1230am and the alarm sounded.
We piled into the tuk tuk for an early morning bumpy ride through central Sri Lanka, cold for the first time since arriving and finally making use of the puffer jacket.
Approaching Sri Lanka’s national holiday, the Sinhalese New Year, many locals from different religions complete the 5500 step pilgrimage up the 4th largest mountain Adam’s Peak, or as the locals know it, Sri Pada. 14km kilometers up and down the intimidating peak of 2200m, the hike was going to be no walk in the park.
A near full moon and clear sky of stars, along with a sting of lights and market stalls selling curry at 2am(?!) guided our way through the torture along with what could have been over 1000 other pilgrims. Many of the Sri Lankans were climbing in sandals or barefoot, and some looked to be so old they would struggle to walk this far on flat land. It is inspiring to witness the cultural values and the discomfort people put themselves through as part of their customs. ‘We’re nearly there!’ was proclaimed at every corner, as we looked up to the temple on top of the mountain, which was both hours and thousands of steps away. There were definitely moments where Jelley wanted to give up, feeling ill from jet lag and exhaustion, and the constant pain of step after step.
3 hours later, we made it to the peak, in perfect timing to find a spot amongst the masses to appreciate the stunning sunrise over Sri Lanka’s mountain ranges. Cameras can never capture the beauty of moments like these, and we were in awe of the beauty. Every step was worth it.
Legs shaking like jelly (hehe) during the descent, we had a new appreciation for our surroundings now visible in the daylight, and arrived back to the tuk tuk after the challenging 5 hour journey. The drive back to our home stay in Hatton was a real treat, passing through lakes and seemingly infinite tea plantations. Exhausted and ready for bed, we arrived back to a breakfast prepared by our kind host at Niwasa House, before boarding the train to our next stop, Ella.
At this stage, we have taken public transport for 5-6 hours every day, and it was taking its toll. It is incredible to think this is the ‘norm’ for Sri Lankans on their daily commute and is hard to compare with the luxury of being stuck in a traffic jam in Christchurch. The majority of our train journey was spent again standing in a crowded carriage, with the remainder alternating seats with a cute French family. Eventually arriving in Ella around 4pm, we had been awake for over 15 hours, our booking hadn’t been received at the guest house, we hadn’t prepared snacks for the journey and hanger was taking over big time. It was time for a mini-breakdown on Jel’s part, but we soon relaxed at ‘Chill Bar’ with a pizza and beer. Ella was a complete contrast to our other stops so far, a town created solely for tourists, with more burgers on offer than curries, and coffee available on every corner. We worked quickly to plan our next move, as tourist hubs tend to focus on the ignorance of tourists, and we weren’t too keen to get caught up on the scams.
Flexibility is an absolute must while traveling anywhere, especially in SE Asia. Our plan was to work in a guest house near Yala National Park for one week. However, 1 hour before departure, we found the name of the guest house then did something we wish we had done months ago, and read the reviews. When the ‘Terrible’ reviews outweighed the ‘Excellent/Very Good’ reviews 5:1 on TripAdvisor, you know there is a problem. Uncomfortable at the prospect of being stuck in an environment described as ‘a total scam’, we made a prompt decision to change our travel direction and head east to the highly recommended Arugam Bay.
10 minutes later, we were back on a bumpy local bus (yet again) winding around the hills towards the east coast of Sri Lanka.
A Dutch couple on our bus were also heading to Arugum bay, and after the uncomfortable 3 hour journey to the first transfer point, we made a joint decision to take a ‘taxi’ straight through to Arugam Bay. It was refreshing reduce the length of the journey and feel the breeze on our shoulders. It was also nice to share stories with our new friends in the back of our ‘taxi’ – a dodgy looking open safari jeep.
We completely lucked out with our accommodation in Arugam Bay. Hurriedly reading reviews a few minutes before leaving Ella, we dropped by Ranga’s Beach Huts in hope of availability. We managed to get someone’s cancelled booking, and ended up in a treehouse hut on the beachfront. The chilled out vibe of the beach huts, and travelers of all ages and backgrounds around, was just what we needed to feel like we are really on holiday.
Unable to walk after our Adam’s Peak experience, the 10 step climb to our hut is a mission, but swimming in the ocean is therapeutic and getting to know other travelers from Sweden, France, UK, Australia and even another Kiwi has brought renewed energy and overpriced beer into our travels (although no beer for Luke .. apparently 7.45pm is a great time for a ‘nap’ to ‘be down in a minute’ and wake up 12 hours later).
Life in Arugam Bay is calm and slower than the towns we have seen so far. Listening to the sound of the waves is a lot more soothing than beeping horns and shouting stall owners, and the friendly smiles of the visiting surf bums and helpful locals have made us feel welcome in this new part of the country.
We travelled north to Whisky Point with our Swedish friend Elsa (yes, like from Frozen) this morning as Luke dipped into his inner Cali Boy and tried surfing for just the 2nd time today. It was a lot more successful than his 1st time in Hawaii which ended with spines of a sea urchin. While both burnt to a crisp and still quite sore, we’re a lot more relaxed, lying in hammocks on the beach writing this update and planning for an adventurous day of safaris and scooters tomorrow.
Everything falls into place for a reason, and while plans have changed, we couldn’t be happier with our current situation, and now have a full 2 weeks to play here in Sri Lanka and discover more of this amazing and diverse country. It will be hard to escape the chilled out beach hut life, and we may be relying on sunburn to drive us back into the cooler mountains and historic sites in a couple of days.
Reading news of the latest cyclone to hit NZ over this Easter weekend, we’re sending some of our sunshine and good spirits back home for brighter days to come!
Jelley & Luke xoxo
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