WE thought that dad would come home with a jeep when we decided to rent a car, but no, he came back with a hairdresser's car! Black and shiny and brand new and amazingly small. Within twenty minutes, the front started to fall off and someone had taken a chunk out of our wing mirror. AFter that tragic start, we drove up into the hill country of sri lanka.
First stop was Haputhale, 1500 m above sea level . We drove up into the clouds , we looked down and saw tea plantations that Thomas Lipton had established in 1890. AFtet that we visited his factory called Dambatenne . We had a tour and learned about the whole tea production process. I loved all of it. After the tea is picked it is taken to the top of the building (3 floors up) and there it is partly dried. After 16 hours of drying it gets pushed down a shoot (which we thought was very funny as it reminded us of the bad eggs in Willy Wonka.. of course mum and dad had to sing!) and then goes down into the cutting machines, and then more drying , warms it up and then rolls it and then cuts it again and warms it and then cools it down and then it's left to ferment .
FACT Did you know that the stuff they put in tea bags is the sweepings off the floor but don't worry.... the floor is very clean!
We bought tea as gifts, not sweepings as it is the posh tea bag stuff!
It was so cold in Haputhale, we had to ask for extra blankets.. it was weird to sleep under a blankey but reminded me of home, and I realised that I miss my duvet!
Next stop Ella.... 1370 above sea level. So we arrived in Ella and the temp was about 18. We slept in a family home stay. It was lovely and they cooked me fried chicken with rice and dahl.. delicious.
In the morning we climbed mini Adam's Peak which was quite a steep climb but the view was amazing but very high . We could see lots of tea plantations and waterfalls. WE had a great time. I love travelling.
