Day 3: Tea Country (part 3)

Oh my God! We slept a full 12 hours --- when we took a “pre-dinner nap” the other night it just went on and on…..must be the fault of the hot water bottles they gave us. I really snuggled up to mine! It’s so old-worldly ain’t it? Which hotel can still boast of providing hot water bottles to stave off the cold? Poor modern beings, most likely you have experienced only the wonders of the electric blanket! J

We started blaming each other….hahahaha… I told Langga that he was sleeping nonstop which he cannot deny because his vocal calisthenics can be heard the whole time! God! If you’ve known each other since nursery, you really feel as if you have a license to tease each other nonstop! This is what I miss about our Pasay group, the memories we have created there while living together. Hahay, I do miss all of you mga ganda!

Stop reminiscing, its chow time. The hotel has only one restaurant and it always has a formal setting, no matter the time of the day! My face looks huge now huh? Siopao-look na ito! Lol…from too much pork!

We have a busy schedule ahead of us this morning; we are going to visit the Hakgala Botanical Garden and Lover’s Leap Falls.

(stayed at the Library muna while waiting for our hired car, take note Langga is busy reading the newspaper while I was busy counting my money kasi paubos na and Ganda is seated somewhere busy updating her Facebook!)

Off we go…. I am the chief navigator….

Hakgala Botanical Garden

Laid out in 1861, it lies under the Hakgala Peak (the view is awesome, the mountain range surrounding the garden is so densely forested!! Ganda quipped, "hindi pa uso ang kaingin dito sa kanila!) and is considered the highest elevated Botanic Garden in the world at between 5,000 - 6,000 ft.

Lover’s Leap Falls

As I have told my two guests (I am the tour guide di vah?), this falls is called Lovers Leap because according to legend, two young lovers defied their families and plunged themselves into the falls to be united in eternity. Actually, to escape the fader of the mujer who was chasing them!

We were dropped off by our driver at the foot of the hill. The falls is located in the southern slope of Mt. Pidu (the highest mountain in Sri Lanka) and is about 100ft. high. I think for experienced hikers, the walk up will just take a few minutes but for the aging, unfit beginners like us, we had to stop (I lost count how many times!) every once in a while…..di kaya ng powers!

It felt good reaching the top and watching the waterfall cascading over the huge rocks. The scenery below is also amazing. You can see the whole expanse of the town and the neighboring plantations. What pissed us off and made us immediately leave the place was the group of young kids who were obviously drinking (well, one of them was really drunk and keeps on jumping from one rock to another!) and keep on asking us our names. They really spoiled the whole climbing experience! Kainis! Grrr....

The walk gave us a ravenous stomach, I think I can hear mine grumbling already…. We have to head back now… no more boating at the lake….