Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="rochel1977" data-source="post: 18672859" data-attributes="member: 371">Day 5: Tangalla to Udawalawe <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWB_ak5xdHM/VLuSeN0rVlI/AAAAAAAAFu8/vIEps078IHc/s1600/5aRockTemple.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> More glorious cycling on a hot day, relieved by cream sodas and excellent curries. Heading north from Tangalla I visited the Rock Temples of Mulkirigala. They're up this rock (pic). <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMV5qlTIl94/VLuS6oYljoI/AAAAAAAAFvM/ebd3jetpocs/s1600/5bBuddha.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> In the long climb to the top you pass five temples that contain enormous reclining Buddhas (pic). They rather put me in mind of the Ron Mueck sculptures I saw in São Paulo in November. I don't expect you find that particularly enlightening, though. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2UbszOXg0zA/VLuTD2nF0TI/AAAAAAAAFvU/2OKGSgoBOfw/s1600/5cSchool.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> In the temple courtyard, a school lesson was taking place (pic). I'm always intrigued by the fact that the further away you get from England, the more spotlessly white the children's uniforms. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nzXGBcikq30/VLuTNpbRqWI/AAAAAAAAFvc/OU1gWbMKhf4/s1600/5dCoconut.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> After all that climbing I rehydrated with the Sri Lankan roadside staple: the juice of a fresh coconut (pic), dramatically macheted open for you on the spot for 25p. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvLUA8CkCDU/VLuTd4SJl0I/AAAAAAAAFvk/KWDVh9oAWaQ/s1600/5eRoad.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> After pit stops at Embilipitaya I got to Udawalawe, ready for a day off the bike tomorrow, visiting the National Park here. It was a blisteringly hot day that needed plenty of water breaks, but the lush, gentle scenery, and constant smiles and waves from locals, made it another lovely day of biking. There was lots of this sort of thing (pic). Day 6: Udawalawe to Balangoda <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46eNgh5Y7Rk/VL4Q2c1AJEI/AAAAAAAAFv0/9MtdLOa6oL0/s1600/6Lake.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Along with my guesthousemates, I went out on a morning safari. Udawalawe National Park (pic) is one of the world's best places to see elephants in the wild. Apparently they drink 200 litres of water a day, which is what I felt like doing once I got cycling later on. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwF9aFR8RBg/VL4RCjJTcMI/AAAAAAAAFv8/ldj8r_lTJWg/s1600/6aBeeEater.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> But we also saw loads of other interesting animals. This is a green bee-eater (pic). I know they like their food hot in Sri Lanka, but this is going quite far. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cgVMe7ZzMfM/VL4RRPiDilI/AAAAAAAAFwE/_rMWhYk7Efg/s1600/6bJackal.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> This is a jackal. Clearly it was his day. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-vwqC6CyX4/VL4RfTlselI/AAAAAAAAFwM/goZkGj9IqtM/s1600/6cChangeableEagle.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> And this is a changeable hawk-eagle. It does look rather moody. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0W3mZ3CV1M/VL4SAHxah9I/AAAAAAAAFwU/5HJ1lHUWvrs/s1600/6eElephants.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> But the main thing was the elephants, and we saw zillions of them, lumbering around and munching vast clumps of vegetation. Many were family groups, such as this mother and baby (pic). We also spotted kingfishers, mongooses, painted storks, peacocks, serpent eagles, buffalo, crocodiles, various fat lizards, and two chameleons, but obviously the photos of them didn't come out because they blended into the background as soon as they saw us. <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TIGtUElWkj4/VL4SrX27mmI/AAAAAAAAFwc/e0mtxJPQ6KE/s1600/6fSmileyElephant.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Clearly the elephants are happy here, because they all look like they're smiling (pic). <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJp-4N0Gjb4/VL4S__4QtPI/AAAAAAAAFwk/wjmhNIDO09E/s1600/6gCoolSpot.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Anyway, after all that excitement, it was still only ten in the morning, so I could get back on my bike. Not being able to start early meant I had to cycle in the full heat of the day, though. Luckily, Sri Lankan roadsides abound with food and drink stores, and fruit-juice stalls like this. 'Cool spot' means a cold-drink opportunity, though I did feel pretty cool, having delicious iced wood-apple juice served by the friendly owner (pic). <img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u23CK17TaA0/VL4TVj_PFVI/AAAAAAAAFws/amTCF42hIF0/s1600/6hB351.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> For the first time in the trip I had some climbing, coming into Hill Country, through loads of little villages and towns on quiet back roads. There was lots of this sort of thing. Only with 1 in 4 ascents. Some very sweaty pushing may have been involved. <img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-quaeBfLm3Yw/VL4ToN5kHXI/AAAAAAAAFw0/0yxAwywVMCo/s1600/6iBalangoda.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Finally I got into Balangoda, a totally untouristed town in the beginnings of tea country (pic). I found the only hotel, which has stunning views over the lush hills and mountains. There is little light pollution here – probably because, if my room is anything to go by, hardly any of the lights work.</blockquote>

Verification: Awruddata maasa keeyada?

Top Bottom