To liven a dream…

I’m going to continue the dream motif here. Because the level off surreality is off the charts.

However, this also will mean absurd amounts of photographs – last time was 50-something, this time in the high-40’s. I’m keeping the posts to one day at a time. The images you saw yesterday were from May 24. Today, this is exclusively May 25.

Near the turn where we are staying. This place hits you the moment you open the door.

We took a drive down the hill.

This is a man loading coal into a real steam train. Its actually a UNESCO World Heritage. Remember this, we’ll be coming back to it later.

Below: These guys here are everywhere. This is a typical way to carry things. Sherpa-style.

We were told a story of a group who came to trek with some porters like this man. They brought them nice trekking shoes instead of the sandals (or sometimes nothing) that they usually use.

After the trek, the porters all threw away the shoes. Went back to sandals. Went back to barefoot. After all, they had done that their entire life and the bottom of their feet were like the soles of shoes.

They said, why would we use something that would wear out when our feet won’t??

Yet another example of “Whitey Knows Best” falling flat on its face. They don’t say that, though. But I do.

Moving along…

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I hope you’ll notice a certain thing I discovered above all in Darjeeling: texture. Where Delhi, Guwahati, and Dibrugarh are heavy on color… Darjeeling has very muted colors. Camouflaged in the clouds, I guess.

Or then again, maybe its the fact that every surface is alive and not as it seems. Like this vertical wall.

Nevertheless, texture is everywhere. So… pay attention.

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But, as drives go, every bit as harrowing as yesterday’s ascent, but down… the brake mechanics must make a killing in Darjeeling.

It wasn’t long before we burst out of the clouds into the countryside. The hillsides.

Speaking of burst: in a strike of randomness…

…these goats (top left, above) came hauling it down this road we were on followed by these two dogs. A few seconds later, the farmer came hustling as well.

We were on our way to another tea plantation. This time… Darjeeling.

This man is hauling tiny tea plants to be planted. Darjeeling has taken a big hit this year. The first flush (the first picks in the Spring) were a disaster this year. Not enough rain in some regions and none at all in others.

I have come to find out since then that often plants like these are actually cloned in this region to preserve the continuity and consistency of flavor. Nothing super scientific about it, its quite easy to clone plants. Look it up.

Remember, tea plants are actually identical. The different teas are due to different ways of preparation and processing.

By the way, here’s the little village below the tea factory.

So how does it all happen? You’ve seen a few days ago how the tea is processed. At least, I walked you through the factory. But stepping back a little bit…

…it comes in.

Checked…

Keep in mind, every blade has been hand-picked. There are some places in the world – primarily in Africa – that use some sort of big machine.

Have you seen these hillsides? I actually had trouble walking them for a few of these photographs! The one a little above of the group isolated on the road… that was a serious slope.

So every one of these…

…have been touched.

Which began my quest to actually photograph these ladies in the field. The pluckers are actually a rather elusive bunch. No doubt, I had barely seen them at a distance thus far on this trip.

Hauled in… spread out, like you’ve seen before a few days ago, to dry.

Then along we come.

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What you’re seeing in the last two frames is actually “lesser” tea. Its very stemmy and usually what ends up in tea bags.

Can you tell any difference in this?

One, very brownish and crappy. These, very very green. These will become loose-leaf… or just nicer tea bags.

Well, hello! This little guy was crawling out of the tea bag bin. Keep that in mind… 😉

Then, after a series of machines, all of which you would recognize from a previous post a few days ago in Dibrugarh… it ends up here and is hand-sifted for debris. And creatures.

Then into an aluminum-lined, semi-airtight box…

This logo is significant, actually. Its supposedly supposed to be on every product that is ACTUALLY from this region. There is actually a difference between drinking “Darjeeling” tea and drinking Darjeeling Tea.

And these places were organic before it was en vogue. How else can it be made?

Then a drive back up the hill.

…and into the clouds once again.

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And in dreams… back to the people of the dreams.

Wow… love me some eye-contact.

People ask me how images like this are made. How do people react when you just go TAKE their photo. Always always, different in every part of the world. Some people make blanket statements like “I always ask” or “I never ask.”

Honestly, I am in between. I sometimes ask. I sometimes do not. Did I ask this man above? No, I did not. Did I ask the workers in the tea factory above? Yes, I did. Actually, I had our guide ask for me.

I don’t even know how to say ‘thank you’ in Hindi or Nepalese.

Moving on…

Okay, doesn’t this light make you sick? Why is it so different here!?

SIDE TRIP:
So, I tend to find myself in a number of zoos around the world. Why? I don’t know. If you go into the archive and look up this time last year, I was in Prague’s Zoo. In my opinion it is one of the best small-cage zoos in the world.

This zoo was a small-cage zoo, but… not gonna lie: the animals seemed a little like they knew their paddocks were not the open woods.

Still, they were clean and fuzzy and looked well cared for.

Yes, that is a Snow Leopard. No… really. This one was Version 1.0… (If you don’t understand the reference you’re doing just fine.)

These are wolves posing for a family photo. There’s always a blinker.

…and this is a bear.

…and he knew that he was being photographed. Sat and posed. I just liked this one better. In your face.

Really dangerous house cat, evidently.

And a disguised raccoon.

Now returning to your regularly scheduled programming…

…this absurdly beautiful light.

It changes every angle. Above, from the side.

Now, straight on.

Moments from one another, but the same light.

If Indian light had a fan page on Facebook, I’d “Like” that suckah.

Speaking of liking things… I like this expression.

Maybe the Verizon guy should come out here and do a commercial for Vodaphone and their international capabilities.

It just doesn’t really get much more remote than this. In fact, my phone was receiving a signal from Bangladesh. (I know this because it randomly send me a free text: “Welcome to Bangladesh! Dial XXX for international roaming assistance.”)

Stay tuned, my friends. I’m here for a few more days.
-Noah D.