Above: On the way to Mirik in Darjeeling. Possibly Thurbo tea estate. That is typical of Darjeeling: large tea plantations.
Below: The distinctive way of farming tea in Nepal just a few kilometers away from Darjeeling: small and compact farmer's garden.
In Nepal small farmers rule the roost and supply their leaves to tea factories some of whom may have a smallish tea gardens of their own. Which is the better way: large plantations or small tea farmers? Maybe there is no better way. Just different paths leading to the same goal of trying to make good teas.
....Wasn't that a dainty dish, 
In Nepal small farmers rule the roost and supply their leaves to tea factories some of whom may have a smallish tea gardens of their own. Which is the better way: large plantations or small tea farmers? Maybe there is no better way. Just different paths leading to the same goal of trying to make good teas.
A spiritually uplifting autumn morning in the Himalaya with pristine green landscape and cool, clear, crisp mountain air. Tea grown here imbibes these qualities. Is it any wonder then drinking it calms the mind, comforts the tormented and transports body, mind and soul to a higher realm?
Typical rural Japan. Neat, clean, tidy and positively photogenic. This is around Wazuka 和束町near Kyoto. I wonder why anyone would want to exchange this bucolic charm for the urban jungle.
