From the very first day I heard about the centuries old tradition of Pada Yatra  and the opprtunity it provide to walk across Yala and Kumana, I wanted to do this walk. Eventhough Pada Yatra is mainly a religious and cultural event, my main interest was getting close to the wilderness of Kumana and Yala, to walk the terrain that one could only traverse in a 4WD otherwise.

As with many other excursions, this was limited to a dream due to logistical reasons and lack of infirmation to properly plan it out. Eventhough Pada Yatra had been taking place for centuries, there was very little information available to the general public. Communities who take part in this major cultural & religious event relay on experience and information passed down from one generation to another. As a result there is very little written on it.

Once again Lakdasun made it happen!

In 2010 couple of Lakdasun members lead by Priyanjan participated in Pada Yatra. As usual the resulting discussions in the forum provided every little bit of information one would need regarding the cultural event as well as the walk. In 2011 Priyanjan planned his North to South excursion along the full Pada Yatra route all the way from Jaffna. I couldn’t have got a better opprtunity to do this walk than joining Priyanjan at Okanda to do the last stretch!

After a month of walking from Jaffna, Priyanjan was supposed to start the last stretch from Okanda (Kumana) on 24th of June.  Therefore I left home on the 23rd night and caught the night bus to Pottuvil from Colombo. A group of five other Lakdasun members lead by Chaturanga also joined me. After a long journey through the night, we were at Pottuvil by 5.45 in the morning on the 24th.

Thanks to Theshantha ( and Lakdasun again!) we had a truck waiting for us at Pottuvil to take us to Okanda. The early morning drive to Okanda from Pottuvil passing Panama was fantastic!

At Pottuvil 5.45 in the morning. A truck was waiting there to take us to Okanda

Towards Panama on Brand new Tarmac

Sun rise over a lake close to Panama

Golden Goose! - A black winged Stilt

Early morning at Panama Wewa - Daily routine has already started

Dirt Road to Okanda from Panama

We met Priyanjan at Kumana entrance. First thing we did was to take a close look at what was in backpacks and to reduce as much weight as possible! We had approximately 80km to walk from Okanda, mostly through dry, harsh environment of Kumana and Yala (particularly block II) so every additional gram of wieght mattered.

It was the first few days of Pada Yatra so not many pilgrims had entered the park. We were given a number tag at the park entrance for tracking purposes.

After re-pack and a quick breakfast we started walking at around 8.00 a.m.

The surrounding was so was nice and beautiful. Sky was deep blue and the trail was sandy and white. Our first planned stop was at “Bagura”. Enjoying the beauty of kumana we steadily walked towards the destination.

Kumana National Park Entrance at Okanda

The sky was deep blue and the trail was sandy and white

As the sun rose, the surrounding began to heat up. Gradually the walk became tiring. Soft sand of the jeep track which looked so beautiful a hour or so ago was creating drag on every step we took. We realized the gravity of task ahead of us with in the first two hours of the walk. Within the first couple of hours, one realizes the value of leaving as much things as possible and carrying as much water as possible. Lukily we were well informed and reasonably prepared. With couple of short breaks we reached Bagura a little past noon.

Beauty of Kumana - walking across this landscape was a wonderful experience	Weaver bird nests
Dead and Dry!	Light became harsh and the walk became tough
Passing the giant hearth	Towards Bagura

9km out of 80km done! and more importantly that 9km did set the right expectations on what the most of the remaining 71km was going to be like!

In the burning heat,  shade of trees at Bagura was heavenly. We had some sweek cakes for lunch and relaxed for couple of hours. Bagura is a designated rest area for Pilgrims and there is a fresh water well at Bagura.

Bagura Oya and the Wooden Bridge

A well earned rest at Bagura

Bagura Kalapuwa - In the rainy season this will turn in to a sea

Blessings for safe passage

We fetched water from the well, purified it with Alum and Chlorine, filled the water bottles  and set out despite the heat.  We did not forget to make some Jeevani solution as well. The next target was to reach Madame Thota (මඩමෙ තොට), Kumbukkan Oya at the border of Kumana before the night fall.

There was almost 12km to reach Kumbukkan Oya, the designated night halting place. Apart from the last 1km or so before the river which was well shaded, the rest of the trail was similar to what we tackled up to Bagura; sandy, dry and hot!

From Bagura we walked passed the site of Thunmulla wildlife department bungalow and several  open areas and water holes such as Kotalindawala, Andaraka Kalapuwa and Yakala Kalapuwa (Open the trail map in Google Earth, Priyanjan has added images of all these places in GE)

By the time we reached Kumana Villuwa it was late after noon. Kumana villuwa was a sight to see in that beautiful light. The beauty of Kumana villuwa along with our almost worn out legs compelled us to spend about 15 minutes there.

Most Pilgrims don't seem to find the walk as difficult as we did. Is it faith, practice, preparation or simply having the right expectations	Did I say it was dry?
Sand Dunes. The sea is just on the other side	An occasional onlooker
වීර	Passing Yakala Kalapuwa (යාකල කලපුව)
Towards Kumana Villuwa	Kumana Villuwa - the Oasis in the middle of Kumana
Kumana Villuwa and Coconut trees marking the now abandoned kumana village	We spent some time here enjoying the tranquility and beauty of kumana villuwa

Walk from Kumana villuwa to Madame Thota in the banks of Kumbukkan oya was not that difficult. Of course my legs did not want to walk any more from Kumana villuwa so I was literally dragging my feet

Approaching Madame Thota (මඩමෙ තොට) at Kumbukkan Oya

Kuda Kabiliththa Devalaya

We settled down in the bank of the river to spend the night.

Day 2

Early morning on the following day we started our walk by crossing Kumbukkan Oya to enter Yala Block II. Next major milesotone was Menik Ganga at the opposite border of block 2 which was 30km from where we were. Pilgrims would generally spend two days walking this distance with a night park at Navaladi/Pahala Poththana fresh water wells (a.k.a Pahala Poththana camp site).

However our plan was to try and do this stretch in a single day and earn a full rest day at Menik Ganga. It was a demanding task. To accomplish our objective, we had to reach Navaladi wells before noon so that we can rest their during the mid day and do the second stretch in the afternoon when heat subside. There is 14km from Kumbukkan Oya to Navaladi wells and further 16km from there to Menik Ganga.

Crossing Kumbukkan Oya was a breeze since the river mouth had been cleared the day before and the water level was very low. We were told that the water level had been at chest height few hours before we arrived at Kumbukkan oya the day before .

The first 6km from Kumbukkan oya was mostly through open areas and scrubs. It really helped that we staretd early. By 9 a.m. the heat was so high that we could feel the rising heat from the ground hitting the face!

Crossing Kumbukkan Oya - Time 5.45 a.m.	Walking through scrubs towards open areas
Sunrise over tree tops	Vast open areas of Yala Block II - The trick is to cover as much as possible before it heats up!
Two Long Shadows - 6.30 in the morning at Ettarakke Eliya	Passing Karambe Aru

By the time we reached Karambe Aru it was 7.00 in the morning. We took some rest there particulalry to make sure that I get my feet properly dressed with plasters to avoid water blisters.  Continuous walking in heat is a perfect formula to get water blisters all over your feet. Even though I was wearing a light pair of sandles which I had used for some time, there were certain points which showed vulnerability. The best way to deal with blisters is to avoid them. To avoid them one should carefully dress vulnerable points with layers of platers and maintain the plaster cover. It was particularly difficult to maintain plasters in this stretch since there were couple of water crossings.

Also thanks to Priyanjan I was able to change my foot ware couple of times. That too helped a lot particularly the seasoned sandles Priyanjan had worn from Trinco downwards were very useful.

Passing Karambe Aru we reached vast open areas of Uda Gajaba eliya. Time was 8.00 in the morning but the heat of the sun was already high in the open muddy bare lands of Gajaba Eliya.

Muddy	...and dry in some sections
Stretches with Thorny bushes needed some additional care when walking	කෝප්‍රල් කටු - The needles resemble the insignia of Corporal and hence the name

Passing open areas of Gajaba Eliya, we entered more scrubby forest. While the presence of large trees occasionally provided the much needed shelter from the simmering heat, underfoot conditions became more difficult with long stretches of deep,hot,soft sand.

Entering the scrub forest

Hot, deep, soft sand which covered considerably long stretches did not help at all!

We battled through the scrubs, dragged down by the sand for about 4km and reached open areas of Etheliwela Kalapuwa. Time was quarter past nine but the dry open stretch looked and felt like a desert!

Dry open stretch of Etheliwela Eliya looked and felt like a desert

Left Behind

After Etheliwela Eliya it was again a brief scrub forest and then we were in Pahala Poththana where we had to cross some what deep water to avoid a long walk around the water body. Crossing over and a brief walk took us to Navaladi/Pahala Poththana rest area.

Water Crossing at Pahala Poththana

After the water crossing - Those layers and layers of plasters did the job very well. I finished the walk with no water blisters

It was just 10.30 in the morning but heat was already unbearable. We settled down under a huge Dun tree to spend time until the heat subsides in the afternoon.

We boiled some water and purified some more with Alum and Chlorine. Chaturanga and his colleagues had come prepared for some serious cooking so a heavy lunch was ready in no time!

Cooking Rice and Boiling Water	Lunch!
Place of God	Three Fresh water wells at Navaladi

We left Pahala Poththana around 2.30p.m. Heat was still high but at least it was on the declining trend! There was 16km to reach Menik Ganga from where we were.

From Pahala Poththana, after a brief walk in a forest patch, we reached Uda Poththana, another vast open area. We had to cross some water again and re-dress my feet with plasters!

Back on Track after more than 4 hour break at Navaladi/Pahala Poththana Wells. Occasional large trees like this provide much needed shade for short breaks	Time was 3.00 p.m. We were approaching Uda Poththana Open area
Water Crossing at Uda Poththana Lawaya	Uda Poththana

After Uda Poththana, it was a long walk through the forest. Heat was low now and walk through the forest was slightly easier.

Long walk through the scrub forest

We stopped every hour or so to take a short rest

End of another day at Yala

By the time we came out of the forest in to the open areas of Pilinnawa Eliya, it was late in the afternoon. Light was fast diminishing and we saw few groups of Pilgrims who had decided to spend the night at Pilinnawa Eliya without proceeding to Menik Ganga due to night fall.

We were however determined to reach Menik Ganga. It was about 5km to Menik ganga from Pilinnawa. We continued our walk along the jeep track in the dark with the help of head lamps.

We almost missed Katupila Ara crossing point where the Pada Yatra route takes a short cut through Yala Wela and deviate from the jeep track. Lukily, there were couple of army personnel setting up a water point for Pilgrims who showed us the right way. They had also marked the path through Yala Wela which helped us reach Menik Ganga without further trouble.

At Menik Ganga we reached an Army point where they had setup a “Dan sala” to offer plain tea to Pilgrims. We decided to spend the night there.

Walk in the dark with aid of head lamps	Signs showing us the way through Yala Wela
At the bank of Menik Ganga - We decided to spend the night here	Fire!

Day 3

The following day was the well earned rest day for us. We woke up early in the morning. Guys who chose to sleep outside have had a time with mosquitoes while Priyanjan and I slept in the small tent we brought.

On the first light of the day we packed up and moved little further upstream on Menik Ganga bank to find a place where we could dip in water for the whole day! Roughly a kilometer along the river from the point we reached Menik Ganga towards Warahana was a designated camping ground during Pada Yatra so we had plenty of choice in terms of camping locations.

Good Morning!	Little tent saved us from Mosquitoes
Beautiful Mekin Ganga beside the location we chose to move our camp to	This is where we spent most of the day three - Enjoying the well earned rest day in the river

About 1km along the river from the point we reached Menik Ganga towards warahana is designated camping ground during Pada Yatra

Place of God - Some groups may spend couple of days here after the long walk, some walking all the way from Jaffna. If you are interested in the culture aspect of Pada Yatra plan to spend some time here with the pilgrims.

Our Camping Location of the Third day - Just couple hundrad meters away from where we spend the second night

Cooking! - Even though Priyanjan and I had planned for zero cooking Chaturanga and the team were well prepared for it!

Day 4

Fourth day walk was by far the easiest out of all five days we walked. We only had to cover 8km, all of which along the jeep track through well shaded Riverine forest. It was a piece of cake compared to the terrain we tackled before!

Well shaded track to Warahana	While walking towards Warahana we did not forget to reach the river from time to time and enjoy the serene beauty of it
Reflection!	A tarantula we came across - It was hunting termites when we found it

By 10 a.m. we were at Warahana. Chaturanga and the team decided to continue to Kataragama on the same day while the two of us, the old folk, decieded to spend the rest of the day again in the river!

We set up our tent at a nice location in the river bank and spent the rest of the day in water watching  fishing action of a white bellied sea eagle. It was so peaceful and refreshing. We were also lucky to receive some tasty ආමි බත් ගෙඩි for lunch and dinner from the Warahana camp !

Looooong dip for the second consecutive day	The sea eagle which entertained us for hours with acrobatic fishing
Our tent at Warahana - again in the bank of Menik Ganga	ආමි බත් ගෙඩිය
The veteran - Collapsible bucket which helped us in water purification throughout the journey

Day 5

On the fifth and the final day we queued up early with Pilgrims and waited until the gate was open for us to cross Warahana bridge and enter block 3 of Yala. The gate is only open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is not allowed to stay over night beyond Warahana until you move out of the national park via the Katagamuwa entrance.

Total distance to Kataragama is roughly 20km from Warahana.

From Warahan to Katagamuwa Entrance it was around 7km. All of that was  a walk along the jeep track through scrub forest typical in Yala block 1 & 3.

Waiting for the Gate to open	Crossing over to Yala Block 3 - Warahana Bridge
Directions	Blossoms
Sithulpawwa	Dead and Decaying

Walking out of Yala - Katagamuwa

At Katagamuwa Entrance - Yala National Park

Leaving Yala, we continued our walk along the gravel roads through Katagamuwa Sanctuary on Sithulpawwa road towards Kochchipatana (7km from Katagamuwa). Kochchipatana is the night halting place for the pilgrims who generally spread the walk from Warahana to Kataragama across two days.

It was 10 in the morning by the time we reached Kochchipatana. None of the pilgrim seemed to have arrived by that time. Preperations were underway to welcome the first large groups of pilgrims. There was a kovil at Kochchipatana.

Sithulpawwa Road through Katagamuwa Sanctuary	Katagamuwa Sanctuary (Click Image to Enlarge)
Signs of Civilization close to Kochchipatana	Kovil at Kochchipatana

Passing Kochchipatana we entered tarred road towards Kataragama. With a stop at a small “kade” to have some short eats and a drink, we arrived at Kataragama Devalaya by 12.30 p.m. Preperations for the annual festival and Perehara was at full swing. We ended our walk there visualizing what it will look like in the coming days when thousands of Pilgrims, who come walking in Pada Yatra and some others who chose to use more modern and easier modes all to get here for the Perehera!

From Gravel road to tarred roads	Where we stopped for some short eats and a drink
80km Vs 800km - I must do the 800km walk before I die!	Approaching Kataragama Sacred city
At the destination - Kataragama Devalaya	Preparations for the festival

It was a short Backpacking session [Travelled alone]. Left Colombo on the 23rd Dec [Friday] night and reached Pattipola on the 24th Dec at 04:30 hrs. Slept at the Pattipola train station till dawn and commenced my walk to Thotupola Kanda, 3rd highest peak in Sri Lanka, via Horton Plains at 07:10 hrs. Reached the summit and got back to the Pattipola Station by 11:46 hrs [18Kms by foot]. After a short break I started my railway trek to Ohiya from Pattipola at 12:00 hrs [06 Kms by foot]. Was able to arrive at the Ohiya station by 13:50 hrs and on my way I have walked through 04 railway tunnels including the 3rd longest Tunnel in Sri Lanka [Tunnel No.18]. Got to Badulla by train from Ohiya by 18:30 hrs [train was delayed a bit] and got into the train from Badulla on the same day and got back to Colombo by 06:00 hrs on the 25th Dec 2011.

I started my Journey from Colombo on the 23rd Dec 2011. Though I was informed that the tickets for Colombo – Badulla Night-mail train was fully sold out I tried my luck again on that day as I got down from Pettah Station around 18:00 hrs and I was lucky enough to obtain a 3rd Class Pre-booked Seat for my Journey.
The Night- mail train left the Colombo Fort Station exactly at 20:00 hrs and I reached my destination Pattipola Station at 04:30 hrs on the 24th Dec.

After I got down from the station I looked around for the friendly face of our dear old Station master Mr. Jayathileka. But to find out that he is been transferred to a nearby station and a new humble Station Master by the name of Mr. Rajarajasinghe [Hope I got the name correct] has been appointed for the Pattipola station who will be officially commencing his duty from 1st of January 2012. He is a very down-to-earth gentleman who is a nature enthusiastic as well.

Since it was still dark I had a little nap of around 2 hours at the Pattipola Station on a cold frozen bench when the temperature was around 12C.

After having an early Breakfast at a small shop nearby I commenced my walk to Horton Plains from the Pattipola Railway Station @ 07:10 hrs

NOTICE BOARD NEAR THE PATTIPOLA RAILWAY STATION (Click Image to Enlarge)

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME ON MY WAY FROM PATTIPOLA TRAIN STATION TO HORTON PLAINS

On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains
On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains
On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains

FAMOUS AMBEWELA FARM GREENLAND

I reached the Horton Plains Pattipola Entrance at 08:20 hrs and was met with my Trekker – Thushara [21 years] who is a young energetic person who is working for the Wild life Dep on volunteer basis! With him I commenced by journey to Thotupola Kanda which is the 3rd Highest Peak in Sri Lanka standing at an altitude of 2359M from the Mean Sea Level. It was just a 02 Km hike to the summit from Horton Plains. However as we climbed we felt that the O2 percentage is comparatively less hence we had to control our breathing and to inhale air as much as possible which will be a very good experience for those of you who have not encountered such an altitude before. On our way Thushara explained to me many things and also about how the maintenance of the trek is done and as per to him the path which leads to the summit is been cleared by the help of YZA [Young Zoologists’ Association

Thotupola Kanda (Click Image to Enlarge)

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME ON MY WAY TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF THOTUPOLA KANDA

On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda	On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda
On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda	On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda

The GPS point at the summit

From the summit of Thotupola Kanda you are able to get a superb 360* Arial view of the Horton Plains and of course all the mountains that are quite a picturesque sight!

Adams Peak in a distance

On completion after spending sometime at the summit I returned to the Horton Plains Pattipola entrance and bid farewell to my Fellow Mate Thushara and walked back to the Pattipola Station on foot.

After a walk of around 1 Hour and 10 minutes I reached the Pattipola Station by 11:40 hrs. I rested until 12:00 hrs while getting ready for the rail Hike. I have kept my mobile phone inside my back-pack while bringing out the torch where I can reach it easily and with my jacket and boots well tucked to avoid any wet condition that I may have to encounter during the hike.

Finally I checked with the station master about the train timings to check if I am to expect any trains while I am hiking upto Ohiya along the rail track [AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO CHECK TO AVOID UN-EXPECTED DANGER]

Then by 12:00 hrs I was on my way along the rail track. ETA for the next train was approximately around 14:00 hrs.

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME DURING MY RAIL ROAD HIKE FROM PATTIPOLA TO OHIYA

.	Summit Level
.
Tunnel Number 18 - The 3rd Longest tunnel in Sri Lanka 321.95m long	Tunnel Number 18 (Click Image to Enlarge)
Tunnel Number 18 - Halfway through the tunnel it is pitch black and the ground below is slippery

The exit from Tunnel No. 18 towards Ohiya

from Tunnel No. 18 towards Ohiya

If you walk through the Tunnel No. 18 from one side to the other you will realize how unique it is since the climates of the two ends are quite different from one another. While the Pattipola Entrance to the tunnel is comparatively warm and hot the exit towards Ohiya side is with a chilling/cold climate as you can see in the picture above

TUNNEL NO. 20 - My favorite..!

TUNNEL NO. 20

Even though you can see the exit at the other end of the tunnel, when you enter it just keeps on going and going like in those nightmare movies where the light is running away from you when you try to reach it

Though it is not very obvious you need a torch to go through this tunnel as well since it get’s pitch dark towards the core of it even when you can see the end at the other side.

During my trek from Pattipola to Ohiya I came across 04 tunnels.
Tunnel No. 18, 19, 20, 21 out of which Tunnel No 18 & 20 are comparatively long.

Just before I came across the below shown metal bridge all of a sudden out of nowhere there was a flying insect buzzing in my right ear and I believe it bit me before flying away leaving me with an aching ear [didn’t get a time to have a proper look at it but it was more or less like the common “kumbala” insects you get here in Colombo] to get rid of the pain though that is not the proper medicine for such incidents I applied Salonpas which I carried in my medikit just to be on the safe side since I do a lot of walking

.

.

After 06 Kms by foot along the rail road I arrived at the Ohiya Railway Station at 13:50 hrs

.

.

As usual the station master at the Ohiya Railway station greeted me with a humble smile and a chat about my journey so far and I enjoyed the chat with him pretty much.

The train which was expected around 14:00 hrs arrived pretty late around 15:30 hrs only. I got in and reached Badulla around 18:30 hrs from where I purchased a 3rd class ticket for the Badulla – Colombo Night-mail train putting an “End” to my short back-packing session for the Christmas 2011!

When the Sun emitted his first rays of the day; it was captivated scenery of a group of elders in white; walking along the narrow road lay on the dame of a village tank. It was the first full moon day of the year (Duruthu poya day). Those devotees were moving towards the village temple located at the far end of the reservoir. Kathnoruwa, the village I had been; was another live example for the ancient concept of Wewayi-Dagabayi Gamayi-Pansalayi (the relationship between tank, pagoda, village (people) & the temple).

The village tank at Kathnoruwa was the last reservoir fed by the Mahaweli multipurpose project. As a result of that, it was always having sufficient water, which made the economy of the farmers much better than the same ones in nearby villages. The electric fence built against wild elephants was also played a vital role for the same.

a group of elders in white; walking along the narrow road	The village tank at Kathnoruwa
Good morning….	Life is simple

By this morning; Chamila (my wife) and I had become special guests of Hemantha, one of my University mate living at Kathnoruwa. Having a cool dip at the village tank before the brake-fast, we decided to explore the area. First travel location of the day was Sasseruwa. It was a historic Buddhist temple located less than 10km from Kathnoruwa. Though the gravel road got muddy due to the rain received few days back, the poor van was capable enough to manage the same without harm.

“Vie bissa” (වී බිස්ස ) seen at Kathnoruwa

On our way to Sesseruwa

Sasseruwa was famous due to existence of a giant statue of Lord Buddha. It was carved with a natural rock; very similar to the statue of Aukana. Further, it was believed that both were built in same period with same techniques. Comparing with Aukana, the statue at Sesseruwa was less finished in crafting while not having a “Siraspatha”. Folk says both statues were built by the Guru (master) & the Golaya (student) as a part of a competition. At the end of the day, less skilled disciple was lose and not able to complete the carving before his master who did the statue at Aukana.

The Giant statue of Lord Buddha at Sesseruwa

Few caves out of them were converted to houses of images in Kandy era

In addition to that magnificent statue, there were 99 drip-ledged caves used by monks for meditation. Few caves out of them were converted to houses of images in Kandy era. It was believed that a holy snake (Cobra) was there for protecting the houses of images.

Inside of a house of statues built in Kandy era	Living place of the holy snake (Cobra) ?
Pagoda at Sasseruwa

We visited Hasthi-kuchchi at Giribawa as our second travel location of the day. It was a pleasure that the archeological site had been much developed than my previous visit made in 20 years ago. The total complex was managed by the Dept. of Archeology. As per the officers of the same, this complex was believed as the real place where the King Sirisangabo’s sacrifice of life was occurred. But since they were not yet able to prove it with strong evidence such as an inscription, they have not officially published the same.

Entrance of the archeological site

As per them; existence of a huge rock appeared as a sleeping elephant had been caused to name the place as “Hasthi-Kuchchi”. Further; a number of inscriptions were also found on it.

There were many ponds built throughout the complex in various eras, facilitating Bhikkhu (monks). Therefore archeologists believed that Hasthikuchchi had been a leading temple/institution of the country in Kings Era.

Scientific clarification on Hasthi-Kuchchi

The huge rock appeared as a sleeping elephant

And also it was identified that Hasthi-Kuchchi had been located closed to a leading ancient route; most probably started from Anuradhapura. The rocky trap visible in a distance provided good evidence for that.

The rocky trap visible in a distance

At the Bodhigaraya builing, there was a special structure made with bricks which had many signs to represent a torso. Archeologists believed the statue as a tomb of a Bodhi-Sathwa. However that was located few meters away from where the fallen torso would be found if the King Sangabo sacrificed his life at the cave believed to be used by him.

Ruins of the “Bodhigharaya” building	The special structure made with bricks which had many signs to represent a torso
The cave (see above) believed where the king had meditated	The cave

Having observing the house of statue done in Kandy era, we proceeded further. The paths of meditation made with granite were still in good condition.

Paths & bridges made with granite

Having climbing few more steps, we reached the cave believed to be used by the King Sirisangaboo. According to the legends, the cave used by the king had a pond which would not be exposed to sun & moon. Proving the same, there was a pond under the shade of the cave which was believed to be 60ft in depth.

the rocky plane at the eastern side of the cave where a priest can meditate in the evening times

You can easily observe the Ruwanwali Seya (Locate the white dot)

And also folk says the King used to meditate in the evening times looking at the Swarnamali Chayithya at Anuradhapura. You can easily observe the Ruwanwali pagoda from the eastern opening of this cave and you can meditate there only in the evening time, otherwise you will be beaten by morning sunrays.

Pond which would not be exposed to sun & moon

On the other hand, the western opening would be used by the priest for meditation in the morning times. Since it was faced to the ancient road, the passenger would able to see the priest accidentally when he was getting ready to have his lunch.

the western shade believed to be used by the priest for meditation in the morning times

Further, folk says that the passenger had reached there from Anuradhapura. He had travelled the whole distance on foot since that morning. Originally this place is located nearly 14 miles from Anuradhapura and that is realistic.

Though there are much minor evidences, why our archeologists not yet able to discover a major evidence (such as a rock inscription) to prove this place as the real Attanagalla where the King Sirisangabo’s sacrifice of life is occurred? The answer is clear. Archeologists believe it is happened due to a political reason. When the King Gothabhaya visited the site and discovered the torso, he might pay his full respect & ordered to convert the site to a temple to memorize his brother. That was politics. Since making a memorial temple would help to retard increasing trends against the new King. But he would not want to be guilty among his citizens, for the death of his Bodhisathwa brother. Therefore he might not put any inscription or strong evidence at the site so that let Sinhala people to forget it even from the history.

The huge tank at Siyambalangamuwa

Our last travel location of the day was the huge tank at Siyambalangamuwa. It was much popular due to the death of the Siyambalangamuwa tusker (We paid our visit in January 2011. That unfortunate incident was occurred few weeks later). The tank had a huge rocky plane which was ideal for camping. You can drive a vehicle up to the rocky plane, where would not meet any molestation but an electric fence against wild elephants.

The huge tank at Siyambalangamuwa

The tank had a huge rocky plane which was ideal for camping

Early morning on Friday we started from Colombo and headed straight to Back of Beyond – Gurugoda. We were greeted by Ajith and Anverdeen (a veteran trekker with excellent knowledge about Yala) along with Priyanjan who were waiting there to join the four day excursion to explore, particularly the block two of Yala national park. Yohan’s Nissan Patrol and Ajith’s Land Rover were quickly loaded with supplies and we left straight away to Palatupana Entrance.

At Back of Beyond - Gurugoda

Formalities at the park office did not take long. Wildlife department guide assigned to us was Premarathne. Premarathne is one of the most expreinced guides in service at the department today and he claimed that he is a descendant of Henry Engelbrecht, the first park warden of Yala. Well, he knew Yala well but largely his attitude and certain behaviors did not make us very comfortable with him.

Leaving park office we drove along the Yala main road to paranaganthota (a.k.a Parana Thotupola) where we crossed Menik River and entered Block 2. Our camp site was “Nuga Sevana”, one of the newer camp sites established on the bank of the river. It was only a couple hundred meters away from Paranaganthota (පරන ගං තොට).

Location of the camp site was good, particularly because of its proximity to the river. The river was so inviting with shallow flowing water and clean sandy bottom so that we couldn’t resist a long bath under the shade of giant Kumbuk trees every day! One of the negatives of the camp site’s location was its proximity to the Paranaganthota which is the designated resting place for day visotrs to Yala Block I. On Saturday and Sunday we got disturbed by their noise occasionally. Also there are couple other camp sites on the either banks of the river in some what close proximity. If a party at any one of the camp sites does not behave well, that tend to disturb the rest of the sites. On one of the nights we could hear people singing at one of the other camp sites (most likely Kosgasmankada). Wonder why the wildlife guide who should have been with them did not stop them.

It took some time for us to setup our tents. We had quite a number of them.

Crossing Over to Block 2 at Parana Gan Thota	At Nuga Sewana Camp Site
Menik River bordering the camp site	So obviously this is what we did for hours EVERY day

After setting up tents we had lunch we brought form BOB-Gurugoda. After lunch we relaxed a bit, and set out for the first drive in block 2. Passing Yala wela (යාල වෙල), we drove up to Katupila Ara (කටුපිල ආර).

Yala Wela with Maliththan Trees scattered

Water level in Katupila ara was too high for a vehicle to cross it safely at the usual crossing point. This is a usual occurance, particulalry in the dry season, when river mouth gets blocked with sad, forcing water to build up upstream.

Katupila Ara - Water Level was high due to closed river mouth

Mangrove Roots, Katupila Ara

We had to drive couple of kms  upstream to find a suitable crossing point with less water and we did a hassle free cross over to the other side.

Having crossed Katupila Ara, we drove back along the opposite bank of it and got back on the main road. Passing vast, dry, open, sandy sections of Pilinnawa Eliya (පිළින්නාව එලිය) we drove along the main road towards Kumbukkan Oya. On our list to see were fresh water wells at Pahala Poththana (also known as the Navaladi wells in Paada Yatra) and Uda Poththana Modara (උඩ පොත්තන මෝදර) (View Google Earth Trail Map (KMZ))

As soon as we entered Block 2, we immediately noticed two remarkable differences in the animals we saw, compared to block 1. The first was the size of herds of Deer, Buffalow and Boar. Every herd we saw had many dozens of animals which was a great sight to see. The second was their unfamiliarity with vehicles. Every creature we saw would start running like mad as soon as it saw our vehicles!

We came across large groups of Deer, Buffaloes and Boar but all of them were on the run!

A Large group of Wild Boar, again running like crazy for the dear life!

Occasionally there were "Brave Hearts" as well

We drove mostly  along the main road through scrub forest typical in the area. Passing open areas at Uda Poththana (උඩ පොත්තන), we drove further down towards Pahala Poththana (පහළ පොත්තන). To reach fresh water wells, one should deviate from the main road towards right, just before entering open areas at Pahala Poththana.

We first reached the place where there are three fresh water wells together. It immediately brought back memories of Pada Yatra we did couple of months back. While on Paada Yatra we spent couple of hours resting at this very same place. The only difference this time was that the huge Dun trees in the vicinity were full of fruits!

The three Wells

Dun Trees were full of Fruits

Signs of Pada Yatra

Signs of Pada Yatra

We left the three wells and drove few hundred meters further to reach another freshwater well. We were pelasantly surprised to find another hudge Dun tree full of fruits there as well. The Dun we found were much more tastier than what we had before .

Yummmmmmy!

Leaving fresh water wells we started our journey back along the main road. It was late in the afternoon and the light was perfect for photos.

Malabar Horn Bill in Flight	Herd of Spotted deer paused their mad run briefly and posed beautifully against the light
Harsh Dry Environment was certainly not forgiving the weak	Driving on the "Death Valley" - Uda Poththana
Spikes and the Spider Web	Closed River mouths force water to accumulate upstream like this, sustaining life in a death valley even during the height of the dry season

Once we returned to Uda Poththana area, which is supposed to be an abandoned saltern, we turned left from the main road and drove towards the sea to explore the river mouth (Uda Poththana Modara – උඩ පොත්තන මෝදර) and the Estuary. (View Google Earth Trail Map (KMZ))

We parked close to the beach and explored the area. With pure white sand and calm water of the Estuary bathing in the late afternoon light, it was such a beautiful sight to see.

Sky, Sand, Water and exposed Corals - Uda Poththana Modara

Magical setup at Uda Poththana Modera kept photographers busy!

Lonely "Krishan Putha" at Uda Poththana Modara; most likely brought here by the Tsunami

We tried to locate “earthened wells” some of the previous travellers had described at Uda Poththana but we couldn’t locate any signs of them. Both Anverdeen and Premarathne were of the opinion that those must have been washed away by the Tsunami as they had been located very close to water.

The day was coming to an end. We started our journey back to the camp site. On our way back we saw fresh paw marks of a leopard on the jeep track but were not luky to see it.

Fresh Paw Marks on the Jeep Track

Heading back to Camp Site

Day 2

We left the camp site early morning on Saturday. The Plan was to explore Pilinnawa sand dunes and “Miniha gal Kanda (මිනිහාගල්කන්ද)”.

We crossed Katupila Ara and reached Pilinnawa Eliya driving along the main road. Then we turned right towards the sea and drove until we reached Agara Ara (ආගර ආර). Turning left at Aragara Ara, we continued to drive along the bank of the Ara until we found a point where we could safely cross over to the other side (just like Katupila Ara, water level was high in Agara Ara too; both share the same river mouth). Once we crossed the Ara we tackled some steep climb up to the sand dune and parked right at the base of it. (View Google Earth Trail Map (KMZ))

Parked at the Sand Dune at Pilinnawa

The sea is right there on the other side

It was very early in the morning (just past 6.00 a.m.). Sun had just started to emerged from the sea (Yes, we were in the east coast!). We climbed up the sand dune and reached the undisturbed, beautiful beach on the other side. To reach Miniha Gal Kanda we had to walk 2.1km along the beach. We thoroughly enjoyed this early morninng walk on the beatiful, undisturbed, remote beach. On our right had side it was the Indian Ocean meeting the horizon and on our left was the tall sand dune with perfect patterns created by wind, complimented by dune vegetation.

Sand Dunes complimented by dune vegetation

Rising Sun and the Ocean

The Walk; looking for the "lonely man in the beach"

Patterns on Sand and the colorful rock formations

Closer look at the patterns

……and the man came to our sight!

The rock was certainly resembling a man looking towards the vast ocean in a relaxed posture with his hands on the hips. “Miniha Gal Kanda” is said to be an ancient Coral reef which had been elevated from water a long time back and since then had been eroded by the wind and water to create some unique shapes like this “lonely man”. It is constantly changing, as per Anverdeen, who has seen the lonely man for more than half a century now,the man used to be even more prominent before.

The Lonely Man by the Sea - Miniha Gal Kanda

This is what the man is made of - A coral reef elevated from the sea many million years ago

The area immediately around the man was a fascinating geological formation. Continuous erosion of lose rock have created massive, roughly semi-circular craters with vertical walls. The rock wall was a live demonstration of what lies underneath, a perfect cross section with clearly segregated layers of earth in different colours. Travelers who visited the area before had called these gigantic craters “Amphitheaters” and they had described three of them.

One of the Gigantic Amphitheaters

Vertical Rock wall with layers of earth in different colours

We spent some times exploring the “Amphitheaters”. The rocks were so fragile and would trun in to powder with the ligthest pressure applied. Again Anverdeen recalled that the rock walls had changed drastically over the past few decades due to continuous erosion.

Travel literature describes three Amphitheaters along the coast. Even though we thought we saw all three,  Priyanjan’s studies of Google earth images afterwards suggests that we may have seen only the first one, or the first and the second. Certainly future visits are on plans to Verify

From the base of the Amphitheater

More like Martian Land than Earth

We also found evidence supporting the elevated coral reef theory. Hard shells of sea creatures could be seen trapped in lose rock. They appeared to be in some stage of fossilization.

Lose rocks that formed Amphitheaters

Evidence of early day sea life - Are these shells in some stage of Fossilization?

The sun was rising and the whole area was starting to heat up. Since we had a 2km walk back along the beach, we started our walk back by 8.15 a.m.

Light was getting Harsh

But photo opportunities were not all exhausted

A long the beach we walked back to where we started. Rather than walking back to the vehicles, we decided to continue the walk along the beach to reach the place where the Estuary opens up to the sea. We were also looking for an archaeological site where some stone pillars are said to be there. Again Anverdeen and Premarathna were able to show us the stone pillars scattered in the scrubs.

Pilinnawa Modara (Pellussa Modara) - Where water form Menik Ganga, Katupila Ara and Agara ara meets the sea

Two of the Stone Pillars. We saw couple more standing in the scrub forest close to the Modara

Estuary at Pilinnawa

Estuary at Pilinnawa - from another view point

We then returned to our vehicles. Getting them out of the dunes was not that straight forward!

Sand Dune 4X4 Action

Getting the Land Rover out of it was not that Straightforward

We drove back along the same track we came, crossed Agara Ara and approached the Estuary from the side of it. We found a large tree under which we settled down for breakfast.

Egg + Some sort of sauce + cheese sandwhich - Near Pillinnawa moya

After breakfast we returned to the main road and again continued along it towards Kumbukkan Oya. The plan this time was to explore “Mahirawa – මහිරාව” where a camp site from the hunting days with a waterhole that persists through the dry season were supposed to exist.

Passing Uda Poththana and Pahala Pothathana, we drove up to Ethiliwela Eliya (ඇතිලිවෙල එලිය).

At Pahala Poththana we drove passing the lonely Dan tree, known as “Boer’s Tree” which is said to be where Henry Engelbrecht (The first Park warden of Yala National park during the colonial era) used to camp. (View  Google Earth Trail Map (KMZ) )

"Boer's Tree" at Pahala Poththana where Henry Engelbrecht said to have camped.

Ethiliwela Eliya is another open, dry stretch of land around an Estuary (The water ways that feed this estuary are Athurumithuru Ara – අතුරුමිතුරු ආර and Nabadagas Ara – නාබඩගස් ආර).  Again we turned right towards the sea and drove around Ethiliwela Kalapuwa (Lagoon) in an attempt to reach Mahirawa beach. Again, water bodies were pretty full and we could not approach the sea. We parked beneath a large Dun (දං) tree, again full of fruits, and decided to have lunch there.

The five Dead Bodies! (and the authorities discussing how to dispose them)- After Lunch at Mahirawa

We did not particularly attempt to locate the fresh water hole or the camp site. Water levels was restrictive and we had no specific clues to look for on the ground. Anverdeen and Premarathne were also not too sure about the exact location of the campsite/water hole.

After some rest at Mahirawa, we headed towards “Walas Kema – වලස් කෙම”, another camping location said to have been frequented by the hunters in early 1900 when Yala was a game reserve.

At Walaskema we found a large rock scattered with several water holes (Kemas), most of them had water even in this height of the dry season. View from  top of Walaskema was nice too. Also there were signs of steps cut in the rock surface leading to one of the water holes. May be work of hunters or can this also be an archelogocal site?

Walaskema - Three of the water holes in the rock bed	View from the top - Walaskema
.	Clean Bones of a beast, according to Anverdeen and Premarathne it is not uncommon for animals to fall in to these waterholes or get ambushed by a waiting leopard in their desperate search for water in dry season

On our return journey to the camp site we explored the large earth mound right by the jeep track, close to Katupila Ara, known as “Weheragodella – වෙහෙරගොඩැල්ල”. The inch maps shows a Dagaba in ruins here but we couldn’t locate any signs of it. The soil and the rokcs appeared to be different in color and heavier than ususal. The surrounding and the rocks reminded us of a large meteorite impact site.

Weheragodella as seen from the main road	Climbing up
View from the top	Unusually heavy, colored Rocks - Can this be a Meteorite impact site

Leaving Weheragodella we came back to the camp site along the usual track. A gentle giant proved that our decision not to cross Katupila Ara at the usual crossing point was a very rational one!

Crossing the road between the two Jeeps

Getting in to Katupila Ara

Crossing over to the other side - as you can see there was enough water to submerge this giant so a vehicle crossing the Ara at this point is impossible

Day 3

We had explored most of the key places in the block 2 during past two days. Several other places we wanted to see were lying in areas not open to visitors (inside the strict nature reserve) and we did not want to break any rules. Also the drives in block 2 did not give us opportunities to observe wildlife. Therefore we decided to dedicate the third day to explore block 1.

An elephant feasting early morning at Buthawa lake

.

Driving by the Elephant Rock also know as Akasa Chaithya - You can see ruins of two Dagabos at the top of this rock

An egret

A common Kingfisher

Early Morning at Parana Gan Thota

As we return to the camp site after the morning drive, we were called up on to help a jeep stuck in Katupila Ara.  Some 4X4 craze had foolishly attempted to cross the Ara from the wrong point. They had no guide with them and had not got proper permission to enter block 2 even! Apparently he drove the jeep in to the water with women and kids on board just of the fun of it and and ended up like this!

Stupid and Irresponsible are the most suitable words to describe the situation

We Pulled it out. Since the vehicle could not be started, they had to tow it out of the park with the help of the other vehicle which accompanied them

After breakfast Anverdeen shared some of his experience with us. It was very interesting to listen to him. We were particularly interested to find about  ”Ali manthara – අලි මංතර” from Anverdeen. Our conclusion on  අලි මංතර was that it is the aggressive and dominant behavior demonstrated by the person who chants the Mantra that deter the elephant, not the Mantra it self!

How about some sweets after breakfast - we had a load of sweets

Anverdeen Relating a Story

Around 3.00 p.m. we again headed towards Block 1 in anticipation of seeing more wildlife. It certainly was a good start with a peacock in full display.

Beautiful Display

The next sighting was this bear. It was feasting on Maliththan seeds and we watched it in close range for a quite long time

Bear feasting on "Maliththan" seeds

Closer look

Leaving the bear we drove towards Darshana wewa (Modaraagala Digana Wewa). On our way, we came across a family of yellow wattled lapwings. Two parent birds and their three little chicks. As soon as the parent’s saw us approaching, they forced the little ones under their wings. One of the chicks however kept coming out despite the parent bird’s desperate attempts to keep it under the cover.

Mother's protection - One chick is already hidden (you can only see its legs) and another one is hurrying in!

One brave chick kept coming out despite its mothers desperate attempt to keep it under the cover

By the time we reached Darshana Wewa it was late in the after noon. We drove along the earth bund enjoying the tranquility.The place looked very calm and quite with only some birds and couple of crocs in the vicinity.

Crocodiles at Darshana Wewa

1...2...3....

The silence did not last for long. A herd of elephants (with young) got in to water form the opposite bank of the lake. They walked right in to the middle of the lake and started drinking and bathing. It was such a lovely sight to see . The herd would keep the little ones right in the middle of the pack and would chase away anything that came close to the herd, including birds and even Crocs, quite aggressively.

The herd walking in to water with Young in the Middle

Enjoying the cool dip - All what the Croc could do was to watch

Drinking.....

After some time, the herd decided to get out of water. Again, chasing anything and everything that came in their way, the whole group came out of the lake.

Walking out of water

" Being BIG means a lot" - this young calf learnt it first hand (it was just a mock charge and there were no casualties!)

The herd then started spreading sand/dust all over them and we decided to leave them alone.

With the last rays of  sun hiding behind the tree line, we returned to the camp site with exciting memories of the day.

Sun Setting behind the tree line over a lake

Day 4

It was the final day!

We decided to do a one last round in Block 1. The very first destination of the morning was “Padikema – පඩි කෙම” rock to see whether the famous “Rukvila” cubs are around. Sure enough, they were there.

Wake up brother

Jumping out of the bed!

The play continued at the base of the rock

Siblings In Actions!

.	Walking against the Light

It was such an amazing sight to see!

The place started to become congested with more and more jeeps gathering there to see the cubs. Therefore we decided to leave them and explore more of the park.

Seen on the opposite side of "Padikema" rock	Flowers seen close to Patanangala beach
Buthawa Lake	More early morning activity

The last treat of the trip was again a herd of elephants. This time, they were busy playing on a newly built bund of a tank (breaking a good part of it in the process!)

Pushing and Pulling	A closeup
Colorful Dust Bath	.
.

Well it was time to say goodbye to all the wonderful things at Yala. We left the paradise behind and faced the relaity of having to go to the office and start work on the following day

Learn what happened the day before. Read the report – The lost aim at Namunukula

Before the Sun wake up, we were busy in examination on 1:50,000 maps, to ascertain how & why we loss our goal during the last exploration. After such a hard trekking (not less than 13+3 =16km on foot) in the previous day, the crew was still aggressive to re-do the hike & not known the meaning of giving up.

Having an idea on the road (Jeep track) network at the tea estates in and around Namunukula range, we decided to follow the path of the previous day as much as possible with our jeep & reach the village where we suspended our exploration last day.

Namunukula range

Since we wanted to verify what happened in the previous day, we decided to follow the estate road started from the 5th Mile post. Otherwise the route started from 3rd Miles post was much shorter to reach the Glane Alphine Estate, where the shortest trail to the highest peak of Namunukula was started.

On our way to upper division of Wewassa Plantation

It was only needed 15 minutes to reach the three way junction where a Hindu shrine was located. On the other hand it was few meters below the 9th peak of Namunukula. If we walked, it would only take 30 to 45 minutes to reach there from A5 road at 5th Mile post. But unfortunately we spent more than 2.5 hours with much of our energy to reach there, even having a lift of a kilometer by a tractor. That was more than enough us to understand what happened last day. We realized that the guide we hired last day had a hidden agenda.

the Hindu shrine

What he practiced was taking us through a long & long way until we loose our energy and make ourselves to give-up the hike in the middle. If we decided to abundant the journey, he could return home early with full fee. Whole the day of ours could be spoiled by that idiot. But the woodpecker had hit on a wrong tree at that time; none of the crew was known the meaning of give-up. As a result, neither party could achieve their targets completely.

Scenery of Badulla town – on our way descending to the Glane Alphine Estate

From the said junction where the Hindu shrine was located, we took the right path which was heading 3rd Mile Post. The road was narrow & descending to the base of the range. We felt that we were moving around Namunukula, at the level of her base. Having descending nearly 4km, we reached a 3way junction from where the road from 3rd Mile Post connected. We turned left & reached the tea factory at Glane Alphine Estate.

The tea factory of Glane Alphine Estate.

From the factory onwards, again we moved towards spring-valley with a descending. Having traveling nearly 4km, we reached a 3 way junction & turned left the uphill path to reach the Deyanegalla Division where the highest peak of Namunukula was located.

velvety tea lands of Glane Alphine Estate

velvety tea lands managed by Balangoda Plantation Ltd

Passing velvety tea lands which provide the finest Ceylon tea for the world market, we reached the Tamil-village where we climbed down for water last day. Two Tamil villagers voluntarily agreed to guide us & we started climbing the giant for the second time. It took only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the forest patch where we gave-up the exploration last day. In the next 15 minutes, we reached a semi-opened area. Then we noticed another hilltop was existed with 100ft in distance. Though our guides discouraged us because of wild buffaloes, few of us visited there for a GPS way point

It took only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the forest patch

With a minor descending, the trail was turned in to dramatic ascend. In the next 15 minutes, we reached a Y-junction. Both trails of the same were heading the summit of the highest peak. We took the shortest but dramatic one laid along the backbone of the range

Trail

Having a short break

From there onwards, the environment began to change in each step. Pigmy trees, ferns & feathers like old man’s beard provided evidences for an upcountry wet (cloud) forest

Evidences for an upcountry wet (cloud) forest

It was an unbelievable fact that the summit of the highest peak of Namunukula was a plane of few acres. The vegetation was mainly consisted with pigmy trees of “Ashoka” (මහ රත්මල් Rododendron zeylanica). Earth was unbelievably white and might be foamed with quartz. It was seemed to be a popular camping site and a little water was available in the abundant well located in the middle of the plane.

At the summit of Namunukula	seemed to be a popular camping site
a little water was available in the abandoned well

There were several view points. We were lucky to be there with no mist. Having visiting each, we enjoyed the panoramic view for hundreds of kilometers. View point for North was located in nearly 200m distance from the summit. It was special that the place was considered a holy place by Tamil villagers and a shrine made with few boulders was there. Our jeep parked at the heart of the village could also be observed from there

A shrine at the summit	මහ බෝවිටියා Osbeckia parvifolia
Asoka (මහ රත් මල් ) Rododendron zeylanica

Spending few minutes more, we decided to climb down through the long path. In the next 30 minutes, we were able to get out from the wood & reached the tea estate to feel the civilization. In the next 15 minutes, we reached back to the place where we parked our jeep

View of the North

Having saying good bye to the villagers there, we left for Spring Valley. Passing a series of narrow & steep estate road segments; we reached the same junction where we got in to the main road of Badulla-Spring valley last night. Spring Valley was a tiny village town surrounded by healthy tea lands. Having a little refreshment at a café, we decided to visit Black-pool the most attractive location at Spring Valley.

Unfortunately this vehicle was not available there, last evening	The crew
the place where we parked our jeep

To reach there we had to move nearly a kilometer towards “May-Malar Estate” and turned a by road at our left and continued until we find a bridge with wooden sleepers. Parking the jeep at the premises of Devalaya located at a bank of the stream, we started trekking for 300m along a trail.

Spring Valley

The black pool could be introduced as an eye-catching creation of the nature. The pool was nearly 50 x 25 ft. in size. A tiny waterfall was located at the far end of the same. Blackish water was given evidence for how deep it was. But the other end was shallow and sandy bottomed, where we had a cool dip

bridge with wooden sleepers	Towards black pool
Black pool

All of us were got up while the sun emitted his first rays to Passara. We were willing to explore Namunukula – the giant raised to catch the sky in front of us.

Existence of nine peaks was caused to name the range as Namunu- Kula. It was the 12th highest mountain in SL. The highest peak out of 9 was climbed by many hikers each year; but from Spring Valley side which was considered as the formal path. Our ambition was to explore the whole 9 peaks from Passara side which was not popular trail and even done by nobody in popular travel forums.

Namunukula range wrapped with mist

Since we were gone misunderstand with false information, no local guide was arranged for the hike. The false information received last night was that existence of a clear trail to the top; starting with a stepped path from the main road. As a result we got mad when we met the canteen keeper at our breakfast. (We already got to know him through a personal contact). He explained us the necessity of an experienced local guide for a safe & successful hike at Namunukula from Passsara side.

Uva Management Training Institute@ Passara

Namunukula - the giant raised to catch the sky in front of us

So we gave a try to hire an experienced guide, but failed. Some had engaged with other works & some refused saying not sufficient time remained to complete the journey before the dusk. As per them, the hike should be started at the dawn. But finally a recondite character was agreed to guide us. As per him, he had been to the hilltop more than 12 times. We were much happy, but it was too late when we realized the hidden agenda of the guide.

URY tea factory met on our walk of 3km along the main road

It was almost 9.00 am when we left from the institute. The guide took us along the main road towards Badulla for more than 3 km which was a significant descending. Further; he asked us to empty our excess water bottles so that to reduce the weight & could fill them up from water sources available on our way to the summit.

Our walk of 3km along the main road

Since the group of hikers was a strange site to the villagers, some of them were daring enough to ask where we were going. Since they were answered that we were heading Namunukula, they impressed two things. One was the shorter route was started from 5th mile post (the Institution we started the journey was located at the 6th Miles post) and the other was that we were too late to complete the journey. But our guide was taking us to the 4th mile post, as a deaf.

Just after the 141/4th culvert of A5 hi-way, (commonly known as 4th mile post) we found a trail head

Just after the 141/4th culvert of A5 hi-way, (commonly known as 4th mile post) we found a trail head. The trail was a high ascend & burnt a significant amount of our energy within the first 500 meters. Passing some barriers such as slippery rocks at almost dried water ways and walking along an edge of a moderate cliff in a forest-like non cultivated area; we came in to a gravel road (estate road). The bendy road was leading to the upper divisions of the tea Estate. We used rock paved drains at the tea estate as short cuts and proceeded without grumble. Having climbing nearly an hour, we reached a 3 way junction at the estate road. The uphill was towards the upper division of Wewassa plantation, where we should proceed. But the guide was kept silent on the destination of the downhill road when we inquired.

The trail was a high ascend & burnt a significant amount of our energy within the first 500 meters

Then a tractor of the estate was arrived & since it was driven uphill for collecting tea leaves, we were given a lift for nearly a kilometer with narrow, steep & bendy estate road.

Capturing

Ascending

After having another half a kilometer climb, we reached another three way junction; located at a gap. There was a Hindu shrine. From that point also, we took the road lead to uphill. (Actually the other route was also descending towards 3rd Mile post)

Continue	There was a Hindu shrine
We took the road lead to uphill. (Actually the other route was also descending towards 3rd Mile post)

There was an important thing even our guide did not mentioned us. That was the last (the 9th) peak of the range was just few meters above the said junction. Providing evidence for the same; we could observe the Uva Management Training Institute through the gap of 9th and 8th peaks; within the first 100m uphill from the said junction.

we could observe the Uva Management Training Institute through the gap of 9th and 8th peaks

Green

Again and again using rock paved drains at the tea estate as short-cuts; we reached the upper most part of the tea estate while our water bottles were getting empty. Even a thin water source could fulfill our requirement since we were armed with water purification tablets. But no water could find yet. May be; due to the dry weather condition applied for the area those days.

Heaven ?

Wow

How ever we entered in to the forest patch which covered the upper most parts of the mountain, with half a liter of water for all. We had to limit consuming water to a dirnk for each, in a nominated moment/round.

We entered in to the forest patch

We were moving through a thick bamboo forest

At first we entered in to mixed forest. The trail became steeper & hard in each step. In the next moment we were moving through a thick bamboo forest. The trail was disappeared and we stick in dead ends several times. Our guide was also confused and as the first time we were distrusted on the knowledge of the guide. We were loss our way in the thick jungle so that one could not see the sky, and wander for nearly 45 minutes until get in to a proper trail.

We lost our way

The trail led to the summit of 7th peak which was full of dung of deadly wild buffalos.
We were much tired, hungry & thirsty; badly wanted water. But there were no sign of a water source. So we proceed further towards the 6th.

the summit of 6th peak

At the 6th, we got the same result and no water. We had no option unless proceeding forward. This time the trail was laid along the margin/ perimeter of a tea plantation at the opposite side of the range we started our journey that day.

This time the trail was laid along the margin/ perimeter of a tea plantation

Though our aim was to explore the whole 9 peaks, we had to re-consider the same with the limited time available, when we reached the 5th peak. Since we were not armed with suitable light sources, it was impossible to return through the thick forest patches in the night.

We reached the 5th peak

We decided to give-up the exploration for the day.

We had no water and still moved forward with the hope of water source. Since we had water purification tablets, even a little source could fulfill our requirement. After the 5th peak we observed some signs of civilization in the base of the valley. There were some shelters with a Kovil. That was a good sign indeed. With the lost confidence on our guide; we decided to give-up the exploration for the day. We climbed down searching for water.

There were some shelters with a Kovil

signs of civilization

When we climb down to the village, we could observe a tiny waterfall in the other bank of the deep valley. At the first sight we realized that she would break all the records if she gained a bit more in volume. Even in such a drought, she was smiling with the evening sun. That little beauty was known as “Nilini Fall” & left a little delectation to the disappointed hearts.

Nade-gura	That little beauty was known as “Nilini Fall” & left a little delectation to the disappointed hearts
We had climbed down to the opposite side of the range

We had climbed down to the opposite side of the range. Our guide was also confused on directions & he was busy in verifying the same with Tamil villagers. With a trail of 5km showed by villagers, we climbed down to a bus driven road. It was the main road from Badulla to Spring-valley. When we were waiting for a bus, we were given a lift by a truck of the Telicom project. Afterwards having walking another kilometer more, we reached Badulla-Passara main road and got in to a bus for Passara. It was almost 9.00pm when we reached our hostel. We had walked nearly 13 km in a hard Terrain while the total journey was 30 km. for the day.

To see what happened the following day: Read the report - Achievement of the Hang on target at Namunukula

With a trail of another 5km showed by villagers, we climbed down to a bus driven road

Last sunrays to Spring valley

We started the journey later than we expected, around 7 am from Battaramulla. After having breakfast we went straight to Belihuloya where we had planned to have a bath and lunch. But there was not enough water to have a dip and we found lunch was bit pricy than we expected. So we decided to go ahead. Finally we stopped near the double bridge before Kalupahana junction. It also did not have a lot of water but it had few rock pools where we could manage to have a dip. There were two small shops on either ends of the bridge. We had lunch from one of them named “Double Bridge Hotel”. Surprise, the food was very tasty and very cheap. Though the place was a small, the lady and guy (should be her brother or brother in law) were clean, pleasant and polite. They served 5 curries and fried fish with “wadei”. Food was very tasty and it cost just 110 rupees per head.

The Double Bridge Hotel

Our next stop was the Adisham Bungalow.

Adisham Bungalow	Adisham Bungalow
Adisham Bungalow

After spending some time at the Adisham we hit the road again towards Ohiya. Road was not in the best condition, so it took us some time. After the Ohiya Railway station the road condition was good and started to be scenic. It was around 5.30 pm when we reached the turnoff to the Hill Safari’s gravel road. We were mesmerized by the stunning view and simply forgot to proceed towards the Hill safari.

We were mesmerized by the stunning view	We were mesmerized by the stunning view
We were mesmerized by the stunning view

When we realized we have a difficult road ahead it was already dark. Our vehicle was wider than an ordinary van, so it was not easy to get it from two hairpin bends in the dark.

We preferred walking admiring the nature…

Our vehicle down the estate road…(අපේ පාන් වෑන් එක .... )

Hill Safari was a good place, the cook was OK but not the best. All 3 bathrooms had hot water, 1 of them was working well, 2nd one took much time to heat the water and the last one which was instant heater, hardly heated water. However we liked the place pretty much.

Next day morning was a bright and very cold one. The splendorous view from the bungalow towards the Walawe Valley was stunning.

මනස්කාන්ත වලවේ නිම්නය...	.
.	.
Hill Safari eco Lodge

After walking around the Udaweriya estate admiring the nature we left the place and headed towards the Horton Plains. Road was steep but was in good condition without pot holes.

Then we had a walk through the Horton Plains to the World’s end and Baker’s Fall before heading Colombo via Nuwara Eliya

.	.
World's End	.
.	Baker's Falls
.	.
.	.
.	.
.

“The Rock of Lanka” is the meaning of “Lakegala” in Sinhala language. The rock is about 1310m high and it is in the Knuckles mountain range aka “දුම්බර කදුවැටිය”. According to the Sinhala legend, the Lakegala rock is considered as the Kingdom Lankapura where King Ravana’s capital was. It is also said that Ravana met Princess Sita, the Queen of Rama beside this rock. But the most people in Meemure Villages believe that Lakegala is the place where King Ravana lifted his air plane called “Dhandumonara (දඩුමොණර)”; an ancient glider; an Air Chariot. The triangular shape of the Rock is ideal for such an operation. This Dhandu Monara was his official Plane and he used it to capture Sita from India.

It was one of my dream journeys which I had waited for a long time to accomplished. Finally that day came.We departure from colombo on 4th of September by 12.45AM Ampara bus to go to the ancient Memure village.We arrived Hunnasgiriya at about 5.30 AM and get breakfast from there. We went to Loolwatta by a van which leaves at 8.00 AM from Hunnasgiriya. After that, there was no public transport vehicle on that road until 1.30 PM. After scenic drive along the Hunnasgiriya-Loolwatta road we came to the destination at about 9.00AM.From there we started our long walk towards Meemure.

Knuckles Range from Corbetts' Gap

From the Loolwatta there is short cut road to Corbetts’ Gap (In Sinhala අට්ටල මෙට්ටුව). Though it goes along steepest ascending, it saves lot of time because normal road longer than about 1.5-2 km. After about half hour hiking we reached Corbetts’ Gap. It was such a beautiful place where you can see mountain range all around you which goes to the infinity. Sometimes strong wind flow across corbetts’ gap, so be careful about your stuffs like caps. From corbetts’ gap to Meemure there is no considerable steep climb in road. After waiting a little while there, we stared to walking down towards Meemure. After Loolwatta we didn’t see any clean water source for drinking until Pusse ala, so carry enough water for drinking.

We thought this as Knuckles Mountain

After long walk we came to a small shop near the Pusse ala. We had tea with ‘Kithul Hakuru’ from there. Our plan was to stay at Pusse Ala on first day night. Since time was still about 1.00PM we decided to visit nitro cave. While we were walking towards nitro cave we saw Lakegala from far away.

Lakegala from Kumukgolla Village

We reached Kumbukgolla village in about one hour and asked for the distance to the nitro cave. But no one gave confident answer except everyone said different distances from there. Therefore we decided not to continue from there since we kept our stuffs and tent at the shop nearby Pusse ala and it was already 3.00PM. Later I found that there were only 3km from Kumubukgolla to Nitro cave while some locals said there was about 9km.

We came back to the shop and went to our destination for the 1st day which is Pusse ala. Although there was not much water in the stream it was a nice place for camping. There is a small water fall down the stream but bathing there is dangerous according to villagers. After having bath we prepared our dinner.

Pusse Ela

On 2nd day we faced unfortunate situation because one of our friend cut his arm while preparing breakfast. We faced lot of difficulties because there was no signal for mobiles, no transport and no dispensaries but luckily we got vehicle going to Hunnassgiriya. Two of our friends went with injured friend to hospital which caused to change our plan totally. We were able to understand clearly, difficulties of people there in a situation like that. Later I could find a location where mobile signal receiving. After getting positive answer from them we decided to continue our journey.

Remaining four of us continued walking towards Meemure while other three agreed to come from daily van going to Meemure in the evening. On the way we could see a Snake & buffalos.Since cultivation doing according to ‘හෙල් මළු’ land masters and tractors cannot be used. Therefore buffalos are very useful for villagers.

Snake

Buffallo

After passing Kaikawala Heen ganga bridge we entered to the final part of our jounery.We could see Lakegala in distance.After walking about 2km from Heen ganga we came to Meemure village.

Lakegala from Kaikawala

Since rain hadn’t fallen in months, Meemure seems like Anuradhapura area.Water streams almost dried out. We went to see popular suriya arana water fall,but there was not much water.:(

Suriya Arana Waterfall

However we decided to camping on a harvested paddy field after seeking permission from villagers. Some of them did not have a good impression about visitors due to bad incidents happened before. They said some were used water streams as toilets, put garbage all over there, make noises thorough the nights etc. If you aplan to go there keep in mind that it is a village, so don’t disturb their life style. And also don’t leave anything there. It was a beautiful evening at Meemure. Lakegala was standing behind the village proudly with full of colors at sun set.

Sunset at Meemure

Following morning four of our friends left by the van which goes to Hunnasgiriya. Three of us stayed back there to climb Lakegala. It is hard to imagine that one can climb it as seen from the ground. By getting help from villager we started to climb Lakegala from the left slope. First part of the journey went through the jungle and then we came to an open area. After that climbing was very hard and steep is about 60-70 degrees. One missed step would mean that you end up in the valley. There were no trees in that area and only had ‘mana’ and small plants.

Climbing was not easy

After about 2 ½ hours of hiking we came to a place where there was no plants even until the top of the mountain. Although villagers can walk on rock surface we couldn’t do that without the help of a rope. At the beginning of the hike we asked about ropes from the guide, but he said it would not be needed. But at the top he said it would be difficult for us to climb and specially climb down without the help of a rope. . And at that time sun troubled us while we were getting out of water and we hadn’t any thing to eat. So we had no option except climbing down . For future travelers, I would like to say carry enough water, food and a rope with good guide.

Above the clouds from Lakegala

After came back to village we were able to taste jack fruit. Then We came back to Hunnasgiriya by a three wheeler which cost us Rs.2000 . That was the longest three wheel journey in my life .From there we went to Kandy and return to Colombo by a Kandy bus. It was a most adventurous joinery I ever had with lot of experiences.

.

This is my first trip report (Always wanted but never completed). We were on our family trip to Gal Oya Reservoir on the summer vacation (so cold) in September 2011. The interest to go on camping was drawn by my recent trips. We couldn’t get ready extensively (as we would do with my Uni mates) but adequate planning was done by my mother and me.

We planned the trip initially to the August school vacation but due to the National Elephant Senses which was on the way we had to reschedule the trip to September. All were enthusiastic on the trip and final number on for the trip was 10 with 3 teenagers, 2 youths and 5 adults. The campsite was booked in advanced and officers were helpful to provide us a campsite despite their strike. Cab service van was booked which was familiar due to the past experiences with the driver/owner of that van.

Kottawa- Kandy- Mahiyanganaya- Inginiyagala (Click Image to Enlarge)

Inginiyagala- Monaragala- Ratnapura- Kottawa (Click Image to Enlarge)

Splendid view of the temple of Tooth Relic and ‘Nuwara Wewa’

We started around 12.00 a.m. from Kottawa and last man was picked up from Borella. Driver was in no hurry and took his own time throughout the journey. We passed Kandy around 4.00 a.m. Cold weather made us stop near Digana for a tea break at 5.00 p.m. We passed one of the Fundamental Benchmarks of Sri Lanka (British survey point which is the center point of Sri Lanka) and the morning sun was rising and the view from the edge of the hill country was worthwhile of spending some time.

Fundamental Bench mark (Center of Sri Lanka)	board nearby (Click Image to Enlarge)
Road from Hunnasgiriya to Haslaka – Just before the great 18 Bends (දහ අට වංගුව	At the edge of the upcountry, golden sun is rising beneath the silver lake

All roads from Digana to Haslaka were under construction and even the road at the 18 bends was even widened.

Is this the 1st or the 18th bend? You need not reverse and take the bends anymore

We passed Hasalaka (Hometown of the war hero Gamini) and Reached Mahiyanganaya by 7.00 a.m. Passed the ‘Mahaweli River’ (longest river of Sri Lanka) and for our interest there was virtually no moving water in the river (it did not prevent people from enjoying a bath from the river). Whole Mahiyanganaya was getting ready for the ‘Binara Perahera’ (festival of September moon) and was busy and crowded (no traffic though ). Worshipped the temple of Mahiyanganaya but the temple area was pretty messy.

A salute to the great war hero Hasalaka Gamini	Mahaweli River – surviving the drought
Budun wedi Mahiyanganaya – The Mahiyanganaya Temple once even visited by Gouthama Buddha according to the legends

We had our breakfast by a man made waterway. ‘Seenisambal’ (Fried onion) and bread was great for the occasion

Lake, Van, Bread and our Friends and Family

From Mahiyanganaya we went to Bibile planning to go to Inginiyagala through Namal Oya Road. Our Driver was not that happy saying the road is pretty old and not good for the journey. With our persuasion he agreed to go. Around 10.30 a.m. we stopped for tea in Bibile and there was a warning that there is 7km of ‘Wedda territory’ (native peoples land) which we never understood until we reached that area. Road was not repaire for some time and was bad as anticipated.

Road to Inginiyagala trough Buttala from Bibile

We were passing the ‘නිල්ගල ඖෂධ වනය’ (Nilgala medicine forest) and there was more than a million butterflies mainly of two types(I’m not a specialist in wild life and I could only say one was predominantly Yellow and the other was brown). Butterflies were dead on the roadside

Nilgala Reservoir – Part of Gal Oya

A gang of Butterflies

We passed a Police post and our driver said that this route was used as the main route to Ampara in the war period. Rathugala would be a not nice to remember but an unforgettable experience of our trip. There was this wedda children by the road and two of them offered ‘Mora’ (a local fruit) and said one pack was 50 rupees. We did not want to buy Mora but we gave some money to both and started off. Only few hundred meters from their there were another bunch. They did not have anything to sell but asked for money or food. Then only we saw that it was continuous and there were more and more gangs of Wedda children ahead. When we said we don’t have anything to offer the wedda children started to put their hand in and tried to grab our stuff. We got pretty scared and one wedda child was hanging by the front passenger door (Where I was) and he did not let go. After a struggle with that child we started off and did not stop on any request. It was a pretty freighting experience.

Karandugala Police post – Used in the war time

We passed Namal Oya and the reservoir around 11.30 a.m. it was relieving as we knew that we are close to our destination.

Namal Oya

We reached Inginiyagala Wild Life parl office before 12.00 p.m. and the staff was welcoming. We did our payments for the booking of the campsite and other charges. We were asked to go to the Kossapola park office and we were told that a guide will join our journey from there.

Gal Oya, Inginiyagala Park office – Wild Life

Gal Oya, Inginiyagala Park office – Wild Life

We passed the Inginiyagala power plant and entered the Gal Oya resovoir. The sub office was 7km from Inginiyagala and was not so difficult to identify the route.

Inginiyagala power plant	Galoya Valley National Park
On the way to the campsite from the entrance

We met our guide and filled up the water bottles. Though it was said the water comes through a pumped well the water was not that pure. It was another 9km to the camp site. Our Guide Susantha ayya only had time to say that elephants drop down trees to the road we witnessed it. Had to spend almost 5 to 10 minutes to clear the road for 5 grown adult males.

Kossapola campsite office	.
Clearing the road to make way for the van	Termite mounds (වේ හුඹස්) were abundant on the way to the campsite

As we reached the campsite around 1.00 p.m. it was breathtaking to see a herd of 21 elephants near the campsite. The area was good for camping with a bit of slope towards the tank which prevented water collecting under a tent. There was a toilet without a door (a roofing sheet was close by to manually move and close the opening of the toilet. There was a concrete table and bench which were good as we could do the cooking on top of it. There was also a cloths line and a plenty of firewood around.

Breathtaking view of the herd of elephants with cubs having a mud bath	A toilet which was usable
Campsite ground

Then we got the chance to see elephants from close range. Guide Susantha took me pretty close to the herd and I was able to take some good pictures (with a Sony 14MP camera with 5x zoom – it was the best I could do).

Herd of elephants in close range	Solitary cub
Closer shot	Mother elephant and the cub

Watching elephants didn’t last more than 2 hours. We made too much noice and elephants head back in to the bushes. Some in our group were pretty scared of having an elephant herd so close and the retrieval of the herd in to the jungle was blessing to them.

Daytime view of the lake and the surrounding jungle was even worth it to camp at Kossapola. When we started to cook the wind started to blow everything off. The gas burner started to go off every minute due to the wind and we had to find an alternative place to do the cooking. Luckily Susantha ayya found a place nearby on a rock. It was difficult for the females to reach there and males had to do most of the cooking on the first day.

View of Gal Oya from the campsite – Splendid isn’t it?

Alternative place to do the cooking

We had lunch and went out for bird watching and had a wash in the lake. Water in the lake wasn’t so good due to the drought in that area and it was muddy. But it never kept us from enjoying a swim in the lake.

Birds in the dawn by the lake	Birds in the dawn by the lake
Enjoying a swim in the lake

We had the tents ready by evening and then came a heavy rain which was rather anticipated by all of us. We went to our tents and one of our crew members started to collect firewood and kept under shelter (something to be appreciated). Rain settled within 2 hours but our driver panicked and wanted to head back because the clay road would be slippery if the rain lasted like that overnight and he won’t be able to drive out of the jungle. After our persuasion he agreed to stay.

Why need an umbrella when there is 2 camps to share

Evening came so early but the change in the sky was something you would not forget for life.

Below: view above the tank in two hour intervals… (2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m.)

.	.
.	.
.

Then it was night and a campfire was essential. This was the first time I experienced a real campfire done by an expert. A large trunk of a fallen tree was used as the base, then came the small sticks and branches on top of it, two polythene bags was the fuel that was only needed, a campfire was ready thanks to Susantha ayya

Setting up campfire	Setting up campfire
campfire

Two campfires were lit on both sides of the campsite and we were getting ready for the night. We had our pre-prepared dinner had a chat around the campfire. Though we felt pretty safe under the trees, for our surprise a large branch from a tree fell on to the camp site where we were having our dinner. No one was injured luckily. Everybody was scared whether animals would come to the camping area in the night after seeing the herd of elephant in the day time. The fully charged emergency lamp as well as the fully working (but very difficult to switch on ) torches were a blessing.

We were tired after the long journey and went to bed around 8 o’clock. It was neither cold nor hot inside our tents. Packing up some pillows and a ground cloth is invaluable though it is an extra weight. We planned to maintain the campfire in a shift but it was mainly two of the adults who did that job until 4.00 a.m. in the morning. I also joined the crew around 3.00 a.m. and the fire was kept until morning. For my surprise the whole trunk was in ashes by 3 o’clock. Morning was so beautiful

Panoramic view of the lake in the morning

Panoramic view of the lake in the camp site

Breakfast was prepared early and was taken warmly. We always had to eat more than what we eat back at home to fulfill the hunger. Then came bird watching by the lake and thanks to the Nikon Actionx binoculars we were able to identify a large amount of birds (my best experience in wild – I’m an amateur )

Best place to see most of the birds around	.
Bird watching in the morning	Bird watching in the morning

After some rest and tea we started to trek in the shoreline.

Animal dung of an unknown (by me) animal	Mating butterflies
‘හතු පිපිලා’ Mushrooms on an elephant dung	On the trekking pathway

We had another bath in the lake (with some swimming practices). We had our lunch and started back to Colombo around 1.00 p.m.

Large tree by the side of the road

We passed Siyambalanduwa and Mahiyanganayaand came through Wellawaya to Beragala and then to Balangoda.

Filling place in Siyambalaanduwa.	Work by the White – more than 100 years old
Work by the White – more than 100 years old

Diyaluma waterfall was on our way and we enjoyed time by the waterfall.

Waterfall was fascinating but water level was so low

Diyaluma waterfall (Click Image to Enlarge)

We came to Ratnapura around 9.00 p.m. and took the Panadura road. As it was the full moon of September the ‘Perahera festival of ‘Saman Devalaya’ was going on. We experienced some amount of traffic and a dely not less than 20 minutes.

‘Perahera festival of ‘Saman Devalaya’

‘Perahara’ festival in ‘Saman Devalaya’

We came home by 1.00 a.m. and that was it. Although we faced some rough time, Trip to Gal Oya is one of my best trips.

This is the first time we visited to Riverseturn. That was windy season for Riverstone and best time to visit. The breathtaking surroundings, strong cool winds and challenging hikes. But the pitawala pathana was very dry at that time. According to the local persons, they didn’t get rain from 2-3 months. You can see how dry it was. We visited to Thelgamuwa oya for bath but we saw not enough water for that. Then we visited to Sera fall. We didn’t see large and beautiful water fall because of lack of rain.

We started our journey from Colombo and all the crew members gathered at our office. We used one of crew member’s(Amalka) van as vehicle. We stayed at Longvilla Bungalow at night and it was a good place. Next day morning we were back in Colomobo.

Give me your comments about our unforgettable journey.

Please make sure you read this before make you first step into “Riversturn Gap”	Through the mist to the top
The image is not faded , it’s the mist	Charging..? Or Showing up...? If anyone got the general name and the scientific name for this please share
Beautiful flowers	Beautiful flowers, All the way to the top of the Reversturn you will see the flowers along the path.
Beauty in the dark (white in black)	Beautiful flowers
Wonder this is an endemic plant…	.

Beautiful flower	For you and me it’s the beauty of the nature but not for all, even a beast can create beauty. For the nature all are the same.
A spider net caught with dew	Unity … But we don’t know exactly what happens here, might be a defensive action
Top of the Reversturn (Reversturn (කිරිමැටිය කන්ද) towers), you can imagine the thickness and why it’s called “Dumbara Kandu wetiya”	Ticketing office – Pitawala Pathana
Entrance to Pitawala Pathana , When the green lands caught in to drought , even at the feet of the “MISTY Mountains”	Pitawala Pathana – Very dry (No rain from long time)
View from top of the Pitawala Pathana	Mountain (24x zoom)

Mist is back …	View of the surrounding mountains from the “Pitawala Pathana”
Notice the mountain peak in the middle , doubt this is “Lakegala” which is famous because The great king Rawana	Nice view
Paddy fields(24x zoom)	.
Danger is just one step away from you... පුංචි ලෝකාන්තය	So please watch your step. පුංචි ලෝකාන්තය
Nice view	Nice view

Misty mountains	Misty mountains
You can see vehicles running in the road from Pitawala pathana (24 x zoom)	තෙල්ගමුව ඔය (No rain from long time)
තෙල්ගමුව ඔය	සේර ඇල්ල (Not enough water) , the basin at the base of fall is really deep as it seems
සේර ඇල්ල	Cave - සේර ඇල්ල

	Our crew – Longvilla bungalow
Sara Moon is also here	Longvilla bungalow

Short Videos

Wawetenna an off the beaten travel location has been hidden from popular travel forums for years. Times to time many inquiries have been made by travelers on this marvelous travel location, but none has received answers satisfactory. As per the 1:50,000 map of Kandy, there were two locations with the same name. Finally having analyzing limited data available, a place closed to Madamahanuwara was identified as the real Wawethenna where a panoramic view point was existed. This travelogue is dedicated to all who interested on re-discovering of this hidden travel location.

It was 11.00 am. We were on our way home from Mahiyanganaya, abounding the scheduled activities of the day. When we passed Hunnasigiriya, a little memory on Rajagala & Wawetenna was came in to my mind. But we could not obtain proper travel information until we stop for a tea in a café closed to Madamahanuwara. Having satisfying ourselves with “Pol rote” with “Kocchi Lunu Miris” like dynamite, I had a chat with the shop owner. He was a very helpful man and gave me few travel tips what I wanted to know the most.

As per his tips, we found a narrow route at a huge bend; later we got to know as “Hulan Wanguwa” at A26 Hi-way. Before get in to the sub route, we inquired on road condition from a three wheeler (Tuk-tuk) driver, who just reached the main road from the said sub route. What he said was the distance to Wewethenna from there was about 5km and the route could be managed with our van since usually three wheelers do. Further he mentioned that three wheeler drivers of the area used to visit Wawethenna occasionally for fun. We encouraged much with the comment he made in his words “එතන එල පොට්එක අය්යා“. How ever at the end of the day; we realized that the information given by him was not acceptable except the last one. The distance from the Hulan wanguwa to Wewethenna was 9km & the road was not recommended for a van like ours but an off road vehicle.

First sight of the Estate road started from “Hulan Wanguwa”

The road was narrow and steep. Surface was completely eroded and stones exposed were armed with sharp edges for damaging tires. Most of the time our vannete used her full strength to protect the oil sump from boulders; exposed in the middle line of the road.

The first landmark of our route was a tea store. Up to that point the road was some what manageable though there were several road segments in bad condition.

Office of the Grama Niladari @ Rajagala

The tea store was located at Rajagala. Rajagala was important due to existence of the place where the King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe; the last King of ours, captured by English in 1815. The exact location was hidden from outsiders due to not providing correct road information by villagers. Because villagers believed that memento was a sign of traitorous & shamed on that historic incident.

Having moving another 500m uphill, we reached a three way junction (way point 2) where a Hindu shrine was located. We turned right & proceed along the lower path. Since the junction was populous, we faced no difficulties to verify our route.

first three way junction (way point 2) where a Hindu shrine was located	A broken culvert we met just after the way point 2
Hindu Kovil	Hulan Wanguwa (Zoomed) visible in a distance

Having passed nearly a kilometer we met the first vehicle in that route. We were much lucky that we met the same at rather wide bend where a Catholic shrine was located.

wide bend where a Catholic shrine was located

From there onwards the road laid through a turpentine forest. At the middle of the same we reached another 3 way junction. As like previous one, this was also populous & we could verify our route from villagers. How ever we met the second effective 3way junction in the next 75m uphill. (Waypoint 3) from there we took the left, the uphill one, while the right one lead to A26 hi-way.

Peaceful lives in country side

the second effective 3way junction (Waypoint 3)

Again the poor vehicle had to use her full strength to overcome obstacles in the narrow road ascending continuously. Having traveling nearly 2km, we reached the 3rd effective 3way junction (Way point 4) in our route to Wawethenna. We turned left & proceed up to the line houses located nearby. The junction was special since the right side path was lead to Moragahamulla junction at A26, which we tried at the end of the day.

Feel free

Having verifying our route; we proceed uphill. It was nearly 1.5km distance from those line houses to the summit. Half of the same was driven through the turpentine plantation while the rest; the final segment was laid through a natural vegetation. The road was steep & narrow as usual and allow no room to turn-back a vehicle in the middle.

Line houses are visible below	Towards the summit
obstacles

Finally we reached our dream destination; yes it was seemed as the door step of the heaven. The climate & the surrounding were much similar to the Horton plane. Wind and low depth soil had made trees on the plane pigmy. Earth of the summit was consisted with whitish sand as same as the summit of Namunukula. The plane was larger than few hectares and part of the same was covered with the reservoir, which was almost empty due to the drought.

Finally we reached our dream destination

Wawethenna; it was seemed as the door step of the heaven

Earth of the summit was consisted with whitish sand as same as the summit of Namunukula

There was a view point wider than 180o and it was not interrupted with mist due to the dry weather condition at that time. The valley where the Victoria reservoir was located was clearly visible. Remaining of an abundant estate bungalow made the place mysterious.

The valley where the Victoria reservoir was located was clearly visible

Remaining of an abundant estate bungalow made the place mysterious

Wawethewnna is worth visiting travel location and also recommended for camping lovers. It was 1.5km to the nearest civilization that you can have portable water. For other purposes, you can use the water in the reservoir. If you need any dessert, you can collect Chinese-guava (චීනපේර) from thousands of trees grown around the reservoir.

thousands of Chinese-guava (චීනපේර) trees grown around the reservoir.

When we visit there, young team had been enjoying there. They had reached wawethenna with two there wheelers. They were kind enough to provide road information on an alternative route for us. Since I was mad on returning the same route, I accepted their proposal cheerfully. Having spending nearly an hour there, we decided to take our move.

A young team reached Wawethenna by 3wheelers were enjoying there

The return path was same up to the way point 4. From there onwards we used the other route which was rather acceptable in condition. After the Hangurugama Estate, the road was concreted.

Road laid along the edge of the reservoir

Large butterfly found at the forest patch

Way point 4 – the third effective 3way junction

Sign board of the Hangurugama Estate (Way point 6)

At Welekumbura junction the concreted road joined with a well paved tarred road. Turning right, we conditioned downwards until we find the carpeted road driven from A26 to Victoria dam. It was more than 4km of continuous descending from Welekumbura to that junction. Having turning right again we reached Moragahamulla junction from where we get into the A26 Hi-way. We felt comfortable having seen a road sign board indicated that the distance from there to Kandy was just 31 km.

cabbage

Waypoints

This happened to be my 2nd tour of this kind in 6 months as I gathered valuable information’s thanks to Lakdasun on some beautiful waterfalls in and around Bulathkohupitiya & Ratnapura.

Day 1

We left Wattala around 6.30 AM to reach Ratnapura via Kegalle. From Kegalle we reach Bulathkohupitiya and then took off road to the village Ganthuna. Just about 500m away from the small town Ganthuna we were able to see the Ganthuna Falls.

Then we moved towards Dedugala road which is one of the most exciting roads that I have ever came across. Narrow and lots of bends and enriched with lots of beautiful falls. First we stopped at Rikilla Falls which is about 5km from Bulathkohupitiya town. The imposing rock and the silver color waterfall is a striking spectacle for all those who travel along this road. Then we were able to see few beautiful falls along our way and many are seasonal falls. The infamous Kalupahana Falls is one of them which were able to see from a distance. There were 2 more road side falls and I’m sure one of them should be the Ritigaha Oya Waharaka Falls. Then we went further on the Dedugala road till we saw Rukmal Falls where we decided to have lunch. We return on the same route to Bulathkohupitiya where we stopped at a bend which is the way to the striking Nalangana Falls. We observed that these water of Ritigaha Oya is used for electricity by several minor power stations.

From Bulathkohupitiya to Eheliyagoda on the way in a village called Punahela we were able to see Suramba Falls right beside the road. This falls is also being called as Punahela Falls a villager told us. By 6.30 PM we reached Eheliyagoda where we spend the night in a hotel near the town.

Ganthuna Falls	Road blocked due to land slides
Upper level of Rikilla Fall	Rikilla Falls
Kalupahana Falls from distance	A tiny but tall cascade (we were told it as a seasonal fall, but a too good one to call as seasonal)
Ritigaha Waharaka Fall 1 ??	Ritigaha Waharaka Fall 2 ???
Rukmal Falls	Rukmal Falls
Nalangana Falls	Truly a Nalangana
Checking the tyres	Its time to change …
Punahela/Suramba Falls	Punahela/Suramba Falls at the base
Had to cross this bridge to the base of Punahela Falls

Day 2

After having breakfast at Eheliyagoda we moved to Ratnapura and just before the town we took a left turn and travel another 1km or so to find the Katugas Falls. We were able to see only some stream of water but to see the actual fall we were told that we have to climb further thru the rocks upwards which we didn’t as it was so slippery at that point. Then we travel to Wewalwatte which is about 28kms from the town of Ratnapura where we found a series of falls on our way. We stopped at many places where we found so many small cascades falling beside the road. One of them was a small but beautiful waterfall in the name of Hul Falls. Then we stopped somewhere between Pahalagama and Diyabubula village to have a look at the impressive Dehena Falls. After few meters away we stopped near a boutique where we inquire about Alupola Falls. Then at that same boutique the “Mudalali” took us to his up stair balcony and show us the Pandi Oya Falls and just right beside it a small cascade called Kaduru Gal dola. Its pity that these two falls cannot see to the main road where there actually located but you have to pass a couple of bends and then you’ll able to view them when you look behind.

Then we reached the Wewalwatte town and stopped to have a cup of tea. And later some villages guide us the way to Alupola Falls as well as the Beruwatte Falls. So we stretched towards an uphill road from Wewalwatte junction towards Alupola estate and after about 5-6 kms we reached near the falls. And then as advised came back to Wewalwatte junction again and took the Balangoda road for about 3-4 kms where we stopped our car and then took a foot path of about 200m to find the Beruwatte Falls. It is so fascinating to notice that while you are going to reach the Alupola Falls you could see the Beruwatte Falls far on to your right and while you are going to see the Beruwatte Falls you could see the Alupola Falls falling from the estate on to your far left.

Stream off Katugas Falls	Cascades on Wewalwatte road
Hul Falls – The left level	Hul Falls – The right level
Dehena Falls	Upper level of Dehena Falls
Pandi Falls on left and Kaduru Gal Dola on right
Alupola Falls	The Main & Upper level of Alupola Falls
Beruwatte Falls as seen from the road towards Alupola Falls	Alupola Falls as seen from the road towards Beruwatte Falls
Beruwatte Falls	Beruwatte Falls

It was a very satisfied journey as we were able to cover many waterfalls of these areas. But yes there were plenty more that we couldn’t see as time and weather didn’t permit us. I went on a similar hunt a week after to Nuwara Eliya. Hope to send that report pretty soon. Hope you guyz enjoyed reading. Thanks for your time.