Our visit to Sri Lanka
This is the story of those wonderful days
We had thankfully started very early and had lots of time for our flight.But because of some operational reason the flight got delayed and instead of 8.30pm the flight took off at 11.30 pm.Our connecting flight was at 1.45 am and we had 15 minutes to board it.I would like to appreciate the ground staff of the spice jet airline to help us through this entire process of changing the flight from the domestic Chennai airport to the international part of the airport.Our baggage's were quickly loaded in the aircraft and as we were rushed through the customs and other security gates we were helped to comply by lightening speed by this staff.We huffed and puffed into the aircraft which was literally waiting for us.Our flight reached Colombo by 2.50 am and we breezed through the immigration and customs to the outside where we were pleasantly greeted by our driver from The Mudhouse carrying a placard and welcoming us with a broad smile.It was almost 4am and the next 2 hours we drove through the pothole free roads into the resort called The Mudhouse.I slept through the pleasant drive while Divya was awake and wondering as to what our resort where we were going to reside for the next week would be like.
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| Divya at domestic terminal Mumbai |
we exited the Prius car at 6.30 am .I heard the songs of the many birds welcoming us and most importantly the owner of the resort Mr Kumar was present to greet us.We were taken to our Room which was like entering a tree house.I will show you all the room which was fascinating.No fans or and lights except the natural light and gentle natural breeze blowing through one side of the room which was open to the outside.
We slept like logs till 9 am when we were woken up for breakfast which was a sumptuous lay of fruits of different kinds and eggs toasts some local delicacy .There was plenty of tea and coffee to have almost all the time of our entire stay in The Mudhouse.Also not to forget to mention was the sight of a fully grown Peafowl gently passing by our breakfast place.Unfortunately I did not have my camera unpacked so I could not take a picture of this pretty Peacock.
After this we went to look at the areas around the breakfast one and there in front of us was a huge pond full of water lilies which is the national flower of Sri Lanka
We went for an afternoon nap for an hour.We had a pleasing cup of tea and then were introduced to one mode of transport at this place.Bicycles.We went to a 2kms ride on the narrow lanes of the Mudhouse to another pond in which we swam for about half hour.It was strange swimming in a water body where the weeds get entangled in the feet.Coming out I changed but Divya wore dry clothes over her swimsuit..The pond by the way was green but otherwise very clean.We cycled back to our rooms after taking a few tumbles on the cycles.Cycling was a novel experience and strangely we did not get it right immediately as we should have.Coming back we took a nice shower in what Divya called the Flintstones shower area which was all but open to the elements.
One this first day we just admired the avifauna around us and
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| Female of purple rumped sunbird |
This view in the pond was what we got on monday the second day of our trip
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| Lilttle cormorant with fish in its beak |
A couple of Black-Winged Stilts
Monday our second day at the resort was an exiting one.Sara one of our attendants at the resort took us all around the Mudhouse property.She was a village local and knew all about the flora and fauna of the place.She explained to us the names of various trees and shrubs and their importance.Some were useful medicinally and some edible like the lotus roots.The birds seen by us were mainly Black headed Ibis,egrets,pheasant tailed Jacanas and at some distance a group of Peafowls.What Divya and myself appreciated was the complete absence of litter like plastic packs,paper,bottles etc which we see near any such place back home in India.And Thank Heavens the Sri Lankans do not eat gutka!!
After a sumptuous lunch we rested for a little while and were woken up to go Kayaking in the same pond we had swam the day before.Divya along with the old man who had bought the kayak from the resort could handle the Kayaking very well but some reason I got a catch in my left thigh and I was not so good to row.
We cycled our way back to the resort had herbal tea at 6 pm and a fabulous dinner at 8pm.We went to sleep early and the room without AC or fans or bulbs or tubelights was just a novel experience which we will savoir for a lifetime
By Tuesday we were feeling completely out of touch with our family and friends back home in India so we planned to get a local sim card so we could stay in contact.Before going to the main town Mr Kumar took us to a Buddhist Monestry. .Along with us was Penny also a host who was part manager of the resort.We took a Tuktuk which is nothing but an auto but a bigger version.On the way we spotted A Woolly Necked stork and I regretted not taking my camera along.This Monestry is supposed to be 1400 years old.We could not enter the actual temple as is opened only early in the morning for some time.We offered as a donation hundred Indian rupees and returned to our Tuktuk.Reaching the town of Anamaduwa we got a local Sim Card from a telecom service called Dialogue.We thought we would be able to connect home via Whatasapp but we were initially disappointed that we could not do so.It was only later in the evening that Penny figured out the way to do so and we immediately messaged my brother Pankaj and daughters Manasi and Mudita.
On Tuesday evening we were taken by the ever smiling Mr Kumar to a place called Tonagila.We traveled in his Toyata SUV.Kumar is the most ever happy person we came across as he used to laugh at the end of almost every accented English he spoke.
The Tonagila rock inscription were an Ancient Inscription of Brahmini script which was very well maintained by the Government of Sri Lanka.We decided to climb further on the rocks and reaching the top were able to gaze at the entire green and fascinating area all around.around. Kumar then told us about how The Mudhouse came to be.We had nice cup of tea and biscuits which he had so thoughtfully packed On the way down Kumar told us how his government is going to achieve zero carbon print and bringing people like him to do so.they have kept the target as 2020 and We are sure they will be able to do so with people like Kumar.
Brahmini script at the Local Monastery
It was Wednesday 16th and Kumar woke us early for a bird watching tour.He had packed biscuits,bananas,water and the three of us ventured on the trip.We could spot Black hooded Oriole,Paradise flycatcher,Thick Knee,many black winged stilts,Red wattled Lapwings,black headed Ibis,Pheasant tailed Jacanas ,lesser whistling Ducks ,Purple moorhens,and several small and large Egrets.A white belled Fish Eagle was flying high and could see in only via our binoculars
.We sat under a tree and above us a Sri Lankan Giant squirrel which is the national animal of Sri Lanka.We also spotted many small green Bee_Eaters,and Paddy Field Pipits.
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| Black Headed Oriole |
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| Black headed Ibis and Egret |
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| Male Indian robin |
In the evening we went for a never done activity by us.Fishing.We cycled to another pond about 3 kms away.We had the same Old Man with us who had taken us for swimming .The fishing rods were new and we were very poor in handling the spool.Our old man would thread the worm but the fish did not bite and we caught lots of weed but no fish..In the process of this novel activity we spotted the Pied Kingfisher and an Asian paradise Flycatcher.
Evening time we had our black and herbal tea.Rested in our room.Now we could whatasapped with Manasi and Mudita.We connected with Our adorable family group in India and US.also with Divya's brother Himanshu and Counselor Dhanashri.Everyone was happy for us enjoying our holiday and were safe and sound.
On the 17th of july Thursday we were woken up early by Guna who is the chief Chef at the resort.He had bought black tea for me and a medicinal concoction for Divya which is made by using the bark of the neem tree,It is called Margosa and is extremely bitter but Divya drank it fast as she was scared she might vomit.But she found the taste quite all right and finished it.
Today we again went for a 4 kms birding trail with the old man as our guide.We spotted the Red Jungle Fowl and its mate who used to make loud calls around the resort but were very shy to come out in the open.
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| Red jungle Fowl female |
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| Red jungle fowl male This jungle Fowl is the national bird of Sri Lanka. |
We then came close to the left bank of the huge pond in front of our resort and on a leaves free tree we spotted the white browed bulbuls in a huge number and also a black headed Oriole.In the water body itself we spotted the Grey Heron,Purple Moorhens,Black-winged stilts,lesser whistling ducks who as soon as sensing danger would take flight.
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| Lesser Whistling Ducks in flight |
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| Ceylon Wood-Shrike |
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| Brown headed Barbet |
While sitting on the rocks a Brahminy Kite flew overhead.And while climbing down Divya was helped by Mahi.After that we returned to our resort and I missed taking a picture of the Asian Paradise Flycatcher Brown Morph.
We went back to our room rested a while and later took a bath.We went to the office which was actually Mr Kumars residence the only place there was Electricity and put our Mobile to Charge.
As We were returning from a very nice lunch Divya thought she had spotted a Treepie which I refused to believe but I had my camera and took a nice pictute of the bird but it was only from behind it was very clear.This was the most interesting spotting of our trip The Blue Faced Malkoha.In the evening the old man suggests we go fishing again but we do not agree by our last failed attempt.
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| Red=wattled Lapwing |
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| Blue Faced Malkoha |
The boat ride\e was fun and this time we were better at rowing specially Divya
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| Divya in Kayak |
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| Black-Headed Ibis |
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| Open Billed Stork |
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| Divya and Tarin enjoying the boat ride |
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| Fruit Bat |
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| Black-Winged Stilts |
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| Purple Heron |
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| Our friends Mahi and Kavier Finally we were on our last day of our adventure .it was Saturday.Mr Kumar and Panny had a planned trip for us to the beach which was a good 60kms from our resort.we were to go through a bit of rough patch on the way.But were exited to have spotted a number of common Coots in a pond a little away from our path of journey.We could not take its picture but we did spot the Blue Jay or Indian Roller sitting on a wire.Black Headed Ibis,Asian Koel Male,Open Billed Stork,and Woolly Necked Storks were the birds we could spot. We reached the beach where a family by the shore welcomed us and a person climbed a coconut tree and fresh coconut water was served to us.Delicious.Then a boat ride was arranged for us and we enjoyed the boat ride from the shore to an island of mangroves some distance away. Before reaching the resort we did some shopping and bought some Sri Lankan skirts for Manasi and Mudita back home.Our flight was in the late evening and we thanked the entire staff of the Mudhouse who were more like a family to us by now. At the airport we spend all our Sri Lankan money buying ourselves a Table lamp and a couple of silver chains for the girls. |
