sasri2016 – Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is an expensive city. It's colder than other and located quite high in the mountains. The Sri Lanka's New Year festival was going in full throttle, when I arrived here (13.4.2016). I stayed in Wink Field hotel. It's a bit away from other hotels and city center, but not far (a walking distance).

City isn't that small. The walk from Wink Field to Grand hotel would take like 20 minutes perhaps, if you know the directions. I spent a long time trying to find Grand hotel to get a dinner there, but never made it. Found some guy barbecuing chicken legs and whole chickens in front of one bakery and went to ask if they have a menu. They guy showed me to get to their downstairs, which was actual restaurant and was supposed to have a menu (well they didn't as you probably can guess). But I wanted something salty and “normal” food for a change and have to admit, that smell on the street from those barbecued chickens was so great, that those chickens would have been all needed to make me happy. So I ordered french fries and barbecued chicken legs (two). While I was sitting in my table, I saw those fancy (sambol?) buns, that have curry inside. They have been totally awesome here, so I ordered one fish and one sesame version. They were not as good as those have been before, as their inside was not filled with actual curry, but instead something like it. Still loved it all. I first got wrong chicken legs, these ones were just heated in oven and not those in barbecue. But it was fixed and everything was “okay” again.

About the hotel. There really were not everything in the room you would have expected, with this price. Price was under 90 € per night, but with that price (specially in Sri Lanka), you would have expected to see mosquito vaporizer/spray/incense, candle (for power breaks), soap at the sink, possibly a flashlight and a wardrobe. There were not that many insects here, like there have been in other places in Sri Lanka during my trip, but still you would expect at least a closet where you can put your clothes hanging. Hotel was basically clean, but the worst part for me was the lack of hot water in my shower. When I came back from my walk in the city, I mentioned this to hotel's “lady” and bellboy, who doesn't really speak english, but did understand this. They first argued to me that it's not true, then they came to room to check this and after they verified it was like this, showed that I can go to have the shower in room next to me. Then I asked bellboy, that I would change room into this one. But that wasn't okay. I still don't know why, because no-one came to that room and facilities in my own room were not working (or sufficient). Didn't start a fight for this, because I was staying for one night only and I knew I would be totally messed at morning anyway, when waking 04:00 to get to Horton Plains.