TEATIME IN SRI LANKA’S TEA COUNTRY
Green shrubbery, mild weather, and a 5 o’clock cup of tea. You may be excused for thinking you’re in rural England (of 50 something years ago). In fact, you are some 1,500 meters above sea-level and much closer to the equator. Welcome to the magical tea country of Sri Lanka. We came. We saw… We had a nice cup of dark Ceylon tea.
Up in the clouds
Sri Lanka is a fascinating little Island. Shaped like a teardrop falling off India’s right cheek, this small speck of land has everything – and I mean EVERYTHING. Steaming jungles, hot & dry savannas (complete with African-style Safaris), swampy Mangrove forests, exotic white beaches, Caribbean-style towns, Thailand-style temples amidst tempered forests (Sri Lanka is mostly Buddhist), cool, high-altitude rain forests, and moderate-weather highlands – you name it, Sri Lanka’s got it. If you’ve read my blog before, you would know that I’ve been to many places. Still, this small nation stands out with an almost unbelievable diversity of landscapes.
I wrote about one of those places a few years ago in a post about the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala. This was my first visit to Sri Lanka. At that time, we were a bunch of guys with a free two-week pass from our families on our way to a diving safari in The Maldives. Someone back home told us we should do a stop-over and enjoy the place for few extra days on the way back. When we got there, we all wished we didn’t go to The Maldives at all. Call it love at first sight. Call it whatever you like.
On the flight back home, I’ve made a decision to come back for a second look. It took me more than 12 years, but in the end, I managed to drag my wife and three kids for a full two and a half weeks tour of Sri Lanka – north to south and east to west.
We’re not in Asia anymore
Being very close to the equator, Sri Lanka’s lowlands are hot, wet, and humid. We started at the northern flat’n’low part of the island in a place called Sigiriya. Touring the area was beautiful but somewhat challenging. It’s one thing traversing a steaming jungle on the way to a hidden temple on your own. It’s a completely different experience when traveling with three kids and a spouse – all accustomed to the spoils of air-conditioning. Sigiriya is truly striking and merits its own post (sometime in the future), but it was with some relief that a few days later, we began climbing up the Island central, cool highlands.
As the small van slowly traversed its way via the broken winding road up towards the clouds, the climate began to change. As we passed the 1,700-meter mark, we literally left South Asia and entered something much closer to England.
All around us, straight rows of carefully manicured and intensely green tea plants covered the gently sloping hills. The view extended as far as the eye could see – which wasn’t always much on account of the frequent, dense fog. The noise of streams and small waterfall penetrated the cool mist giving the scene otherworldly qualities.
Curious about Sri Lanka? Read the post below:
* Where do elephants go when it’s raining?
National treasure
Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth-largest producer of tea. But unlike the other three producers (among them China and India), this small country has made it its national icon. Ceylon tea (this is how the country was called until 1972 when it was renamed Sri Lanka) is world-famous, and the locals take it seriously. They also take it at 5 o’clock with a dash of milk. The British certainly did leave their mark on the place, which used to be a British colony until 1948.
We drive along the tea plantations, tour a local tea packing factory, stop for a nice cup of tea (but, what else), and finally arrive towards sunset at a small hotel in the middle of a plush green-on-green plantation. The establishment is called 98 acres. The small staff greets us warmly and takes us to one of the two-floor cabins on the plantation’s eastern slopes. It’s one of the most beautiful small hotels I’ve ever visited.
98 Acres
98 Acres, as the name accurately suggests, is a peaceful, tranquil, award-winning, and utterly beautiful hideout located in the middle of a ninety-eight-acre (about 400,000 Sqm) tea garden. Just off the beaten track, 98 Acres is placed east of Nuwara Eliya – the tea country’s unofficial capital city, near the small town of Ella. Nestled on the eastern slopes of the island and on top of a hill, it enjoys breathtaking views all the way to the distant horizon, where the land meets the Indian ocean. A stone throw away is the Small Adams Peak, a local popular trek that offers scenic vistas to those sturdy enough to climb it. We get the same views seating on the open deck of the bar while sipping a frozen Margarita.
Yes, life is good in 98 acres. I unwind my feet and take a look at the brochure. It’s a bit of a marketing jive but holds very much true to the essence of the place. It reads, “The resort is built on a unique concept entwining luxury with eco-friendly holidaying, which reflect our passion for conservation and love for nature.” I think I can attest to every single word.
But 98 acres is not just about being a perfect retreat. Sure, it’s a great place to unwind and relax in cool, comfy weather and be served by a team of the most accommodating staff. But this establishment has more than that. As we discovered the following day.
tea picking time
I wake up the following morning into a beautiful day surrounded by mountains and lush green rows of tea shrubbery. I flip the switch on the electric cattle and make myself a nice cup of tea (English Breakfast, what else). Grabbing a paper magazine I step outside into the porch, only to discover a group of local Tamil ladies fast at work picking fresh leaves no more than 5 meters away. Lucky I had a T-shirt and pajamas on. Quietly walking between rows of shrubs, the pickers (women only) gently cut the top leaves into a back sac tied to their forehead with a wide band. This is a back-breaking routine job that requires patience, sturdiness, and a bit of economic desperation. This is not a profession you would wish your sons and daughters to take.
Ignorance is bliss
The British – tea lovers, as they are – found the highlands of Cylon ideal for growing their favorite crop. The colonial era in Ceylon saw the establishment of numerous tea estates, including this one known for its high-quality “Uva, medium elevation Pure Ceylon Tea” – whatever that means.
With tea, the British also brought Tamil tea-pickers from South India. Unlike tea, this Hindu population did not bond well with the mostly Hindu majority. Poor and marginalized, they rebelled in one of South Asia’s worst civil wars of the second half of the 20th century.
Today they are still poor and discriminated against. Employed as day workers, they survive on the margins of Sri Lanka society. One has to admit, this puts an uneasy twist to the mostly sublime environment and climate.
Lucky my wife and kids are not great history buffs. They could enjoy the whole affair, not thinking too much about the struggle behind it. Perhaps I should too. We’re on a family vacation after all, and the cup of tea in my hand is perfect.
