Day 8 To Nuwara Eliya

This morning, we said goodbye to Kandy and sang Happy Birthday to one of our group as we left the hotel.

We then drove a couple of hours towards Kitulgala where we did white water rafting, amazing fun!

Part way along, at the swimming area, we all got our for a leisurely swim/float down river for a few minutes and were expertly lifted back into the raft by the shoulders of our life vests!

We were the only raft not to capsize and we were perhaps a bit too pleased about that!

We finished at our lunch stop where there were lots of Sri Lankans celebrating their return from climbing Adam's Peak. An option for us tomorrow but only 3 of our group are doing it, looks far too much like hard work and it's a midnight start!

After (another) buffet lunch we took the ferry across the river

And a walked back to the bus through a village and over a rickety suspension bridge

We were welcomed on board with ice creams, such a treat, we were all dripping with sweat from the humidity, it wasn't a long or strenuous walk at all.

Drove up more steep, windy roads with hairpin bends, towards the Talawakelle Tea Estate

Photo stop at Devon Fall

Then tea and cake at the St Clair's Estate, very British.

Driving on up through the busy town of Talawakelle, criss crossing the railway and river

Passing some dodgy bits of road

Past a Hindu festival

and on to our hotel which looked amazing

The sun was setting as we entered our room 

but is rather style over substance. We had an hilarious evening of Fawlty Towers type food and drink service in the bar.

It's much cooler in the evenings and at night here as we are at around 2000m in altitude. More Fawlty Towers as some of our group were locked out of their room!