26 August 2019
There was a good downpour in Nuwara Eliya overnight. It was still raining when we got up. We were planning to go to a lookout and some waterfalls this morning. We had to cancel it due to the weather. We decided on a trip to a Tea Factory and then to have a quiet day in town and at the hotel.
We were taken to the Pedro Tea Factory. This tea factory was established in 1885. The plantation around the factory is extensive. The factory sells tea to others like Dilmah, Twinnings and the like. Blending and pretty packaging are done by buying businesses. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed within the factory.
The machinery used within the factory is from the 19th century. There is a certain charm about all the equipment. All signs within the factory are hand painted.
As yesterday was Sunday and there was no tea picking and therefore there was no tea to process today. However, besides the initial drying and final grading, most of the processing is done at night. This is because the tea produced here is of a light variety and during the day some amount of fermenting takes place with light.
All drying here takes place with heat generated by wood burning. The wood burnt comes from the rubber tree. Other forms of drying like gas or other sorts of wood have been found to introduce a certain smell into the tea and therefore changes the taste.
I noticed that all workers here are Tamils. Our guide was a Tamil girl. The Tamils were brought to Sri Lanka from South India by the British in the 19th century to work in the tea plantations. Some still live in quarters provided by the estate which by today’s standards are quite appalling living conditions. These Tamils are called Hill Country Tamils and are distinct from the Tamils in the Jaffna area and elsewhere who have been in Sri Lanka for over 2000 years.
Our tour of the tea factory was concluded with a cuppa. Dianne was let loose in the tea shop.
After the factory tour we were driven around Lake Gregory and then we headed back into town to have a lazy day. We went to a shopping arcade attached to a hotel next to ours. It also had a food court. We came back here for lunch.
The Grand Hotel was originally a single story building built in 1828. It serviced as the holiday residence for the Governor of Ceylon. It became a proper hotel in its own right in 1892. The period features in this hotel are extensive. Many period items are on display. Staff are plentiful at this hotel and we were assigned a butler for our stay. Restaurants and living area had music from the 30s and 40s playing. It almost felt like that there was a gramaphone playing in the background.
Food selection was extensive. It was unbelievable. Every taste was catered for at breakfast. On the first night we had dinner at the hotel’s Thai restaurant. It was really good Thai food.
I know many people are familiar with Singapore’s Raffles Hotel but if you want the real authentic colonial experience, the Grand Hotel is a must. Besides, it is heaps cheaper than Raffles and the scenery here is to die for.
