Nuwara Eliya

 This morning (Monday) in downtown Kandy we visited a Gem factory (this city is gem central). After the usual spiel the showroom was there for the shopping. Sri Lanka is world renowned for its sapphires and other precious stones. After we strolled through the famous Peradeniya Botanical Gardens which cover an 147 acre site. So serene after the chaos of the city. Then upward, climbing to 1800 mtrs above sea level to the high country and the tea plantations. Tea was planted in the early 1800’s by the British, who also established a “little England” town of Nuwara Eliya. We visited Damro Tea which was established 150 years ago, and saw how the leaves are dried, fermented and processed all within a 24 hour period. Our accommodation for the next 2 nights is the Hill Club, very redolent of the British era. (In recent history Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch and British). We ate at nearby Grand Hotel (walked there in the rain) and on return to our room, discovered a hot water bottle in our beds and the heater turned on. How terribly English.

A few days ago whilst travelling along the road, we saw what looked like sand laid out on the bitumen - but no, it was rice. The locals use the heat of the road to dry it. Makes you think twice about what to have for dinner!

Rice drying on the road

Elephant Foot Tree (above) and Cannon Ball Tree  below - has pretty flowers which grow on the trunk.

Tea leaves drying area

And some monkey business

Waterfalls everywhere