On to Mirissa for seaside R&R

2/3/17

The walk to breakfast this morning was a little disconcerting. It's lovely to be close to wildlife but when a very large troop of grey langur monkeys decide to swing on by you do need to give way. I found that most of them take little notice of us but I made the mistake of making eye contact with a female with a baby wrapped on her chest. She gave me her full bared teeth warning. I took note and moved swiftly away. David was quite reluctant to stop to pose for a photo for some reason.

The restaurant had a resident giant squirrel ..looked a bit like a mongoose. ..that was enjoying pineapple that some guests fed him...not sure that's a good idea..he had teeth!

We were asked if we'd seen the female elephant this morning that had been wandering around our group of chalets first thing. Dommi said a tusker had blocked the entrance road for 30 minutes this morning too.

On to Mirissa. Didn't look far on the map but these roads are slow so took 3.5 hours. Stopped for a comfort break near to a SL Navy memorial commerating service men who'd been killed by the Tamils. A reminder of SL's troubled recent past. Dommi says that it has all settled down now and even the north is safe to visit..but that's not what my book says..

Imagine Villa hotel is lovely and fits the description on the website and tripadvisor so far. Just 10 rooms in a modern hotel owned by a Belgian and his SL partner who is a chef. It was built on a site of a house flattened by the tsunami. Going to try the set menu which changes daily.  Inludes crab gratin, garlic soup and red mullet tonight. We are getting a comp bottle of wine too.

Room is lovely. Four poster bed. Seating area. Nice bathroom. Sunny and breezy around the pool. Nice gardens and comfy sun beds. Beach and crashing waves. If the weather is kind we won't be doing much over next few days.

Nice comfy chairs on our balcony to watch the waves and sunset..nice.

Dinner will be served by the pool..pretty lights.

Yala Safari Part 2 (c)

1/3/17

Helen's stay at base safari

While D was being tortured on another bone jarring jeep, I stayed at base. Thunder storm was loud and with torrential rain until mid afternoon. So no lazing by the pool. No great hardship as relaxing in the room watching the weather was entertainment enough for me today. Getting tired...

Got a bit worried as D due back at 10. Didn't arrive until 11.30...Tusker blocking the road was the excuse. After hearing all about his adventure we had lunch then while D went back to rest...and boar watch. .I walked through the grounds to the deserted beach. Lovely sand with crashing waves onto rounded rocks. Pouring with rain but even on a calm day it's not safe to swim here. A couple of the hotel dogs followed me down. Wild and wonderful despite the weather.

Back at the chalet the banging on the tin roof gave us a fright...Grey Langer monkeys messing about. Those footprints I spotted this morning were from the boar. Buffalo, crocs and birds close by on the water. I didn’t need to go anywhere to see plenty of wildlife. Looks as if those danger signs are genuine after all.

Rooftop bar gave a great view tonight of the waterhole and sea...with monkeys playing on the balcony.

Tomorrow we go to our final hotel near Mirissa. Hoping for some relaxation after our busy schedule but forecast is not great. There is still plenty to see there if sunbathing is rained off.

Yala Safari Part 2 (b)

4

David's blog 1/3/17

It usually starts with a kiss.  This one started by ordering our takeaway breakfast picnic.  It wasn't panic setting in but I don't like picnics.  A packed breakfast sounds slightly dubious and I was going to eat this in the park on safari surrounded by wild hungry animals.

So 4:45am and very dark....

'Woke up this morning feeling fine, got United on my mind....'  Well leopards and sloth bears.

Had a coffee, picked up my packed breakfast x 2 as mum was asleep in a safe room free from the fear of attack by marauding elephants, wilderbeast and wild boars.

Jumped on to the safari jeep.  Well crawled really.  The safari jeep can only be described as a bone breaker and I was beginning to feel jealous of mum.

Day light arrived as we queued to get in the park.

We were in a queue of dozens of safari jeeps.  You could  tell the Europeans as they were dressed for a polar expedition.  Not me and Domi we were in tshirts and looked the part.  Stupid Chinese had face masks on!

Once we got into the main park I was told we wouldn't see many animals as it had rained all night and was going to rain this morning.  Wild animals don't like rain.  Me neither.  Later that morning we were singing in the rain.

So what did we see?

First birds. ...loads and of different colours.  Can't remember their names but were the same as before plus some others.   Even the all birds look as if they could eat you.

Crocs.  A good number of them and they defo will eat you.

The bloke at the restaurant last night was trying to sell us a romantic BBQ dinner by the lake at the hotel.  The lake is full of crocs.  He must be mad trying to flog me that without a gun a rocket launcher and an army of willing volunteers to jump into a crocs mouth.  Those crocodiles rock.

Anyway elephants.   We drove to a spot where a few jeeps were parked looking at something.   It was a young 10 year old male elephant with large tusks.  They are known as tuskers to make you feel they come from a Disney film.  They are big and could kill a wee guy like me with one swoop of its trunk.

As this was only 6:30 am the young tusker was getting mightily fed up with us lot staring at him.  So what does any good tusker do.... Charge.   We were offski and bid for freedom.

Gone off elephants.   We then met a very nice elephant eating it's breakfast.  I like elephants.

Saw deer, a mongoose carrying it's baby in its mouth, crocs, lizards and other things that can kill, maim or just plain eat you.

Nearly saw 2 more leopards! I  am sure I once nearly saw a Dodo!!

Stopped off for a stop as we did yesterday and had our packed picnic breakfast.   Better than I thought and fed 3 of us. Mum had a terrible breakfast of fresh fruit yog omelette et al and free from man eating beasts.

So no sloth bears so we decided to make our way back.  At speed and the bone breaker was working.

Problem....

The big tusker of YouTube fame  who is actually the leader of the Yala Elephant mafia turned up and decided to stop everyone leaving until he had eaten half of the passengers.  We legged it in reverse and took a detour.  Now detour sounds a reasonable word but does not describe the bone breaking rain ramming down experience we had.   Worse than Alton Towers.  Anyway I showed them.  Gramps had a kip for an hour.  Hard core.

Anyway got back in the rain and was soaked.

Coffee and a chat with mum was followed by lunch. Mum went for a stroll and was walking in the rain.

I went back to out luxurious safe haven only to be surrounded by man eating wild boars.  Cute pah.

Mum got back and we then heard monkeys all over our room.  I was being surrounded by man eating beasts the tusker had a contract out on me with a licence to kill.

So that was an uneventful day and looking forward to dinner and the seaside.  No doubt the sea round here is full of killer beasts as well.

Yala Safari Part 2 (a)

1/3/17

D up before 5am for morning safari. I wimped out to give my back some respite from the shake rattle and roll off road experience.

I was planning time by the pool but weather is stormy. Dark skies and thunder as heavy rain at breakfast andcsimilar forecast for rest of day.

Might tske brolly snd walk through grounds to beach. Animal footprints near our chalet suggest warning signs are not just for show. Already seen monkeys on rooftop bar and birds, buffalo and crocodile at waterhole right by the path to our chalet room. Who needs a jeep?

Nice quiet breakfast as many other guests out on safari so sitting overlooking the pool watching the storm clouds and listening to thunder and bird song. Not a bad way to start the day.

I'll get D to write up his safari experience. If he sees bears ill be cross I didn't go.

Yala Safari Part 1

28/2/17 pm

Our second national park trip, this time in Yala, started at 1.30 in a rough looking vehicle. After 4 hours on rutted ground I can confirm it had little or no suspension. .Ouch my poor back. At least we didn't have to push start in (Jackie & Richard had that experience in Yala).

They say no pain no gain! It's a much bigger park so longer stretches of potholes between points of interest. However overall we did very well. Only a few mass gatherings of jeeps and plenty of wildlife. Highlights were leopards one pretty difficult to see lying on the horizontal branch of a tree some yards away. Binoculars were helpful although once our eyes focused in we could just see it with naked eye. Later we spotted a couple of jeeps by a rock off the main track. Joining them we were just in time to see a leopard strutting his stuff along the top of this large rock before taking shelter under a large boulder on the top. We continued watching his swishing tail and the occasional stretched out leg for quite a while but he wasn't budging. We had got a very clear view of him before he hid away.

Sightings of leopards is fairly rare so we were very pleased to see two. No sloth bears though...again they are there but rarely seen.

A few elephants but not as many as in Uda Walawe but that was expected. Two large solo males. A mother and baby too.

Lots of wild buffalo. ..bigger than the domestic sort we saw yesterday.

Wild boar. Samba deer  (small group in bushes). Large herds of white spotted deer.

A few mongoose. .One having a narrow escape as an eagle swooped to catch him...He accelerated to safety.

A few Hare. Land monitors. Crocodiles.

Good variety of birds including a good few eagles, toucans, minor birds, pea fowl,  jungle fowl, herons, Woolly necked adjutant, egrets, painted stork, pelican, bee catchers, Kingfisher, brahminy kite, stilts, hornbills.

No picturesque mountains but the sea and beach gives the park a good southern perimeter. Stopping for a comfort break we saw the ruins of a bungalow destroyed by the tsunami in 2004. About 45 tourists killled there as they had their packed breakfast.

Great experience but I think D will be going solo for the 5.30 repeat tomorrow. My back is giving out signals it's done enough off road work.

Roof top bar gives a view of the hotels waterhole with buffalo and Crocodiles. Grey Langer monkeys scampering around the railings gave me a start as it was getting dark. 

Eating in the patially open air al la carte restaurant tonight as can't cope with busy buffet. Escorts required to and from room in case of wild beasties. .escorts are armed. .with torches!

PS Internet is reasonable here so have updated the slow train to Ella blog and yesterday's blog with more pictures.

Elephant orphans and Yala

28/2/17 Tuesday

First stop to U W elephant transit home. Mixed feelings as this is a bit zoo like. They have about 30 young elephants that they feed until they are about 10 then released into the national park. Except for the poor old boy withe artificial foot..lost it in a trap.

The young elephants know the routine. They are allowed in a few at a time for a bottle feed via a tube. Some braver ones bully the smaller ones but wardens are boss. Some funny characters. They can certainly trot on from the gate to the feeding station.

On to Yala. Weather started humid, turned sunny then to monsoon style rain and wind. Now hot humid and sunny.

Roads in this area very new with dual carriageways which the locals have an interesting way of navigating. ..going the wrong way down the dual carriageway is common as shortest route rule applies.  Land monitors and mongoose crossing are also natural obstacles. New airport cricket stadium and roads built as president lives around here...Other areas not getting that type of improvements.

Group of wild boars seem happy to stop the traffic in the hope of some snacks.

Hotel is Cinnamon Wild. Little bunglows set in trees by water hole complete with buffalo and Crocodiles. Elephants, Sloth bears, Jackals, leopards might be spotted so escorts required from chalets at night.

Spa, Tea and Safari

26-27/2/17

You know how you have to fill out n a questionnaire at Spas detailing medical issues, areas to focus on or avoid etc?  When you have a very delicate back that's quite important. You know when the lady smiles a lot but says little there is probably quite a language barrier...and my sinhalese is non existent. So more sign language involved...fingers were crossed....

Spa was scruffy...brilliant view though until I had to have my face stuck downwards. Massage was head to toe and very thorough. I'm sure it was important to not miss out my ears and all my very wobbly bits. Then came hot stones.  I'd imagined those decorative pebbles placed in strategic points to allow heat and relaxation. Instead there is frequent reheating of a pad full of small granular substance dabbed all over... first few dabs each time involved more finger crossing that it was not going to burn!

After extra massage on my back..as requested. .It was into a murky slippy bath...herbal? Was nice to soak my back but the window was wide open to let in the view..and it was cold outside! Tried to keep maximum body parts submerged..but some bits like to float.

Not the most relaxing experience but she did give a thorough massage and I was able to walk away unaided.

Had another good meal. Opted for Coconut Roti with dhal and beef curry. D had beef stew and rice..fusion? Very cold evening and the rain has persisted. Forecast not great for a few days. SL has suffered from little rain over last few months with water shortages but the tide turned in Ella.

Monday am still a bit wet but less cloud allowed a great view through Ella Gap to the plain beyond...pointing the way to Uda Walawe and Yala, our next destinations.

Thank goodness for golf buggies that help take your luggage up the slope to Dommi's vehicle. Then to the tea factory where the green tea grown on the estate that surrounded our hotel. We'd seen the tea pickers going to the terraced tea bushes this morning. Originally from India as apparently more willing to work for $5 a day to pick 20kg in 8 hrs and share accommodation with 5 other families than the SL workers...fair trade logo in the factory so a indicator of conditions for non FT places.

The factory had no fresh leaves in first thing as they don't pick on a Sunday but we were shown the machines that dry,  grind and dry again. Tea was being sieved and graded and packed. Dusty environment. Has put us off tea bags as clearly the lower grade stuff is used. The mid graded tea gives a good light colour and flavour so after the tasting we did buy some to bring home.

En route to Uda Walawe we stopped to see the Ravana Falls..as Matthew says once you've seen Iguazu you don't need to see other waterfalls. To be fair Dommi gave us the story behind the name...take too long to retell but involved love story, a SL king, a princess from India,  caves and murder.

Couple of hours to Uda Walawe. We weren't too sure why Dommi wanted to buy 1kg of bananas from road side stall until we got close to U W national park. An elephant by the dam is often there so although I'm sure you are not supposed to feed wild elephants we couldn't resist.

Hotel is very close to the park. Checked in to find that we'd been upgraded to the best room..grand suite..with balloons and happy anniversary message in leaves on bed. Very nice. No cake..or so we thought..after dinner drinks interpreted by presentation of cake with candles! We shared it with other guests as even two pie Gamble can't manage 4 cakes in a week.

And yes I know our anniversary was in December but this holiday was to mark that occasion as well as our birthdays!

Wasn't too sure if the safari would be any good today as I'd read that they are too popular with too many jeeps chasing too few animals. Dommi chose to come with us and as he's been driving tourists like us for over 12 years I hoped that meant we might be in for a decent experience. Local jeep driver seemed to know the ropes. With him and Dommi knowing the area we had a great 3.5 hours. Off road jeeps on heavily rutted tracks is not what my chiropractor would recommend for my back but English medicine may see me through. Well worth the painful times.

Weather in U W is hot and sunny. The flat land are real contrast to the mountains in the background. Bright sun here but the hill country has interesting cloud formations..still raining there. Park vegetation is a mixture of grass, shrubs/bushes, small trees and some small areas of woodland with a large reservoir (called tanks) and smaller water holes. Ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife.

Distant glimpses of elephants and buffalo turned into close up and personal experiences. Lots of elephants...solo males, small groups of females with adolescents,  one group with an adorable baby about 2 months old,  a few young males, a single teenage tusker who was so close to us until an approaching jeep came up to fast and he gave them a mini charge and a filthy look...

Most of the buffalo are domestic. ..put into the park illegally by locals and taken home at night. A few wild ones. Large group of Crocodiles.  Spotted deer. Troop of Macaque monkeys including some tiny babies. A turtle. A land monitor. Lots of bird life including eagles, kites, painted stork, bee eaters, pea fowl, herons, Woolly necked adjutant, egrets, black headed ibis...and lots of others that I either don't know or have forgotten.

As the sun began to set we headed back. Beautiful colours on the hills again gave us scenes to wonder at.

We knew hotel buffet wouldn't be up to standard but attempts to persuade the staff to allow us to pay to go al la carte was just too difficult. .. I stuck to the cold options as hot =lukewarm despite us going in early. Cake was a nice touch and our fellow guests enjoyed it too.

Tomorrow the elephant transit home then Yala national park.

Photos now attached.