Kerala’s picturesque Hill station: Munnar

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Toothpicker

A view from the Top station in Munnar

Situated 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea leverl, Munnar is a famous hill station in Kerala, and known as the ‘Kashmir of South India’. It is not only popular with foreign tourists but also with the locals. From 1880 onwards, Munnar flourished as a tea-producing region started by the British and Europeans, it is now the largest tea-growing region in South India, largely operated by corporate giant Tata.

I didn’t come to Munnar for sightseeing, but to attend a textiles conference on natural dyeing (see my future posts). The easiest way to reach Munnar is by road as there is no railway station nearby. It took me about 5 hours to reach Munnar by car from Thrissur (where I spent a few days at an Ayurveda and yoga retreat) including a lunch break.

After reading about Munnar’s natural beauty, I was horrified to see the chaotic, polluted and ugly Munnar town centre when we arrived. Essentially it is a dump. And the minute I saw the conference hotel, which stands right in the middle of town, my heart sank. For the next six nights, I had to endure the noise from both inside and outside of the hotel, crappy service, internet connection and breakfasts. It was baffling for us to understand why this hotel was chosen as the base of the conference except for its location.

Munnar’s town centre

Besides breakfasts, we also had lunches and dinners prepared by the hotel during the 3-day conference. As I get older, I have less tolerance for mediocre food and accommodation. It is not so much about the cost, but more to do with the quality and value for money. The room rate of the hotel is considered quite high in India, but I felt that the service and quality did not match the cost.

With very few decent restaurants in town, we found comfort and relief at the cheap and cheerful vegetarian restaurant Saravana Bhavan. I had breakfast and dinner there and I loved it. Their dosas are some of the best I have tried during my journey, and their staff are all very friendly. The food and service here is so much better than the hotel, yet the price is only a fraction – I highly recommended it.

Saravana Bhavan

On a positive note, I did enjoy the sunset view from my hotel room, though it was accompanied by noisy traffic and people’s various activities from dusk til dawn

Since I arrived 2 days before the conference, I had one full day to do some sightseeing in Munnar. Upon arrival, I tried to get some advice from the receptionist but the guy was very unhelpful, so I had to turn to the internet. I didn’t like the itineraries of the guided day tours available, and I spent hours online searching without much luck. Finally, at the last minute, I found a tuk tuk driver on Airbnb, and decided to book a day tour with him at a very reasonable price. Although the driver spoke little English, we managed to communicate without any issue. The best thing was that I could stop whenever I wanted to, which was more flexible than joining a group tour.

We started early in the morning to avoid the crowds, and that was a wise decision. The minute we left the town centre, my vision turned green… apart from the blue sky, everything was green! This was the Munnar I was hoping to see, and it is within 15 minutes’ drive from the town centre.

Besides the scenic tea planations covering the mountains, I also love the beautiful trees especially the tall native Eucalyptus trees. My driver/guide suggested to stop by a famous honey bee tree en route to Mattupetty dam. This tree has attracted many bees to built their hives here, and my driver said it is due to the smell of its fruits. Since this is the only tree that has many bee hives, someone has placed a small shrine under the tree treaing it as a ‘sacred’ tree.

Most guided tours would include a visit to the Mattupetty dam built in the 1950s. Honestly, I didn’t want to stop here, but since we took some time to reach here, I did get out for a short walk. It is very picturesque here, but I think you can easily take photos from the car/tuk tuk without getting out.

Mattupetty dam

Another popular sightseeing spot is Top station, located 32 km away from Munnar. It is the highest point (1700m above sea level) in Munnar where you can enjoy the panoramic view of Western Ghats and the valley of Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Top Station is, in fact, located in Tamil Nadu, but accessible only from Kerala. This area is also famous for the rare native Neelakurinji flowers (Strobilanthus) that bloom once every twelve years. Unfortunately, I missed the bloom of the monocarpic plants in 2018, so the next bloom will be 2030! You can learn more about this plant on the BBC website here.

Nonetheless, you can find some rather special flowers in Munnar without a 10-year wait. To my surprise, Poinsettia (also known as Christmas star) can be seen dotted around Munnar. It is believed that the plant (native to Mexico) was introduced to Munnar by British planters and was used to decorate their bungalows.

The journey continues…

Autumn/winter wild food foraging in Hampstead Heath

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Toothpicker

Although wild food foraging is nothing new, it has become quite popular in recent years. I think this is due to our growing interest in sustainability and back-to-basics lifestyle after decades of consumerism. As we know, endless purchase of consumer goods and fast fashion does not fulfil our lives, nor does it make us happier.

Yet how can we change our behaviour/lifestyle living in metropolis like London? Besides buying less, recycling more and shopping at the local farmers market, we can also attempt wild food foraging. After a fascinating funghi foraging workshop in Hampstead Heath a few years back, I was keen to learn more about foraging but never managed to do so until I enrolled onto a wild food foraging course with Jason Irving from Foraging Wild Food.

Jason is an experienced forager, herbalist and ethnobotanist. He used to work as head forager at UK’s leading supplier of wild food, Forager Ltd, for two years. Next year, he will be doing his PHD research in Central America, and our one-day course was the last one of the year.

Lime tree (Tilia spp.)

The sun and blue sky made us feel slightly better for being out and about on a cold late autumn/winter’s morning. Since I live not far from Hamsptead Heath, the heath is like my back garden where I would visit in all seasons. However, I had no idea about the vast array of wild food available here besides funghi. The 3-hour walk around the heath was flabbergasting for a newbie like me. I learned a lot about the usage of many seeds and leaves, which not only can be used as herbal medicine, but also in cooking and beverages. Jason also made us a cake and hot drink from wild fruits and herbs, which was surprisingly delicious.

Left: Hog weed seed; Right: Common sorrel (Rumex acetosa)

Although I made some notes and took photos on the day, I don’t think I would be able to differentiate all the edible plants and seeds after just one course. There is still much to learn, and I guess getting a foraging book would be a good start. Since there are many foraging courses available in London, I probably would do another one in the summer when more herbs and ripe fruits are ready to be picked.

Left: Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata); Right: Hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo)

Although wild food foraging can be fun, there is also the danger of picking poisonous plants without knowing (we often hear that with funghi-picking). Therefore, it is important to do more research or pick with someone more knowledgeable at the beginning.

Left: Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) Right: Elder (Sambucus nigra)

The issue of global food shortages reminds us that we cannot take our food supply for granted anymore. What if one day we find ourselves in supermarkets full of empty shelves? If this happens, then how would we survive? Wild food foraging is not only about survival skills, it is also about sustainability and reconnecting with nature. If we undertstand the origin of each ingredient that goes into our food, then we are likely to appreciate it more.

Left: Stinging nettle (Urtica dioca); Right: Beech (Fagus sylvestris)

Sadly, over-foraging has also become an issue in recent years. I was told that many Eastern Europeans would mass pick edible funghi and sell them to restaurants for commercial gains despite the fact that it is illegal to do so. Even the head chef of Noma –often voted as the restaurant in the wold– was accused of illegally picking wild mushrooms in Hampstead Heath 10 years ago.

Left: Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa); Right: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Wild food foraging can be a satisfying and uplifting experience, but if we disrupt the eco-system by over-picking, then we are doing more harm than good. At the end of the day, it is crucial to find a balance. If we don’t respect our environment, we may regret it one day when it is too late.

Kenrokuen – is this the most beautiful landscape garden in Japan?

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Toothpicker

Kasumiga Pond

Kenrokuen is considered one of Japan’s three most beautiful landscape gardens alongside Mito’s Kairakuen and Okayama‘s Korakuen. Located in central Kanazawa, the once-private garden covers an area of 11 hectares (almost 25 acres) next to Kanazawa Castle. The original garden named Renchitei is said to have been created by the 5th Maeda lord, Tsunonori Maeda around 1676. The garden was burnt down in 1759, but was restored in 1774, and in 1822 the garden was renamed Kenrokuen. This name can be translated to “garden of six elements”, which refers to the six features mentioned in a classical Chinese poem for a perfect garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, flowing water and panoramas. The garden was not opened to the public until 1874, and now it is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Kanazawa.

There are two main entrances to the vast garden and it costs 310 yen to get in. It is easy to feel disoriented here because of its size, but if you are not in a hurry, you can easily stroll for a few hours while admiring the nature and landscape here.

There are roughly 8,750 trees, and 183 species of plants at this garden. The garden offers something different for every season, but it is particularly popular in spring because of cherry blossom.

Some of the main features at the garden include the artificial Kasumiga-ike Pond; Yugao-tei tea house on the Hisagoike pond which dates from 1774 and the oldest building in the garden; and a bronze statue of a legendary hero, Yamato Takeru was erected in 1880 to commemorate the deaths of 400 soldiers from Ishikawa Prefecture who died helping to suppress a rebellion in Kyushu.

There is also stone with a poem inscribed on it by the haiku poet Matsuo Basho who visited Kanazawa in 1689. The poem reads:

bright red burning
bitter sun…
but autumn in the wind

Since I am no expert in traditional Japanese landscape garden, I can’t say whether this is the most beautiful landscape garden in Japan or not. However, I was very impressed by the ancient pine trees at this garden, and I think they are definitely some of the most beautiful trees I have ever seen. The tallest one is called “Neagarimatsu”, meaning “a pine tree with its roots going up”, is about 15 m in height and it was planted by the 13th lord Nariyasu about 200 years ago. It is an absolutely magnificent and stunning tree (see the third one below).

Although the garden was quite busy during my visit, but due to its size, it was easy to avoid the crowds and enjoy some tranquil spots. The garden also offers a panoramic view of city, so I guess these are all the elements that make this one of the best landscape gardens in Japan.

Wall trees in Hong Kong

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Toothpicker

The remains of the banyan wall trees on Bonham Road

Unsurprisingly, the image that is often associated with Hong Kong is its famous skyline and high-rise. Yet personally, I consider the city’s banyan wall tress to be its most unique sight and heritage. In recent years, trees have become a hot topic in Hong Kong, especially after four banyan wall trees in the mid-levels were cut down by the Government last year due to an earlier accident where a tall tree on the same road had collapsed during heavy rain. The Highways Department claimed that there were cracks on the stone fence above them, thus they decided to take ‘swift’ action without proper assessments nor public consultation. This action caused public outrage, tree experts and university professors described the action as “collateral murder” and they criticised the government for its inadequate tree maintenance over the years. The government has had a poor track record of tree management in the past, but this incident was the last straw for tree lovers in Hong Kong.

The history of these trees can be traced back to the early colonial period when the tenacious Chinese banyan trees were chosen by the government in the hope that their strong roots could strengthen retaining walls on slopes to prevent landslides during the rainy typhoon seasons. In 1996, Hong Kong was estimated to have 1,275 trees growing out of 505 retaining masonry walls. Yet only 40 of these trees are registered and considered as significant to the government. Most of these trees can be seen on slopes in Central, Mid-Levels and Western District, and they form a truly unique landscape in Hong Kong. I cannot imagine what the city would look like without these beautiful wall trees; in my opinion, they should be listed as the city’s heritage and be protected and maintained properly.

It is almost magical to see how these trees managed to grow and merge with the masonry walls over the decades. These tree reveal their resilience and adaptability, and yet humans continue to destroy them in the name of ‘development’. In many cultures (including the Chinese), trees are considered as sacred and have been worshiped since the ancient times. The Japanese and Scandinavians respect trees and forests immensely, hence wood is often used as the main building material and in furniture-making. The Japanese also believe in Kodama – spirits in Japanese folklore that inhabit trees that are similar to the dryads of Greek mythology. In Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki‘s environmentally-conscious film Princess Mononoke, Kodama play a crucial role and they appear as small and mask-like creatures. And in one of the studio’s earlier film My Neighbor Totoro, the adorable Totoro acts as the forest keeper to protects the forest. So perhaps what Hong Kong needs is a group of Totoros to protect the endangered banyan wall trees!

The factors that are threatening these banyan trees include the stability of the walls, and the lack of tree doctors in Hong Kong. Insufficient tree knowledge and expertise means that trees are not properly maintained – and like human beings – they would suffer from ill health as a result. I think it is time for the government to take this issue seriously and regard these trees as an important heritage of Hong Kong.

Over the years, I have taken many photographs of the amazing wall trees in Hong Kong, and here are just some are were taken around mid-levels and the western district. If all of us can pay more attention to our surroundings and environment, then we would inevitably notice that beauty is around us all the time. Trees are urban treasures, and we must save them before it is too late.