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Published: June 25th 2017
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Bev and Stan at Little Adam's Peak
Our first hike experience upon arriving into the hill country. I believe I have made one or two references already to the natural beauty of Sri Lanka,after having experienced Mirissa Beach and the abundant wildlife of Yala Park Animal Sanctuary. The trip into the hill country and the tea estates added yet another dimension of awesome. I heard someone once described Sri Lanka as being a jewel. Could not agree more.
Our first destination in the hill country was the small, funky town of Ella. The town itself offered a wide selection of guest houses, and its one main street an array of restaurants and coffee shops - yes, espresso and latte shops, the first we had seen on the trip, ironically presented in the land of tea! However, one comes to Ella to trek the surrounding countryside, not sit around in town and drink overpriced coffee, but the option is there if you are so inclined.
The first hike was a three hour trip to Little Adam's Peak, which offers a nice view, but is also a good way to wake up your hiking legs for your next hike, to Ella Rock, a more challenging four hour trek that provides 360 degree views of the stunning Ella Gap.
Bev at Ella Rock
This was the second hike. A little more intense. Stan declined.
Very worthwhile, but curiously not at all marked, so get some good directions from other travellers, as I did, and actually pay attention to them instead of talking to your hiking pal and missing all the important junctions, as I also did. Fortunately, another traveller directly behind had hired a local guide for part of the route, so I was rescued from my foley and eventually did reach my destination. If I had brought along a bathing suit, I could have cooled myself off at one or two lovely swimming holes I passed on return, but I did not, so instead had to settle for a cocoanut drink stop ( that would be fresh from a yellow cocoanut) at a teeny one table restaurant in front of a railway track with a killer view of a jungle landscape waterfall in the distance. Not hard to take.
Eventually, alas, we had to leave our beautiful garden balcony hillside view hotel with amazing home cooked Sri Lankan food - $32 a night for the room, breakfast and supper - and move on.
When we boarded our train, we were destined for Dalhousie, the starting point for the trek to Adam's Peak,
Ella Gap
This was my view from Ella Rock. Worth the hike for sure. the mountain top on which Christians believe Adam first touched earth when he got the boot from heaven, and Buddhist's believe was the place where The Buddha last touched earth when he passed on. Interesting ironic parallels. Anyway, while on that train, I was strongly advised not to do the trek on the date planned, as it was a full moon Poya holiday, and forty thousand or so Sri Lankans would be having the same idea. So that plan was quickly revised, and we hopped off instead at the beautiful town of Nuwara Elija to check out tea estates and go find the end of the world.
We took on the pleasant five hour hike through Horton's Plains Park, a World Heritage site, and came to what is officially called "The End of the World", a sudden seven hundred meter drop to the lush valley below. The view of course was incredible. We noted, interestingly, that nowhere on this dropping point was there anything resembling a safety rail or even a sign of danger, and were reminded subtly that we were not in Cautious Canadian Culture.
And here a word or two is required once again to emphasize
Ella Waterfall
Imagine sitting in a one table restaurant sipping a cocoanut and taking in this view. the beauty of this country. Hillside after hillside of lush tea plantations, populated with workers seen periodically picking leaves and carrying them in baskets on their heads through pathways in the fields. Terraced gardens that go on for miles, a bit reminiscent of Sappa, in Northern Vietnam. Waterfalls, jungle, and lakes. Absolutely breathtaking.
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