Can I help you, Ma'am?😃

Yesterday morning, the taxi picked me up to take me from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. I had requested a stop, but he told me that he would treat me to a visit to the Blue Fields tea plantation and a waterfall along the way. I felt like a typical tourist. Very odd. The Ambulawawa Tower, which was highly praised, didn't impress me much. Unfortunately, it was quite foggy, so the expected view was not available. We then proceeded to the waterfall, briefly stopped for photos, and were also funneled through a shop. The steep terraces of the tea plantations here are truly beautiful to see. Everything is picked by hand, which is quite incredible. A young girl walked with me for a bit in the tea plantation and showed me which leaves are used for black tea or white tea. Afterwards, we visited the processing halls, which was interesting. Then we had some tea for free, and there would also have been a visit to the shop. I gave the girl a tip and went to the car. I felt like a pensioner on a coffee trip 😊. The next disappointment was the accommodation, but that's just how it is sometimes.

In the afternoon, I wanted to visit a waterfall that was accessible on foot via Komoot. I reached the lower part of the waterfall through some detours. But you can also go further up. It was very steep with climbing sections, and eventually, I decided to turn back since I couldn't go further. When I was down, a young man suddenly stood there and asked, 'Can I help you, Ma'am?' He offered to show me the right way, and we continued steeply and partially climbing further up. At some point, I thought to myself, if he's got something foolish in mind, it's no problem. I had all my money with me, since the accommodation couldn't be properly locked. He was really very helpful, pulled me up, placed stones in the water for me to step on, and took many photos and videos. I felt quite uneasy, but I could only hope that this would turn out well. Luckily, it did; I thanked him and gave him a tip for this adventurous tour. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was totally starving. On the way, I then met a woman who recommended a very simple rice and curry shop to me. It was delicious and very cheap. My stomach was okay with it too. 😂 Totally exhausted, I went to bed around 11:30 PM because a trip to Horton Plains National Park was planned for tomorrow. Start at 6:00 AM.

A one-hour drive, and then we went again as a trio to the circular route, which passes by two viewpoints and a waterfall. The landscape reminded me a lot of New Zealand, and I am often surprised at how diverse Sri Lanka is. Large deer and even tigers 🐯 live here. Our driver showed us a video he made of a tiger. They live reclusively and seemingly let people be. Tomorrow, I will embark on the adventurous train ride, which is said to be very beautiful. But everyone tells a different story about how to get the ticket, whether you get a seat, etc. I am curious.