Ella

The rain just doesn't want to stop. It really inhibits my exploring.  Or forces me to relax and do other things that I need to (like get visas and book flights). But still, who wants to walk around in the rain? Especially when nothing gets dry? I did laundry and it took over 2 days to dry. Carrying around damp items is the worst. Someone did tell me it's rainy season, even though I looked it up again and it's really not supposed to be raining this much. Maybe all those websites are wrong. Oh well. There does seem to be a pattern though. Nice in the morning and rain in the afternoon. Which means I have to do whatever I want in the morning. Like with Kandy, I may not have done everything I wanted, but still enjoyed the non-raining portion of my visit to Ella. I actually decided to stay another night, partly due to the rain and not seeing everything, partly due to it being a cute little town.

Ella Main Street.

One of the first things I did in Ella was run 18 miles. And it was actually very pleasant. Way better than last week's long run in Amman. I got the full distance in, even though it was pretty hilly and humid. I started in Ella town, and did 3 out and backs on the roads leading out of town. The area is so beautiful, just like the train ride to Ella. I feel like my photos won't do it justice. As I ran around all the tea plantations, all the locals were very supportive of my run. They all said 'hello', 'good morning', and I got a few cheers along the way. Way better than honks and catcalls. One local girl asked me why I was running. As I ran off, I yelled out, 'because I like it'. And then she told me good luck as I went on my way. During my run, all the support I was getting, I was sending off to NYC to my sisters and all my friends who were running the marathon later that day. Even though I was halfway around the world, technology is so great that I was able to follow along like I was there.  I planted myself at a local roti shop for dinner and streamed the marathon. I was also texting my friend in Texas during the entire thing as we watched the elite, and tracked my sisters and friends. I end up falling asleep before one of my friends finished her very first marathon, but I woke up to news on a great finish. It was weird not being on 1st Avenue cheering, but this was a good alternative. 

Streaming the NYC Marathon during dinner.

After my long run, I decided to do a little hiking and check out the area. Now I didn't think I was going to go very far, so began my trek down the railroad tracks to Ella Rock. At first I was a little hesitant whether it was the right way. And who walks on on a railroad track? Besides the locals of course. But I saw many others coming back, so along I went. Now, did I make it to Ella rock? I don't think so. I made it to a rock, which had a great view of the Ravana waterfalls. Then I decided to turn around. I figured I ran 18 miles, and I was hungry. Turns out that I most likely didn't make it. I think it was a further hike and much higher up. But nothing was clearly marked, so I probably would have wandered around aimlessly anyway. 

Railroad hike.

On my way back, I stopped at one of the random restaurants on the side of the railroad. I was the only customer, and ordered some fried rice and tea. That's what you do in Sri Lanka. Rice and tea. And it was delicious. The portions are so big, but I'm always hungry, so I eat it all up.

Fried rice for lunch.

Since I was in Ella, right in the middle of the tea plantations, I had to check out a tea factory the following morning. I decided on the Newburgh Green Tea Factory since I'm a green tea drinker, although really not recently since everyone serves black tea. It was an interesting tour where you learn that all tea is from the same plant, but the process is different for each type. For green tea, you go through a series of heating and drying processes. However, this took all of 10 minutes to go through. I was a little disappointed that the tour was so quick, especially as the price had also gone up a lot from what I had researched. The TV in the waiting room area went through the process so I could have just sat there. I got a cup of green tea as part of the tour, but it was at the beginning instead of the end and had to rush through it since the woman was then waiting on me. This was really a shame and I do wish maybe I went to a different one. But it could have all been the same. I didn't even get to walk around the plantation, which was what I was hoping to do. When I was looking for Ella Rock, I happened to walk through a few fields, so I guess that was ok, but was still hoping to learn a bit more.

Newburgh Green Tea Factory.

After that, I decided to do a bit more hiking and this time went in search of the Nine Arches Bridge. And fortunately I found it. After getting direction from some locals, I made my way down what seemed to be the backyards of various homes to the bridge and walked along it for a bit. After the train went by of course. It looked like there was room to stand of on the side, and I did notice some people stayed put on the bridge. But since I have minimal experience of dodging trains, I plan to stay a little further back from the tracks when a train is approaching. 

Nine Arches Bridge.

On my hike down, a man flagged me down to see if I was interested in a snack or tea. I told him I was, so when I hiked back up, he prepared lunch for me. A guest book was brought out by one of his sons to show how popular of a spot it was. Now, I don't think this was a legitimate restaurant or cafe as they claimed. And I'm finding this is pretty norm for the country. You don't need to be a store to sell water, or a restaurant to sell food, or a licenced taxi driver to sell tuk tuk rides. This was something I figured out later. Since he was preparing the food from scratch, it took a while. But since it had started raining, I was in no hurry. After getting my fill of a huge lunch which consisted of various items like roti, curry, and a few other items that I couldn't quite catch the name of. I then topped it off with some more tea. After hanging out for a couple of hours and learning about his family and other visitors, I was ready to pay. I didn't quite understand at first, but finally figured out that it was based on donation. Which is when I realized maybe this wasn't a real cafe. Based on how full I was, I left behind what I thought was a suitable amount that I would have paid elsewhere. I hope it was enough. If anything, I had an nice experience with a nice man and 3 of his 4 sons. I also helped them out by giving them a geography lesson of the USA as they get pictures sent to them from their visitors. And if you find yourself in Ella, Sri Lanka and hiked to Nine Arches Bridge, tell them I sent you. 

Nice people and nice view.

I could have stayed in Ella for a few more days I think. But I was also itching to get out of the rain. And closer to the beach. But before the beach, I had to stop and visit Yala National Park. Stay tuned.