Hakala Gardens and Nuwara Eliya

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What a ride! Four hours of winding roads, waterfalls, emerald green mountains and hills, picturesque tea plantations, and the most charming little stores along the side of the road. We were heading towards Nuwara Eliya. In my opinion, this was the most beautiful drive taken on this trip. A tiny town suddenly appeared after our long bus ride. The air was cool and wet, and we were tired and hungry. A perfect combination for a great (cheap) dinner together. I could not believe the prices. Dinner for all nine of us was only $12 !!! After dinner, we ran across the street to a small store for candy. The night couldn't end any better, but it did. We arrived at Hakgala Gardens for the night, and the rest house was half descent, no bugs ! (only one little spider in the bathroom). I guess snakes and lizards don't like the cold. The next morning, we had a choice: 1. you could hike Horton Plains (in the rain), 2. or you could stroll through the streets of Nuwara Eliya. You guessed it, Laura and I went shopping! We had the best time! Shopping in Nuwara Eliya was a whole other world. We discovered some very amazing markets. From rootys to Reeboks, you could find it all here. I discovered my new favorite Sri Lankan snack, samosas! And at only 15 cents it was a great way to eat deliciously cheap! After catching up with the group, four hours later, we left Nuwara Eliya and headed back down to Peradeniya. Half way down we stopped at a tea factory where we were able to have a tour of their facility, and even sample some of their famous Ceylon tea. The Sri Lankans take great pride in their tea, and once again, this would not be something to be missed.

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Comments

[prof pearce]

correction
These are nice entries Nora (Nori?)> Do you have any pictures you could post? By the way, the tab for that meal was $50, not $12. And I forgot to save the receipt! Doh!