The Eid ul-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the Ramadan gave us a long holiday weekend at the end of September and we decided to take the time off and escape with our good friends, the Kotalawalas to the island nation of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon prior to gaining its independence fron England in 1948, is located off the south eastern tip of the Indian subcontinent in the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka has been struggling with an on-going civil war for over 20 years with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, otherwise known as the LTTE. This group has been fighting for the creation of an independent state. Fortunately, it appears that the conflict is nearing an end with the LTTE on the verge of defeat.
After a four hour flight from Dubai, we landed in the capitol Colombo late in the evening and settled in for a few hours of sleep before getting on the road the following morning. Our plan was to spend the holiday at a tea plantation bungalow situated deep in the high country. The interior of Sri Lanka is comprised of mountainous terrain with elevations exceeding 8000 feet. The environment is perfectly suited for the cultivation of tea and as such the area is covered in numerous tea plantations.
Our bungalow, which was actually a five bedroom house, was a former home to an assistant tea plantation manager. The house came staffed with a butler, cook, and two other staff to help around the house and the surrounding grounds. Situated on a side of a mountain, the front of the home looked out over several mountains and valleys below and was, of course, surrounded by a working tea plantation. The weather was a great relief from Dubai with temperatures in the mid 60s during the day.
The main objective the first day was to settle in and relax around the bungalow. We interspersed our reading and idle chat with an impromptu game of cricket followed by a game of tag where Alex and Sanjeewa showcased just how old they've gotten. Outrunning boys less than half your age is no easy task. While Alex took advantage of the opportunity to nap; Vivian, Mish, Sanjeewa, and the boys explored the surrounding tea plantation. After a great BBQ dinner served outside on the lawn, it was off to sleep.
Day two took us higher up into the mountains to the Horton Plains National Park. Set on a plateau, the area is a haven for wildlife and the setting for some beautiful views. Weather in the park is notoriously poor. Warm air from the Indian Ocean rushes up the sides of the mountains and as it does cools with the increasing elevation resulting in near constant fog, mist, and rain. This day would be no exception.
The weather seemed to be holding as we set out on the five mile hike to the World's End. About 20 minutes into the hike the rain moved in and it wasn't long before we were all on the wet side. The World's End is an abrupt end to the plateau where the cliff drops away to the valley a few thousand feet below. On a clear day, (of which this was not one), you are able to see out across the country to the Indian Ocean.
We made it back to our vehicle just as night fall was setting in and then slowly made our way home to our bungalow. After a hot shower and some good food we retired to the evening room to enjoy the fireplace and plan our next days activities.
The following day saw Alex awake with a cold, which kept his activities limited for the day. So while Alex, Sanjeewa, and the boys hung around the bungalow for the day, Vivian and Mish were off to explore the Dambatenne Tea factory and estate. Mr. Lipton used to own this plantation and estate. Lipton still sources tea from here. Over 70% of the tea produced at Dambatenne is sold to Lipton.
Tea is a critical component of the Sri Lankan economy and this particular factory and estate has been in production since the 1800s. The plantation manager, a friend of a friend of the Kotalawalas (as apparently most of the country is) was gracious enough to give a personal tour of the factory and his residence (which is where Lipton also resided). The process for harvesting and refining the tea leaves has not changed much over the years. Tea is still plucked by hand, sorted and then dired just as it was over one hundred years ago. Women clad in brightly colored clothing move up and down the hill sides filling their bags with tea leaves which are subsequently handed over to the plantation for processing and sale.
The plantation house was absolutely amazing with gorgeous views out across the tea covered hills. Stunning gardens, all meticulously maintained around the house had a very English feel to them.
With everyone back home at our bungalow, we all huddled around the television to watch the much anticipated debate between the vice presidential candidates. After the debate it was time to enjoy our last evening in the bungalow complete with another great dinner.
The following day, we got an early start for the four hour journey back to Colombo on the winding and narrow roadways.
With an evening to ourselves we took in the sunset over the harbor from our hotel and packed our bags for our flight back home to Dubai.
To view the entire album of all our Sri Lanka photos please click on the link: http://vivianalex.shutterfly.com/
