Kerala Part IV – Rubber and Spice Plantations

Rubber Plantation and Lunch at Reni's Bungalow (Bungalow is an Indian word by the way)

After another hearty breakfast cooked by our Houseboat crew we sailed back to where our coach was waiting to take us to Periyar (a 4 hour drive) . We stopped at 'Reni's Bungalow' which is a very old Manor house and rubber plantation. We were shown how the rubber trees are tapped:

Every morning at 5am the trees are tapped. Each 'tapper' manages around 600 trees and they are tapped on alternate days so as not to 'exhaust' the trees. The 'cut' is made on the same side of the tree each time for 7 years and then they start on the other side .. this is all to keep the tree healthy apparently.

At this plantation the rubber is used for medicinal purposes, ie surgical gloves. We were shown how the latex is pushed down into trays and pressed. It is then hung on lines to dry like this:

We also saw mangos, peppercorns, coconuts, pineapples, bananas, tapioca plants, mace/nutmeg , cinammon and lemon trees growing. Kerala is such a fertile area with an abundance of fruit/spices growing wherever you look

Mace/Nutmeg

These are peppercorns – a bit like a vine which can be grown on any tree

and some drying in the sun on a blue plastic sheet. They are much hotter than the peppercorns we get in England so I'm looking forward to visiting a spice market where we can buy some to take home.

We had a fabulous meal on the lawn of the manor house, arranged by the family.   We're spread out like this because we had to find shady areas under the trees

 Not many coach tourparties visit here so it was really friendly and the nicest meal we have had to date. Fish curry and various veggie curries with Indian breads then fresh pineapple and tiny bananas to follow. 

This was the 'lady of the manor' presiding over the lunch table.

After lunch our host gave us a little lecture on coconuts and showed us how they break open the husks with a special piece of equipment. Kerala is Land of the Coconuts. Coconut trees live for approx 100 years and no part of the tree is wasted. The leaves are used for thatching house roofs. The trunk is used to make furniture. Young coconuts have more more milk/water inside so s ome are harvested young and others are left on the tree to mature a bit more – less liquid inside but firmer flesh.

We stopped for a coconut tasting session yesterday … the milk/water is sweet and rather nice but the flesh is very rubbery and wet.

You wouldn't  want to upset this lady, she was very good with that knife

Today we sampled the more mature ones. When the mature coconut husk is cut open it reveals the 'hairy stuff' which is then soaked for weeks and processed to make coir which is used in ropemaking and floormats. So a very versatile plant and a staple for Keralan families.

This bird was flitting around the trees but was hidden by foliage most of the time. Finally he showed enough of himself for me to get a photo. He is a male Drongo – crested head (and a tasty lunch)

This isn't very good but the only shot I got of his tail which has two long strands with tassles on the end

and two of the local butterflies – this one is stunning and VERY big. Our guide doesn't know what variety it is so will have to look it up when back in England with proper internet connection.


I've now worked out that this is one of the red-bodied Swallowtail butterflies but don't know if its the scarlet rose or the common rose swallowtail ...whatever it is, its incredibly beautiful

This was smaller but still very attractive

then we said goodbye to our hosts and set off for Periyar National Park where we'll be taking a guided walk at 6.30am