Yala National Park

 In Nuwara Eliya we had a free morning so walked downtown to see local shops and people watch. The Sinhala and Tamil New Year festival is happening this weekend so everyone is out shopping. We checked out the local Cargill’s supermarket. In the afternoon we went to St Andrew’s Hotel for High Tea, a very grand spread. 

Wednesday we headed down the long winding descent towards the lowlands. First stop was to get a Tuk Tuk ride to view the famous Nine Arch Bridge outside Ella. This is a colonial era railway construction with a difficult 9 degree curve and steep gradient, still in operation after over 100 years. We saw a train cross it at 11am. The Tuk Tuk ride there and back was like being on a roller coaster! My Apple Watch thought I had activated a cycling exercise and timed me as having done 11 minutes on the bike. Descended further and through the very touristy town of Ella, very popular with the back packing crowd. Quick photo stop at Ravana Waterfall. We had lunch at Tissamaharama, then on to Yala for a jeep safari. It was a bone shattering adventure - we spotted Elephants, water buffalo, peacock, mongoose (too quick to get a pic), eagle, monkeys, crocodile, deer, jungle fowl, whistling ducks and a monitor lizard. Sadly no leopard. Then on to our Hilton resort at Weerawila, a world class resort. Spent the next day swimming and relaxing by the pool.


Police on horseback directing traffic in downtown Nuwara Iliya.. Sign commonly seen - always RICE and curry, not curry and rice. Tuk Tuks lined up at the ready. Train over Nine Arch Bridge outside Ella.

Ravana Waterfall, Macaque monkey, a herd of cattle on the road as we drove past.

Purple faced Langur Monkey, water buffalo, elephant and stork at Yala National Park.

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