Wet day in Ella

Sunday 26th February 2017

Despite my plan to have a lie in, my bad back and mozzie bites picked up on the train ride yesterday meant by 5am I was awake and listening to the bird song. As we went to bed last night we heard nothing except the chirps and warbles from beetles and crickets. The view emerged at dawn from our huge balcony. A dizzying drop covered in tea bushes surrounded by hills, peaks and various levels of vegetation. Natural land marks such as Little Adams Peak, Ella Rock and Ella Gap right in front of us with nothing to block the view. Only 12 stone and wood built thatched roofed chalets clinging to the hillside. So pretty. Peaceful too.

Forecast cloud and rain proved right. Mild but not hot. More humid than UK but not disimilar to an English summer day. View and atmosphere is rather different. Mist layers move around the hills. We are on the East of the central hills/mountains...not sure how big a hill is until it becomes a mountain. Ella is about 1000 m. It has been very dry here but not today. Started as showers but rain has set in. The tea factory at the end of the drive was closed so we went to a good vewpoint to see the Nine Arches bridge and after a bit of a wait. ..the train was of course late...we saw our train trundle over the bridge. As my back is not up to walking on rough ground the Little Adams Peak walk was amended to a search for a source of pain relief drugs. Found a little stall attached to a doctor's premises and after a confusing discussion involving two languages and plenty of sign language I got the supplies I needed to beat my over sensitive back into submission.

This is an area for walking and trekking but on a wet day and with a bad back, the spa massage menu is tempting me..so I'm booked in at 4pm for massage, hot stones and herbal bath. Hard life on a wet day in Ella.

Tomorrow we will try and see the tea factory before going on safari in Uda Walawe.