The first two days we spent in Kandy – a scenic city built on steep hills. There were a few valley bottoms with some flat land but most of the city is built on incredibly steep hills. Our hotel (the Amaya Hills – highly recommend it) was well up the side of one of the hills which gave it spectacular views but led to a white knuckle trip through the switch backs every time we drove up. Our mini van was too long for one of the turns and so the driver had to make part of the turn then reverse towards a precipice on steep incline and then get back into first gear and move forward again. About half the time he could manage this without stalling but then the wheels would spin for a brief instant before catching. I dreaded that switchback and we arranged our excursions so we only needed to leave/return to the hotel once per day.
After we left Kandy we went up slope even further to Nuware Eliya which Chandrasiri called “Little England” being on the mountain plateau it was rarely hot and of cold and misty (our room had a space heater that came in very handy). It was a popular refuge for the English colonials who would go up there to avoid the worst of the heat and also enjoy English style vegetables which grew there easily – we saw plenty of carrot, onion and strawberry fields in addition to hill after hill of tea.
