The sun woke up. We woke up to admire the sunrise. We were unlucky as clouds obscured the much-anticipated sunrise. We still captured some pink-hued sky and went back to bed.
An hour later, we were awakened, for the second time, by Johnson, the houseboat cook, as he was preparing the breakfast. Our last meal in the floating hotel. The Indian and Western breakfast was another delight. Our chef knew his way through his tiny kitchen and we were impressed by the food diversity he served us. Johnson guided us to the pier and helped us to board the bus ferry which mainly used by the natives. The trip cost 4 IDR. Ridiculously cheap. After 4 stops, we highlighted near the finish line of the annual Snake Boat Race. The world-famous race falls on the second Saturday of August.
Our taxi for Munnar was waiting for us. The manager tries to renegotiate the fare. Furious, we menaced to find another company, picked up our backpacks and took off. After all, nothing was signed. Nothing was paid. Plus, we knew it was a scam. They ran after us apologizing and agreed to our price. We left with the chauffeur that would drive us for the next two days. Not exactly what happened but keep reading.
The first stop was Munnar. The small town, at 1524 metre above sea level, attracts thousands of tourists every year for its rolling hills, scenic valleys, gushing waterfalls and sprawling tea plantations. As we climbed towards Munnar, the roads became narrower with many hairpin bends and curves. A nightmare for those suffering of motion sickness. The journey was scenic and after nearly 5 hours long we reached Munnar.
The town, which still retains its colonial charm, has numerous hotels to greet travellers. Our hotel, Grand Plaza, didn't disappoint. On top of being upgraded to a balcony room overlooking the lush carpeted plantations of tea, the staff was adorable and friendly. A three stars hotel with a four stars service.
After we paid our driver for his first day, he complained about some engine failures and that he could drive us any further. Again we knew he was lying and just didn't want to stay one night in Munnar. Not much we could do and gone was our driver. We didn't worried though. The hotel promised to find us another driver if the taxi company wouldn't send a replacement car. Relaxed, we explored the surroundings of our hotel and ventured in the muddy walkway of the tea gardens. The view was astonishing. We couldn't stop taking pictures. By chance, we even saw the tea pickers in action! And hop, a few moreover pictures.
It often rains in Munnar. Needless to say, we weren't prepared, and we felt slightly cold for the first time in India. Out of the blue, we bumped into an auto rickshaw driver who brought us back to the hotel. We rushed to our bedroom for a hot shower. We quickly noticed that both of us were bleeding. Blood was trickling down our leg and feet with no signs of stopping. The culprit? Horrible leeches! Although unpleasant, leeches don't carry any disease and the blood loss is minimum. So, we cleaned up the wound, applied a small bandage, and the story was over.
That night, the hotel was organising a cooking and napkin-folding classes. We joyfully joined them. Kro practised and achieved almost perfect candles and Bishop's hats ready to decorate our dinner table. So that's what we did. We feasted on pilau rice, naan bread, chicken and vegetable curries.