I’ve fallen into a trap. I’m usually good at avoiding it, but I’m trying to see too much here in India. I think I really underestimated just how big this country is. Three weeks simply isn’t enough for southern India, so I’m going to have to choose my battles more wisely. See what I can see and be happy with that.
To give you an idea, I’ve bounced from Chennai to Pondicherry, to Madurai, to Kodaikanal, to Munnar, to Varkala. That’s a lot of bus rides and not a lot of time to see things. But I am going to chill in Varkala for at least a few days. More on that later. Of those mentioned above, Munnar was far and away my favorite spot:
The whole area is a lush, verdant green. It’s quiet and idyllic, and everywhere you look you’ll find meticulously cultivated tea plantings climbing up the sides of the hills and mountains. They form really intricate patterns, almost like massive brain corals across entire swaths of the horizon. It’s an incredibly lush and vibrant place. Two of my favorite things to photograph are geometric shapes and bright colors, so Munnar was like Candy Land for me.
I stayed in a brilliant little lodge just outside the main town, and was lucky enough to eat the two best Indian meals of my life right down the road. I’ve never had butter chicken or chicken masala like it (sorry Mo!). 
And both meals only set me back 100 rupees (~$2) apiece. The food so far has been fantastic. I’m surprised I like it so much since I’m an avowed carnivore, but the breadth of flavors and spices that they use for their vegetarian dishes blows away what I had back home. I love it here.
