Haputale … and our Adventure to World’s End

Our train was eagerly awaited, arriving 30 mins late, but we were soon on board and settled into our reserved 2nd class seats for our 4.5hr train ride up into hill country.

The first part followed the valley of the Mahaweli Ganga, Sri Lanka’s longest river, then started climbing through pine and eucalyptus until we reached tea plantations.

We stopped at several stations with cheerful well wishers …

… and pretty gardens …

… spotted St Clair Falls …

… and also areas of market gardens.

We were very pleased we had pre-booked our tickets and had seats as we could see people in the next carriage who had stood for the entire journey!

The sun was going down as we arrived in Haputale and the air was distinctly cooler.

We were pleased to arrive at Leisure Mount View Holiday Inn just outside the town and relax with a cup of tea on our balcony, although were slightly taken aback by the view as the cloud seemed to creep closer to us as we watched!

I didn’t realise quite how fascinating clouds could be …

Also, we found our room had a swinging bed! It proved a bit disconcerting actually … every time you turn over there is the potential for sea sickness! We hadn’t chosen this room … we were ‘upgraded’ and I wonder if someone else turned it down!

The guesthouse prepared a vegetarian curry spread for dinner with a huge choice of delicious dishes, adding cauliflower, carrots, green peppers and courgettes to our tally and we had an early night.

The clock was set for 4.40 so we would have time for a quick cup of tea before we left just gone 5.15 to drive 35km in a tuk-tuk to Horton Plains National Park. It was dark, the road was bumpy, it was chilly (16°), there were wafts of mist, and we wondered if we were mad as the tuk-tuk laboured backwards and forwards round hairpin bends, climbing higher and higher. It was getting light as we arrived at the ticket office just before 7.00 and at least we saw that if we were mad, quite a few other people were just as mad which was reassuring! The imperative was to arrive at our viewpoint before it was shrouded in mist which rolls in by 10.00 daily.

We drove to the start point of a 9km circular trail, raided our packed breakfast for bananas and jam sandwiches and set off, but the amount of mist was a little disconcerting …

It was hardly a solitary experience as there were quite a few people setting out, but there seemed a sense of camaraderie as we walked along, initially through patina grassland, with dwarf bamboo, rhododendron and keena trees. The plain is around 2000m high and surrounded by cloudforest, often rain swept and usually misty.

It was a bit chilly and having read how unpredictable the weather could be, we had stopped in town the day before to pick up a couple of hopefully waterproof jackets for a fiver eachjust in case, and here is Mr Hayes sporting a smart red number … that he spent all morning complaining was actually pink!

It was quite eerie as the mist swirled in and out and the sun started breaking through.

A short diversion took us to Baker Falls …

… then we continued to World’s End from which the cliffs plunge 825m, giving views to the south coast on a good day.

The large lake is in Uda Walawe National Park and without the life giving water from the cloudforest, the park wouldn’t be able to support the elephants who we hope to see in a few days time.

There were a few small flowers along the way …

… then I was delighted to see a rhododendron in flower, albeit a very small one!

As for wildlife … well the elephants which once lived on the plain are long gone but we did see a sambar deer and were very lucky to spot a rare purple faced langur.

Walking back, we got chatting to a young couple from Germany, Moritz and Valerie and we enjoyed compared stories of our travels in Sri Lanka and beyond.

There was a final glimpse of the lowlands from a second viewpoint …

… and here we are back at the beginning again!

We drive back was just as interesting, free-wheeling down the mountain for several kms at a time, and when we got back we had a slightly better view from our balcony!

After lunch and a rest, we walked down in front of the guesthouse between the tea plants …

… and I came across this little chap … I looked him up … a red vented barbul!

Tomorrow we get a lie-in before setting off by tuk-tuk to Ella …

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