Oops, we missed the tea plantation tour off the last blog. On our way down from Abuwela to the Ramboda Falls we stopped at the Labookellie Tea Plantation, this is one of the oldest plantations in Sri Lanka and has been producing tea since the late 1800’s. We didn’t bother with the tour of the plantation having seen others in Thailand and Cameron Heights, but we had a guided tour of the production area. The tea pickers earn 2000 LKR (£4.50) for 20kg of leaves, a normal days picking. This is the same as we were recommended to tip our safari driver in Yala. The leaves are withered, rolled, fermented, fired sorted and packed using the original machines made in England, used now for over 100 years and from arriving at the withering shed to packing takes only a couple of hours.
After our night at Ramboda Falls and a very good breakfast we climbed up to look at the falls, one of the highest tiered falls in Sri Lanka. Then on to Kandy, a drive down a long valley a road that had been totally blocked by the land slips during a storm last year. Some of the houses and shops are still full of debris. In Kandy we were taken to a precious stones museum (and shop) we were shown a video on how the mines are dug by hand to the level of the grit which is dug out and washed to find the precious stones, mainly sapphires and moonstone. Then we saw the workshops where the stones were cut, polished and mounted. Another chance to buy souvenirs, we did succumb with a small silver and moonstone elephant pendant. Then on to the hotel.

 The falls come all the way down past the hotel and into the valley. This is the topmost tier.
In the evening we went to a cultural dance show in the Red Cross Hall, the dancers perform in different venues around Kandy and appeared to be having great fun, lots of drumming and singing and ending up with fire dance and fire walking. All good fun and a packed audience. Our meal this evening was in a roof top restaurant which we had seen on our way from the hotel, excellent food and we were the only customers. They are suffering here from the US/Israeli war with Iran which has effectively blocked tourist traffic from Europe which all comes through the major hubs of Dubai and Quatar.
On Saturday we had three visits on our way to the final hotel; Temple of the Tooth, Ayurvedic herbal gardens and the Cave Temple all interesting in their own way.

 

Queues to view the tooth. And the gold Bhudda in the Temple of the Tooth

  

The cave temple, where there are five carved chambers with rock painting and Bhudda statues.
The Temple of the Tooth houses a relic from Bhudda and was packed with both devotees making offerings and praying for help. The crowds are split into two lines, devotion and tourist, which eases things slightly but you are hurried past the chamber where the tooth is kept so fast there is hardly time to see anything.
Ayurvedic medicine/treatment is practiced here and is herbal holistic treatment. It was interesting to hear about the herbs and what they contain from the herbalist who showed us around and of course you were able to buy oils herbs and balms before you left.
The cave temple was another Buddhist temple, this time five chambers carved out of solid rock. I guess there was some kind of flaw in the rock to give them a start. Interesting to see both the chambers and statues which were all hand cut with basic tools and to consider the skill involved. A long drive then took us on to the Sigiriya area and our final hotel.
Sigiriya rock or the Lion Fortress is a 180m high granite peak which towers above the raised magma plain. It was the capital during the reign of King Kassapa 477-99 and consists of two palaces and gardens. The summer palace is on the plain and the winter palace on top of the rock which would have been accessed through the mouth of a giant lion built up the rock using bricks and plaster. Today all that is left of the lion are the carved paws and access to the top is by way of metal staircases attached to the rock face, at one time there would have been many rock paintings but now the only remaining ones are in a small chamber accessed by a spiral staircase, these are thought to be of his wife, concubine or priests.

  

Approach to Sigiriya through the water gardens of the summer palace

The climb to the top, The only remains of the lions head entrance are the claws.

View from the winter palace remains.

 

One of the defences, Catapult Rock. This could be levered over the cliff edge.

After this tour was over it was back to Galle stopping on the way for lunch and some shopping for fresh fruit and veg from roadside stalls.