Day 165. Cameron Highlands

It is such a treat to have a lie in, not like teenagers but to get up at 7;45 and not have to pack is so nice. We cherish these days. 

After breakfast we set off on the bike about 10kms to the BOH tea plantation. The day was sunny with cool air. We are over 1500m asl  so very pleasant. The tea plantation is very picturesque, set into the surrounding hills and valleys. 

It was quite busy with tourists as Diwali holidays are big in this area. 

We rode along the very narrow road towards the tea factory. We passed by a row of pickers cottages and little shops, it’s a little village on its own. As most of the tea pickers come from India there is a little Hindu temple as well. 

The factory itself dates from the 1950’s with most of the machinery original. It is quite a simple process to make tea, the leaves are crushed then dried and finally sorted through a series of sieves. The smallest particles (dust) goes into teabags. 

Unfortunately the factory wasn’t operating due to the holidays but we were able to wander through it. 

We had a nice cuppa and a strawberry tart before wandering back to the bike and heading back through the logjam of traffic which by now had built up on this tiny lane that in places was wide enough for only one car. 

Just like yesterday the skies were darkening and soon after our arrival at the hotel the rains began. 

View from the hotel before the rain. 

It has rained all afternoon so an afternoon of reading, watching movies and an afternoon tea of scones, NZ butter and cream with a pot of BOH tea. Delightful.