Plantation trek

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Joined a group and trekked over the hills and tea plantations around this area. Interesting but also slightly unsettling experience because of my inexperience in dealing with the visible poverty.

Took another train from Bandarawela to Idalgashinna and started the trek from there. The coutryside is really very beautiful - Sri Lanka is so lush. As we got higher you could see a mist creeping in and by the time we were walking through the plantations proper it was low visibility. You didn't know what you were going to run into next. The tea bushes are planted in neat rows on such steep slopes, you wonder how on earth the women have the nerve to pick them so high up. And it is the women who do all the picking - apparently they focus more on the quality of the leaves than the men, who care more about hitting the weight target.

We were told to bring gifts of pencils, books and sweets for the children and as we reached a village I gave away all of the things I brought naively thinking this was the one and only village. Over two days we met a lot of very beautiful children - there is no school on this plantation, some of them clearly no older than about eight, offering themselves to be our porters. I really didn't know if it was right to give them gifts and encourage their expectations - particularly as they were so young. But at the same time the families were clearly poor. After two days we were still coming to more villages and by now we had all run out of gifts and there was clearly disappointment on the faces of the children we met. I did give money to a couple of the ladies I took photos of - I wouldn't like to have my photo taken at work and they were so friendly.The odd 'Ayubowan' greeting goes a long way too particularly when you're with people who just lazily shout 'hello' at everybody.

Ended at Bambarakanda Falls - the highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. Feel very tired and a bit confused.

Left for Ella where we did go to a great little roti shop, and you watched the guys making them. I will miss these great little snacks - the vegetable one here had a little too much mashed potato in for my liking, but they were so artfully made!

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Photos

Horton Plains
Mount Pidurutalagala in distance - SL's highest