Tea, Kandy and Lords

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”

Sri Lankan school children look bemused as to who the hell this visitor actually

We left safari and headed north to the tea country. As we drove into the beautiful mountains we passed small villages, lush and green countryside, paddy fields of rice and further along miles and miles of tea plants. Our driver estimated the journey from Udawalawe to Hapugastenne as being four hours at least and half way we stop at a local café on the side of a busy road for lunch. Here we experienced our most authentic Sri Lankan lunch yet.

On the back of an argument over budget, the expense of wine and setting a good example to the children Fred looked accusingly at me towards the rather unappetizing selection, and asks what on earth are we all and particular you Leone going to eat?

Despite the odds and some rather strange vegetable chow mein, fake cheese sandwiches, a rice dish, dubious looking sausages in a bun and a curry we stomached it, a meal for the five of us and our driver costing under four pounds. Mr. Budget was pleased. This was our cheapest meal yet and as the only Westerners there (or perhaps had ever been there) I think we did well. Ironically and as we prepared for another two hours drive we passed a Pizza Hut on our left 500 metres from the café and just to spite us all a sign to the tea station only a few kilometres away (where they were going to prepare us a rather more Western type of lunch!)

We really had no idea what to expect of Hapugastenne, but were not disappointed. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Set amongst the tea fields with the mountains in the background, this old colonial tea plantation looks like something out of a 1920s novel.

Here we were looked after by Shammie, the manager and his deputy Isauru. Both Fred and I took full advantage of the beautiful and more peaceful setting to head off early for a run breathing in the fresh air and relative peace, a much more pleasant experience to our previous runs, despite the hills. This was followed by a trip to the tea factory to understand the tea making process and a visit to the local nursery and schools. We were treated like royalty, greeted with songs, bindi, flowers and garlands, enough to fill up the back of Shammie’s car. Whilst Fred and I were rather embarrassed to receive such attention the children delighted in meeting other children their age, even if the English spoken was pidgin at best.

Back at the ranch, white-gloved waiters served us delicious food, wine and tea, with gin and tonics brought out early evening. It felt a little unfamiliar to be treated this way in our current day and age, as if we were in a time warp that took us back a hundred years ago but nonetheless we couldn’t help but enjoy it.

It is worth putting in here a small note on the children. We would be lying if we didn’t write even briefly about the challenge of feeding three young children in Sri Lanka but up until now it has been self contained. When treated like royalty we rather hoped we would all behave in an appropriately fitting manner. Here at the tea plantation we despaired of our children as they refused to eat or try any of the delicious dishes the staff had painstakingly made for them. This resulted in a firm talking to about manners, bribery, a few tears and slowly but surely a few mouthfuls here and there. All part of our journey but one we hope will improve as our travels continue.

Our next stop was Summer Hills, where the highest tea plantation in Sri Lanka is based. The tea station here is not nearly as beautiful as Hapugastenne but the weather was much cooler, a welcome respite from the heat and we felt very English snuggling up to a fire as the afternoons drew in. The schools here welcomed us with the same enthusiasm and we were delighted to see the result of donations from Room to Read (a charity our friend, Nina Hind has tirelessly campaigned for in the UK and both Fred and I have been involved with).

The tea station is placed close to a town called Nuwara Eliya whose colder climate made it a popular holiday destination for Scottish and English tea owners many years ago. This town has retained part of its colonial feel and despite some less attractive new builds is still nicknamed ‘Little England’. Here Eliza and Alfie rode ponies round the lake, we visited a café so dedicated to the strawberry that even strawberry pizza featured and finally were cajoled into allowing the kids onto a couple of fun fair rides.

From the tea country we journeyed North to Kandy, on the Sri Lankan equivalent of the Orient Express. We were all first class and therefore experienced the most wonderful views, in some comfort, as the train weaved its way from tea country, through jungles, water falls and villages to Kandy, famous for its temples. What a privilege it was to see the country in this way.

It was a long journey and although the children were interested in the scenery at first (the quality of which depended on the side of the train you sat) and as Fred and I hung out of open doors alongside the locals, desperately trying to capture a good shot the children succumbed to their ipads. We are beginning to realize that travelling, whilst an amazing experience is very different depending on age. What excites us as adults, really cannot begin to compare with water slides, swimming pools and lego! We were warned about this but it can be soul destroying and makes you wonder why on earth you bother. On the flip side there are moments of pure joy and elation. Eliza shrieking for joy at the beautiful waterfalls and Alfie questioning the wildlife within, sharks or crocodiles maybe?).

Kandy was a little disappointing. We had quite wrongly been expecting something along the similar lines of Galle; an old Colonial town, quieter and cleaner than your average Sri Lankan town. Instead, it was hot, crazy and touristy. We managed a visit to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth (yes the Buddha has a whole temple dedicated to his tooth) and what an impressive palace for any tooth fairy it was. The children enjoyed the story of the tooth which seemed to involve the Portuguese, Dutch and English in its long journey to safety. A promised trip to Pizza Hut followed and then a magical trip to the surprisingly well kept and beautiful botanical gardens the following day, where fruit bats and terrapins delighted the children. An argument with the taxi driver who arrived to drive us the three hour trip to Negombo followed as a result of no safety belts but once again and rather miraculously this was sorted within minutes by another willing driver who appeared with a more appropriate van.

And now relax - Which is exactly what we did for our final four days, in a place called Negombo (just outside of Colombo). It was here, despite staying in our most basic accommodation that the children had the most fun. Fred and I were able to run bare foot along the sand, which although more polluted than we would like, was in parts quite beautiful in the early morning as the fisherman pulled their nets in and Moana type boats sailed in the distance.

We did nothing and I think that is what the children like doing. One of our key observations during our travels as a family of five is that this idyllic notion of relaxation, of Fred and I cuddling up in the evenings, enjoying a book while the kids sleep peacefully in bed has not yet lived up to our expectations. Rarely do we get a chance to sit down, writing the blog becomes a mission in itself and most of the time we are sharing beds with the kids anyway. Time is our friend though and as we adjust to a different rhythm of life we are all finding our own ways to relax or find time to think, even if that means an early morning run before anyone else surfaces!

So bar swimming, some forced home schooling which we are now finding a bit more challenging (more on that from the headmaster in his next blog) and a few trips out to feed some hapless monkeys on the canal we put our feet up. Which leaves me to finish at our final evening. A magical evening at a restaurant complex called Lords. Fish massages for our feet, a live band, a wonderful English host called Martin and his 47 or was it 48 dogs (all saved from the street), amazing food, wine and fun. The children had their most enjoyable evening yet feeding the turtles in the fish tanks and having their little hands massaged by nibbling fish.

A final note on Sri Lanka

As I close the chapter on Sri Lanka I would like to share a conversation I had with a young Sri Lankan gentleman at the turtle sanctuary. 'Where are you from?', he asked. 'London', I replied. 'Ah he said you are very lucky to have been born there.' And he is right. It does not seem fair that our luck is dictated by where we are born but to almost every Sri Lankan life is much more of a struggle than mine will ever be. It certainly makes you think. I must make sure I live and love my lucky life to the full. Amen to that.

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all"

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