That was last May, one of my closer Moratuwa University friend Tharanga(At present he is a Civil Engineer in Singapore) sent me an e-mail mentioning that he would come to Sri Lanka for his vacation & please find a real place for resting & stress releasing as he was very busy with technology in heavy construction sites at Singapore.

Ishara is the man with us who has traveled more places in Sri Lanka than us. And also he is a very simple man who can go miles even by foot (He was a marathon champion during his school days).He told me that we can go to Morning side. He explained me why it is called Morning side? The weather of that place is like a morning even at noon (dark & misty always).This name has given by English men who had tea plantations at Suriyakanda those days.

Ishara thouraghlly said the reaching difficulties to the destination. Then we got a problem of traveling & Janaka suggested going by Tharanga’s car. But cars can’t go to the end of the place. Then we planned to park it at a house at Suriyakanda.

Five of us got up early morning & started our voyage from Galle at 0600am.Two of Ishara’s friends who were working at Katuwana also started their voyage from katuwana at 0900am to meet us at Suriyakanda simultaneously. My grand father’s brother was at Deniyaya & we reached his house at noon to have the lunch (we visited several beautiful places around Deniyaya that is why we got five hours to reach that house from Galle. Otherwise it is only two hours travel from Galle to Deniyaya (A-17 road 83km).

At about 0200pm we reached to Suriyakanda & parked our car & the m’bike (came from Katuwana) as planned & started the 07km walk from the entrance. There is a name board at the entrance.

This is the way to my grand father’s home at Panninkanda(About 15km far away from Deniyaya )

We started the 07km walk from the entrance. There is a name board at the entrance.

After about 1km travel up to the Carlton hill we can see the South east plains down to sea near Hambantota.

Unfortunately we did not have “Binoculars” but we produced our own ones to see Hambantota sea clearly.

we can see the South east plains down to sea near Hambantota

we made our own “Binoculars” to see Hambantota sea clearly

These are the photos taken during our 03hrs hike for 7km to the circuit bungalow	Evergreen forests
Now we were very closer to the circuit	This is our “night parking” place (circuit bungalow of forest dept.)

Can you believe, this is about 0300pm. It is almost same as a morning & this is why this place is called “Morning side”.

On the other day noon we went to the inside the jungle & found a water source for bathing.

That was nice. But Janaka’s mobile phone with 3.2mp camera fell into water & vanished. Our focus was changed & we started finding it for more than 3hrs.But failed but the following day morning Ishara & I came again and after 1hr Ishara got it but badly damaged. Then we were very happy & he proposed me to extend our hike further in to the jungle. We went about 01km further could not believe our eyes because there is a modern holiday resort with tea plantations.” What really happened to Singharaja?”This is the reality with this world heritage if we look only from outside it is an endless evergreen forest but the inside has been destroyed by human.

That tea plantation is a very large area .Who has given approval for this? I stop my speak on that otherwise I will never be able to go there again.

we went to the inside the jungle & found a water source for bathing

This is the western side of the jungle

I was the “Vice-Chancellor” of our batch photo. Environmental year 2008/2009

There is a one person about 50years of age to look after the bungalow nominated by the forest department. He was a very kind man. He works three weeks continuously & goes home for one week vacation. When he comes again he has to bring all the foods & other essential things for three weeks otherwise he will have to walk for 7km.Main source of power of the place is” solar power”.

Once a month an officer from the Rathnapura ranger office visits there.

This is at noon of the third day.

While we were returning through Carlton hill estate