JAN 20 EXPLORING ELLA

Little Adams Peak

20.01.2016 - 20.01.2016 28 °C

LITTLE ADAMS PEAK
The view from our room is exquisite as the dawn breaks. Interesting how at home we wait till it begins to heat up to go out, and here we are up at dawn to enjoy the early morning before it heats up. Today our goal is Little Adams Peak - a kilometre jaunt from our place to the city centre and then a 3 kilometer hike uphill to the peak. We pass the market vendors spread along the side of the road. We pass through tea plantations and finally reach the summit. The views are worth the walk even though it is pretty scorching in the mid day sun. It's Rob's birthday so he decides to attempt to fly off the peak. As we descend Mani gains a new friend. We enjoy lunch in Ella. Then we catch a ride to visit the Uva tea factory about 6 kilometres away up some rolling hills. Rob refines his tea knowledge and finds out it costs 25 million rupees ($250,000 Canadian) for the laser machine that separates the black tea leaves from the stem and brown leaves. That's a lot of bags of tea tp produce to pay for it. The laser is so refined it can tell the colour of each leaf flowing through at rapid speed and send an extra blast of air at each stem or brown leaf so they are directed into a separate roller and bin for use as compost.

We return for another delicious curry and rice dinner that our host Nuli has prepared. Seven flavourful traditional dishes such as dal, banana flowers, coconut sambal, spiced pumpkin and beans, each dish spiced differently with flavourful aromatic spices. Absolutely exquisite and a wonderful way to celebrate Robs birthday.

EARLY MORNINGJ