Elephants next….

From Nuwara Eliya to our next stop we went by train. It was a  beautiful trip, well known for its scenery with rolling tea plantations and high mountain sides.

Our next stop was Pinnawala where there is an Elephant Sanctunary that Christel wanted to visit. In the park you can see elephants up close and be there when they get fed and watch when they bath in the river.

Pinnawala is really a small village and beyond the Elephant park it did not have much to offer. We tried to find a restaurant in the evening we arrived but did not find a single place where to eat as all restaurants where then closed fot the day. We then went back to our hotel, a homestay, and asked nicely if they could cook us something to eat. First we got a no as it was a little late in the evening, and trotted off to our room where we shared an apple, thinking that no one had died because of skipping one meal. The sweet home stay owner, however, ten minutes later came and knocked on our door and asked if we would like some noodles. We said yes! An hour later we were served and it was so good and we did not need to go to bed hungry. We even got bananas and coffee after dinner!

The next morning we had breakfast already 6.30 in a café that we found the day before – finally a place that understands our early morning habits. But it was a bit funny – the boys who worked the day before had informed us that the cafe would open 6:30 but when we got there exactly 6:30 a girl came and opened it and told us that they did not open until 7:00. We must have looked hungry as we were let in anyway and got our yummy breakfast of hot double sandwiches with delicious cappuccino.

Then it was time for the elephants, the park opened 8.30 and we were first in line. But then we got some bad news – because of the heavy rain the day before (it is monsoon period in Sri Lanka right now) the water level in the river was to high and no elephant bathing would take place on this day. As the bath is the coolest thing about this park – all the elephants marching down to the water in a troop and then you can watch them as they swim – Christel was very disappointed and we decided not to go in to the park.

Feeling a bit sad we decided to leave Pinnawalla and set off for the railway station and 4 hours later we arrived to Colombo by train.