Sri Lanka Travelogue Part 4
Michael Taylor embarks on his first trip to Sri Lanka, which was formerly known as Ceylon. He is flown there on Singapore Airlines by the Dilmah School of Tea. He enrolls in a five module certificate course in the Appreciation of Tea.
On our second day, we arise early, breakfasting at the the Hilton Colombo, and then checking out of the hotel.
About half way to the Cinnamon Citadel Kandy, where we stop for lunch, my lower back starts to hurt. By the time we arrive at the spectacularly beautiful resort, the pain is getting the better of me.
Luncheon Buffet
A mouth-watering lunch buffet awaits us. I don’t have one bad meal during my five night stay in Sri Lanka, but this one is probably the best. I’m a big fan of salads, and these salads are top of the line.
There are Indian and Sri Lankan curries with all of the requisite condiments. There are several international dishes for those not accustomed to the heat of South Asian curries.
And talk about attention to detail! The salad and dessert bars are set up in a specially air-conditioned room to keep things fresh.
Cinnamon Citadel Kandy
Facing a four hour bus ride to our destination, I decide to do some stretching, but it only makes things worse. I have difficulty getting up from the floor.
The swimming pool looks inviting. The mountain air is clear. The surroundings are spectacular.
I seriously consider exiting the tour and spending a couple of nights at the hotel to give my back a rest.
In the end, I get some ointment applied to my back and switch to a coach with bigger seats.
Arrival in Nuwara Eliya
We continue on our way to Nuwara Eliya in the Central Sri Lankan highlands. The scenery gets progressively more stunning as we climb along a narrow road with hair-pin curves to an altitude of 1,868 metres, or 6,128 feet.
A one juncture, I look out the window and see that we are above the cloud cover.
We arrive at the Grand Hotel in Nuwara Eliya well after dark. Instead of a welcome drink, we are served mugs of hot cream of vegetable soup. I go back for seconds and thirds.
It seems like the best soup I have ever had. After freshening up in our rooms, we have dinner at the hotel.