The tour changes perspective from today, gone are the archeological sites and we are headed to tea country! You will remember PG Tips boxes that had a tea picker on them?
The countryside is completely different, you could be touring the Alps as you are surrounded by peaks, deep ravines and waterfalls. The tea plants are thick and deep routed which helps them cling to the gradient and stabilise the soil from heavy rains. Around each village are cultivated steppes; terraces that are tenderly tilled and planted, mainly with root crops to, again, keep the land stable. The views are stunning, bright greens, clear blue sky, the sort of sun that caresses you on a gentle breeze, you'll gather I'm enjoying this!
The tea plantations are all British, or were. We visit a Scottish plantation, Glen Loch, a wholesaler. It takes less than 24 hours from pick to boxing! The plants are picked once a week, the top two leaves and the bud for the next leaf, as it unwinds. The frequent picking makes it look like a topiary maniac is loose in the area! The bottom leaf makes brown tea, the middle one green and the bud, silver tip. The pickers, all female, work an eight hour day and have a target of 20 kgs per day.
The journey climbs up to 8000 feet, bringing us to the town of Nuwara Eliya, a British outpost with colonial houses, infrastructure of post office, pub, golf course, race course, lake with promenade path... What were we like!?
We are staying on a plantation, in a converted tea factory that found favour with Prince Charles and the Association of Chartered Surveyors when it won first prize in 2000 as renovation of the year! It's a wonderful spot and much of the old machinery is incorporated in to the interior design. We really enjoyed a two hour trail through the plantation as the sun set. The cloud line that lay on the mountains in the distance was actually below us. A lovely day!
As we depart the next day, ethereal mist covers the hotel and surrounding fields while chanting from the local Muslim temple permeates the air. It's strange to see the racecourse, Lake Gregory, it's pedalos, prom path.. as if we are in the Lake District. We are heading for Ella, a village high up in the hills which has caught Angelka's attention. We are impressed by Khan as he returns to a petrol station to give back 1000 rupees (£5) as he'd been given too much change when filling up.
We are visiting 98 Acres, a small hotel clinging to a hill above Ella Gap, a magnificent ravine. We walk up Little Adam Peak which gives us stunning views of the area before lunch taking it all in, with a cold beer by way of reward. Then follows 5 hours in the car as we head south to Galle, our final stop on our tour. En route, a huge bird sanctuary and, what looks like a political white elephant, namely a conference centre, highway, hospital and port, all built in the President's home town, on guess who's land, before finally hitting the south coast of the island.
55,000 people on Sri Lanka's south east coastline died in '04's tsunami. You might recall the image of the train totalled by the wave killing 1500 in one instant. The shoreline is dotted with random memorial stones to lost ones. The number killed was so high here as the locals all came down to the shoreline, wondering where the sea had gone? It receded 3kms from the coast! The clock in Galle Fort stopped at the time the wave hit, the town within, saved by the rampart walls.
Galle is a Dutch settlement port, built as a fort, upgraded by the Brits and heavily populated by Muslims, all of which means its very funky, boutiques, coffee bars.. are dotted around our wonderful boutique hotel, The Fort Printers, a converted printing works, great rooms and an awesome restaurant where I had two fish dishes which had just arrived from the beach!
A Sunday stroll around confirms what a great spot it is, the architecture is modelled on the Cap style, churchyards tell the story of descendants, the locals play cricket on any patch of land... and, it's a glorious day as we set off for Columbo, a mere 3 hours north up the new, shiny highway.
Sri Lanka is an abundance of diverse riches, whatever you want from a destination, it proffered. It's not as impoverished as India, it has an infrastructure that works, culture, traditions, religions, flora and fauna, cuisine all work in your favour to make for a perfect week, at least, our type of perfect which is interesting, relaxing, stimulating, all led by my stomach which is very replete! The mortality rates still seem high at a relatively, young age with medical provision costing money. If they could support health as they do education, which is freely provided at all levels, that would be progress, rather than white elephants for political, and personal, gain!
It would be interesting to come back in 5 years, there has been a massive seed change in foreign investment since the end of the civil war. It is disappointing that we are sho'ed away from the north, I think it helps to keep the region as a second class citizen. Change is wherever you look, as long as the Tamils can be subdued... The resentment is centuries old, they destroyed the temples and the towns and cities. It would be a tragedy if it all kicks off again, however, I think the absolute annihilation of anything that stood in the Government's way might, at least, keep this generation quiet!
I think that The Maldives is unlikely to be blog able, apart from the speed I read, go pink, gain weight and fall asleep. Don't hold your breath for commentary, just expect a few pictures!