Day 4 Sri Lanka

Today we travel to Kandy, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka. It was Ruthie’s birthday and she was overwhelmed as she stepped onto the balloon decorated bus. The music blared and everyone sang happy birthday. We have lucked it in with such a great group of people. 

The bus meandered through villages. All the infrastructure is built along the road with thick jungle in the background. So many road stalls and open fronted stores, everyone trying to make a $, dogs not worried about the traffic and just continue sleeping in their dust bowls but with enough sense to use the pedestrian crossings as they’re very familiar with the busy traffic. 

Karnal, our guide again enlightened us with info …..

The first stop was a herbal spice garden. I’ve visited spice gardens before but this was next level. Our guide was a qualified indigenous medicine expert, qualified in Ayurvedic health practices. We since found out that there is an Ayurvedic practice not too far from where we live and we will be keen to investigate when home. As we walked around the garden he explained all the different plants and what they can be used for.

He then sat our group down and it was tasting and testing time. So many natural remedies but the best medicine was the laughter of the group and all without alcohol!

Ruthie got the works! Must be her birthday!

The session was finished off with everyone receiving a short Sri Lankan massage.

The crowd was certainly swayed by the  Ayurvedic way as witnessed by the purchases made in the spice shop.

Next stop Kandy. On our way we were given the best samosas i’ve ever had as we had a picnic on the bus. The crust, filling and spice were just right.

It’s all happening in Kandy, a very busy city. A buggy took us on a tour of the Royal Botanical Gardens and it was nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the main city area. The air was fresh and cooler here and some plants/ trees were first planted here in the late 1800’s. It was a nice sideline before we were dropped off in the middle of Kandy for some shopping.

Time for some shopping!

Because of time constraints, Ruthie and I did an amazing race version of The Temple of the Tooth. We probably lost points as I went in the female entrance!! This temple contains the oldest known relic of Buddha himself. As Ruthie and I sped off to our next commitment, we surprisingly bumped in to someone from our hometown of Cape Paterson. We  had a bus to catch so couldn’t stop to talk. 

Before we were taken to our hotel we were treated to a fire eating, fire walking cultural show. The night was finished off with a lovely rooftop dinner at our hotel.

Day 5 Sri Lanka

Ruthie and I started off the day with a walk and a pool swim while Amy and Paige used the gym. Wasn’t thinking I’d be keen for a  gem factory tour but it turned out rather interesting and eventful as Ruthie chose a blue topaz ring. The method of mining for these stones remains the same as 2500 years ago. It’s very labour intensive but quite a natural process that treats the earth kindly. Then there’s the very fine work of cutting, polishing and placement which explains the very nice prices. 

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Kandy behind, we headed higher into the mountains, bound for Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lankas highest town. This is where the famous Ceylon tea is grown. The weather turned colder and wetter and reminded me of home.

The lunch break was at a cafe facing the waterfalls. As we wound further around the hills we came upon a flower seller. Around all the hairpins he would appear and it was magic how he could end up in front of us. The truth was he would hop in a tuk tuk and take a shortcut to be in front of the bus. A lot of effort for a bunch of flowers. He attracts a lot of attention and is known world wide. 

A visit to a tea factory next. We were overwhelmed with the smell of tea when we entered. We learnt that white tea is the healthiest. Only women work picking the tea leaves and they have to pick 20kgs a day, 6 days a week, rain, hail or shine. It would be backbreaking work on those steep slopes. Most of the tea we drink from the major labels are blended so maybe my green tea isn’t that healthy after all.

The bus continued winding up the tea covered hills. We had to change from our bigger bus to a shuttle bus to get around all the hairpin bends up to our hotel, the Heritance Tea Factory in Nuwara Eliya. It stands at 2,000 metres above sea level. Originally a tea factory it has been converted into accommodation but many original features have been preserved. We were greeted with the traditional Hindu welcome and received a dot on our forehead. We were also given a collection of seeds and sugar granules in our hands to be taken with our tea. It was like stepping into a bygone era and we half expected to see Miss Marple sipping tea, solving a murder in the tea plantation. It was divine and another experience 

A fun night was had with the tour group that evening. We had quite a talented spoon player amongst us which inspired the singalong.

Day 6 Sri Lanka

The day started with a free morning and a good opportunity to explore the tea gardens. The weather up here is a bit like Melbourne, it can be quite cool and changes quickly with 4 seasons in one day. In fact it only takes an hour drive in any direction in Sri Lanka to be in a different climate. This country has a rich bio diversity. I caught up with some sleep whilst the girls explored. It’s a beautiful region. The tea plantations are so orderly as well as many other vegetables grown here. 

The afternoon began with a city tour. There is a large colonial influence here and the post office is a fine example of this. We paid a visit to the Royal Golf Club which is one of the oldest golf clubs in Asia. It was finely manicured but a bit wet to play a round. This of course meant we had to visit the shopping bazaar where the girls did their best bartering. Funny how we all ended up buying some warmer clothes which was probably influenced by the cooler climate area we are presently in.

Our guide has warned us not to eat too much during the day as a high tea was on the agenda for late afternoon. It was held at The Grand Hotel, a beautiful old Colonial building. Nuwara Eliya is known as “Little England”.  Over the high tea we were serenaded by a violin player. Another great experience and there was no need for dinner tonight.