Day 9 - Ella (Trails, Trains + Tea)

Today was filled with trails, trains and tea!

Our morning started early with a Tuk Tuk to Lil’ Adam’s Peak for about a mile hike up and back for sunrise. The elevation and steep stairs put us a bit winded (I’m sure it had nothing to do with our current athletic status) but the trip up was worth every huff and puff.

As usual here in Sri Lanka, a resident pup joined us on the hike. Must be a distant relative of Payton because this pup loved to sleep but hated the drone. Made us feel at home for a quick minute. On the way down, we bumped into a few ladies picking tea in the tea fields. Which sparked us to explore a tea factory tour later (if possible).

After the hike, it was time for tea (our first tea in Sri Lanka, if you can believe that) at the Ella Flower Garden Cafe with a beauty of a view. ⛰️

From there we made our way back to the Tea Cabins for breakfast, before gearing up for the 9-Arch Bridge visit with a plan to catch the last train of the day. About an hour of waiting and watching the loads of fuzzy foreigners all hoping to catch that viral shot for the gram … Success! The infamous bridge was as Mike expected it to be. Architecture at its best and a piece of history that has stood the test of time. 🚂 It really has him even more pumped for our train ride tomorrow.

Last stop of our Ella tour for the day?? A tea factory tour! Mike found a 40-min tour that fit our schedule, so up the mountains we went. The tea factory we visited has been in operation since 1917, and the petite ladies that work there actually come to work barefoot!!! Definitely no OSHA happening in Sri Lanka. Also … fun fact … oxidation of the tea leaves is what determines if the tea is black or green tea. Green tea = no oxidation so keeps the leaves filled with 98% anti-oxidants that are helpful for sleep, blood sugar and lowering cholesterol and 2% caffeine. Best for bedtime. 😴Oxidation for black tea swings it the other way where tea leaves then have 92% caffeine and 8% antioxidants. Best for morning. ☀️ Pick your “poison” people! An interesting tour and loved the history of Sri Lankan tea!

The remainder of the afternoon was taking a dip in our “dip” pool and laying on the loungers soaking in the fresh air until it was time for dinner.

Dinner was in Ella Town at a place called Chill Cafe, where I’d say wasn’t our best experience. The atmosphere was opposite of “chill”. Food was tasty but a bit too much activity for us to enjoy the rest of what it had to offer.

Tomorrow we pack up Winston early to head to the train station where we then head to our next stop … “Little England” or Nuwara Eliya for high tea.

Hugs! M&ARead more