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Message: <blockquote data-quote="rochel1977" data-source="post: 18672877" data-attributes="member: 371">Day 7: Balangoda to Haputale <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DRROYVXukQI/VL9UQMH8OYI/AAAAAAAAFxE/Xf-ZqKL8auc/s1600/7aHillCountry.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> A short distance today – just 30 miles, whatever that is in km – but very strenuous ones, into Hill Country. There was around 1500m of climb, whatever that is in feet. But the dawn start from Balangoda was a delight, cycling through sunrise rice paddies to the sound of birdsong. Lots of steady climbing, and several downhills that were exhilarating but lost all that height-gain. Though with views like this, I didn't mind too much. (pic). <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nwi2ikf8Jrs/VL9UZ9axa0I/AAAAAAAAFxM/iLff6PDAMaU/s1600/7dTea.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> We're in tea country here, a Sri Lankan speciality of course. One plantation had a cafe where you can try their product, factory-fresh (pic). It was stronger and more tannic than we're used to in England; I liked it very much. Tea-factory bike tours of Sri Lanka could rival distillery bike tours of Scotland, and you wouldn't have to worry about how much you were drinking. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbsTc9yqOOI/VL9UhyCERjI/AAAAAAAAFxU/vX7hQG3nJqo/s1600/7eRoad.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> On and on uphill went the road (pic), with lovely vistas over the lower-lying valleys and distant hills. They're so unused to seeing tourists here that all the stallholders selling me water, cold drinks and curries forgot to overcharge me. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OaNujtAqXK4/VL9Uscs_GSI/AAAAAAAAFxc/T3Nn6KowrIA/s1600/7gHaputale.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> I rolled up at my destination, the hilltop town of Haputale, not long after noon (pic). I checked into a hotel, where they are used to seeing tourists. <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmKu_5jKVVk/VL9U76gW4CI/AAAAAAAAFxk/IKthqyjYqtk/s1600/7fSign.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> They're clearly sticklers for accuracy here, giving the elevation of the place to the nearest millimetre (pic). Day 8: Haputale <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C0hKAsvQTYk/VL-PSPYzZYI/AAAAAAAAFx0/-mvwz8wKg3Y/s1600/8aMist.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> A rest day today, but I was still up early, rewarded by some stunning views of the hillscape mists (pic). It's chilly at night up here in Hill Country: there are actually sheets and blankets on the bed (elsewhere there's nothing), the windows had condensation this morning, and I needed my fleece to go out for breakfast. It was windy, too ‐ given the rather whiffy open drain running down the street outside my room, that's just as well. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRIbFw8qJOI/VL-PjwuaWOI/AAAAAAAAFx8/KX0f7tYu6kI/s1600/8dFactory.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Anyway, I took a local bus up an improbably winding and steep narrow lane to visit Dambatenne Tea Factory (pic), founded by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1890 – yes, as in Lipton's, the famous English tea, which you seem to see everywhere in the world except in England. I had the guided tour. The factory was a spotless state-of-the-art unit full of computer-controlled robots. No, I'm joking. It was rickety, full of clanky old machines, there was no tasting, and the visitor toilet had no water at all. Or toilet paper. I had to improvise, using up the drinking water I was carrying. (I still shudder at the consequences of a similar incident in Filey in 1969, when I didn't have the serendipity of liquid on hand.) <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JXkPE20M2c/VL-Pux3R-bI/AAAAAAAAFyE/_e8DVvg_SLA/s1600/8bLiptonsSeat.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> From there I hiked 7km up to Lipton's Seat (pic), a pleasing anagram of Lipton's Teas, where Tom would apparently survey his empire. There are stunning panoramic views from the top, but more important, a tea room where I enjoyed snacks, tea, and water to replace the stuff used in the earlier emergency. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sstdoCuypns/VL-P9bBPnaI/AAAAAAAAFyM/rgdqaGkkJQw/s1600/8cPickers.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> On the way back down through more tea plantations, I saw some pickers at work, picking (pic). For an eight-hour day, they earn 650 rupees (about £3.25). And I complain about writing being low paid... Back on the bike tomorrow. Day 9: Haputale to Nuwara Eliya <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXOw5qaWiv8/VMDzdG_EhzI/AAAAAAAAFyc/_4JKp7wWKEM/s1600/9aMorning.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> A beautiful, tranquil dawn start, with awesome views of Hill Country peaks sticking up like islands above the layer of cloud a thousand feet below (pic). Down there in the clouds, at Bandarawela, it was cool and damp and felt more like England, except my breakfast muffin from a bakery only cost 25p. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XGjt-wWe3SI/VMD0PvkX0PI/AAAAAAAAFyk/-InoECdHdNM/s1600/9cTrain.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> It was downhill most of the way to Ella, a touristy hill village. I was here to take the train (pic) to Nanu Oya, a famously scenic route through the mountains. It was half an hour late and took three hours to do forty miles. Sri Lankans are not impressed by Superman being able to run faster than a speeding train: most people can. <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YKqHfvY6RIY/VMD0dypCMKI/AAAAAAAAFys/Edk5un4wUBQ/s1600/9dWindow.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> The views from the train were indeed grand, as it ambled its way round Hill Country mountainsides (pic). Though, actually, the views I've had from my bike have been better, if anything. Still, there was little excuse for all those backpackers sharing my carriage who spent the entire journey ignoring the scenery and Facebooking on their smartphones. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXgP8ZPx4WM/VMD0tqO053I/AAAAAAAAFy0/xY8aaoIIUdo/s1600/9eCar.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> I left the train at Nanu Oya, and cycled up the long steep road to Nuwara Eliya, 1900m up. En route I saw this rather hopeful sale (pic). It's not the only old-fashioned British thing here: Nuwara Eliya is called 'Little England' by Sri Lanka's tourist department. I'll be here two nights, with another day out of the saddle tomorrow. As you can see, my speed is hardly breakneck. Maybe that train wasn't so slow after all. </blockquote>

Verification: Hathara warak wissa keeyada? (Hathara wadi karanna 20)

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