Ella
Sri Lanka, 2018
In the morning, the old lady brought us breakfast. She said it was free and that she was worried we weren’t eating anything. I found it very funny :)
We’re having breakfast, the generous granny is feeding us
We decided to stay with grandma for one more night and see the sights around Ella. First, we went to Ella Rock.
To get to this mountain, you first have to walk a little along the railway tracks and then turn at the right place.
First, we go along the railway track
Compared to Adam’s Peak, climbing Ella Rock is a piece of cake. Although, of course, we still got a bit tired here too, and the final ascent is quite steep. It turned out to be a very popular spot among tourists, with loads of people on the trail.
Trail to Ella Rock
The view from Ella Rock is really great! They’re currently building a fence here — most likely they’ll soon make access to the viewing platform paid, which is very much in the Asian style.
Ella Rock summit, tourists and view
We’re fooling around, Volchiy said I fall unnaturally
Descending from the summit
Abandoned termite mounds can be found along the way
After the hike to Ella Rock, we head to the Halpe tea factory. We hoped they would treat us to tea. The factory has a beautiful viewing platform overlooking Ella Rock :) But the prices for a cup of tea are sky-high. So, after catching our breath, we head home…
Terrace at the Halpe Factory
On the way to the hotel, we buy various kinds of tea at a tea center. At the hotel, we borrow 6 cups from the old lady and set up a tasting. While we’re brewing the tea, the old lady keeps circling around us; she’s curious too about what we’re up to.
The tasting results are inconclusive. I think we used too little tea leaves, and because of that all the teas tasted the same, or rather had no taste at all :)
