It's time to visit one of my favourite places in Sri Lanka - Mirissa! We are currently on our way along the south coast from Yala, where we spent the past two nights. I'm excited about beach, seafood and Dewmini's Banoffee Rotti!
We travelled back on the windy roads for a night of chips and card games in Kandy, with a quick stop at Dambulla for the huge golden statue of Lord Buddha.
The next morning we had free time to explore the Kandy markets, where I treated myself to a traditional South Asian dress called a Salwar. You can call me a local now.
Ashika took me to a small temple to meet a local monk and receive a Pirith Nula, where the monk chants a blessing whilst tying a white string around your right hand for protection and prosperity. I made sure I learnt the polite etiquette for respecting and thanking a monk beforehand, with hands together and bowing the head for respect. I was still pretty nervous!
Our next stop was Nuwara Eliya, aka Little England, with a lunch stop on top of the valley overlooking waterfalls and endless greenery, it was amazing! We got a tour around Mackwoods tea plantation, to see how they grow, dry and roll the leaves for different grades of tea, with a very enjoyable complimentary cup at the end. I might even be converted to a tea drinker now?
When we arrived in Nuwara Eliya I understood why it's called Little England - it's bloody freezing! The plants and scenery completely change, the hotels look like ski lodges and the paddy fields are swapped for vegetable patches. It was very bizarre thinking we were in Sri Lanka, especially when a duvet still didn't keep us warm enough!
The next morning we visited the Botanical Gardens, which was opened by the British in the 1800's. A few of the girls hired a golf buggy to take them round, which I took full advantage of! The guide let them drive around when the park rangers were out of sight, which got a tad scary on the uphill hairpin bends on the edge of a mini cliff...
The drive to Ella continued to be stunning, this country is just infinitely lush green. Ella is a very small quiet town that attracts backpackers and honeymoon couples, the perfect place to chill out and enjoy the beautiful scenery, the reason it is one of my favourites. After another amazing selection of Sri Lankan curries with an incredible valley view, it was time to explore Ella. Sitting on a minibus for hours on end hadn't been kind to my back, so I went straight to the local Ayuverdic clinic for a head and full body massage, complete with a complimentary facial!
On Sunday morning we enjoyed the sunshine and headed to Mini Adams Peak for a small trek up to the most beautiful view of the hills and valleys, the perfect photo opportunity. Then a stop at Ella waterfall, which was a great refreshment from the piercing heat.
Our next stop was Katharagama, the most famous Hindu temple in the South of Sri Lanka. Thousands of people from across the country visit this site, from the Sinhala Buddhists to the Tamil Hindus to the Vedda. We received a hindu blessing, differing from the Buddhist Pirith Nula as the string is colourful and a chant is sung as they loop it around your wrist, ending with the mark of good luck smudged on the centre of your forehead. We offered a huge tray of tropical fruit to the Hindu gods, which was blessed then passed around to eat and share the fortune. It's very interesting how Buddhist and Hindu cultures intertwine, as there are nearly always elements of both at their respective temples. Hinduism involves more rituals though, my favourite of which is smashing a coconut into a pit after a prayer, and if it cracks it will come true or bring you good luck. I've never been religious and RE wasn't top of many peoples subjects at my school, but I have found experiencing people's beliefs and worship to be really fascinating. I'm not sure I'll ever quite understand the Hindu culture but it's been great to witness it first hand!
After a couple of hours of cruising through the dusty terrain, we set up our picnic by the beach, feeling gutted we didn't spot any of the rare sloth bears or leopards. As the national park borders the sea, this are was affected by the tsunami in 2014. There's a monument to remember those who lost their lives, however on that day most of the animals had survived, taking flight before the waves hit. Those around the area recalled how bizarre it was the animals all moved inland suddenly and simultaneously, whilst us humans were oblivious to the devastation that was to follow.
This was my second time at Yala, so I was really determined to spot a leopard curled up on a high branch or camouflaged in the trees. But as our safari came to an end, we still hadn't seen any sign of the rare creatures anywhere.
Until...
On the last stretch of dusty road to the exit, a leopard was just chilling in a clearing near by to the track! She seemed unphased by the jeep, but we all tried hard to contain our excitement and stay silent. She was absolutely beautiful to watch, I was over the moon! She padded through the bushes so that we had to reverse back to watch her, but we got a really great view. They are so rare and spotted so little, I felt extremely lucky to see one up close with a great view. My face was beaming for the rest of the day!
Day 20 - Thursday 30th June 1.27pm
And my time on the Real Experience trip sadly comes to an end. I've really enjoyed the last few days though, Mirissa has been a pleasure as always! Drinking fresh coconuts, white sand between your toes, blue skies up ahead. And of course Banoffee rotti's. Oh how I've missed you! A delicate blend of caramel, biscuit, banana and chocolate warmed in a Rotti with a generous dollop of ice cream and toffee sauce. It was great to reunite with some old friends that I had met previously in Mirissa too; even after two years it can feel like no time has passed at all!
We spent our last evening travelling together celebrating with cocktails on the beach, reminiscing on our favourite places so far and excited about the next experience back in Ambalangoda. For me it has been the best start to my role this summer, I've been very grateful for this opportunity to travel and share what I know about Sri Lanka. I've been very lucky so far, now the hard work begins!
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