This trip was definitely our most last minute descision yet. We got denied access to Burma so we just switched plans on a whim. We hardly knew anything of the country except that it was cool in the central mountains – sign us up!
Some of our highlights:
friends
We were fortunate enough to hang out with our friend Tharanga's family for a couple days and see their place in the countryside.
history
I swear the British installed some 50's infrastructure and no one has touched it since! This is definitely apparent on the trains where everything is controlled by huge mechanical levers, cardboard tickets, detailed ledgers, and tossing leather rings at every stop. It really was a treat to see the preserved system – not to mention the tea estates which dominate pretty much anything over sea level.
food
We could not stop eating local food – curries, daals, flatbreads… the only time we paused was for fresh local dairy products.
weather
We wanted cool weather… we found freezing weather. Seriously, one night in Nuwara Eliya we shivered until morning. That was warm compared to climbing Adam's peak at night for sunrise.
sights
Absolutely beautiful green countryside with rolling hills and tall mountains. That's in the highlands of course… we stayed away from the beaches for fear of heat. Train rides through the highlands were breathtaking!
-steve-
