all set for a ride. Isn't he handsome!

Matheran is a hill-station where vehicles are not allowed and they are very strict about it – not even cycles. The peace and silence that hit you is simply amazing. Our hotel was situated in a remote corner where even the horses didn’t disturb us. It was just us, a few more guests, the hotel staff, a few dogs and monkeys spread over a large territory. 

A veg-fruit-spice market that had been established in 1919

While the youngsters went riding one day, Venkat and I walked to the market. We walked for about a couple of kilometres, just getting a feel of the place. Imagine not having to look over your shoulder every few seconds while walking! No bikes, rickshaws, cars, cabs or buses to knock you down or blow your ears off with their honking. There were restaurants, a bar, bakeries and shops selling leather handbags, Kolhapuri chappals, hats, cane baskets and more. And of course, there were a number of hotels offering different packages. We stopped at a bakery to have a fresh scone dripping with cream and hot tea. Both were delicious. 

That's me on the hand-drawn rickshaw

Horses walk next to people while there were a few hand-drawn rickshaws – this was something new as they weren’t around the last time we visited the place – that can carry one person at a time. I was beat by the time we finished the round of the market and so we opted to take a rickshaw each back to our hotel. 

Varda, Vinny, Pratika & Viggy

Evenings were fun with Viggy playing the guitar and singing along with Pratika. The rest of us lounged around listening till dinner. After dinner, we played a few rounds of carom and also took walks around the garden. The silence seeps into your very bones and brings about a much needed peace. 

He was too cute and had to be caught on camera

We had breakfast at the hotel on Sunday morning before we began our walk down to the taxi stand. It took us 40 minutes to trek down the gentle slope with monkeys for company. The return home was swift with a stop for lunch at Vashi and we were home by late afternoon. 

That's Venkat as we began our trek down to the taxi stand on our return journey

Two days of bliss, yummy vegetarian fare that I didn’t have to cook, sunrises and sunsets to please the most difficult of people and loads of family bonding! I couldn’t ask for a better holiday.