Cycling in India stage 36 to Munnar

We were all glad to leave the MP hotel after a noisy and hot night, although the restaurant made a good effort of serving dinner and breakfast.
We had to ride in the vans for the first part, because the road went through a wildlife sanctuary. We drove through hilly forests, saw one herd of deer-like animals, but no other wildlife.
We were dropped off at the end of the park, after a climb of 600 meters. We rode into beautiful country; first coffee plantations where the bushes were flowering, then tea plantations, where women were trimming the bushes and collecting the leaves. We also rolled by "factories" that  were processing the tea, which smelled like freshly brewed tea.
The tea bushes look like they grow for many years, and the women use shears to collect the tea by trimming the top leaves, so the plantations look beautifully trimmed and laced  with irregular  narrow paths that the pickers walk on.  They can be planted on very steep slopes, and very high up the hills.  There are some trees within the plantings, but not the full cover of trees like coffee plantations.
There were various trees and bushes in bloom along the road, including poinsettias.
We climbed for some 30k from where we were dropped off, and finally reached a pass where there was a nice breeze blowing and it felt cool. Then we dropped down part of that altitude to the busy little town of Munnar, where it is still quite cool.  Although we only rode 45km, I feel quite tired from the climbing, but it was one of the most beautiful rides on this trip.

Cycling in India stage 33

We had a leisurely breakfast because we were only riding 55k today. It took a while to get out of Mysore, but after some 90 minutes we were back in typical agricultural landscape, with oxen ploughing in the rice paddies.
Villages we have seen are stretched along the highway, with no real focal point other than the bus stop, where a little cluster of tea stalls and shops develops. There is no town square, like there are in Catholic countries. The villages are structured more like settlements adjacent to plantations in Central America. 
As a result, a lot of the activity in the village is adjacent to -- or on -- the main road, which creates a little congestion. Trucks, buses, and all the through traffic tries to push through as fast as possible, making a lot of noise with their horns, creating a rather unpleasant atmosphere.
There are usually big speed bumps in villages, which slow the traffic, and in many villages the road surface is completely broken up, causing the traffic to zigzag around the worst holes. Villagers seem oblivious to the noise and commotion, as they walk on the pavement since it is the only smooth surface, but it must be tiresome.
Tonight we are staying in a "resort" by a river with basic cabins and a nice swimming pool. A change from the city, and a chance to relax. They took us on an evening ferry boat ride; it was nice to be out on the water in the breeze, especially when they cooked some French fries as a snack, given that I had skipped lunch!

Cycling in India stage 18 to Nashik

As we left the hill station, we were glad to find it was just over 10 degrees, warmer than we had anticipated .  We rode in hilly country with lovely views, and then we dropped onto a high plateau with a mix of agriculture and dry lands. This a wine producing region. We saw vineyards and lunch was by a winery which we toured and where we bought samples. Having now tasted my sample white and red, I will stick to drinking Kingfisher beer!
Tonight we are staying in a busy regional town which is also a destination for pilgrims who want to swim in the river. It is a bustling and colourful place. A beautiful produce market down by the river, busy shopping streets, and no fussing over tourists.