Savage to Sri Lanka. Dummies' Manual (episode 7)
In the morning, we got up before dawn, never bitten! This villa, unlike the previous one, had mosquito nets over the bed. But there were no mosquitoes! Somehow I immediately suspected such a catch and did not even unfold this grid. At the same time, she left the window open at night to breathe in the mountain air, filled with the aromas of eucalyptus trees. The smelly cars had stopped darting by now.
We took a camera and climbed onto the roof. Well, as they climbed, they opened the door and walked a couple of meters up the path. The villa was built on a slope and its rear part rested on the mountain. A guy of Rastaman appearance was already sitting on the roof together with two local children. They were fiddling with the control panel of something. A couple of minutes later something came from somewhere. Drone! Then the guy took out such a serious fotik and filters to him. Well prepared! His shots must have been amazing.
Well, our digital soapbox took what it could.
Then we sat on the balcony of the double, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful view,
Then we proceeded to breakfast. O! Well the breakfast was a pleasant surprise after mini rations on the coast. We even ate! The host was very kind and considerate. I wanted to pay him for the room already, because yesterday he did not want to do this, but he again said - later!
There was an extensive program for today, as this was the only day I had allocated for sightseeing and sacking the city.
The main magnet of these places is Little Adam's Peak. I read that it has nothing to do with just Adam's Peak (somewhere in the Nuwara Eliya region), fanned with myths and legends.
It's just that some enterprising local resident decided that their landscapes were no worse. I chose a painted hill and named it that way. And it did work! The tourist has gone wild! And we are with them.
To be honest, I would really like to climb Adam's Peak, the real one. But Faith!!! ! ! What kind of sacrifices do not have to make for her! I had to make a compromise decision and choose the light option.
The way to the top was not difficult. But, of course, not for everyone. At the last stage, steep steps began, which Vera no longer mastered and remained sitting on a bench in the shade.
And it was worth it to overcome these steps! Judge for yourself.
On the route we met a young couple of compatriots from Lvov. They were the only Slavs we met in this part of the country.
And so, all entirely British and other Germans. The Chinese were also present. Many walked with guides, although why are they needed here? The route is heavily packed.
Having returned back to the village, we dragged Verka to the next attraction - a waterfall. It is below Ella. We passed it yesterday. Distance 6.5 km from the village. Go down the hill, the views are awesome.
But the whiner offered to catch a tuk-tuk all the way. We resisted as much as we could. Having trodden 3 km along the serpentine, Verka finally ran out of steam. She said that she would exchange 20 bucks separately and ride a tuk-tuk. For God's sake! But no one will stop on the serpentine!
After walking some more distance, we came to a wide area with a restaurant, near which there was a tuk-tuk. The driver was absent. Fortunately, while they were looking for him, a bus pulled up and we jumped on it.
We drove the remaining 3.5 km, paying 20 rupees each.
Here is the waterfall!
Well, average. In Nuwara Eliya, we saw prettier and more powerful. A couple of locals were bathing under the jets from the pipes. And I wanted to fill a bottle of water. But they all washed and washed! All the people fotkal from afar, from the bridge. But I won't be me if I don't climb somewhere! And we, having taken off our shoes, climbed closer to the waterfall. Walking around a large stone, they found a white couple behind it, basking in bathing suits near a relatively deep natural bath. A local resident also splashed in it. Or maybe not a local, but for example, a resident of Hikkaduwa, who is bored with the ocean. We did not take swimwear, so I just went knee-deep to take a picture. The stones are slippery!
Meanwhile, the people from the bridge, seeing that we were disrupting the riots and no one did us a-ta-ta for this (although a whole bunch of military men who had recently arrived crowded on the bridge), also followed. Ah, the poor couple! With our filing, their solitude came to the final kapets!
While we were staring at the monkeys rummaging through the garbage box, a bus pulled up.
On it we returned back to Ella, paying 25 rupees each. Further on the program was the next attraction - a 9-arch bridge. But someone already needed to be refreshed. And in a cafe. I was against it. I would be quite satisfied with a bottle of cold beer, snacked on spicy local mandybriki. Cheap and cheerful. Well, let's go to the cafe. The prices didn't inspire me, so we left Verka to gobble up some stupid chicken she ordered with equally stupid vegetables. And drink stupid fresh juice. Beer here cost 380 for 0.5.
And I knew where you can get hold of 0.6th for 350. Verka was afraid to be alone, but we left anyway. But they promised to return.
We drank a cold laionchik and ate several types of sweets. Fabulous! They returned for Verka. She paid as much as 880 rupees for her meal. We both spent the same amount!
It was necessary to go to the bridge along the railway tracks. We arrived at the station. I asked at the box office if it was possible to buy tickets to Colombo for tomorrow? No, tomorrow will be tomorrow. I read that it can be problematic to sit down at this station because of the many people like us. It was recommended to go by tuk-tuk to the previous station and already guaranteed to take seats (tickets are sold without seats). But, having studied the timetable, we did not understand whether our train stops at the previous half-station. And they came to the conclusion that, rather no than yes.
Therefore, we decided to rely on fate and try to take the carriage by storm at this station tomorrow, thus saving even more on the tuk-tuk.
We rushed to the platform, but they didn't let us in because we didn't have tickets! Verka refused to go further, saying that in one direction she would somehow reach the bridge, but she would hardly be able to go back. We recommended that she find a supermarket on her own (she bought little tea) and then go to the hotel. It's hard to get lost here.
And we walked around the station and buried on the sleepers. Hearing the whistle of an approaching train, they hid in the bushes. The train was going in the direction of Badulla (tomorrow we had to go in the other direction). There were only three cars.
Oh-oh-oh! How can we fit tomorrow if the train is so small? We will sit in the aisle on backpacks!
Having waited for the train to crawl, we went back to the road and go. Pine forest around.
The beauty!
A tunnel appeared on the way.
I remembered some funny and not so funny jokes about tunnels. Entered. Somehow uncomfortable. It is good that the train has recently passed, and the next one has not yet arrived. If he caught us in the tunnel, then I don’t even know what to do - run ahead of the engine or squeeze into the wall, in the hope that this very engine would not smear you on this very wall?
Fortunately, we didn't have to make a fateful decision. We arrived at the bridge. Yes, impressive!
And there were a lot of people here! And where did they come from? No one was ahead of us! They took pictures from different angles, almost flew off a slippery slope, scrambled, clinging to the trunks of tea bushes.
Map mi showed that you can not go back, but climb the hill and get on the road leading to Adam's Peak. So we did.
We went out onto the road, let's go, let's go. Only I don't recognize her. Have we been here?
It turned out that the turn to the peak was just down the road. How long, how short, but finally got to the village, going to the supermarket on the way. By the way, it is located on the same street. Here, it seems, one road leads to all interesting things. Vadik scolded me for not preparing well. We could immediately go from Adam's peak to the bridge, and then go to the waterfall, thus looping the route. Smart ass! Next time you will prepare yourself!
It was not too late. Another attraction remained uncovered - Ella Rock. But the path to it is not close, farther than to Adam. And we got a little tired of something. The pedometer showed that we waved 23 km today. Just. There Polina did 30 a day, and even 8 days in a row! And we! Disgrace!
Sprinkling ashes on their heads, they multiplied it by a correction factor that takes into account the mountainous terrain, and decided that, in principle, the distance is commensurate with 30. And they calmed down.
And the beer you wanted! Rushed to the beer stall, but it is closed! Here's an ambush! It was a little less than 4 hours. In a nearby shop selling snacks, they found out that the stall would open as early as 5. They remembered that around the corner, on the street leading to the station, they saw a pub. Let's go there. But on the way we saw a small eatery with a menu on the street. They were pretty inexpensive there. I thought, why, in fact, beer? Beer very soon we will drink at home in unlimited quantities. But with fresh juices at home, I strained. Come on, Vadik, it's better to bang on fresh juice!
We settled down at an outdoor table made of... what do you think? From a drum on which an electric cable is wound! Cheap and cheerful!
The boys did not bother with expensive furniture, because, apparently, their fresh juices are cheap.
While drinking, staring at passers-by. Many foreign tourists with backpacks and rucksacks, or both at the same time. The backpack is on the belly, and the backpack is on the hump.
Refreshed, we stomped to the vylla. We are sober tonight. They planned to buy arak, but it was sold in the same stall as beer. According to my observations, this is the only place in Ella that sells takeaway alcohol. Although, of course, I could be wrong. But, neither to look for another, nor to wait until this one opens, there was no strength anymore.
At home, Verka enjoyed lying on the bed. No, what? At the very least, but from dozens of kilometers we forced her to stomp today. Can be quite proud of himself. She didn't find a supermarket, instead she went to a tea shop. When we were in Hikkaduwa, I said that we would buy tea in the place where it grows - in the mountains.
Logically, it should be cheaper than on the coast. But my logic seems to be different from someone else's logic. Strange, but the fact is that it was more expensive here! And in general, the cheapest tea in Hikkaduwa is more expensive than the most expensive tea in Mariupol. And do not tell me about "freshness" and "naturalness". What nonsense!
It's okay though! Sorry if I offended anyone. It’s just that I don’t drink tea, because without sugar it doesn’t taste good to me, and I don’t eat sugar. In addition, it is supposed to burst various buns with tea. And I don't eat them either. In general, all evil from tea! Here coffee is another matter! It can be drunk without sugar and buns. Well, beer is generally out of competition! Beer has all the vitamins!
