The Highest Highlands

Despite suffering a bit of the Travelers, we were ready to move on from our base in Ella, Sri Lanka.  

Our destination was Nuwara Eliya, the highest of the Hill Country towns and former refuge of the English colonialists. Boarding our faithful little red train in Ella, we chugged along in our third class compartment. We spent our time watching the scenery and chatting with some of the locals who were traveling to see family on this holiday Wednesday. 

Little Red climbed steadily upwards at a stately pace.  The landscape began to change from tea plantations to pine forests as the elevation increased.  We began to pass through many tunnels which quickly fill with diesel smoke from the old locomotive.   The fumes make it into the carriages but then clear quickly once back in the moist forest air. 

We cleared the summit of the rail line at an elevation of approximately 6,600 feet. The air is cool and moist here, clouds dance through the tops of the pines and the valleys seem miles below the ridgetip railway.  

On the far side of the summit is the high plateau of Little England with terraced vegetable and dairy farms replacing the tea plantations. Many of the vegetable crops here are garden species introduced by the English in the 1800's and the terraces sculpted out of every hillside burst with a crazy green geometrically layered tableau.  

We chugged into the station at Nanu Oiya, about 9 Km from Nuwara Eliya. Politely fending off the mini-van and Tuk-tuk drivers, we found the local bus.  The difference is 400-800 rupees for private and 80 rupees for two on the bus. That's a good dinner at a local joint. 

Based on what we had read, we expected Nuwara Eliya to be some sort of preserved colonial village and had almost given the town a pass.  The draw of nearby Horton Plains National Park had tipped the scales for us.  What we actually found was a bustling town full of local activity, cool food stalls and joints, a a distinct lack of tourists. 

Nuwara Eliya does have a few throwbacks to the former English presence. There is a botanical garden in the city center as well as a polo grounds and a golf links.  Overall, however, this is a great Sri Lankan town nestled high in the hills and surround by green forests. 

The view of our guesthouse compound from our crow's nest. 

We found our new guesthouse compound, a lively oasis with a stream running through it, and snagged the last room. 

Home at last and both a bit worse for the wear.  

We collected ourselves in our crazy little crow's nest of a room and headed back out to try for a bit of local food and a bit of walk about.  Optimistic to the end!

Despite suffering a little trepidation at having a travel day and a gastrointestinal day coincide, that worst of combinations, our troubles were mild and the rewards were great.