Rubber

We witnessed the entire early stages of rubber production--from tree tapping to initial processing, rolling and drying. It is sold to the big rubber companies as the dark, dried sheets seen below.

Our host at Vanilla County, a homestay near Vagamon, was Baby Mathew Vallikappen, owner of an amazing plantation that grew everything from rubber to pepper, cardamom, coffee, sandalwood, teak, bananas, pineapples, etc. etc., and of course, vanilla. We took a very long walk one morning through the plantation, with Baby providing a detailed and enthusiastic guide to the myriad trees and spices, their uses and marketability. I introduced him to the truism, "The brokers make you broker," which he seemed to appreciate.

Below, Baby explains the rolling machine, while his brother, George, who lives in a house in another part of the plantation, shows us the building where they smoke the rubber sheets to help dry them out.