Tea museum and hike in Hanthana

Today we had a hike planned from our lodging to a tea museum, and then on through the tea plantation along the Pekoe Trail to the Hanthana viewpoint. 

Along the way, people asked us yet again why we were walking instead of driving. We must have looked pretty funny: two sweaty Europeans trudging along the road with backpacks and bright red faces.

Later, things got a bit adventurous when Komoot sent us through densely built-up residential areas where there was actually no path except over construction sites and corrugated metal. We then took a little detour to pop into a shop near the tea museum and devour everything available like locusts. There were samosas, various fried rolls, and stuffed roti, plus two coconuts and a bottle of water to wash it all down. It was all so delicious that we immediately picked up some more to take with us for dinner. Even so, the whole thing only cost about seven euros. It’s much more expensive in the city.

We then bought a few rose apples by the roadside. They don’t seem quite as sweet here as they are in Thailand; but maybe they’ll ripen later. We can’t verify that, though, since everything edible has to be devoured the same day if we don’t want a trail of ants running right through the room.

The rest of the way back was much more bearable, and we were finally heading downhill. It felt like the hike was all uphill, without ever reaching a summit. The scenery was very beautiful, though, and we also saw many new animals. The large butterflies, which you can usually only admire in a butterfly house, are fascinating.