Trip to IIIam

When I was small, during one of my holidays, my parents and I spent a week in Ilam, which is a beautiful place in the far eastern part of Nepal. We visited many interesting places there but the one that we like the most was the tea estates. There, the tea bushes were planted on the slopes, usually on high ground. They were trimmed and kept short so that the workers could pluck the leaves. Each worker carried a basket on her back and threw the shoots over her shoulders into the basket. We were given a brief overview on how the tea was made and it goes something like this. First, the tea leaves are laid out on racks. Warm air is blown over them which caused them to become withered. Next, the tea leaves are rolled in a special machine where they become twisted and broken. After that, they are put in trays to ferment. Then the tea leaves are dried in a special drier where they become black and give off a pleasant smell. Finally, the leaves are graded by a special machine. The fine leaves are separated from the coarse ones. And the tea is packed and ready for sale. So, this was what we learnt that day and it was a pleasant moment and I would always cherish that moment for the rest of my life.