SL - 4 last days - Kalutara - Beach time

Another beautiful day after at night of rain and we finished doing some shopping and loaded up in a van to take us to Jenny and Steve's in Kalutara on the beach of the Indian Ocean. This establishment Marigold Beach House Marigold Beach House was basically the only building in the area that survived the tsunami as it was two stories and made of concrete.  Steve and Jenny partnered up with a Sri Lankan man and gave him money to fix the place up in hopes that they would have a place to stay and the man could earn some income from people staying here. However, Ranjith (the SL man) hardly trusts anyone except Steve and Jenny's friends to stay here so not making the money they thought they would. This place is the only place the closest to the beach because now there are more laws in place that buildings need to be a certain distance from the beach due to the tsunami.  There 4 bedrooms with each their own bathrooms and a small kitchen and sitting area on the first floor, that would sleep 8. And on the second floor more like an apartment sleeps 3, kitchen bathroom and a beautiful balcony  overlooking the ocean. This is where Jenny O and I are. 

We walk one way on the beach to a resort for cocktails and another way on the morning for coffee. We usually eat lunch next door at Paradise (free wi-fi) and dinners are at different places. 

The days have been beautiful. The waves are big but today I went in. Undertow strong, water warm. 

Coconut anyone?

Just hanging around the beach, listening to people's stories. Heard a first hand story about when the tsunami hit in December 2004. This lady Barbara, British was  hear with her Sri Lanka husband (that's another story in its self). On this side of the island the first wave hit about 9:15 in the morning so people were awake and saw the water reach to their homes and move their small furniture and possessions around. So at this time people took older people and children up to higher levels - past the train tracks to the main road was higher ground. 
When Barbara and Sumi her husband came back to their restaurant on the beach they watched the water being sucked back to the sea, they saw the ocean water pull back about 100 meters this exposing the ocean floor completely, seeing all the rocks, coral, bare bottom of the ocean floor. This unbelievable scene unfortunately drew a lot of people towards the ocean (Sumi and Barbara saw it but were smart enough to start moving to higher ground) and then in the horizon people saw then humongous wave coming towards them at full speed. There were a lot of injuries of cut legs and broken legs but fortunately no one was killed as it was morning and they were aware of a danger. Unlike the people in the south that the tsunami hit at about 4 in the morning.  Once they returned everyone's possessions were gone floating to other area, large boats were stuck in people's buildings. Whatever people found they kept for themselves even though they might have known whom it belonged to. 

Fabulous sunsets:

SL - 6 - Galle - Fort Area UNESCO site

The Four Printers Hotel (courtyard)

mod of transportation - tuk-tuk

Spice Queen - spice shack - Old Dutch Market

Katie and Sandy's friend Andy joined us in Galle and they all set out to shop the stores inThe Fort area, though I had an adventurous day on my own. 

I left the Fort area and men kept saying to me to go to the Old Dutch market as it closed soon, so initially I thought I would just walk there but didn't know exactly where it was and I had not ridden in a Tuk-Tuk yet I hopped in one and he took me to the vegetable and spice market. Well the spice market was really a spice shack. But I was invited right into the spice shack and I smelled all different fresh spices. So I bought some but was worried that I wouldn't remember the recipe so they wrote it down for me to use for mets and it has 38 spices in it. It needs to be put in glass jars and shake it daily in humid climates. 

Then I went or was taken to a souvenir wood craft place then after learning a little more about the fisherman on the sticks thought it was only down south so decided to have my Tuk-Tuk driver to take me out to Koggala beach 16 km away to see them. I didn't think it all the way through as it was midday and they only work sunrise and sunset, but we found 4 still on sticks so I took some photos and 2 of the men came off their sticks to show me their catch, little fish. 

traditional fishing on sticks

Sri Lankan people are always asking for tourists email addresses which I always fake, well while I was chatting to one guy, I asked his name and I didn't really hear him so I said "say it again" and he thought I was saying my name and he responded nice to meet you Sayitagain! I was really cracking up inside!  So the email address was sayitagain@gmail.com.  My driver said I should not give my email to people because they will email asking. For money due to the tsunami, I said don't worry I gave a fake email, he laughed and said smart! :)

I did a little shopping and bought an interesting ring for $100 USD 

Then we went back to the hotel and I met Katie and Andy and joined them and Sandy and Jenny for a drink at a bar before our historical walking tour with Juliette Coombs at 5:30.  
 
The tour was very informative about how we can identify the different architecture between the Portuguese, Dutch and British. How and why the fort walls were built and more information about the tsunami and the civil war. Out of nowhere a huge downpour of rain happened upon us, so we went to a new area. Well the building was used for the British hospital but just opened with different restaurants and shops. 

Jenny and I ate in one called Sugar for some western food. 

SL - Day 5 - Morning Safari Evening - UNESCO area of Galle

5 o'clock wake up call with coffee and in the jeep by 5:15am, arrived at the national park by opening, 6 am!  Saw more elephants, mommies, babies and lone daddies; more birds but no leopards. Had morning tea by a banyan tree and was back at the campsite by 9:30. Breakfast was prepared for us outside under a tree. We started with fresh watermelon juice served in a half of a watermelon, some fruit, Sri Lankan bran porridge (which was quite tasty), with coconut rotti and jams then an omelet. Then it was time to go meet our driver. 

We then went to an elephant transit conservationist area to see about 35 baby elephants who have had their homes misplaced due to new construction or land clearing. It was so cute they all walked in a straight line to the gate and then the elephants were allowed in about 3 at a time to be feed their milk through a plastic hose attached to a funnel and then were expected to move out of the way to eat some leaves on the ground...though some tried to go back for seconds. They elephants practically ran to get their milk. 

Kate W, Jenny O'D, Jill, Sandy W

We also stopped at a natural blow hole but the finally continued to Galle, at this point it was pouring rain. We had not booked a place and had basically agreed to stay I the same hotel so we had to find one that suited all our needs, so Katie and I checked out 4 places. The second and third were like omg no way...one was doable but 4th was definitely the best boutique hotel called The Fort Printers - absolutely beautiful hotel in the middle of the The Fort, a UNESCO site, and this is where we stayed for 2 nights. I even negotiated a lower price! 

SL - Day 3 and 4 - Train to Ella and Udawalawe Safari

We were at the train station by 9 for our 9:30 train which in the end arrived 30 minute late and left an hour later. We had seen a train come through the station and thought that really isn't too bad all classes looked alright. However when our train came through the station we all all like OMG! Our observation first class car was at the back and facing backwards. When we thought observation we thought with a skylight...no it had a back "bay" window  and 24 seat, 6 rows of the popular brown valor seats. All is full with 13 seats taken by a group of loud Asian people, 3 of them screaming children ages 4- 6. 

Sandy, Kate and the driver were waiting for us as we alighted from the train in the down pour of rain. We went to our hotel Heaven's Edge, The best part about our hotel is the beautiful panoramic view of the mountains and Ella Gap. Green rolling mountains.

Ella Gap

The gals picked us up at 9 and we were on our way to Udawalawe National Park for our 24 hours camping and safari adventure. We arrived at the designated meeting point about an hour early but they were there to meet us so we had a little more rest time before our Sri Lankan lunch under the tent. Eco-Team Big Camp Big Game Safaris is a carbon free camp as all the tents are mobile, only the kitchen is a permanent building.  At 2:30 we climbed into our safari jeep of 6 seats and headed the park. Sandy loves her birds and we tons. We kept seeing so many peacocks that by the end we did not need to stop anymore to take photos. The peacock is a sacred bird in Sri Lanka. 


Then we saw it an elephant, well 2 eating a way. But actually there was a baby too!  So we sat quietly and waited for the elephants to come out of the brush so they were more visible. As we waited we were pleasantly surprised to find another even younger baby elephant. So two mommies and two babies. One of the mom elephants got so close our jeep we could have touched it. It was amazing. And since Jenny had never been on a safari before she was just like a little kid, giddy with excitement. 
The babies then started sucking up the water from the puddles in the road and squirted itself with the water. Then it bent down I to it trying to get its belly wet, it was so cute! Then the other older baby came over and the two of them started playing around pushing each other into the mud...fortunately I caught it all on video!!!!


We also saw water buffalo, peacocks and peahens, some jackals, turtles and lots of birds, hawks, kingfishers, storks, wobbles. It was a a great afternoon despite the rain. Oh and then about 2 hours into the 3 hour tour we stopped and were able to get out of the vehicle and they served tea and snacks!  Excellent!

Baby Elephants playing

Baby Elephants enjoying the mud and puddles - watch video cutest thing ever

Upon returning back to camp the tiki torches were lit and they had prepared some tea and cookies for us. They had a little table set up for us by a campfire which they were proud of being able to light for us as it had been raining all evening. So we had our bottle of wine there and reflected on our trip thus far with using a flower (best part), bud (looking forward to) and thorn (worst part). 

Then we had dinner under the tarp they accommodated all our meal requirements and I got BBQ pork and chicken, veggies and some pasta. Oh first onion soup.  We had a great dinner then hit the hay about 9:30 as we had a 5 o'clock wake up call. 

The tents were glamping (Glamorous Camping) Bathrooms in the "luxury" tents, real toilets, shower and sink. The twin cots pushed together with the mosquito nets around worked fine for the night.  With all the fresh air I slept quite well!

Jenny and I .. glamping

SL day 2 - Nuwara Eliya

October 22, 2014 - Ceylon Tea Plantations

Jenny and I looking glamorous!

After a good breakfast Jenny and I met with the guy who picked us up from the airport, Radithika to give him a list of things we would like to do for the day. 

First activity to the train station to get a first class observation train tickets to Ella. With a few stops to take pictures of the breathtaking view.  Got our first class tix for $10 and then continued along the train tracks to view a waterfall or river with rapids going under the bridge, many people walk along the train tracks. 

Next we went to the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka where the army is based on top. We were not allowed to get out our cars as there were leopards and other dangerous animals in the forest, though we didn't see any.  The views of the Nuwara Eliya area were fantastic despite the clouds rolling in.  I love all the pastel painted homes in the area. 

Next we went to Pedro Estate tea plantation and after donning our green aprons and hair nets we went for a tour. We first learned how only women pick the tea leaves. For two reasons, one it has always been  the women's job as well as their fingers are softer to pick the leaves more gently. They pick for 8 hours a day, every 2 hours the bags of leaves are brought into the factory and weighed. They still this huge book ledger to record the weight of the bags. They are then brought up to troughs to dry for 12 hours, air is blown from underneath and someone comes to toss the leaves, this part dries the leaves 45%. Then they are taken to the rolling room where they are pressed to extract more moisture, next they are put in another heater where they are mostly dry now but the leaves and stem have not been cleaned. Then they go through this rolling machine, the rollers are made from plastic and have a magnetic force which pulls all the dirt and stem particulars from the ground up tea. One last process is to sift or grind the tea leaves to make the 6 different types of tea they really fine tea which is often in tea bags  and then the looser tea that can be used in diffusers  

We of course ended the tour with a cup a tea out looking over the tea estate followed by purchasing some tea. 

We had to change vehicles as the hybrid car wasn't able to make it up the mountain we were going to to view a waterfall called Lover's Leap. The only saving grace of this brown velour dusty van was the huge sunroof in the back.  One which Jenny and I popped out of to take amazing photos of women in the tea fields picking tea leaves. 

Lover's Leap Waterfall

Lover's Leap waterfalls was beautiful. Legend had it that two lovers were on top of it and fell off, thus I said it should have been called Lover's Falls!

Next we went to the tourist restaurant called Governor's Chalet which was right on Gregory Lake, food was fair but we did have Sri  Lankan famous EHB ginger beer which was great.  

As it was nearing 4pm we thought we would skip the Botanical gardens and go to the Mini World's End (the real one is at Horton's Place. )

We again had to switch vehicles to a 4 wheel drive "safari" truck, it was getting colder, so I asked our guide do u think it will rain should I being my jacket, no was everyone's response!  As we drive out to the worlds end we are told of the many different animals that they are spotting. Our driver and tour guide are ever excited to have the opportunity to see these wild animals. Something similar to our mouse deer some animals called Zambac which I think are similar to elk and we saw some wild peacocks. By the time we reached our destination and walked up to the lookout platform the clouds had rolled in and it began to downpour rain, figures I didn't have my raincoat iPod umbrella which I had been carrying all day long! And of course unfortunately we had paid $18 each to see this incredible panoramic view which we could hardly see 2 feet in front of us. Oh well. 

Jenny at the end of the world!

We had heard of this old English building /club called Hill Club had a nice dinner in the ambience of an old British club made of stone with taxidermic animals in the walls, so we went to inquire. It looked good but we after we got home and had a hot shower and the rain increased we were really too tired to go out and again and so ordered room service, ate and crashed!