Kandy to Nuwara Eliya

Today we made the drive through the congested city of Kandy through the countryside and finally mountain roads to Nuwara Eliya. On the way we stopped off at a tea plantation and factory. We had a guided tour around the factory and then a cup of tea to try before a wander around the shop! It was interesting to understand that different processing methods would determine the various different types of tea, even though it was the same leaves being used; in this case producing various black teas. I bought a small box to try at home 😊
We had lunch before setting off again, passing some ladies picking the leaves out in the plantation. It looked a thankless task! They get paid per Kg picked.
Arriving at our next hotel, again at the top of a hill, we had a couple of hours to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the sunshine in a cooler temperature, relaxing with our books.
We then drove back down into the town and had a wander around Victoria Park. We were greeted by one of the senior gardeners who took it upon himself to take us on a tour of the park, explaining the various plantings, much of which was developed when Sri Lanka was a British colony. The area is also known as ‘Little England’.
The park was hosting an extended weekend celebration for hundreds of school children who seemed to have been bussed in from quite far distances and all in their pristine white school uniforms. We found ourselves to be something of an amusement to the children many of whom wanted to greet us with a handshake and say hello. Even one of the teachers wanted to take his photo with us! I’m not quite sure why we were such a novelty but they seemed very happy to see us 😂
We had a walk to see the old post office before dinner in a local restaurant.
Tomorrow we’re taking a very scenic train ride into the mountains 😀Read more