|
|
Sri Lanka
|
 |
 |
 |
We again boarded the train for a two hour journey to the high country and town of Kandi.
As the train climbed in elevation, we found ourselves in tea country. Huge plantations of Ceylon Tea growing on mountainous and very steep terrain. All the tea is hand picked leaving the plants at an even and tidy height. Basically, the tea plants are bonsai with very thick trunks and branches, the tallest plant being about 2 ˝ feet high. They produce for about 15 years. Women dressed in colorful saris, pick the leaves, putting them in large baskets which they carry on their backs. They then take the basket to a weigh station, leaves are checked for quality and they are credited for pay. Each plantation seems to provide housing, medical care and child care for the workers. The scene is very picturesque, but these are noticeably hard working people for very little pay.
 |
 |
 |
We arrive Kandi around 6:30 without accommodation booking, but this is not a problem. There are many guest house accommodation for tourists and our taxi driver found us a nice one. After settling in, we were given a wonderful vegetable curry meal. We had a good night’s sleep to be ready for our next days exploration.
Kandi has an artificial lake in its center, so Rob got up really early for a walk and a visit to the Temple of the Tooth.
This
temple is supposedly the location of the tooth of Buddha. It is
currently under restoration as there was a bombing there a few years
ago. It is now heavily guarded, but still open to locals and the many
people who come to visit and worship here. It was important for Rob to
visit this temple, as his father was here during World War II.
Kandi is an elephant place, so we went to visit the elephant bathing area. Here we got a very close look at the elephants and a ride a well!! I was a bit nervous at first, but soon realized I was not going to fall off and relaxed a bit. When the elephants are bathing, they lie completely down in the water, round bellies out like massive boulders and head underwater. The trunk is then used like a snorkel!
 |
 |
 |
 |
Our next stop was the Botanical Gardens and what a beautiful place this is! It is a Sunday, so many Sri Lankan families are out for the day having picnics, enjoying the beauty of the many flowers, playing sports and generally have a good time. Each giant tree had a pair of lovers under it, having some time to their own. All quite romantic really.
That evening we went to the cultural center to enjoy traditional dancing and drumming. The drumming was excellent, strong, exciting, the dancing and costumes festive.
The next day, we took the train to Hatton, an even higher elevation. We are headed to Adams Peak (Sri Pada), a sacred mountain to Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim and Christians. It is the pilgrimage season and thousands of people climb it each day. The peak is spectacular standing alone at an elevation of 7340 feet. Rob is going to climb to the top.
 |
 |
 |
We find basic accommodation at the beginning of the trail which is at about 3600 ft.
On our way here, we have been meeting other Westerners headed for Sri Pada and making friends with people from many countries. We all end up at the same accommodation!
Seeing the sunrise from the peak is one of the most special events of the journey. Rob gets up at 2:00 am to begin his journey which will take him about three hours. I stay snuggled in bed, having decided the steep climb is not for me.
In the morning after a pot of tea, I head up the pilgrim’s path to explore and maybe to meet Rob on his way down. All along the path are hawkers selling exotic sweets, tea, breads, health drinks and souvenirs. It is a very festive atmosphere, which goes on twenty-four hours a day.
People of all ages are going up and coming down. Some of those coming down seem very tired and can hardly walk, being helped or carried by family members.
The scene is again very picturesque in the early morning light; below I see a free flowing river beyond steep fields of tea, dramatic stone cliffs, brightly colored hawker’s booths, whilst monks send prayers over loud speakers.
I decide to walk up to the Buddhist Stupa (prayer site) which is about a quarter of the way up the peak. The path is well worn, easy to use at this point. The light is good for photography. Once I reach the Stupa, I see Rob all happy and mellow. He has had a good trip and we slowly make our way back down together. He enjoys the scenery, as it was nighttime when he went up (the path is lit at night).
Our hosts fed us all a wonderful hearty breakfast after which ten of us shared a van back to Hatton, everyone then going their separate ways.
We continued on with the van to the town of Nurwara Eliya. For two hours we drove on narrow winding roads through tea plantations and small mountain villages, passing big waterfalls and going higher and higher. We decide to spoil ourselves and get a room with a fireplace as it is quite chilly up here!
Rob wants to stretch his legs a bit, so we walk around town. We find a very strong English presence here. We come across a large hotel called "The Hill Club" which is the complete epitome of a British Colonial Club. This is certainly a contrast to what we have been experiencing in other parts of Sri Lanka!
We head into town, get a bite to eat and go back to the hotel. I get a fire going and before I am finished, Rob is sound asleep! I think the peak climb has caught up with him!
The next day it is time for us to start heading back to the coast, so we grab a train to the town of Hapatale which sits right on the edge of the mountains. The view is expansive, very very expansive. We get a driver for a fair price to take us down the mountain to the coastal town of Tissamaharama (Tissa)
We arrange a four wheel drive to take us to two national parks, Yala and Bundala Sanctuary. We hope to see some wildlife and do some birding.
At 5:30 in the morning, we depart our hotel in a 1963 series one Land Rover for a day of adventure! Arriving at the park around dawn, we pick up a "tracker" (an official which must accompany us while in the park) and pay for our permits.
This is a dry, scrubby coastal environment with shallow fresh water lagoons cover by water lilies. We hear waves breaking on the shore not far away.
We immediately start seeing birds we have never seen before! Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Black Robins, Pied Kingfishers, Hoopoe, Rose Ringed Parrot, just to name of few of the more exotic looking. All in all we identified about 60 species, some of which are only here in Sri Lanka. This dry region is also home to the Peafowl, so peacocks were everywhere doing their dance with tail fanned.
We were fortunate
to come across a wild male elephant, which was quite active and very
close to our vehicle. It was Rob’s first time to see an elephant in
the wild so he was very pleased with this. We saw another one later at a
watering hole. Other wildlife we spotted were the mongoose, goanna, wild
deer, two species of monkeys, and wild pigs. So all in all, it was not a
bad day for spotting!
After visiting the parks, a van met us to take us on a four-hour journey back to Sea Fever. Needless to say, we were somewhat bushed when we got home!
 |
 |
So now it is time to get ready to leave Sri Lanka and prepare for our next voyage.
Pick up
provisions, get laundry done, put the repaired Jib back up, fuel up,
minor repairs and maintenance on the engine….but wait a minute…what
is that awful sound in the engine???????
Damaged water pump.
Rob and Bob start taking apart the engine to diagnose the problem. After two days of careful examination, they confirm what needs to be done.
Emergency emails go to Australia to order parts. Hopefully they are on their way as I write. Our delay will be 7 – 10 days. Could be worse. Another yacht here is waiting for a new engine, another is so broken down it had to be towed in here after going in circles for three days…our problem is small comparatively speaking!
Ah the cruising life!
I finish this part of my journal on 5 March 1999 in Galle, Sri Lanka
