Out of Canada, Into Kenya - Danielle's Journal

Kiambethu Tea Farm

While Shawn was toiling away in the heat and getting blisters, I was off with a group of women from the area at a Tea Farm. The Kiambethu tea farm is the oldest in Kenya. I got to see monkeys, taste some of the finest tea in the world, walk through acres of indigenous forest and eat lunch in amazing gardens. (In the photo below, notice the monkey on the roof! It is a Black & White Colobus Monkey)

The whole process of making tea is really interesting. Fiona, the woman whose estate it is, told us the history of tea farming in Kenya. She also showed us the different types and grades of tea. The highest grade tea goes to the UK.
Believe it or not, the worst grade tea actually goes to North America, to satisfy the demand for tea bags and flavoured teas. I thought that was really funny.

Kenya, or at least the escarpment (the mountian side/cliff region that RVA is located on), is extremely beautiful. I find the people are amazingly friendly. As we drove down the road all the kids wave and as we walk through the area many people stop to shake our hands and say hi. I love it here!

Posted by dani at June 10, 2004 01:33 PM