Day 16 on our Indian Ocean cruise. Today’s forecast is sunny and 30C, just warm enough to require a/c on the bus and a hat to wear when walking outside.
Our approach to Colombo, Sri Lanka
Photo from our TV monitor of our sail in
It is a National Day holiday and we are unsure how heavy the traffic would be getting around the capital city of Sri Lanka so decided to head out on a Princess Tour instead of a private one. We were concerned there may be a chance of being caught up in the holiday traffic and the ship leaving without us.
We booked a Tea Plantation tour, travelling 2 and half hours south from Colombo along a well maintained 2 lane highway. Once the bus turned off the highway it followed a windy road up into the hills, past various farm lets growing rice, coconuts, tea, rubber and various spices of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and peppers. Sri Lanka is such a green and fertile land, a complete opposite to where we live in Australia.
cloves
tea flower
Tea Plant tips used to make tea.
Dotted around the farm lets there would be several water buffalo grazing in the green areas which may have been covered in water a month ago. We saw a lot of incomplete houses, some housing the residents in the finished bottom rooms, the rest just incomplete upper floors. It looked like they hadn’t been worked on for a long time, years in fact. Our guide explained the people are so poor; they just haven’t been able to complete their homes.
Our guide explained the highest form of income for the country is the export of their people to work in Arabia as house maids or workers on building sites, sending their spare money home to support their families. The second being factory workers making clothes for the Chinese businessmen, third is tourism and fourth; export of rubber, gems, tea and spices. The civil wars between the Tamils and ruling government has supposed to recently ceased, giving hope to the increase of the country’s economic earnings and stability. However China and India are investing heavily in the country but at the moment the debts are falling overdue causing handover of precious land.
The Galaboda Tea plantation we visited was established in 1935 by the grandfather of the existing generation growing organic teas on 39 acres in sedimentary, slightly acidic soils. Tea plants prosper in areas with foggy mornings, balmy days with temperatures of 28C-34C degrees and a heavy yearly rainfall. The tea bushes produce tea for up to 50 years. This year their dry season, which we are in at the moment, has been exceptionally dry and the owners are hoping for a good wet season that starts later this month. I wonder if this is also part of the dry weather Australia is experiencing during this period.
We found it interesting watching the pluckers, then withering and rolling process of the plucked leaves. Once shown the process we headed over to the tasting area to sample the various blends then had the afternoon snack and a ‘cupper’.
Another 2 and half hours in the bus back to the ship where we arrived in plenty of time to refresh and head out to back deck 11 for sail away with the mandatory bottle of wine. The ship left just after sunset so we were watching the lit skyline of Colombo recede as we sailed away.
'tok tok's in Colombo
pluckers picking tea leaves
tea leaves, the first lot of leaves are picked
Tea factory
Tea leaves drying.
Rolling of the leaves.
Finished product.
Tea sampling.
Rice paddy's
WOW, again! We are so enjoying these postings! I have also been sending your blogs to J & R who are cruising around NZ. Thank you.
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