Chapter 3: Wayanad — An Unexpected Brew Stop in Wayanad

A Surprising Shot of Ethiopia in Coffee Country

After the winding ascent through the misty hairpin bends of Thamarassery, we finally reached the top—the lush and cool highlands of Wayanad. The morning had been long but beautiful, and we needed a quick break before continuing. Our first stop was, unexpectedly, a petrol pump.

But this wasn’t any ordinary highway petrol station. To our surprise, it had an unusually well-maintained refreshment area. Clean restrooms, a decent space to freshen up, and to top it all off— A modern coffee shop with tasteful interiors, neatly tucked along the row of establishments. While the rest of the group took their time, some of us wandered into the café, drawn by the aroma of fresh coffee.

We struck up a conversation with the barista, who turned out to be from Nepal. Naturally, we asked about the coffee they were serving. He told us that although the shop was in the heart of Wayanad, the beans weren’t sourced locally. The owner, it turns out, has several cafés in the Middle East and uses beans imported from there to maintain consistency across locations.

Curious and intrigued, we ordered an Americano made with Ethiopia specialty beans—ironically, the first specialty coffee of our trip. We hadn’t expected to taste Ethiopia here, but the cup was bright, clean, and full of flavor. A reminder that good coffee can find you in the most unexpected corners.

As we chatted further, a local staff member joined in and, through the course of the conversation and a few shared details, we discovered something surprising—the café owner was actually a distant relative of our doctor partner. These small-world connections have a way of making the journey feel both personal and serendipitous.

We also learned that our doctor’s sister lives in Kalpetta, one of the main towns in Wayanad. She’s a veterinary doctor, and her husband is a young teacher known for his research on herbal medicine. He’s even published books on the subject. It added another layer of interest to the place—we were not just passing through a coffee-growing region but moving within a landscape full of culture, tradition, and knowledge.