Sri Lanka: The teardrop roundabout of the Indian Ocean

Sri Lanka is like a tear falling into the Indian Ocean. Seven days and six nights, at the castle, tea gardens, and seaside train stations, you circle the island and meet black tea and the sea.

Sigiriya (Lion Rock), a floating palace built atop a 200-meter-high giant rock, features murals of fairies and mirrored walls that tell of the ancient Sinhalese Kingdom's luxury. From the summit, you can overlook the jungle and enjoy a vast view.

The Buddha Tooth Temple in Kandy enshrines the Buddha tooth of Shakyamuni, and the drumbeats of the Kandy dance are passionate and resonant. The golden dome of the temple in the middle of the lake is the spiritual center of the Sinhalese.

Central tea plantations (Nuwara Eliya), with neat tea trees on green hillsides like fingerprints. Riding the mountain train, looking out the window reveals a Miyazaki-style fairy tale—yes, the inspiration for the sea train in "Spirited Away" comes from this.

At the southern end is Galle, an ancient Dutch colonial city, with coral stone walls and a lighthouse facing the Indian Ocean. Take a walk along the city walls in the evening and watch the sunset turn the sea reddish-orange.

Sri Lanka's warmth is blending oldness and laziness into the taste of black tea. When you lean out from the tea garden train and the breeze fills the carriage, you'll understand that this "tear" is actually sweet.