Ceylon Tea in Sri Lanka

7th to 10th April Blog Post 21

A woman harvesting tea at Handunugoda Tea Plantation. (Not White Tea which is not picked by hand!).

Good to be in aromatic, spicey, hot, humid Sri Lanka again! Name changed from Ceylon, shedding its colonial label, reclaiming its deeper indigenous roots.

Land of tea, elephants, Tuc-Tucs, cricket, cinnamon, black pepper, rubber. Deeply Buddhist, also strong Hindu, Muslim, Christian communities. Real diversity, with much (immediately obvious) peaceful, integrated, inter community living. We are told that unresolved animosity still simmers below the surface.

Trincomalee, one of Asia’s oldest towns, its vast, deep natural harbour, amongst world’s finest, attracted centuries of maritime trade, then Portuguese, Dutch, British colonial rule. Strategic naval base, logistics hub during World War 2.

Incongruous to our eyes, holy mixes with profane: Barefoot young monk on cellphone outside Buddhist temple at Velgam Vehera ruins archaeological site. Just outside sacred, ancient Hindu Koneswaram Temple: spotted deer, peacock grazing; stalls selling cheap souvenirs. Across Sri Lanka: Temples, mosques, churches midst busy street level retail activity.

We loved Galle! Previously saw stilt fishermen fishing, but now, perhaps the heat, time of day: empty stilts in the sea. Handunugoda, distinctive Ceylon Tea Plantation, only one close to sea level, produces small quantities of special teas. Their flagship “Virgin White Tea”, processing completely untouched by hand. A gloved woman harvesting with gold-plated scissors, precisely cutting only the youngest tenderest unopened tea bud tips, depositing them into gold-plated bowl. Health properties. No pesticides. $1500 per kg. Observed tea-making process, enjoyed good “cuppa” oolong tea, variety of tea tastings. Fascinating other trees and production processes: cinnamon, rubber; pepper; cashew nut, cocoa fruit, breadfruit.

After 2004 tsunami devastation, much rebuilding, especially “Old Town” Galle Fort, UNESCO World heritage site. Vibey, chic stores, restaurants, hotels. Along Pedlar Street: museums, quirky boutiques, art shops housed in Dutch era buildings.

Striking duality in capital city Colombo: First World skyscrapers, colonial embassies, modern hotels blend with gritty, chaotic street markets, tuk-tuks weaving through narrow lanes, roadside vendors hawking local foods. Red Mosque, Pettah Square with thousands shopping for their forthcoming New Year, Independence Square commemorating 1948 independence. Then high tea & calypso band at a seaside hotel.

Heady, vibrant times on the Indian subcontinent! Goodbye Sri Lanka. Hello India

A street in Trincomalee that could be in any Sri Lankan town. Similarly to India, this is Tuc-Tuc Country.
Small piece of the Velgam Vehera Temple ruins, ancient temple revered by Buddhists. Built +- 300 years BCE, an archaeological protected site.
Young Buddhist monk at the Buddhist complex at Velgam Vehera ancient temple, walking away just after making a call on the cell phone he is holding.
Lord Shiva at Koneswaram ancient Hindu temple Temple in Trincomolee.
Spotted deer inside Fort Frederick complex just outside Koneswaram Temple, oxpecker birds on their backs and a peacock behind.
Guide at Handunugoda Tea Plantation explains the “shaking trough” part of the tea making process.
A White Tea harvester lady at Handunugoda, wearing protective gear to ensure hygiene, gloves and golden scissors to avoid any skin contact.
A variety of teas set out for tasting in the tasting and sales room at Handunugoda.
Producing “true Ceylon cinnamon”, prized for its superior aroma at Handunugoda.
A guide explains the rubber extraction process from a mature rubber tree. The worker demonstrated cutting diagonally into the bark using his hooked knife, which released the milky-white latex sap collected in the cup. Sheryl stretches the coagulated sap. Similar to the process that was demonstrated to us at Manaus in the Amazon.
An interesting handicraft and art shop “window” along Pedlar Street at Galle Fort.
Inside one of the “chic” shops off Pedlar Street.
The Red Mosque in Colombo, with frenetic street activity all around it.
A stuffed elephant and rows of Buddhas at the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple in Colombo. The elephant represents strength, patience, steadiness, wisdom and a mind that can be trained.
Chaotic street in Colombo
Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil, Colombos oldest Hindu temple with the Lotus Tower, Sri Lanka’s tallest structure, in the background.
Gold Buddha in a meditative pose symbolising peace amid Colombo’s urban bustle, at Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo’s oldest and largest public green space.

Sri Lankan traditional dance, performed on stage on our ship.