The first tournament of the New Year provided a few firsts.
A first flight on Sri Lankan Airways and very pleasantly surprised and a first visit to Sri Lankan, and albeit 2 1/2 hour stop-over at Colombo Airport.
And one of the first sights within the Colombo Airport terminal is the number of tea shops.
Of course, tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon), and accounts for 2% of GDP, contributing US $1,527 million in 2013 to the economy of Sri Lanka.
It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth largest producer of tea. In 1995, it was the world’s leading exporter of tea, (rather than producer) with 23% of the total world export, but it has since been surpassed by Kenya.
The highest production of 340 million kg was recorded in 2013, while the production in 2014 was slighly reduced to 338 million kg.
River delta somewhere over Indonesia.
Coming into land at Colombo.
Welcome to Colombo.
Take your pick of Sri Lankan fridge magnets.
Anyone for a cupper?
Tea abounds in Colombo Airport.
Elephant charge!
More elephants.
Time to board – bound for Abu Dhabi.
Sun sets over my Sri Lankan flight to Abu Dhabi.
