Trains and tea

Packed and breakfasted we set off in the bus to get to the train station to catch the train to Nuwara Eliya, the hub of the tea plantations industry high in the mountains.

We piled into our first class seats and were impressed with the degree of luxury, which we appreciated for the four hour trip. It was a difficult decision to make about where to look - Rowan Atkinson with Chinese subtitles on the TV, or the stunning mountain panoramas

As we slowly climbed the lush jungle gave way to the low orderly green tea bushes shaped around the hills and valleys of the mountains.


 A few towering eucalypts were spotted too {see photo below. Blurry I know!}. Apparently when the English cleared the land for tea plantations they planted lots of familiar trees including gum trees and casuarinas. The problem was that they didn't have deep root systems or lush jungle undergrowth,   and consequently land slides occurred. {PS.The week after we travelled on this train, and back down the mountain highway on the bus, there were a number of landslides which stopped the train and blocked the highway. Heavy monsoonal rains caused mud to slide downhill and in one plantation many people died.}

 Some spectacular ravines and waterfalls appeared, and eventually we merged into the clouds.

Everyone was anticipating the cool air of the mountains as a welcome change to the heat and humidity.

After a couple of hours a peanut seller got on board with a flat basket full of warm peanuts roasted with curry leaves with a touch of chili and salt. That curry bush I have planted at home may get some use!! He simply scooped some peanuts into a tiny paper bag made from used exercise books: some of us had math problems,  others had writing. Great recycling! The nuts were absolutely delicious.

At one point we saw a community of identical houses perched on a hill. Apparently this was housing provided for people whose homes had been lost because of a new hydroelectric scheme.  A few kilometres down the track we saw the giant dam wall.

The influence of the English tea plantation owners was obvious in the names of the train stations: Hatton, Great Western,etc

After enjoying a substantial packed lunch on the train we finally arrived at the station and just as we disembarked amidst the crowds it started to pour.  The cool air was very exhilarating as we found our umbrellas and dashed for the bus.

Five kilometres of winding road and we arrived at our destination, Nuwara Eliya,  a town 1868 metres above sea level. It's apparently known as 'little England' and for good reason.

 The architecture is very Tudor and colonial. As the designated summer abode of the wealthy English it even has a Golf Club, and the streams are full of introduced trout. The gardens are exact replicas of standard English gardens with trimmed hedges, hydrangeas, roses and topiary.

We are staying at the Grand Hotel: a huge old style hotel that used to be the Governor's residence but has been extended into a large hotel. It has been completely furnished in the colonial tradition with lots of dark wooden furniture, fireplaces, brocade and flowered bathroom tiles. Plus a grand piano in one of the many lounge rooms.

For the first time we were greeted with warm hand towels and a cup of tea, rather than chilled towels and a fruit juice.

After settling in we all wandered off to see the town, which was busy, damp and noisy. We had a lovely time in the supermarket choosing snacks for drinks tonight - the manioc chips and chilli peanuts looked good. There seemed to be a remarkable number of skin whitening creams on offer too. One of the services provided by the supermarket was coconut grating: I should try asking for that in my local Coles. They also sold antibiotics without the need for a prescription!

There were some rain jackets in some shops with familiar labels like North Face and even some gortex ones.Some were made locally and others in Vietnam and China where huge numbers of garments are made. Sally scored a very smart North Face jacket at less than half the price at home. A few of us were keen to buy a hopper pan and searching lots of little hardware shops finally resulted in success.

Upon our return we opted for a cup of tea and shortbreads in the Tea Salon under the yellow umbrellas. The most challenging decision was which of the 28 teas on offer we preferred. Cinnamon tea was a popular choice whilst I enjoyed the Earl Grey.

Soon it will be time for gin and tonics in Jenny's room and then dinner here at the Grand. Then it will be off to bed as tomorrow we are going to pick tea!

your tea-soaked correspondent

Dianne