Evergreen splendour of little England

by Umangi de Mel

Entering little England is like falling into a trance, being caught in a spell or entering an imaginary place tucked away in the hills, hidden from the naked eye.As for the local traveller, especially those who have been living in the city under a long spell of warm weather, will cherish the experience.

Being the Sri Lankan city with the highest elevation, it was a second home for the English in the 19th century. A four hour drive from Colombo, the ever so narrow road hemmed in with pruned tea bushes that takes the eager tourist to his destination snakes through the lush green hills.

Shutters roll down as the air smells a rich blend of tea, pine and the wildest of wild flora. Little girls and boys run helter-skelter down the road with fists full of flowers the shades of the rainbow for a few rupees more. The broad-chested, sun-kissed trees bear the most wonderful shades of green ever, while chilly waters gush out from various points of the virgin mountains enticing the most jaded eyes of a tourist.

The Nuwara Eliya town is a replica of a typical english town with its many english style architecture standing tall and strong in every nook and corner of the place. Nevertheless it looks the kind of town that never suffers from the side effects of traffic blocks or congestion due to lack of parking space. (The latter might change during the season thanks to the great out-flow of hundreds of thousands of both local and international travellers.)

English style Bungalows, brick post office, restaurants, police station, banks, super markets, sweets boutiques, meat shops, plants, flowers, pavement hawkers and of course the vibrant winter wear and soft toys of many sizes and shapes, clutter the locality to an extent where people might just bump into each other left, right and centre.

There's no hustle though.... It's like meandering through an english village, away from the mad rush, stealing a quiet minute to contemplate things and to take in the salubrious climate of an area that could inspire one to quit living in the fast lane for good.

The docile life style of the humble folks whose ancestors probably sweated it out for the colonialists and their estates still seems to bear the scars of a bygone era. as they have adjusted to a very mundane nevertheless a peaceful life.

The remnants of imperialism still echo through especially the Holy Trinity Church which is situated in a significant corner of the town on a slightly higher level. It actually reminds one of the kind of serenity that only prevails in a churchyard on celluloid... quaint but carrying countless memories of a dead era.

Also, the temple at the heart of the town is packed during the season with pious travellers.

Come a few feet away from the town towards the lake Gregory and "voila" the most spick and span vegetable beds coupled off with only the most divine flower beds on Sri Lankan soil. Kissed by the softness of the cool breeze that gives goose bumps, myriads of rare flowers welcome the hungry traveller to cozy nooks to have their meals.

Plush hotels with the well cultivated grounds dotted with ample sunlight look quite inviting though most of the local crowds give them the slip as it could be financially a little out of reach.

Strawberries, red and ripe could be one of the main attractions of the town. A delicacy that's seldom found in other parts of the country unless in a super market or a hotel, is ubiquitous in little England. It's one of the main incomes of the folks in the area as well.

The misty mornings that does not include polluted air of the city but only the sweat seductions of the near by lake, flowers that bloom like nobody's business and hills that look alive, are an absolute blessing. Many jockeys bring their well groomed horses (mostly ponies) to the lake Gregory hoping a horse-ride will interest the idling tourist.

While jockeys near the lake finds limited business, those who hover around the hub, the Nuwara Eliya gardens however earn an extra buck.

The jersey clad estate workers strive to make ends meet. The poor tea pluckers too unwittingly add to the beauty of the whole place though. Their long 'thodu' hang down their torn earlobes while the fingers do all the work.

From a distance it looks an expensive work of art come to life... the most vivid shades of green on which the sari clad tea pluckers look strewn all over like colourful flowers on green green meadows.

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