We caught the 9.47 train from Ella after another breakfast at the curd and honey shop (which is buffalo yoghurt and treacle!)

The train was incredibly spacious compared to the cramped buses - our bags fitted in the overhead shelves and we could stretch our legs out. The views from the train were incredible - rolling green hills filled with tea plantations, tea factories, dagobas/stupas dotted around. Unfortunately about half way through our journey the train stopped abruptly. Lots of locals jumped out to see what was going on, then the train reversed to the nearest station. A group of people rushed past the train carrying a man on a stretcher. Apparently the man was sleeping on the lines and the train hit him. We don't know if he was alright or not. Hopefully he was ok, but it didn't look good.

Although that put a downer on the journey, the rest of the trip was smooth with more amazing views, plenty of tunnels and as we got higher the scenery became less tropical and more... British.

We arrived at Nanu Oya where a friendly minibus driver gave us a lift to The Trevene in Nuwara Eliya. An old colonial villa which was just about in our price range. We were greeted with tea on the lawn!

Nuwara Eliya was the centre of the British tea empire in Sri Lanka, and is often referred to as Little England due it the colonial architecture left behind by us. (not to mention the weather - which is actually pretty cold and not just for Sri Lanka, especially at night)

We spent the afternoon wandering around the aptly named Victoria Park and seeing the large colonial hotels - the Grand Hotel, The Brititsh Hill Club and St Andrews Hotel (the old Scottish club) We had some more tea here, followed by a beer, followed by dinner. There's not much else to do in Nuwara Eliya except drink tea and beer! Dinner was fantastic though - an international buffet with soup, a variety of salads, a selections of currys from around the world and western options such as seared fish, pork and chicken. There was also a stir fry kitchen and dessert table with banana fritters. we were so full afterward though.

We walked back to the guesthouse and snuggled up under the blanket. It does actually get properly cold here at night!

The next day we had a late breakfast at the guesthouse before catching a tuktuk to the Pedro Tea Estate - we had a whistle stop your of the tea factory and machines used to dry, chop and sort the tea and got to taste a cup. After we took a walk through the tea plantations to Lovers Leap - a nearby waterfall named due to the double suicide that occurred here, and inspiration for the name of the tea that we tasted (and have bought!)

We caught the bus back and wandered through town. Emily debated buying a cheap north face jacket which may or may not be fake, but looks very real. We ate a curry and rice lunch at a nearby canteen which was good and very spicy.

We then took a walk up Single Tree Mountain - one of the mountains overlooking Nuwara Eliya - at 2100m ( the highest - Pidurutalagala
/Mount Pedro at 2554m - which overlooks the other side of town summit owned by the government and is ought of bounds.) the view was incredible and once at the top we met some locals hauling a new dish up to the communications tower. Past them the path seemed to fizzle out and we were wondering whether to head back when one of the local guys told us to follow him. He took us down an overgrown path to the summit where there was a little shrine which he prayed by. He spoke no English but proceeded to walk us back down the mountain via a short-cut through the tea plantations, it was beautiful with incredible views.

We had an evening drink at the British Hill Club - one of the best preserved colonial building especially inside where there is wood panelling, old telephone systems, pictures of royalty etc. The drinks weren't great - warm beer and stale crisps but we really paid just to have a snoop around, which was well worth it!

We ate dinner at the Grand Hotel's Indian restaurant just by the entrance to the grounds. The food was good, but the ice cold lion beer here was really excellent - although it did cost the same amount as the food.

Before bed we chilled in our guesthouses communal sitting room in front of the fire - a lovely colonial end to our stay in Nuwara Eliya. (although we are disappointed we have no way of watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics!)