00:00Eu sou Lili Douse e esse é Grand Voyager.
00:04De minha base em Qatar, eu viajo o mundo para descobrir incrível lugares
00:10filled com cultura, luxurio e aventura.
00:13Along the way, eu conheço o povo,
00:16entro o sabor e experimento o momento que faz cada destino unforgettable.
00:22Hoje, eu vou viajar de Qatar,
00:28a tropical island que está na costa de India.
00:31Eu estou aqui no sul de Sri Lanka,
00:34a região conhecida por seus teacovered highlands,
00:37breathtaking views e maravilhosos.
00:40Oi, Bawain, e bem-vindo a Sri Lanka.
00:43Neste episódio, eu vou descobrir a história de sua história,
00:47de suas sabores e as pessoas que trouxe a história.
00:51Em Sri Lanka, história e espiritualidade são profundamente em cultura,
00:55então eu estou começando a minha jornada
00:57em um antigo buddhista rock templo,
00:59no norte do país.
01:01Knado localmente como Yatagala Rajamaha Viharaya,
01:05este site é mais de 2,000 anos,
01:08e é um dos lugares mais altos do país.
01:11É fullo de colorido de carvalho,
01:13que é muito bem preservado.
01:17O templo é abençado para o público,
01:19e welcomes visitors from all backgrounds.
01:22É um importante local landmark,
01:24e um bom lugar para começar a minha jornada.
01:27Close-by é um outro histórico site, Goal Fort.
01:32I'm meeting Emily Parnell
01:34to learn more about this fortified old town.
01:37Hello Emily.
01:38Hello, welcome to Goal Fort.
01:40We're going to start our tour here today at the Clock Tower,
01:43which is a colonial landmark built in 1883,
01:46right at the entrance of the fort.
01:48Goal Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
01:51where colonial era buildings sit alongside homes and everyday life.
01:56This is the highest point out of the fort.
01:58It overlooks the city on this side,
02:00and then you can see the rest of the fort behind us here.
02:03The fort was occupied by several European powers.
02:06Today, it's firmly part of Sri Lanka,
02:09a great place to wander and explore.
02:12So we're now walking on the actual walls of the fort.
02:15They go around the whole parameter of Goal Fort,
02:18and they have some bastions on each corner.
02:20Next, we head to one of the area's most recognizable spots,
02:23the lighthouse.
02:25This beacon has guided ships along this coast for centuries.
02:29Goal is known not just for its colonial history,
02:32but also for its gemstone trade.
02:36Today, Emily and I are traveling by tuk-tuk
02:39to a gemstone workshop to make some jewelry of our own.
02:42Gemstone cutting is a craft that takes years to master.
02:46The process begins by wetting the stone,
02:49before carefully grinding it into shape.
02:52Now it's my turn to get hands-on and give it a go.
02:57Polishing is the next step.
02:59The process takes around two hours
03:01to slowly bring out the stone's natural shine.
03:04To finish the piece, the silver is melted
03:06and carefully shaped by hand.
03:08The result is a beautifully finished ring,
03:11a perfect souvenir to take home.
03:15The next morning, I'm up early and getting around again by tuk-tuk.
03:19Today, I'm heading to a nearby beach
03:21to try one of the country's most popular sports.
03:24This is the Shack de Warte,
03:26a relaxed beachfront cafe right on de Warte beach,
03:29where you can take surf lessons.
03:31Feruz, the cafe's surf instructor,
03:34starts by explaining the basics of the board,
03:36then shows me how to get on and paddle out properly.
03:39Put all arms under the water, pressure under the water.
03:43We need more strong paddle.
03:45Okay.
03:46Otherwise we always miss the waves, yeah?
03:47There are several steps, but Feruz keeps it simple.
03:50The key is balance and timing.
03:52Look up, chest up.
03:54Paddle and bring your hand under the chest.
03:57lift, back and front, bend your knees and relax.
04:03Now that I've learnt the basics,
04:05it's time to try it myself.
04:07After a couple of tries,
04:08I eventually start to get the hang of it.
04:10Hands up and bend your knees,
04:12ankle in this straight, this ankle and bend your knees and straight.
04:18Yeah?
04:19Yeah.
04:20And relax.
04:21Next, we head down to the beach and make our way into the ocean.
04:26Out on the water,
04:27we spend some time putting everything into practice.
04:30It's much harder than it looks,
04:32but with every fall,
04:33I start to feel a little more confident.
04:36Before long,
04:37I start to find my balance and enjoy the waves.
04:40It's easy to see why surfing is such a big part of life here.
04:45After a morning of surfing,
04:46I've definitely worked up an appetite.
04:49This is Mom's Kitchen, a family-run restaurant and cooking school,
04:53known for its authentic, home-cooked Sri Lankan cuisine.
04:57Today, I'm joining a private class
04:59to learn how to make some classic Sri Lankan dishes.
05:02And there's certainly a lot to prepare.
05:04Today is, firstly, rice cooking,
05:06pumpkin curry and jackfruit curry,
05:09mango curry,
05:11potato tempered and coconut sambal and papadum.
05:15OK, lots and lots of cooking.
05:17Well, luckily Sri Lankan curry is my favourite.
05:19We start by making the locally grown rice,
05:22carefully measured for four people.
05:24Next, we make a traditional red lentil curry,
05:27known as dal.
05:28I absolutely adore dal.
05:30This is made of red lentils,
05:32garlic, red onion and spices.
05:34Mmm, that smells amazing, yes.
05:36Together we prepare the ingredients
05:38and everything slowly starts to come together.
05:41Sri Lankan cooking makes the most of fresh vegetables
05:44and bold flavours.
05:46One of the key ingredients in traditional Sri Lankan cooking
05:49is coconut, used for its flavour and richness.
05:53Oh, wow, that is beautiful.
05:55Mmm.
05:56We scoop out the fresh coconut flesh
05:58and mix it with water to make coconut milk.
06:01So this is how we make fresh coconut milk.
06:03Yeah.
06:04This is very therapeutic.
06:06Yeah.
06:07How often do you make coconut milk?
06:09Every day?
06:10Every day.
06:11Every time.
06:12Once the dal is prepared,
06:13the mixture is placed on a low heat
06:15and we move on to preparing the rest of the dishes.
06:18It's the aromas.
06:20Everything smells incredible.
06:21Food is such a universal language, right?
06:24Yeah.
06:25No matter what, you can understand food.
06:26Yeah.
06:27With the dal bubbling away,
06:28it's time for a quick taste.
06:34That is incredible.
06:35Yeah.
06:36Well done, team!
06:37Yeah!
06:38Sri Lankan cooking is often a team effort,
06:41with everyone pitching in and sharing tasks together.
06:44There is so much going on,
06:46so many colours, smells and different dishes being prepared.
06:49I am really enjoying contributing to each dish.
06:52After all that time in the kitchen,
06:55we finally sit down to share the meal we've made together.
06:58I have our final dish!
07:01Yeah.
07:02All of our amazing cuisine that we made today.
07:06Everything in Sri Lanka has been absolutely amazing,
07:10but definitely trying the cuisine is up there.
07:13I need the recipes to take home,
07:15but also I'll be taking home these amazing memories.
07:21From the coast,
07:22I'm heading into the green tea-covered hills of central Sri Lanka
07:25to learn more about one of the country's most important exports, tea.
07:31In the heart of the lush green hills is an iconic train route
07:35that cuts across the area's famous tea-growing plantations.
07:40Today, I'm boarding a train to travel to the famous tea-producing town of Ella.
07:45Traveling this route feels incredibly freeing,
07:49and it's easy to see why it's considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.
07:58My first stop in Ella is Flying Ravana Adventure Park,
08:02a popular spot for outdoor adventure with stunning views over the surrounding hills.
08:07It's a great place to see Ella from a different angle.
08:11Today, I'm exploring the landscape by ATV with instructor Jagan.
08:16He's been riding here for years and knows the trails inside out.
08:20This is your helmet, wearing for your safety.
08:24Jagan shows me where everything is, from the brakes to the accelerator.
08:28Once I'm comfortable, it's time to start the engine.
08:31You have to switch on your start button, like this.
08:35The handle on the left side, your yellow collar button.
08:39Like this.
08:40That's it.
08:41After a few final safety tips, we're ready to set off.
08:45Are you ready?
08:46Yeah.
08:47We'll go amazing, huh?
08:52The bikes are powerful, so we take it slow as we head out onto the trail.
08:56Jagan leads the way and I follow behind.
08:59Hold on tight.
09:00Hold on tight, yeah.
09:01Yes.
09:02Keep your fingers always in the brake, right?
09:04Yeah.
09:05Yes.
09:06The trail winds its way through the hills, with twists and turns along the way.
09:11The views of the lush fields really help bring the experience to life.
09:15It's an incredible way to experience this part of Sri Lanka.
09:26What an incredible experience riding through the tea fields.
09:31This has put a whole new meaning to tea for me.
09:35After driving through these green hills, I want to learn more about Sri Lanka's tea making tradition.
09:40So I'm visiting the Halpivata Tea Factory in Elle.
09:44This plantation produces the famous Ceylon tea and is one of the country's largest producers.
09:50I'm meeting Saleh, the factory tour guide, to see what goes into the perfect cup of tea.
09:55Welcome to Halpivata Tea Factory.
09:58Now I'm going to introduce the green leaf.
10:00This is the perfect leaf in my hand.
10:02The two leaf in a body is the required standard that goes for the export quality.
10:08The third and the fourth leaf that goes for the local market area.
10:12Sri Lanka is a small country.
10:14We produce only very small quantity, but quality wise always number one.
10:20After learning about the perfect tea leaf, I'm keen to try plucking for myself.
10:25So I join one of the local tea pluckers to see how it's done.
10:29Oh, thank you.
10:36She's so quick.
10:37Thank you very much.
10:38Very fast.
10:41The plantation has around 125 workers.
10:45And each tea plucker collects a minimum of 20 kilograms a day.
10:50It's hands-on work that requires both speed and experience.
10:54Oh!
10:57There's so much tea!
11:00With a bit of help, my basket starts to fill up.
11:03It's hard work, but it's really enjoyable working in such a beautiful setting.
11:08After getting hands-on, it's time to taste the fruits of my labour with Sivanathan, the cafe manager.
11:14We have different types of tea.
11:16We have black tea, green tea.
11:19This is a real tea that we have the silver tips.
11:22Silver tips.
11:23An unprocessed part of the tea, which is now having a lot of antioxidants, which is a medicine.
11:29There's a wide variety of flavours, each with its own character.
11:33Tasting the tea here brings the whole process together, and I leave with a new appreciation for every cup.
11:39Sri Lanka is a land of beauty and diversity.
11:43From iconic train journeys to ancient temples, colonial forts, and the people I've met along the way,
11:50it's been an unforgettable experience.
11:52But for now, it's on to my next adventure.
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