My Week In A Tea Estate

So my train ride took me to Hatton, where I stayed with my friend Devaka, and later joined by his wife Sushenka. It was an incredibly peaceful and quiet place to stay, and also extremely cold after the heat of tropical Sri Lanka. I went on daily 3 hour walks with my guide 'Tooth Fairy' who spoke no English. I had lots of time to enjoy the views and have time to think without distractions.....

Tea Pickers - Only the women pick the tea because they're more selective

Tea Estate typical view

More pickers with their sacks on their heads and levelling sticks

A group of pluckers

A lonely plucker amongst tea bushes

My guide 'Tooth Fairy'

The main spray the crop to stop infection and disease

Caught off-guard, smiles all round

A lonely plucker

An elderly picker with a warm top on

Looking down on the Estate from up the hill - Eucalyptus trees grow among the Tea

At the top of the Estate, clipped tea on the right

The top of the hill reaches over 6000ft

Another picker - they loved getting they're picture taken

One of many waterfalls in the valleys

Adam's Peak in the distance at sun set

Outside the bungalow in the morning

Train Ride To The Hill Country

First stop on my adventure was the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage (where I forgot to take my camera). Next day I caught the train from Rambukalla to Hatton, a 4 and a half hour journey up and into the heart of Sri Lanka, through misty luscious jungle and cracks in the mountain, wriggling all the way up hill at a sluggish pace. It was a wonderful journey I'll never forget.

Rambukalla Station maintainance (I particularly like the guy dancing on the sleepers!)  

Looking out the train door

View out the train, felt like Jurassic Park!

Another view out the train door into the jungle and mist

The mist rises to reveal a valley of paddi fields

A Frenchy taking photos out the door

Most common sight in Sri Lanka - the ever-present Tuk-Tuk

Last Day At Work

So last Saturday was my last day designing toys in Sri Lanka. And it has been a great experience, challenging at times, but generally low pressure and fun work. And some lovely people to work with too, very friendly and welcoming, I will miss them.

A happy chappy

A rare photo of myself with two of the workshop boys/men

More of the workshop crew

The cutting room

Pradeep doing his strut

Samir and the CNC Router

Colourful paints

A safari gathering

Stacking Elephants (my design)

Pradeep 'testing' my design of a flying Chinese Dragon

Lalith the Driver and Chin thaka, Head of Accounts

The men taking Tea break

And the boys taking Tea break

More Tea break action

Pradeep in the workshop

A lonely Tangerine Zebra

Inspecting the screen for printing

And hosing it down

And having another look. It hadn't come out well.

The Gospel House Handicrafts male team (without Shiran)

Pradeep and the Gospel House girls

Seeing in the New Year

Waking up on Sunday morning and seeing the bright sunshine outside, I decided to take the opportunity to go to the local beach. A short cycle ride down the road, through the Paddi fields, across the river on a ferry crossing and through the village took me right to the Indian ocean and it was looking a lot calmer and more inviting than when I had last seen it a few months earlier. I had a pleasant quick dip before the sun got the better of me and I realised I was getting burnt and so I headed home.