Whakaputaina: 24.01.2019
Today, we went out again to the tea plantations that are so famous in the Highlands.
But the day started by meeting another German family in our little guesthouse, who also had a girl around Nora's age. The two girls were so happy to meet each other that they immediately gathered their toys and played together... we adults were out of the picture :) ...because both girls hadn't found a playmate who spoke the same language in a while and were just thrilled.
Unfortunately, the family left for their next destination around noon, and the girls had to say goodbye again, they both found it really sad. And so did I, because the parents were also super nice... by the way, they're from Chemnitz :)
We then went to another plantation with the taxi driver from yesterday. The plantations are often kilometers away from the main road and only narrow, bumpy roads lead there. But the journey itself is already a highlight. Along the cultivation areas, curves wind their way up the mountain, and there's something to discover everywhere. Once we reached the top, we continued to climb to the viewpoint, this time on foot. It was quite a workout. The steps were steep and uneven, and when "oncoming traffic" approached, we often had to stop in small bays to let them pass. But the climb was worth it! At the top, we had a breathtaking view of the valley and the vast tea plantations. Some mountains were covered in clouds, a very beautiful sight, as the rainy afternoon was already announcing itself. Once we returned to the starting point, we treated ourselves to a piece of cake and a hot cup of tea from our own cultivation. I quickly realized that the tea was really hot when I spilled the entire freshly brewed pot on my bare thighs. My short but strong cry immediately brought a whole team of helping hands to our table, and the staff gave me ice to cool down and a cream, both of which helped and kept the damage to a minimum. I then continued the rest of the drive with soaked shoes.
On the way back, we briefly stopped at a bee farm, but quickly returned to our accommodation. I had to dry off first :)
In the afternoon, it rained for a few hours. We took advantage of that to be lazy and take care of our sore muscles from the hilly hikes :)