Having stocked our larder with rice and curry and noodles, we reached at the Ambewela at moderate 8.45am and got the permission from the SM to park our car and leave it there. He was very willingly agreed and the Colombo-bound Podi Menike was arriving at the station and then sat waiting for the signal to run along.

Having stored water bottles, meal packs, portable cooker of Prasa and other essential items into our back packs, we left Ambewela towards Nanu Oya through the lush green patches of Ambewela farm.

“Apparently there are 30 different kinds of Nelu and 24 of which are endemic to Sri Lanka”

We jumped out and headed towards the summit of Thotupola with an elevation about 200ft over 2km stretch. It was a sight to treasure for the rest of our lives. We were simply speechless and kept walking through dense forest patches till we reached a bit open area and the sight was simply outstanding. So many mountains were visible and Adam’s Peak was standing tall and majestic in the horizon with her distinct shape. Kirigalpoththa and the undocumented Agra-Bopath were standing next to each other.

Going Green, Organic Farming, Eco Living, Environmentally Friendly, etc. are few of the major topics in the modern day world. Every man and his dog are concerned about living a healthy life and consuming organic foods. Media along with environmental organizations are out in full force trying to promote these kinds of things whenever possible.

After a tiring day, the water felt great on our body but Wumi kept sniffing it feeling a bit doubtful. We stayed in about an hour and the sun was ready to go down. Shantha treated us with a cup of ripe Maa Dan (berries) and they were delicious. Having changed into some comfy shorts, we decided to take a short walk into the jungle and Sunimal advised not to venture deep into the jungle as elephants are very common there.

The sun was out and it was around 6.45am when we set off and I heard a dog shouting from the top of his voice to find out it was actually a puppy tied into a pole. He was making a big fuss wanting to be free and run about, looking very sad. I felt very sorry for the fellow but there was nothing I could do for him. The surrounding was lush green as the railway track lies through the Horton Plains.

The perfectly square-shaped rocks had been put together by a very thin layer of a special mixture (about 1cm) and it’s really surprising that she’s been standing all these years. The mastermind behind this magnificent structure is Mr. P. K. Appuhamy, who was a resident of Keppetipola born in 1870 and died at 1951.

The road took us passing the Kehelgamu Oya which was in over flowing condition forming creamy white foams and running mischievously passing rocks. We had to stop for a pic. The sky looked gloomy and threatened to rain at any moment but we were not swayed by that.

As usual, we spent longer than we could afford with her (not unusual when you’re at the bottom of that massive falls towering over you like a mother Panda trying to cuddle her babies.

Year and Month July, 2013 (12th to 15th) Number of Days Four Day Trip Crew 3 on 12 & 13 July & 4 on 14 & 15 July (Age: Classified) - Tony, Lasantha, Dimuthu and Me with our helpful host Nava mama Accommodation Nava Mama’s House (081-3804191) – Best place to stay with a real village […]

Tony and I had a nice little chat along with our snacks till we reached Kandy around 8.30am. Dimuthu was still in Ambepussa which means good two hours for us to kill. Having taken some pics of the bunnies in the front garden of the station, Tony and I headed towards “Dalada Maligawa” but couldn’t try to go inside as I was in shorts. So when we were passing Maligawa, suddenly a thought struck me. I had been trying to visit “Garrison Cemetery” for a long time and this looked like a very good opportunity.

It’s been a year ever since Sri de Lakdasun was born and I wanted to celebrate his first birthday in an unforgettable way. He’s now beginning to stand on his own and even say a few words such as: Waterfall, Hike, Mountain, etc. It’s been so nice watching him grow bit by bit and learn things as the time goes on

I started looking for options for another journey and came across Kalthota Doovili Ella from Harinda and Prince. After our unsuccessful attempt at Asupini Ella, I was planning on visiting her again but intermittent rains kept me isolated only in my dreams. So Wuminda’s phone call was a disguised blessing and I immediately formed a group called “Balangoda” on Facebook and sent the requests to my former crew.