Central Sri Lanka and the highlands

After that great day at the Yala National Park we decided to head to the central part of Sri Lanka. We planned to take several busses to get from Tissamaharama to Nuwara Eliya, stay there for a while and keep on traveling to Kandy.
At the beginning it was very easy or at least it sounded easy. We got told that there is a direct bus going to Nuwara, so not as thought talking two buses to get there. But at the bus station we got the information that it is not true, so we kept to the plan we had and took the bus to Wellawaya. So far so good. At Wellawaya we asked some locals for the bus to Nuwara, because there was no sign telling us from where the bus leaves. Someone there showed us the schedule. That was the first time that we saw a time plan for the busses, we usually searched for the correct bus and got on the bus. But the schedule was telling us that the bus is only going twice a day and the next one would leave in the evening. Seemed not so easy, well the guys there offered me to help out and told me I should take a taxi or Tuk-Tuk, both are a bad idea, the cheaper Tuk-Tuk would already be 6000 Rupees, the bus to get there would be about 100, so a big difference and we did not think of paying so much.
Bernd began to think that we not going to make it to Kandy that day, but I did not give up. I had the idea to take the bus to the town in the north of us and try from there, it took a while for the guys around us to belief us that we are not going to take the expensive way and then one of them gave us the hint that we could go to Bandarawela and get there the bus. So never give up your plans and ideas.
Our trip lead us into the mountains, offering us a great view. In my childhood and youth I've been millions of times in the Alps, seeing mountains, valleys and the beautiful woods. But this was totally different. There was no snow, also not on the highest mountain, the trees were all around and were also on top of the mountains. Many tea plantations, rice fields and at the small villages always a temple.

From our stop in Bandarawela we wanted to take the bus to Welimada, we knew that from Welimada there would be a bus going to Nuwara Eliya, so no big problem. At the bus we got on to we got the information that it is passing through Nuwara, so one lesser stop on our way. On the bus to Nuwara we had a good conversation with a math teacher who was on his way back home. He told us that we could also take the train to Kandy, which might be also interesting and a different experience.
The train already left so we kept to the plan taking the bus.
In Nuwara we got to enjoy the view above the mountains and down a valley, well its different seeing the landscape from a shaking bus or while staying around and look at one space as long as you want.

It was already dark outside when we arrived in Kandy and for us the first time we came into the heavy rain. We took the first Tuk-Tuk we could find to get a ride and knew that we got to pay more because of the rain, did not stop us from bargaining for the price. At the Hostel we got a warm welcome and a good dinner before going to bed. The old lady taking care of the guest was like a grandmother.
In the morning we enjoyed our breakfast outside and had a good view on the hills around

There we met a German/Italian couple. We joined them for the day to make a trip through Kandy and left together the hostel heading to the temple of tooth relic. Before getting there we arrived at an open Hindu temple, so we decided to get in and take a look around. Bernd did not want to join us, so he stayed outside. When we have almost seen everything of the temple someone told us that we got to pay money for the entrance. But when entering we didn't see anything, so we left and did not pay anything.

After the temple we arrived at the lake Bogombara next to the temple we wanted to see. The atmosphere at the lake was amazing and invited us to stick around for some minutes before heading to the temple.

At the temple we split up, the Italian guy had to short trousers and his girlfriend was not willing to pay money to get into a temple.
So only Bernd and me got to the temple and took a look around. Already from the outside this building was very nice.

Inside the temple there was a shrine ins the yard of the temple building, covered with a beautiful decoration. We walked around in the temple for several, it's such a nice place and not as boring as Christian churches.

Next we went to the museum inside the temple building, where we got to see a lot of old manuscripts, old royal clothes, coins, tools and a lot of luxury stuff.

Outside the temple we got to see an elephant and Bernd got a bit closer and wanted to touch his thick skin, but he only tried to, he stopped before he could touch him and wanted to leave the place.

We went to the place were we planned to meet with the others again, but we could not find them, so we kept on exploring alone, maybe we could find them by fortune on our way, otherwise we would meet again at the hostel. It was a long way up the road and around the hill to get to the temple Bahirawakanada, with a big sitting Buddha statue on top of the hill.

From there we got a very good view above Kandy, especially from up the stairs next to his shoulders. Also in this area we saw a Goode Buddha statue. If it would have been on a more public space at the first moment you could think it might be one of those street artists.

Climbing up the street was for Bernd very exhausting, so he wanted to go back to the hostel, maybe after taking a break there getting to the botanic garden. We did not get there, the others came back so we spent the afternoon talking and I helped the girl to fix some problems on her computer.
Later when it was about dinner we decided to get something to eat we got a free ride with the hostels own Tuk-Tuk. Usually they charge you for taking a ride, but it is cheaper then the other ones.

Wildlife in Sri Lanka

After these to relaxing days at the beach we wanted to get some more special experiences. So we got on a bus going along the coast to get to Tissamaharama, a small town at the lake Tissa.
Before we got there we stopped by in Matara and got to see there a nice place on a small island.

Tissa is close to the Yala National Park, we wanted to visit. A already on the bus to get there we got offers for Safari tours to the park, good thing was we got a free ride to our hotel from the bus stop, we knew that we got the ride so the driver could also offer us a tour. I know before I said that I won't get on a guided tour again, but here you got no other chance.
So we booked one of the tours for the next day and went to town to see the interesting places. First we went to a temple next to the town. The main part of the temple was a big pagoda.

From the temple we followed the street out of town and got to the Tissa lake. Here it felt a lot different after being all the time close to the ocean. Temperature was still high, but the air was wetter then on the coast. Also the sky was more cloudy and we could see a rain front coming closer.

We did not have much time to loiter around and take our time, because we had nothing with us to protect us from the rain. So we more passed by at the lake, saw a thousands of crows, only one stayed for taking a picture and beautiful trees. At the end we came back to the hotel only a few minutes before the rain started.

Next morning it was rather hard to get up, it was still dark outside. Why must those tours start at five in the morning ? It was hard to get Bernd out of the bed, but some water helped getting him out. Before leaving the employee at the hotel gave us our breakfast "lunch box" and we got on the Jeep. For a moment we were surprised that we were the only one making the tour, but it was better that way and won't change anything about the price. Before we left Tissamaharama we stopped at a small bar were we got a small breakfast with some typical Sri Lankan bakeries.
It was a short drive through some villages to get to the park and in there we got a beautiful sunrise, maybe that's why we had to start that early.

The fist wild animal we saw in the park was a leopard, sneaking around behind some bushes. Bernd wanted to run away from this big cat and was close to jump off the Jeep. I could stop him and explained him that it is the safest place around here and that leopards do not eat bread. Already at the beginning we had some luck, before the trip we got the information that you barely see the leopards, well but for a picture he was to good hidden behind the bushes. Seeing the cat was the most important thing. So only thing we could right now take pictures of was the nice nature.

Several times we got to see some mongoose, but they disappeared within a second, then along the street two jackals walked along offering us the chance to take some pictures, not to many of course. They were to scared of the noises the Jeep made.

After a while of driving around we saw an elephant crossing the street only a few metres away from us. He walked into the jungle to get something to eat. Bernd was so exited about this elephant that he did not stop talking about him for felt like hours and maybe also annoying our driver, it's a big difference seeing living elephants and dead.

To get our second breakfast we stopped at a water hole. Our driver explained us that the leopards get here to drink, the only thing we got to do is wait. We were waiting and waiting but they did not show up, we were already thinking to give up waiting for them when Bernd saw two of them walking along behind some bushes. So again no chance to really see them. But luckily they did not only pass by there, they walked around the bushes and a small hill and came back right in front of us. Surprisingly Bernd stayed in the Jeep with me looking at the cats on their way to the waterhole. What a nice couple and for us luck.

Our driver called his colleagues and told him that the leopards are here, but when the others got here they already disappeared. It seemed that the other guides did not belief him. At another waterhole we first saw these typical white birds, who usually clean the crocodiles teeth, it took us a while to see them. They are very good at hiding and of course not moving.

Next we got to see some water buffaloes at a bigger waterhole taking a bath, not to get clean, because they were in there mud more to cool down and get a break from millions of flies flying around them. Good that the flies did not come to us.

After seeing them it was time for a break, so the driver brought us to the beach close by and we spent the time walking around there.

We took a closer look on one  of those anthills taking care not to get to close and maybe get attacked by ants, must be very painful. We saw a lizard climbing up there, not taking care that the ants may come out.

If we had our swimming clothes with us we would have jumped into the clean water, so we could only enjoy being there and enjoy the moment, also we got to see some fishermen's houses at the beach, only too far away to get closer.

Back at the Jeep we helped our guide with the pictures we took from the leopards to proof to his colleagues that he wasn't lying. We got back on the road and headed to the exit, also seeing some monkeys, peacocks and far away a Sambhur, a huge deer Sri Lankan deer.

At the end we did not regret going on this tour, seeing the wild animals and the beautiful landscape.

An old fort and the beach

Next day we first got on the long walk to the bus station, it didn't look so far away on the map, but it was. So we walked to get there felt like ages. When Bernd was to much grumbling around and willing to take the next Tuk-Tuk ( wonna know more ?)passing. But his mood changed quickly after meeting the another bread and he was talking for a while with the talking bread, before he wanted to continue the way to the bus station.

Before Bernd could start grumbling again we saw the bus station and got there just in time to get the next bus to Galle. It was about to leave the moment we got there. And it was a long ride with the bus, at least it had a good air condition and it was going down at the coast, so it was not boring during the ride.
In the early afternoon we arrived in Galle at the central bus station, the first thing we wanted to do here was getting something to eat and drink. So we started walking around searching for a supermarket. First we saw a lot of shops but none of them was selling food. A guy at the street asked us what we are searching for and he guided us the way to a supermarket also telling us something about his hometown.
Back at the bus station we found next to it a supermarket, Bernd was mad about it but at least we got to see the town and enjoy the friendliness of the people. At the bus station we had to ask several people which bus would be the correct one and there first times we were sent to the wrong bus. At the end we found the correct one and told the driver were we want to get off.
Because we did not see the stop and did not really know where it would be and the bus driver not telling us to get off we missed the stop and got to walk back some part of way. Finally we arrived at the hotel.

The hotel was not directly at the beach, but it was next to the jungle and when the time would be right we were able to see some monkeys. At the hotel we had a warm welcome, got something to drink and got invited to a BBQ this evening with the other guests, for sure it won't be for free, but why not having a good BBQ.
We got to our room and wanted to leave the hotel to get to the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon there. But we did not get there, when we left our room we almost ran into the other guests here, a couple from Germany. So we sat down together with them and had a longer conversation and then it was already time for the BBQ.
Next day we first went to the beach enjoyed the view we got, especially at the beach restaurant we were having our Sri Lankan breakfast, from there we got to see some sea turtles and surfers.

After breakfast we decided to go with the bus to Galle and take a look at the old fort. The fort was built by the Portuguese, who were forced by the help of the Britains or the Dutch, I'm not sure right now, ( wonna know more ?) to leave Sri Lanka as a colony. Well after forcing them out Sri Lanka wasn't free, because the Brits or Dutch stayed here. If you want to know more about the Sri Lankan colony history click here.

Inside the fort is the old town area, we all also wanted to walk through the area and there we first went to an old church. The first church I've seen with fans. Maybe they make here something wrong with the constructions. In Italy and in mosques they never use fans and it is still cool in there.

We also got to see some older things or should we say animals. Next to the street we got to see some dinosaurs, when Bernd saw the first one he was close to run away, I could stop him by telling him that these are only eating plants. But then he saw the T-Rex and ran away.

Back in the centre of the town we got to go to some shops because the German girl was still searching for some souvenirs. After hours of searching she gave up finding something and we headed back to the bus station to finally go to the beach, this time we did not miss our stop.

The rest of the afternoon we spent at the beach and did not do anything. Just relaxing and doing nothing felt so good, especially at a quiet place like this. Next day we also started together with the couple at the beach and stayed there for a very long time. Bernd got a hard crust from all the sun so he left earlier the beach to cool down.
After lunch we decided to go to the jungle beach, what is close to Galle and only a short drive with the bus away.
From the place we got off the bus to the beach the way was much longer as expected and shown on the map. And before we got to the beach we went to the Japanese Peace Pagoda ( wonna know more ?), what was a very good decision. It was already about sunset when we got there, which was offering us a even greater view above the jungle and Galle.

Last thing we did was going down to the jungle beach. It was already dark when we arrived there, but it still looked like a lovely place and it was absolutely worth getting there.