From Ella to Tissamaharam
We leave at 7 am, before breakfast, to immediately head up to Little Adam's Peak, which involves a walk of about 200 meters with some inclines and sections of stairs, but it is quite different from what we saw in Dalhousie. It’s still a series of three peaks offering a wonderful view of Ella's Rock and everything that surrounds us, while keeping in mind that from afar the usual grey haze doesn't allow for a complete view of the horizon. A good way to stretch our legs and arrive at breakfast time to make a good impression. We continue on the winding road towards Wellawaya, stopping shortly after at the base of the waterfall. Rawana Falls Here too, the grandeur is diminished due to the limited water supply; there are several families from Sri Lanka who come to swim or take photos, while vendors and stalls along the road try to make sales with visitors. Another ten kilometers on the road towards Kataragama and we are now in a flat area. The rice, the vegetable gardens, eggplants and sponge cake, have now largely replaced tea, and the fruit trees are also different. We visit the rock carvings of Budduragala, seven statues dating back to the 10th century, with one particularly prominent... a tall Buddha of 15 meters carved into granite; here too, the strong mix between Buddhism and Hinduism is evident, to the point that the statue of Vishnu appears alongside the Buddha, in a secondary position compared to the first but still an integral part among the local deities. Maitreya, the future Buddha, is described as a bodhisattva, hopefully no Tibetan will pass through this area.
It is worth noting how the monk from yesterday refused the money as if it were poison; however, the person we meet at the counter today certainly doesn't disdain it, and the 500 rupees, just over three euros each, to see a site that doesn't require particular staff or maintenance are collected in exchange for a ticket on which is written in a Byzantine style that we thank you for your donation. The sculptures are made on a rock wall that rises amidst lush vegetation, where tamarind trees also stand out. We continue and along the road, we see that the vendors have changed: if there was previously a predominance of stalls offering ears of corn boiled inside central heating systems from the fire of the branches collected in the area, now you can see rows of terracotta pots which contain curd, a sour yogurt made from buffalo milk and usually served with honey. Where possible, the rice is irrigated and grows abundantly, allowing for three harvests; otherwise, it is sown with the hope that it will rain. In the worst case, it can be re-sown just before the rainy season, resulting in two harvests in twelve months. Actually, in the highlands, the rains should have already started; luckily, they are delayed, but this does not benefit the natural balance at all.
Safari in the Yala National Park
The road leading to Tissa is in perfect condition, and after overtaking several cars, we arrive at the town for lunch. A quick break in the center to break our fast with some cookies, check-in, and at 2 PM we meet the jeep driver outside the hotel, with whom we will embark on a safari of the Yala National Park, which is just half an hour away. As expected, Yala is a very crowded park, both with human and animal visitors. We can say that there's something for everyone; fortunately, the dense thicket of bushes and tall trees forces the off-road vehicles to travel on the unpaved roads, without disturbing the lawns. Let's see elephants. and abundant crocodiles, along a swampy area, we even spotted ten of these reptiles, in addition to mongooses, boar, buffaloes and a multitude of water birds and not near the salt lagoons. We unfortunately miss a highlight of the park, namely the leopard, which is very common here. Instead, we witness a very rare and special sight: the mating between two elephants. It feels like we are voyeurs watching this intimate moment between these two pachyderms, who emit sounds of pleasure while raising clouds of dust. They certainly aren't romantic, but it's their nature, and we should accept it as is. When it's almost 6 pm and time to leave, a crowd of jeeps creates a real traffic jam in the area where a feline seems to be. After waiting for a few minutes in line, we think it's enough; if we want to experience something similar, we can easily choose any bypass in our city. Instead, we enjoy a equatorial sunset, with the tallest branches appearing to glow as the sphere plunges into the undergrowth, leaving a shimmering halo that shifts from orange to pink and then to violet. Beyond the animals, the park is diverse, featuring forests and open expanses of meadows alternating with pools where the animals go to drink. We return to the hotel at 6:30 PM, as always, still dusty. For dinner, we try "darness," a fish that is translated for us as tuna, although it actually seems more like a salmon fillet.
