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They were standing in the aisles
And this was before it got busy! The weekend of 5th-7th June
We arrived at the bus station a little later than we ought to have. The first bus was crowded and we decided erroneously to wait for the second. By the time it arrived there were enough passengers waiting to fill the QE2. In the ensuing melee I discovered that the endless hours spent playing rugby as a child were not wasted, but were preparation for getting on the Polonaruwa bus from Kurunegala on a poya (full moon) weekend. I managed to grab a triple row for the four of us to share. Jake got the window seat and Nicky, Elliot a large rucksack and I shared the remaining 2. Even the aisles were packed and the boys were distinctly unimpressed. Luckily we plugged Jake into HP (Harry Potter) on the i-pod and Nicky and I took turns with Elliot on a lap. Half the population of Sri Lanka seemed engaged in a contest to either tread on my toes or elbow me in the head. Several vendors managed both. After 3 hours I mentioned to Nicky that it was no longer fun and she rightly commented that she had missed the fun bit. If I
have had less pleasant journeys my mind has blocked them out. Just as we thought it could get no worse a singer started up, accompanying himself on tambourine. He squeezed his way up and down the crowded aisle and we wished we knew how to offer to pay him to be quiet.
A further complication arose as we realised that the guesthouse we were going to stay in was newly refurbished, and utterly unknown to our bus driver. Fortunately by communicating with a couple of girls in the aisles we were notified when we reached the nearest lake, from which we battled to the front of the bus, and peered out of the window for the sign then called stop to the driver, who screeched to an unindicated stop (something he was expert at!)
We were pleased to get off, and pretty much wiped out. We were met by the friend of our friend Kamal’s brother in law who led us to the hotel. We lunched and then headed into Polonaruwa on another far less crowded bus. Instead of the original plan to cycle round the ruins we instead sat in a pleasant rest house on the shores
of the vast reservoir. We had drinks, and the children had ice creams. If the impression of a place is based at all on how you feel Polonaruwa was tiring. It was all we could manage to sit at a café table while watching the boys play outside. We stared at each other like zombies as the boys dug and ran in the sand on the shore. After a while we summoned the energy to walk back to the bus to return to the hotel. It seems a shame to have come all this way to an ancient city and not really see it, however, we just did not have the energy to. Once again the prohibitive pricing policy foiled us. Had there been the option of paying to see a couple of the sites we may have, but the only available ticket was nearly 3000 rupees each and we could not do that justice.
Having returned to the hotel our evening meal was a delicious selection of vegetable curries. All weekend the food was carefully and considerately prepared, with a range of special dishes and even some Jake enjoyed. The big disappointment of the hotel, which was beautifully
set amongst trees, was the beds which were not only hard but also lumpy and a touch short.
On Sunday we added several firsts to our list. It started with a trip to swim in Mineria Tank (reservoir) which was built in the 4th Century. To get there we were offered a couple of motorbikes, one for me and Nicky to share, and a rider to take the boys on another. I had a quick test run on the bike. First attempt ended up in a pile of leaves (thankfully with no hidden rocks inside. After that I had a couple of trips up and down a country lane which were enough to persuade me that despite the fact I would love to ride a motorbike the conditions (no license, no insurance, no training, my wife on the back and no idea) were not ideal. Instead 4 bikes came and we all rode pillion. On the way back there were only 2 bikes, so 3 to a bike! Was also the first time I have swum in a lake with a pair of eagles circling overhead.
After a delicious lunch of vegetable noodles (which even Jake enjoyed) and
potato curry our jeep arrived. The boys instantly fell in love with it - and jumped up and down as the driver removed the canvas roof cover. We went to Kaudula National Park - the word was that the elephants had left Mineria and were there now. As we entered the park, a volunteer tracker leapt in and instantly proved his worth spotting a couple of giant squirrels and a serpent eagle. We also saw peacocks, bee eaters (beautiful green birds) jungle fowl, ibis and about 5 types of eagle and several monkeys. Then we gained our first sighting of a wild elephant - or at least its rear quarters, which were peaking out of the jungle. As we approached it ran off. Thrilled by our first sighting we were all stood on the seats of the jeep, gazing about. Not long after we saw a couple more, before a rare prize - a tusker - 80 years old we were told - lone and on the edge of the jungle. We got pretty close and just looked for a little, each a little wary of the other. Apparently he is pretty elusive, and few see him so we were
privileged. We continued on our way spotting the odd one grazing. The real thrill came as we rounded a corner and were suddenly confronted by a huge herd. There were about 50 animals including several young. We sat in awe, watching them carefully brushing grass before eating them. A flash of brilliant blue drew our eyes to a bird that we initially thought was a kingfisher, but it was more spectacular, an Indian Roller apparently bright blue with black stripes on its wings. Several times it swooped to catch a grasshopper, and then sat on a perch only yards from us to enjoy its feast.
The drive back was happy and we were elated and shattered as we sat down to supper together. The purgatory of getting here, was worth it. Wild elephants in their natural habitat were a hugely impressive sight, and the variety of birds a beautiful bonus.
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