A Taste of Spice

The day started off with yoga. A perfect way to loosen my travel tense shoulders. A hardy American breakfast followed and then we were off to the spice farm. This is the oldest spice farm in southern India and it has a rich history that even attracts India residents. It lies off the beaten path, as you walk to it from the parking lot you pass the elephant area where for a small price you can sit atop an elephant and have them spray you with water. Pass that, to make it to the tour area you have to cross a long rickety bridge that spans over the pond that surrounds the farm.
Once inside we saw how nutmeg, vanilla, lemon grass, basil and many others are grown and harvested. They told us how basil trees are worshiped as gods and are placed outside the home. At the end of the tour we got to see the "Monkey without a tail" pick some from the tops of the trees. This man learns how to climb these trees that look almost identical to palm trees at the age of eight and will do only that for the rest of his life. It was amazing to see him climb up and sway between the trees with total ease.
It is tradition to shower before reentering a home, but since that is not possible for us tourists our guide cleansed us by puring cool water down our backs before reentering the main area for lunch. It was very refreshing on the hot day. Once inside they fed us a authentic Goan meal on a banana leave and gave us a taste of their moonshine. After one taste I found myself a little light-headed.