Tea factory. Most of the upper stories are for
drying. Then the large leaves are shredded and
fermented.
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It was a beautiful climb, but for
the blight of huge billboards promoting things like Sri Lankan rebar (yes, rebar)
and skin care products. Much of the tea
country reminded us of wine country in Oregon.
There are large tasting rooms, well-branded plantations, and beautiful
vistas. Unlike our wine country, there
are many tourist busses and vans packed with Indians and face mask-wearing
Chinese.
Tea was introduced here in the mid 1800’s after a colossal failure of
the coffee crop. The British clear cut
the jungle to make way for tea, and they planted massive groves of eucalyptus
trees for railroad ties, called sleepers. By the 1890’s, Lipton alone was
exporting 30,000 tons to London.
Tasting room of large estate |
The tea pickers, for their back breaking labor,
make about $5 US per day, often living in
places like this.
|
Nuwara Eliya is also called “Little
England.” The British planters tried to
recreate home with beautiful gardens, polo grounds, golf courses, Tudor-style
homes, parks, and club houses for a post-dinner brandy, cigar, and billiards
game. We were unprepared for the cool
weather, similar to Oregon in the late autumn.
Bicycling around Gregory Lake Park |
A feast prepared by Nadeeka, Easter's wife.
He's Singalese, She is Tamil. Easter was such
a gracious host in spite of his busy schedule.
|
Easter's guest house |
We stayed with Rotarian Easter
Kumar and his family in a small hotel he owns.
(He had dinner at our home last October.) It was so fun having a home-cooked meal with
his family eating, our best Sri Lankan meal yet.
Like so many other hotels in Sri Lanka, he has been hard hit by the 2018
Easter bombings. Many new hotels under
construction are brick and rebar-stalled reminders of what a handful of
delusional individuals can do to ruin lives way beyond those killed and
injured.
We got up early for a long trip
to Howards Plain National Park, 5,000 feet above sea level We hiked eight miles among beautiful views
and got to see two bull Samar deer in a 20-minute fight for dominance. You can see a short clip of it on Instagram @Kelemenron.
Near World's End View Point |
Baker Falls |
Macho Samar deer. You can see a one minute version of this 20-minute battle on Instagram @KelemenRon |
World's End viewpoint |
On the way back to town, still inside the park |
We were also privileged to attend
Easter’s Rotary club meeting. Just a dozen of us around some clubhouse lounge
chairs, followed by fellowship with savory Sri Lankan snacks and coconut
whiskey called arak.
Rotary banner exchange before the snacks and arak |
Serendipitously the next day, as
we stepped off a local bus from a local botanical garden, two of the club
members recognized us and took us to see a building they are renovating for
fundraising. Of course, tea and snacks
followed at the local golf course.
Later that day we took a 3 hour
trip on the “tea train” high into tea country to 5,000 feet before descending
to Ella, where we took a car to the coast late at night. More about that in our next post. But we will
always fondly remember the warm-hearted Rotarians who gave us insights we would
never have had as ordinary tourists.
What a trip!
"What We Can, While We Can!"
The caboose of the tea train to Ella |
Entry to botanical gardens outside Nuwara Eliya The gardens were started in 1850 by homesick British planters |
One of many views from the botanical garden |
Tea and snacks at the country club |
I think it means we are in the Ohiya station, elevation 1,774 meters |
On the "choo-choo express" |
View from tea train ride. It was very hazy due to field and rubbish burning |
Again, fabulous photos! Being a big tea fan, the info on that industry is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat Photos!
ReplyDelete