This is our only full day in Ella, and we weren’t sure what to do. There is a hike to the top of Ella Rock, the peak which is across Ella Gap from Little Adams Peak. Researching on travel blogs it says you have to walk several kilometres down the railway line from Ella station and then head cross country on an unmarked path. Everyone either took a guide or found a friendly farmer along the way to guide them. Then there was also a slight problem with leeches, yuk! So we decided to go up Little Adams Peak again, and hope that the air was clearer than yesterday giving us a better view.
The walk was just as beautiful as yesterday, and every visitor to Ella was on the way up or down. But it isn’t crowded like Sigirya, and what’s more it’s free! At the top the view was the same as yesterday, murky in the distance, but still the best view we have seen in Sri Lanka.
On the way down we diverted slightly to a resort called 93 Acres. It’s is made of of bungalows on a ridge in a tea plantation, with great views of the hills. The cafe is very rustic chic, and the decking is made from recycled old bits of wood, it looks good but is quite uneven. We ordered ginger beer and iced ginger tea, and soaked in the luxury of the place. If you ever take the same walk, you must visit 93 Acres and mix with the rich folk. I know they are rich folk, because it has its own helipad.
Descending back into Ella we went Chill Cafe for lunch, which is a very cool place and very popular. It has lovely wooden furniture, and was packed with travellers drinking beer. Because I don’t want to get too fat, I’m saving my beer ration for tonight, and we had water with our very fine rice and curry. The veg curries are sooo good, and included snake gourd, beetroot and jack fruit.Jackfruit are big knobbly fruits that grow on short stalks out of the trunks of trees, each one must weigh several kilos. The curried flesh looks like a piece of tuna, but tastes vaguely like artichoke.
After lunch I bought some Lemon Puff biscuits for pudding, they are heavenly. We got tea at the guest house, read our books and scoffed biscuits, what more could you want?
timharnesstravels 