Sri Lanka: Blog 2 - The Rainy Mountains of Nuwara
Eliya to the Beaches of Tangalla and Mirissa
You might recall we were leaving Kandy, Sri Lanka, on the train to Nanu Oya in the
tea growing mountains to the south. We
intended to do lots of hiking on the Horton Plains around Nuwara Eliya, but continued on to Ella because of the rain. We found Ella very spectacular and a little less wet, and we met many new friends with whom we dined,
hiked and leapfrogged along the tourist route.
We’d missed leopards in Wilpattu National Park at the beginning of our
trip, but we hoped that Uda Walawe National Park would provide some wildlife reward
along with some dryer days. We hiked in
the rainforest of the Sinharaja Forest Reserve where we saw numerous snakes
that fascinated us and made us shiver!
Finally, a warm beach…at Goyambokha Beach just west of Tangalla, close
enough to Mirissa for the boys to practice surfing, and to Galle where we
visited a colonial era fort, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The end of the trip for the Stefanescus was
at hand, and we took the train from Galle to Colombo Airport. While my trip continued on to Thailand,
Myanmar (Burma) and Cambodia (photos will be posted next), my fellow travelers headed home to Barcelona,
Spain.
Now, scroll down to enjoy more adventures with the
Stefanescu family and their photographer, Michael Olwyler!
We hopped the train from Kandy to Nanu Oya.
Left. Photo of the photographer (in green tshirt) by Marta Stefanescu Miralles 2014; all photos used with permission.
We stay at the Single Tree guest house. But, it's too wet and cold to do the trekking we planned to do, so we move on to the town among the hills....Ella!
We take the bus, but you have to be careful 'cause you never know who might be listening in.
A tea factory.
We find a guesthouse run by a local family that treats us like their own! Great breakfasts too!
Along the way we make some new acquaintances.
Gica's gotta stay in shape for soccer!
Another trek to a high lookout takes us through tea plantations and past a swarm of bees in a tree. We're in route to the lookout to see the distant plains of the lowlands at the south end of Sri Lanka.
A tea picker shows me her work. Tea pickers make about $1 per day, so don't complain about the price of tea!
Elle from the top of Mount Ella.
Photo by Marta Stefanescu Miralles.
But we did see some amazing birds; this one is the Wattled Lapwing, Vanellus senegallus.
When we stop in a gorge with a beautiful waterfall,
we get a fish message!
Maties wants to find out what it feels like to have your face fish-massaged!
In the afternoon we take a day trip to a lovely temple up a long, very steep hill to find many interesting people coming to worship.
No. This isn't the one we're looking for!
Construction worker at the Galle Fort.
...and I say goodbye to the Constantino, Marta, Gica and Maties, my wonderful traveling companions in Sri Lanka.
But, my adventure continues in Blog 3, when I return after 32 years to visit Myanmar (Burma) again!
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Left. Photo of the photographer (in green tshirt) by Marta Stefanescu Miralles 2014; all photos used with permission.
Gica riding the rails past...
...mountainsides covered in rows of the best tea in the world...
...above villages where the tea pickers live, and on to the end of the line for us at...
From there, we tuk-tuk up a steep grade...
...to the old British hill station of Nuwara Eliya near the Horton Plains.
We take the bus, but you have to be careful 'cause you never know who might be listening in.
Mt. Ella rises beyond the town.
We find a guesthouse run by a local family that treats us like their own! Great breakfasts too!
Hmmmm? I wonder where they're going?
We hike along the railroad tracks to find...
...a beautiful arched bridge of the railroad across across a chasm.
Another trek to a high lookout takes us through tea plantations and past a swarm of bees in a tree. We're in route to the lookout to see the distant plains of the lowlands at the south end of Sri Lanka.
Mount Ella is across from our lookout.
Marta finds a good bush of tea to photograph.
The distant plains of the lowlands.
The road we'll take in a few days...yikes!
I love my dad!!!
Back in town I find a lovely family in route home.
We plan a trek with our new-found friends to the top
of Mount Ella, high above the town.
Loic from France...I'll be visiting!
Monica and Mark from the Czech Republic.
Ann from France teaching English....or vice versa.
Katily from France, Loic's charming partner!
Lots of rain before we arrived, and more after we got there, made for train track landslides!!!
Also gorgeous waterfalls.
Loic at his best!
We made it!!!
Loic (the good looking guy) and me, the photographer on the right about to be pushed off the cliff.
Elle from the top of Mount Ella.
Finally, our guide suggests a restaurant on the railroad tracks where we all enjoy lunch.
Mateis assists the photographer in his photo antics...
Photo by Marta Stefanescu Miralles.
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The Stefanescu family and I then head on from Ella to visit Uda Walawe National Park in hopes of seeing leopards!!!
We stay at this comfortable guest house in the country...
...and have a dynamic, pleasant host who provides a great dinner too.
....and there, among the vegetation on a rock outcrop are.....LEOPARDS!!!!!
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| Photo by Marta Stefanescu Miralles. |
Also a turkey-tourist traffic jam!!!! 
But, Constantino is happy....leopards and wild animals is what he's come to Sri Lanka for!!!
Our driver got kind of close to the elephant, so it scared us silly by charging! We also had car troubles!!!
We depart the wonders of Udu Walawe on the bus. It starts out great...hardly anyone!
Then we can't even get up to offer seats is so packed!!!
But, we arrive in the lovely-named town of Deniyaya to visit the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and stayed with Mr. Bandula Rathnayaka who runs the Eco Villa. Try the "treacle" from the fishtail palm...it's heavenly!
Bandula is a great guide and knows a lot about the natural and cultural history of Sri Lanka and particularly about the Sinharaja Forest Reserve. His brother Palitha is also a great biologist.
The fishtail palm
We head to the Rainforest Reserve, but first we have to thwart the the blood suckers...we sprinkle salt in our shoes and over our wet socks to keep them at bay!
Maties likes to be in the lead.
"I think I want to be a snake veterinarian!"
When we stop in a gorge with a beautiful waterfall,
we get a fish message!
Maties wants to find out what it feels like to have your face fish-massaged!
An incredible place in which to find your place in the world. Lets protect at least 50% for nature!
In the afternoon we take a day trip to a lovely temple up a long, very steep hill to find many interesting people coming to worship.
The photographer gets photographed taking photographs!
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| Photograph by Marta Stefanescu Miralles. |
The photographer's photograph.
Whoa!!! Which side?
And, on the way home, we try to find a waterfall and get lost in the....
But we meet nice people who tell us how to get back to the road...they even take us there!
But we find where there will soon be a party...
...and the decorations are being made and put up.
Finally, these kids take us to the waterfall!
We travel on to....
...near the city of Tangalla on the southern coast.
While Marta and Constantino explore the beaches farther east for the day, Maties and Gica and I head west to find surf boards.
And, finally, our last stop in Sri Lanka we stay at the Peacock Beach Hotel in Galle.
...should not be paid! (Just kidding!)
Gica catching up on his reading under the mosquito net.
We visit the Dutch Galle Fort and the village inside the walls, a World Heritage Site.
Construction worker at the Galle Fort.
Sunday is a swimming day!
Our last night in Sri Lanka we enjoy a beautiful sunset over Galle Bay.
We catch the train in Galle heading to the airport in Negombo...
...and I say goodbye to the Constantino, Marta, Gica and Maties, my wonderful traveling companions in Sri Lanka.
But, my adventure continues in Blog 3, when I return after 32 years to visit Myanmar (Burma) again!