Can Grape Juice Curdle?

 

People who are very close to me know that I don’t like to roam around after 6.00 PM. Yes, things are different when there are close friends or family with me and they offer me to drop back home safely.

Few days back, I had been to my cousin’s house, which is very close to my place of stay. Had been there in the evening as late as 5.30 PM (P.S. Late as per my book of rules), as that’s when the couple becomes free from their job who are currently working from home. While we were having our chit chats, she was very curious to know why was I so adamant about my 6.00 PM rule. I smiled away as I too forgot the actual reason behind that. But she was not in a mood to leave that. She asked me whether I had any such bitter experiences from the past that I hold on to it so tightly. And then I had to travel back. Its then I realised how such incidents create a huge impact in our daily lives.

The incident goes like this. It was around 15 years back. A room-mate of mine had a reliance connection. She got a call from customer service centre informing her about some issue with ID verification that, she was asked to submit the necessary documents within 10 days to avoid disconnection. In the preceding week, we got holiday in the middle of the weak that none of us were able to go to our respective homes and so decided to stay back at the PG itself. And hence, we chose the same day to go to the nearest Reliance office which was at Muvattupuzha. We were the only ones who had nothing to do at PG, rest all had some assignments, meetings etc. Muvattupuzha was around 15 kms from our college/PG.

After breakfast, we decided to leave and we reached the Reliance office around 10.30 AM. She just had to submit the documents which were duly verified by the officer over the counter and the work for which had come, got finished in just 5 minutes of time for which we had to walk 25 minutes & travel half an hour by bus. It was scorching heat outside as well. We then decided to have some juice from nearby café and then return back to our PG. Those days I was crazy about grape juice and so my friend also decided to order the same. We both drank it within no time and left the café and boarded the bus back to Kothamangalam. We got the seats & were busy talking to each other. When bus reached the bus stand and when we were about to debark, I felt heaviness in my head. Thinking it would be the effect of outside temperature, I chose not to discuss it with her. But within few seconds of walking away from bus stand, she told her head is heavy. I told I too felt the same. So, without any delay, we caught an auto and we hurried ourselves to reach back our PG safely. Normally, we opt for an auto ride only when there is heavy luggage or else if we are in a hurry to reach our hostel. Our PG was just 15 minutes’ walk from the bus stand.

On reaching back our hostel, we both drank quite some good amount of water and slept until 3 or 4 in the evening without bothering to have our lunch. And once we got up, we started to analyse what exactly happened to us. That’s when we arrived at a conclusion that, something was mixed in the grape juice to take advantage of 2 young college girls. It was our parents’ prayers that kept us safe. But since then, I have been following a set of unwritten rules like               1) To reach home/hostel or any other safe place before 6.00 PM                     2) Not to travel alone after 6.00 PM                  3) Not to drink Grape juice when alone.

Some people might find this funny & illogical. But it brings shivers even after these many years by the mere thought of what would have happened that day which would have changed both of our lives badly forever.

Fàilte gu Alba - Welcome to Scotland

It was in the month of December I set out myself for Southampton. It was my first abroad journey alone. I had just recovered from a surgery of my left arm which was held 3-4 months back. I had to seek help to lift my luggage whenever required, because I wasn’t recovered fully from the injury. But still I was excited of my journey by self. I had a mobile phone & an adequate Wi-Fi connection throughout the journey to keep posted. I wondered how people used to travel alone when there were no mobile phones & plastic money cards. 

My flight landed at Heathrow Airport around noon. After finishing the immigration formalities, I came out in an hour. Southampton is 61 miles from Heathrow airport which will take you around 2 hours to reach by National Express Coach. My coach would start at 3.00 PM. Since it was very cold outside, I decided to wait in the airport lounge which also had display boards for the status of National Express Coaches. I stepped out & boarded the coach when it arrived and got seated myself comfortably. The bus was driven by a lady who aged around 50’s. Dileep had an exam the same day and had told he would come to the coach station to pick me up. The coach had stopped at 2 places and I was enjoying the view outside. The bus passed through narrow roads, freeways, towns & villages. Apart from very few speed breakers, the roads were very smooth that anybody can sleep like a baby. It was around 5 when I reached Southampton, but it looked dark as though it was 7.00 PM. Even though I have read & heard about early sunset & shorter days, I got to experience it there. I was excited the moment I saw Dileep, when my bus turned towards the coach station. He had finished his exam early & came to receive me. And what surprised me more was the fact that, the lady driver herself was lifting all the baggage’s of the passengers whoever alighted from the coach. She greeted each & every passenger happily while handing over our bags. I was shivering like a leaf and my winter jacket was somewhere deep inside my luggage. We reached our house (where Dileep has been staying for past few months) and received a warm welcome from his friends.

I was very tired even though there were few more hours to bed. I got myself fresh and had some dinner for namesake and then off to sleep allowing Dileep to prepare for his next day’s exam. Next day morning when I woke up, I was all alone in that house as Dileep & his friends had already left for their last exam. After breakfast & bath, I slept again & was woken up by Dileep when he was back. We had lunch outside and walked around. It was very cold & a big relief when we walked along the Sun. The roads were all crowded and Christmas sale was on everywhere. The streets were full of lights & filled with temporary shops which served Christmas decoration items, varieties of food and handcrafted gifts. In some restaurants, loud music played and, in some places, local artists performed. This went on for whole night even after the mall & local shops were closed. It was fun to walk around and you never felt it was midnight. One realised it is dark only when you moved out of that happening place.

For next 3 days we were busy exploring Southampton. Dileep was busy showing me all the hang out places, shops & eateries. And I was as excited as him, because everything was a new experience for me. We also engrossed in shopping especially food & water as we were going for a road trip in 3 days.

Day 1                        Southampton -> Burnley                                 264 miles, 4 hr 38 min

We packed & kept our things ready the previous day itself and woke up early in the morning and went to Europcar to get our car. It took almost half an hour to finish the procedures & to get our car even though we had made an early online booking days before. Finally, we were off for our road trip after lunch. It was almost dark when we reached Burnley. Burnley was just a stopover.

Day 2        Burnley -> Lake District National Park                           64.2 miles, 1 hr 5 min

                  Lake District National Park -> Bowness-on-Windermere    13.7 miles, 23 min

                  Bowness-on-Windermere -> Edinburgh                     160 miles, 3 hours 13 min

On the way to Edinburgh, we stopped at Lake District National Park. It is the largest among national parks in England. The park is famous for its landscape and is protected by restricting the industrial or commercial development. The lakes, forests, mountains & its association with William Wordsworth & other lake poets make it famous. We spent around 2-3 hours trekking & learning about the place and then moved to next destination, Bowness-on-Windermere.

Bowness was a civil parish town & one of the officials stop off points for the Olympic torch before it made its way to the Olympic Games opening ceremony. This small village lies on the shore of England’s largest lake. This place is ideal for hill walkers, cyclists & water sports enthusiasts or even for those who are ready to explore the village by foot. After lunch & tea, we left the village as we had to reach Edinburgh before it was too dark. It was around 8 when we checked in at hotel. After dinner, we headed to the Princess Street. Even though it was close to 9, the streets were lighted so well that, it was brighter than a sunny day. The whole street was ready to welcome Christmas & New Year. The view was even more stunning from the giant wheel at the Christmas fair. Next day morning too, we had crossed the street, but the view at night was spectacular. 

Day 3                   Edinburgh -> Dirleton Castle                                        22.3 miles, 40 min

                             Dirleton Castle -> Tantallon Castle                                 5.6 miles, 15 min

                              Tantallon Castle -> Rosslyn Chapel                             32.1 miles, 46 min

                            Rosslyn Chapel -> Edinburgh                                         14.5 miles, 33 min

The Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia also known as Royal Yacht Britannia is the former royal yacht of the British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was in service from 1954 until 1997. Now retired from royal service, Britannia is permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh which was just 5 min walk from our hotel. It took 3 hours to complete the museum tour.

After lunch, we proceeded to Dirleton Castle, a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. This stone castle has very well-maintained garden. The castle is in ruins, but you can wander into some of the chambers and read about life in bygone days. This is a self-guiding tour, so one can take your own time. There are comprehensive information boards, which gives you the information about the history & purpose of the rooms.

Our next destination was Tantallon Castle which was very close to Dirleton Castle. Tantallon comprises a single wall blocking off the headland, with the other three sides naturally protected by sea cliffs. The castle was once home to the powerful Red Douglas dynasty. When we were paying for the entry ticket, the staff asked us where were we from. When we said, we are from India, he told ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hain’ was shot here. Few shots for the title song were shot here. The thing which I think should have special mention about is the hospitality you get from the staff. They are very welcoming & they share whatever information they know irrespective of who visits. They never get tired of that.  

After these two places, we decided to go to Rosslyn Chapel since we had time. But it was very dark by the time we reached and so visitors weren’t allowed. This chapel was made famous by Dan Brown & featured in the movie adaptation of the novel “The Da Vinci Code”, the location of which is on a small hill. It is drawn by the unique & mysterious carvings. When we returned it was already dark and we were tired after so much of hiking and so we called it a day.

Day 4  

Next day morning after breakfast, we decided to explore Edinburgh. It included Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, St Giles Cathedral etc. The Holyrood Palace is the Queen’s official residence at Edinburgh. The Palace is open to public to explore throughout the year except when members of the Royal Family are in Residence.

Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh which stands on Castle Rock. At present it is the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The walk up is little bit steep & it takes atleast 2-3 hours to complete the tour.

St Giles' Cathedral is one of Scotland's most important medieval parish church buildings. The cathedral has stunning architecture & stained glassworks.

Scotland is famous for highlands, mountains, lakes, Hebrides and many more. It is also known for its rich varieties of whiskies. So how can Scotland trip just come to an end without visiting a distillery? The fantastic way to taste the national drink is by visiting one of the distilleries. Then, one of our cousins told us Glenkinchie would be the perfect option as its not much far (16 miles) from our place of stay as well as won’t be much crowded. These distilleries conduct a tour just like tea factory tour in our country. In this, they show the entire process of distillation & making whiskies. To participate in this tour, we have to book tickets in advance because this is conducted only certain number of times in a day.  Click here to grab your tickets. One of the employees would accompany us and show us the factory & explain each of the process. And at the end of the tour there would be free tasting during which we can select from their library. I would recommend this place for even a teetotaller. 

Day 5                                        Edinburgh -> Manchester                        224 miles, 4 hours

A day we bid a bye to Scotland after our breakfast and were headed to Manchester, the land of Football. On the way we were misguided by google maps because of lack of network. But we enjoyed the trip because of the views we got and roads weren’t bad either even though there were some narrow stretches. Occasionally we stopped for some snaps in the beautiful background. We reached the hotel very early before the scheduled time for Stadium tour. So instead of going to the stadium, after checking in to the hotel, we decided to go to a mall nearby which was also at walkable distance. But it was when we decided to start for the Old Trafford, we realized that we were on the other side of the river which had only few bridges across it so that we could reach out for Stadium. The walk along the river to bridge took quite long time and so we reached for the stadium tour exactly on time. Had we reached a little bit early, we could have got time to take few extra snaps at the gallery where the trophies, momentos etc were showcased.   

We had booked for Manchester United Football Club(MUFC) stadium tour for the evening. Click here to book your tickets. Dileep is a fan of MUFC & I never watched a football match till the tour. He was very much excited and so I was busy clicking pictures of his special moments some secretly & some candid ones. But it is an experience which has to be felt. After the tour, I too started watching matches of his favourite club along with him even though I’m still not a great fan. The stadium tour covers in 2-3 hours after which we can exit through their souvenir shop. We were busy checking things when there was some cheers & rush. Its then we saw the MUFC player Juan Mata. Actually, Dileep saw him & ran & I just followed Dileep because I didn’t know who Juan Mata was. Dileep was on cloud 9 and I got to click 2 pictures of Dileep with him. I would have experienced the same feeling, had I come across Hrithik Roshan. Finally, after some purchases from the store and clicking few more pictures from outside of the stadium, we left for dinner. Since we were tired by then, we directly headed back to our hotel.

      

Day 6

We were busy exploring the city and enjoying the Christmas vibes which was all around us. The city was full busy with people running around & checking out each & every sale.

Day 7                             Manchester -> Southampton                               230 miles, 4 hours

Finally, our road trip was commencing to an end. We drove from Manchester back to Edinburgh on Christmas eve carrying home a lot of beautiful memories for our life ahead.

But things changed after New Year. All the temporary shops were removed and that’s exactly when I realized that how big the roads were. The crowds were replaced by moving vehicles. Now people were back to work. 

Scotland & Sri Lanka are the places where I would love to go back again. There are lot more places to explore which hopefully will be covered in our next trip to Scotland.   

Note : You can visit all the places or many more even if you choose not to drive yourself, because the public transportation is very convenient & well connected in UK.

Click here for more photos from this trip.

Shhhhhh!!! Speak with Caution

Few days back, I had been for a get together. From past few years, I have been avoiding these types of get togethers or functions due to some personal reasons which you would come to know in the upcoming paragraphs. And I was lucky enough that I got a very big reason to avoid these functions – COVID. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t meet people. Yes, I do but only those who I think would leave a positive effect or have already left a positive imprint in the past. Your words are sharper than swords. So, the selection of words is important and be careful when using on someone. Because your wrong selection of words can kill someone's happiness.

When reading the prologue, many would come up with so called solutions such as

1)     God has given two ears. Listen through one and leave it through the other.

2)     We are all family/well-wishers. So, when we say something about/against you, its because we care for you.

To these I have only one reply. Kindly refrain from your advices/suggestions. If we really need one, we would ask without any hesitation to someone we think would give us right solution or lead us through the right path. If you want to say something, why don’t you leave a positive comment? 

People come to you and give you some random feedback/suggestions which would leave people like me in a dilemma. Recently I got such a comment. For following 2-3 days I kept on thinking about it and I was not able to think anything apart from it. Suddenly I came across a small article about spitting out words carefully. After reading that I started thinking about that person and her words. Why do I care so much? Does that person play any significant role in your life/heart? Was this person present to comfort/help you, when there were setbacks?

The article goes like this. A friend of a new mom visited her at hospital, immediately after the delivery. In midst of their conversation, she randomly asked what did your husband gift you on your delivery? The friend left in a while, but the question was haunting the new mom and there was a fight between her husband and herself which ended up in a divorce.

Another incident from that article goes like this. A well-wisher met Ramesh and he asked about where was Ramesh working & how much does he earn? On learning the salary Ramesh earns, the well-wisher asked him how does Ramesh meet the necessities with this mere salary? Then Ramesh said, there is no other way than this. The so-called well-wisher went leaving a spark in Ramesh’s mind. Ramesh started creating problems when his employer declined of salary hike and ended up losing his job. Now Ramesh was jobless.

After reading this, at least some of you will think why do we have to listen to people like this. It is easy to say. But haven’t we not done the same when some friend or some relative commented on something happening in our life? Haven’t we lost something precious, when we reacted to the situation on which they commented?

I too learnt from that article. Let them think whatever they want to. If she really cared for me, then she would have presented it in a nicer way and that too during some private moment, or may be pull me towards some corner and share her concern, not in public so as to make me feel guilty or wrong in others eyes. Words once said, cannot be taken back. That’s why people say we should never speak when we are angry or elated or at the peak of any kind of emotion.   

Remember that words from us might bring a significant change in others. When we go to the roots of the fights between friends or relationships, the reason might be the words from a third person who may not be aware that he is the reason for the spark. We never know what impact our words create on others. Even though this might not be true for all fights, but this is a reason for at least few. Words are to be wisely used and they should be used in such a way that, they create or build a strong relation, not to even make a small mental stress.

Valparai - The Heaven on Earth

Do you want to escape from the crowd?

Do you just want to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the nature enjoying the climate & the views?

Do you want to breathe in some fresh air?

Have you ever felt that you do not belong to this hustle and bustle of the city?

Then this is the place. A tea estate bungalow, Sinna Dorai’s Bungalow at Valparai. A 6-hour drive from Cochin in which 2-hour drive through the forest (Vazachal forest range). Or else if one doesn’t want to take the forest route, you can reach here via Pollachi road as well.

During lockdown, when the state borders remained closed, but people could travel anywhere within the state, we had been to Malakkappara which is the exit point of Vazhachal forest division and after which Tamilnadu state border starts. The 2-hour drive through the forest was mesmerising. And hence, this time too, we chose to drive through the same route to reach Valparai. When we reached half way, we got to see a wild tusker, which was munching on a branch of wild jackfruit. There were fallen branches & trees throughout the route due to strong wind previous night, none of which blocked our route.

Once we crossed the border, we stopped at Sholayar dam & some other viewpoints to click some photos & as well as to stretch our legs. After an hour of drive, we reached our destination.

We got to experience both, a sunny day as well as rainy one too. Both had its own beauty. There are only very few places to roam around which includes Sholayar dam, Nallamudi Viewpoint, Loam’s viewpoint etc. But if you choose to stay at Sinna Dorai’s Bungalow, then no need to step out of the tea estate. If you are lucky, you can even see any member of feline family even without stepping into the forest.

Who wouldn’t love to sip a piping hot tea in the rain? The tea was very tasty or rather may be the weather outside made it tasty. We never know. The coffee tables had inlaid chessboard, ludo, snake & ladder. While sipping the tea, we played a round of snake & ladder. Its then we heard the strong flapping sound of wings. It was a huge hornbill. It was sitting on the highest branch of a tall tree. And that’s when the care taker of the resort shared a piece of information that once the hornbill touches the ground, it won’t be able to fly back because of the weight of its wings. One can hear the flapping sounds of the hornbill from half a mile away.

One could wake up to the sweet sound of whistling. The sound is made by a small black bird called Malabar Whistling Thrust. It is locally known as whistling schoolboy. It is a small black-blue bird and you would wonder how this small creature makes such a sweet whistle just like a human. First time we heard this sound was when we were waiting to finish our formalities near Vazachal to enter the forest. We were not able to figure from where the sound came and so asked the forest guards who were gatekeeping. They told its known as “Choola Kakka” in Malayalam. Instantly I googled & got the rest of the information. And so, we were very happy to spot one when it came very close to our room at Valparai. You could also listen to peacock squawk or chirping of other birds. The echoes of these sounds make them even more beautiful.

We were happy & self-contained that our phone worked as mere camera & alarm clock. We felt we were in some isolated part of the world, wherein the air that surrounded us was as pure as it was some 20 years back. We were in midst of a tea estate on 2 sides and forests (Anamalai tiger reserve) on other two sides. Humans shared the roads that led to the bungalow with wild animals & birds as well. Beware when you walk in the dark. You never know you might collide with or get kicked by a wild elephant or a bison.

In the evening before getting dark, we were advised not to walk to the main building for dinner by self. We have to inform our dinner time and someone would come & pick us from our room. When one person came to pick us, we told we would like to sit back for some more time & we shall come by ourself. That’s when he lit the torch and waved the torch along the tea bushes. The eyes were glowing. We were dumbstruck. We were fenced by Bisons.

Next day morning, when we went out for a walk, we were surprised to see that none of the tea shrubs were run over. And we asked about it to the manager. He told, neither the Bison nor any other animal eats the tea leaf. They will be eating the grass in between them. The tea shrubs serve as a shelter from predators, rather than grazing in an open area. But of course, these evergreen shrubs get smashed when there is a fight between the animals.

Disclaimer : This is not a resort. So, you could never get a fixed menu for food. You can neither make a choice. The bungalow has 6 cottages and so there are 6 dining tables as well. Same food would be served on all tables which would remind you of your school/college hostel days. But if you are ready for a homely food, this place is meant for you. They are not pre trained chefs who cook for you. But normal people like us who eat the same food after we are done with. So, you can be assured of food you eat.

You will never get facilities that you get at a 5-star resort. But be assured that you will never miss your home.

Our phone remained silent except for the alarm bell because there is no network except for BSNL. Our room was provided with Wi-Fi, but we were lucky enough that, it also wasn’t working.

For Reservations : You will have to fill the form on their website and wait for them to contact. They respond to the enquiries soon. Click here to check in to Sinnadorai's Bungalow. 

Edapalayam Watch Tower - A Night at Periyar Tiger Reserve(PTR)

 

Kerala is promoting eco-tourism which gives the commoners like us to experience the nature in its true form. One such experience is Edapalayam Watch Tower situated inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady. The watch tower dates back to 1927 which is closely located to Lake Palace, Thekkady. Click here to grab your tickets online. This was started in 2017, but remained closed during lockdown in 2020 & 2021.  

But keep in mind, this trip is not a holiday. The experiences are never the same all time. So be prepared for the worst too. There are so many things in the forest which can neither be explained nor be predicted.

The chances of spotting animals are high during summer. During summer, there are limited sources of water. Hence animals would be seen around the lake. We too choose late may so that it would be just before monsoon. But to our bad luck, there was rain due to depression for the whole week. The vehicles are to be parked outside the reserve, where there is a parking lot for all the private vehicles & taxis. You have to finish up check in formalities and then along with 3 people which consist of one beat forest officer & 2 guards, you will be taken on a bus to the boat landing area. Earlier private vehicles were allowed till boat landing area.

We arrived a little bit late because of heavy rain & poor visibility due to fog on our way. So, we missed the boat which we were supposed to board. We had to wait for the next boat which is at one hour & a half intervals. We were welcomed by 3 Elephants & a group of Sambar Deer which were grazing in the rain on the banks of the lake on our opposite side. There were guests to Lake Palace as well who reached late. Since we were 2 groups to same destination, a special boat was arranged. We boarded the boat once it arrived. After 20 minutes of the boat ride, we reached the lake palace from where we had to walk through the reserve to reach the watch tower. On reaching lake palace, we were given a pair of leech socks which we had to wear before we start our hike through the forest. Leeches are common in forests, especially when it is raining. We had raincoats with us, so there was no trouble of carrying umbrella while walking. 

On our way to watch tower, the guards & the beat officer showed us some plants & herbs (medicinal as well as other categories) and they shared their experiences. After walking for a while, we saw a group of Sambar deer which were very close and ran away on seeing us except for one which was watching our movement with its sharp alert ears and occasionally making some warning sounds. We didn’t bother to take photographs as the camera would get wet in the rain. After couple of minutes of stopping to watch the deer, we again started to walk and we saw 2 Bisons a little bit far. Finally, after walking for 20-25 minutes, we reached our camp site which overlooked the green grassland and a part of the lake. 

The watch tower is surrounded by a very deep trenches which would prevent wild animals’ entry. I felt bit relieved when we reached the watch tower. Yes, I was excited of the experience I’m going to get, but remember you are walking through the forest. So, you never know what surprise/shock is in store. There are 2 logs each on 3 sides of the trenches which helps to cross the trench. As per beat officer, once a wild elephant got angry for some unknown reason and started to throw mud, branches etc on the guests. Luckily guests were on the other side of the trench. And it also removed the logs (used to cross the trench) and threw it away.

We walked around for a while when the guides were preparing our room & their kitchen. The mobile phone which you carry along can only serve the purpose of calendar, clock, camera or torch. Because there is no network, once you pass the lake palace. The power supply to the watch tower is provided by solar battery which is installed on the top of the watch tower which was not working since covid lockdown. The guides & the beat officer tried their level best to ensure our comfort. This is the only complaint we had in our entire stay. The lockdown came into effect in March 2020 & we visited the watch tower in May 2022. Even after numerous complaints by the officials as well as the guests, it has not yet been rectified. In the absence of light, we had yummy candlelight dinner. It was then we saw 2 porcupines nearby with full quill erected. That was a wonderful sight. We could hear some sounds of birds, animals & insects as well when it was not raining. After some chit chats, off we went to sleep. 

The bedroom for guests is upstairs. The room is fully wooden except for the glass panes all around the room to get 360° views of the forest. It is a very small neat room with 2 beds, a bedside table & a dressing table. There is a small balcony outside where there is a small tea table & 2 chair made out of bamboo where you can sit & relax. At times, two mice also gave us company.

I hardly slept. It was very cold inside the room. I kept waking up every hour to look out and watch animals grazing outside. But no animals appeared until 12.00 AM as it was raining heavily. But when I woke up at 12.00, I was full excited as I could see small dark lumps here & there in the plain grassland. Those lumps were none other than Bisons, Sambar Deer, Porcupines & Wild Boar. I kept watching them and we also went out of our room to get a better sight. I really wish there was at least moonlight. We returned to our room and started to observe sitting on our bed. After an hour or so, the Sambar Deer made a warning sound & they all ran away into the forest on the opposite side. Meanwhile rest of the animals kept looking into the forest for a while. We were expecting a predator. But our wait was in vain. Still those mere thoughts itself brings goosebumps even now being more than a month after the trip.

I think then I had a deep sleep for 2-3 hours after which I woke up around 5.15 AM when there was some light in the horizon. Except for deer which I guess didn’t comeback, rest of the animals were starting to leave the grassland & enter back to the forest. We watched them for a while. The package includes a trek also. But we didn’t have because of the rain.

We walked around the forest outside the trench along with one of the guides and went to the backside of the watch tower in the forest. We got to see few Bisons which were grazing & drinking water from the lake. We returned back to the watch tower when all the Bisons left our vicinity and got ready for our breakfast. While having breakfast, we informed the beat officer & the guides that we won’t be waiting till lunch as it would be raining for whole week. Also, promised them to return during next summer. Hope by then the power issues also gets resolved.

Around 10.30 AM, when we felt that the rain had stopped, we decided to return back. This time we took another way to walk which was along the lake. It started to rain when we were almost reaching the Inspection Bungalow where we sat to wear the leech socks. It was time to board the boat for our return. We left with a very heavy heart and a beautiful experience and promised ourself to return next time.  

 Note: 1) Always try to arrive at the parking lot at least 30-45 minutes early from the time mentioned in your ticket/payment slip.

2) Only 2 adults can check-in. Kids (irrespective of their ages)are not allowed.

3) The program includes welcome drink/evening tea, dinner, breakfast & lunch.

Sri Lanka - The Pearl of Indian Ocean

If someone ever asks me which is my favourite beach destination, it would be Maldives & Sri Lanka. Both the places have clean & blue beaches. While Maldives has only beaches, Sri Lanka has something for everyone.

1)     Sigiriya, Pidurangala, Ella & Adam’s peak - Trekking & Hiking activities.

2)     Minneriya national park & Hurulu Eco Park – Elephant lovers.

3)     Trinicomalee & Mirissa – Whale Watching.

4)     Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Adam’s Peak – Natural facets of beauty (hilly places).

5)     Dambulla, Kandy – Buddha temples.

6)   Kitugala, Hikkaduwa, Weligama, Arugam Bay – Various water sports & activities like snorkelling, scuba diving etc

Above mentioned list are just few examples. And most importantly the people of Sri Lanka. You will fall in love with the country because of the hospitality & welcome you experience from there. And ladies out there who want to travel alone, this is the best place. Nobody will stare at you for what you wear or how you look. Instead, they would love and be ready to help you anytime, anywhere.

This was the first holiday since covid 19 which had many ‘firsts’ for me. So, everything was new to me & I was full of anxieties as well as excitements. Getting out into the crowd, boarding a public transport like a flight, taxi etc. That’s when I realised, I have never been to the new terminal of Cochin International Airport. Even though there were many ‘firsts’, this was my second visit to Sri Lanka. Our last visit to Sri Lanka was in 2018. Then, we had promised to return back. It took 4 years to keep our promise.

This visit was paid when we started reading/hearing about Sri Lanka crisis. Hence, we were getting calls from our relatives & friends whoever got to know we were about to travel. But the moment we landed in the airport; we were relieved. The airport was flooded with tourists, mostly Europeans. Since, we had applied for e-visa before travel, it took hardly 2-3 minutes to finish the immigration formalities. After which, we headed to Galle. During our last visit, we chose to be backpackers and depended fully on public transport. But this time, due to covid & prevailing economic crisis, we chose to hire a taxi which would take us to all the places as per self-prepared itinerary.

Day 1         Bandaranaike Airport (CMB) -> Galle            153 KMS                2 hr 13 min

After 2 hours of drive, we finally reached Galle around 2 PM. We were exhausted by the time we reached Galle. The climate was sultry either. Still, we chose to have a light lunch somewhere outside. And that’s how we ended up at Galle Fort Hotel which was near to our place of stay. After our late lunch, we roamed around checking out the place and returned back to our resort due to scorching sun. In the evening we again walked around the fort and had dinner at A minute by Tuk Tuk.  

Day 2 & Day 3

We covered the entire large fort walking part by part. This busy Fort is set on a peninsula within the walled remains of a fortress first developed by the Portuguese in the 1500s and later adapted by the Dutch and British. The fort is enormous and is built around 130 acres. It takes almost an hour to walk around the fort along the fort walls.

We even visited the National Maritime Museum & went to Mirissa for a whale watching session where we got to see numerous happy dolphins, the huge sea turtles & a whale shark. The best time to spot whales is during November to April and the duration is for 3-5 hours which starts at 7.00 AM. Our resort recommended Raja & the Whales for responsible whale watching. The maritime museum is open on all days except on public holidays from 8.00 AM to 5.00 PM.

 Day 4                                      Galle -> Yala                         167 KMS                 2 hr 52 min

We started off for our next destination after our breakfast. We just relaxed at our resort after succulent lunch. The resort itself seemed like a bird sanctuary as we could hear numerous chirping sounds and spot quite large number of species. The place is really good for bird watchers.

Day 5                                                         Yala National Park     

We woke up early morning at around 4.30 and got ready for our adventurous safari at Yala National Park. It is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka, the border of which is Indian Ocean which makes it more exciting. It has one of the highest leopard densities in the world. This national park had a huge impact of Tsunami in 2004. Other fauna includes elephants, buffaloes, deer, crocodile, storks, peacocks etc.

We had opted for a full day safari. In the morning we spotted a few herds of elephants, buffaloes, deer and 2 leopards which were a bit far and moved into the forest very quick because of the sound of jeeps. We waited there on the opposite side of the waterbody for quite long time thinking it would return to quench its thirst. But after sometime we left from there and roamed around the park spotting elephant herds, different storks, mongoose, bright coloured peacocks & various types of birds. By then it was time for lunch. We were not allowed to park anywhere inside the sanctuary. We had to move out from the thick forest and park our jeeps near the coast (This is one of the boundaries of the Yala National Park and this area was badly affected during 2004 Tsunami) where there were some tribal inhabitants who purely depended on fishing & hunting for their livelihood. There were 4 other jeeps as well which had people who opted for full day safari. We had carried some fruits, snack bars, milkshakes & juices which we had and after that we hopped off our jeep & walked along the beach. After a break of 2 hours, we proceeded for the remaining session. In an hour we were back to the forest. By then there were other jeeps which carried people who had opted for noon safari alone. 

After roaming here and there and spotting some birds & other wildlife, our driver got a call on his phone. After that call, we reached a place where we saw numerous jeeps parked along and people were looking for something through their binoculars & cameras. Someone had spotted a leopard taking rest on a tree which was very far. After 10-15 minutes, even we got to see through our binoculars. But I was not sure of whether I spotted the right one or I was just imagining. I just saw its tail. We even took photos of the same. (But later after arriving to India, I transferred and checked the photos. One could see a leopard, when the photo was zoomed enough). May be because of the sounds from the vehicles & people howling, it woke up from its sleep and jumped off the tree. Again, all the jeeps were on & blocked all the paths of the leopard thinking, it would cross the same anytime. This continued for half an hour and then slowly jeeps started to leave one by one as they had lost the hope of sighting it. Even we had lost the hope. But since we had 2 more hours of our safari, our driver suggested that, we could wait if in case the leopard crossed our path. And the wait finally turned out to be fruitful one, after half an hour. We both were busy clicking some random pictures of birds, trees that suddenly a huge peacock flew from the forest and landed on the muddy path few meters away from our jeep. And suddenly Dileep spotted a dog like creature coming out from the thick bushes. And that was "THE MOMENT". 

Finally, we saw a leopard just few yards away. We followed it at a safe distance and it was walking away slowly in style as though, nobody was around. It was a moment of mixture of emotions – anxiety, fear, excitement and many more. We felt as though it appeared only for us. We hardly got 5-10 minutes while it again walked into the forest.

After waiting for couple of minutes more, we decided to go back to resort. The purpose for which we had come to the sanctuary was accomplished. On our way back we saw a huge crocodile lying in the sun with its mouth wide open.  We reached back to our resort in 1.5 hours. After getting fresh and an early dinner, we were off to sleep as we were very tired.

Day 6                                   Yala ->Kandy                   219 KMS                       5 hr 26 min    

After breakfast, we left for our next destination, Kandy. On the way, we stopped at Ravana Falls and then at Ella for lunch. We stopped at Damro Labookellie Tea Lounge for a short break. Ella, Ravana Falls & Damro Tea were on our way to Kandy. So, we didn’t want to take any deviation. It was around evening when we reached Kandy. There was heavy traffic & it was raining as well.

Day 7                                  

Next day we went to Tooth Kandy Temple which we couldn’t go during our last visit as it was Pereira. It was raining. So, after temple, we chose to remain indoors.

Day 8                    Kandy - > Dambulla                     69.4 KMS                   1 hr 50 min    

After breakfast, we started for Dambulla. We reached Dambulla around noon. After lunch, we headed to Rock Cave Temple & Pidurangala. Both the places require a little bit of climbing & walking.

Dambulla cave temple or Rock cave temple is the largest & best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. Please note that whenever you visit pilgrim centres in Sri Lanka you have to cover your knees and shoulders which is applicable to men & women equally. It takes you around 1-2 hour to climb up & down and explore the caves. 

Pidurangala is a massive rock formation from volcanic activity located few kilometres from Sigriya. It is steeply sloped towards the tip of the rock. It is strenuous to climb Pidurangala than Sigriya. But its worth climbing, if you are physically fit. It takes you around 2 hours. There are stone steps at the beginning. Once you reach the top, you can view Sigriya. The best time to climb is either early morning or late evening. The climb can be divided into two parts. First part consists of steep irregular stone steps and reachable by reasonably fit people. After that, there is a long beautiful statue of recumbent Buddha made of brick.

The second part has no clearly defined paths or stairs. There are places where you have to clamber up steep boulders and sometimes creep. After both the activities back-to-back, we were very tired and were done for the day. So decided to go back to our resort and take rest and call it a day.

Day 9       

   

After breakfast, we were off to Sigriya. We decided to reach the top very early, because it is difficult to climb as you will be moving in the direction of the Sun. This is a world heritage site open all days from 6.30 AM to 7.00 PM. Sigiriya or Sinhagiri is an ancient rock fortress. According to them, the area was a large forest which after storms & landslides became a hill and was selected by King Kashyapa for his new capital. His palace was on the top and its sides were decorated with colorful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. Thus, the name Sinhagiri or Sigriya.

On the way back from top of the boulder, you will come across Mirror Wall. This wall is made of brick masonry and covered in highly polished white plaster which is scribbled with some verses. It is called so because it was highly polished that the king could see himself whilst walking alongside. Hiking up takes 45 min to 1 hour each way. After lunch, we proceeded to Hurulu Eco Park, Habarana.

There are three parks in proximity namely Kaudula, Minneriya and Hurulu and the herds of elephants will be migrating between them subject to availability of water. We were lucky enough to see nearly 25 elephants most of which were in groups of 3 each. The elephants varied from small to big. But we could see protective mom, when there were baby elephants. We spent around 3 hours in the park watching the elephants munching the grass and taking bath in the muddy water. One of the elephants came so close to our jeep that I could touch it. It was so busy eating that, it didn’t notice our jeep alongside. And we were so lucky that, we came across another wild elephant that happened to cross our road while we were on our way back to our resort.

Day 10                          

We decided to stay back at the resort and take rest. We spent whole day sleeping all the time other than waking up for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Bath.

Day 11                      Dambulla -> Negombo                  134 KMS               2 hr 58 min    

After breakfast, we headed to Colombo and decided to stay near Airport. Our flights were in the early morning the next day.

Day 12

Back to Cochin

Note : Sri Lankan cuisine is very similar to Kerala cuisine.

Click here for photos from Hurulu Eco Park & Yala National Park.

Click here for photos from our trip.