Tea Plantations and Cold Weather

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Today we left Kandy and drove the twisty, turning roads up the mountains 70 kms to Nuwara Eliya. It took us over 3 hours to make the trip. You don't get any where too quickly in this country.

On route, we stopped to walk in the tea fields and take a tour of a tea processing plant. It was all every interesting. The scenery is amazing! Rolling hillsides covered in tea plants. A tea plucker picks about 20 kg of tea leaves in 9 hours and gets paid Rs 550 (less $5).

It's incredible how quickly the vegetation and temperature changes. Leaving Kandy, the temperature was 23c. Arriving in Nurwara Eliya the temperature is 10c (damp and overcast)....I am freezing. Had to bundle up and put on long pants. We are staying at the St. Andrew Hotel. It is old and the rooms are small. Heater in the room doesn't seem to work or we just don't know how to work it. Not sure it is worth the price. This evening we walked around the downtown area, walked through the local marketplace and had dinner at a Chinese type restaurant. Dinner for 3 (Brad, I and our driver) was Rs 1200 (about $10).

Early to bed as our tour of Horton Plains National Park starts at 630am!

Good night/good day,

B & K

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