So it’s been a while since I updated the blog, this has been due to very busy days and very patchy or non existent WiFi. I have now finished my tour and am staying in Uppeveli, Trincomalee.
My tour started at 7.30am on the 31st we had a pretty long drive back towards and through Colombo then heading towards Kandy and beyond. The drive is really relaxing and interesting. Buddi is very knowledgeable about SriLankan history, and was able to answer all of my many and sometimes random questions! As I’ve said before it is fascinating the things you see, I just wish I could capture it all. Buddi took us of the main roads and through the villlages and countryside, apparently this is a short cut, it was certainly scenic. Apart from a short stop to have a wee and a bite to eat, chicken puffs/puffs of chicken!! We drove until we came to a lovely old but operational tea factory. I took the tour, it is really interesting to,see the process and have an understanding of the intricacies of tea growing. We also tried a gorgeous cup of high grade black tea.
We continued to drive through the tea plantations, which are very steep. Apparently people in this area are amongst the healthiest in the country, I’m not surprised the amount of hill walking they must have to do! We also passed paddy fields and small waterfalls on our way to see a large waterfall called Rambuda, which was beautiful.
On our way to the waterfall we passed a large very colourful Hindu procession, as we moved towards it on the road, I could see a man in what I thought was a hammock, being swung backwards and forwards, Buddi slowed down so I could take some pictures and as we got nearer I could see that the man was not in a hammock at all, he was suspended from a large wooden pole on strings which were attached with hooks through the skin on his back!! 😱 It was horrible, I am quite squeamish so I could hardly look, as we moved on and there were 2 more! I managed to get a picture with my eyes shut, which I will share on here so be warned!!
We headed towards Kandy, which is a large and important city in Sri Lanka. Apparently it is where the wealthy people live due to its milder climate and lush green hills. We passed through the grounds of a stunning University, the most prestigious in Sri Lanka, it looked gorgeous. We arrived just in time for me to attend a Cultural Show, of traditional dancing from around Sri Lanka. It was amazing, the dancing, the costumes and the drumming, brilliant. As it finished and we headed back outside, it was dusk and the skies suddenly filled with thousands of huge fruit bats! It’s was surreal.
We arrived at our hotel down by the river at around 7pm after a long day, I had curry and rice for dinner and went to bed.
Day 1. Fantastic. 💕
Hereandthereclaire.com 