Island tour culminates with safari and elephant feeding

Our tour around Sri Lanka is almost over and we were fortunate to cap it off with an elephant safari in Udawalawe National Park and a feeding of baby elephants at the nearby Elephant Transit Home.

On our way to the famous game park, we took in some unplanned attractions such as a historic Hindu Temple, a majestic waterfall and a mysterious Buddhist temple.

There are much fewer Hindus than Buddhists in Sri Lanka but this Hindu Temple was believed to have special significance as the home of Sita whhen Ram was in exile.

Surath, our driver, took us to a remote location to view a mysterious Buddhist ruin called Buduruwagala Temple. No one knows who crafted these giant Buddhist images on a huge rock.

The waterfall was one of several we have seen. This one, in addition to being picturesque also served as a bath, shower and laundry room.

We then headed to our experience of a lifetime. After more than 30 years, Cintra and I have enjoyed own little elephant safari at home. They were everywhere and in every medium -- on the mantel, on shelves, window sills, walls, kitchen cupboards, desks, tables, curio cabinet. Their images were on table cloths, towels, dresses, tops, napkins, cups, mugs, teapots. salt and pepper shakers, jewelry and mudscrapers.

We don't know how many of these friendly pachyderms occupied our home. When young kids would alert us that there were elephants in our house, we would ask them to count them for us. It was a fun game, but they usually stopped at around 100.

It is no wonder that we dreamed that one day we would see them for real -- not just as a circus act.

So here we were, finally bouncing around in a 4-wheel drive on a bumpy dirt road in a remote Sri Lanka national park in our first elephant safari.

The "jeep," as they call it, was designed for tourists with seating for about eight behind the cab. Cintra and I were the only passengers on the back, accompanied by Prasan our safari guide. In the cab was the driver and Surath, our vacation guide.

We didn't know what to expect. What if there weren't any elephants? If I were an elephant, would I want to be gawked at and photographed by curious tourists on this blazing hot day? And then our first sighting -- an anteater or a "dry monitor," as Prasan called it. So we pulled out our cameras and the driver stopped. Then a large beast. As if I were a gunfighter in a movie, I reached for my camera. And there he was -- a water buffalo.

Apparently some years ago, a farmer donated a huge herd of buffaloes to the park to mix with the wild variety. Little did he know the false hope he would create for many of us elephant searchers.

Our next discovery was a Kingfisher, perched on a branch, with his back to us. That is quite a sight to visitors. And then a peacock, an another and another.

This was beginning to feel weird. Were these other animals staged to keep us in suspense?

Finally, about 20 m away, behind some bushes, our prize. Our shutters started to click away. About a couple of minutes later, another male elephant, and the excitement start to grow. It is not surprising to see males alone while females generally move in groups.

Now we are in business. The first 10 or so were on Cintra's side of the jeep. I was rewarded in the meantime with water buffaloes and peacocks.

Then Prasan pointed out a large male on my side. I shot him, so to speak.

The safari was humming. We were taken on a dam at a lake that was full of bathing water buffaloes and two happy elephants, splashing themselves in the early afternoon heat.

Another jeep was taking much too long on the dam, blocking our way, so we turned around, and explored some new bumpy trails.

We were fortunate to see one, then two, then one and so on. Secretly, we were waiting for the thrill of seeing maybe four, or six or more all at one time. And then as if on cue, there they were -- a herd, right in front of us.

We couldn't be happier. After that, we were treated to assorted other animals, including jackals, crested serpent eagles, hawk eagle, grey heron, crocodiles (I missed them), grey langur monkeys and a tortoise.

And around another bend was a herd of females and baby elephants. If you know the story of how special elephants are for the bonding between mother and baby you would understand why this scene was the highlight for us.

It was so good that the driver always took care to wait as long as we wanted to absorb these scenes and shoot as many photos as we wanted.

It was beautiful at one spot watching a small herd at the water's edge just siphoning the water and splashing themselves.

The clouds were beginning to cover the bright sky and the strong breeze from atop the jeep, combined with slightly cooler weather, made this an ideal afternoon.

We were fully entertained, not just by seeing all these elephants, but to watch them in their natural environment. They wandered freely and had no concerns about bouncing, roaring jeeps or excited tourists.

We finally exited the park feeling we achieved something we dreamed of. It was a thrill a few days earlier to see the elephants in the orphanage, and on another day, to ride one, but this was a most remarkable and memorable day in our tour of Sri Lanka.

The following morning, Sarath told us about the nearby Elephant Transit Home where orphaned and injured baby elephants are cared for and where milk feeding takes place daily at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. There was already a small group of visitors waiting for this display.

This was an unplanned treat and well worth it. There were close to 40 babies, the size of an SUV, waiting to be nursed. The hungry youngsters waited in a line a safe distance away while sthe staff fed groups of four at a time. Each was given about a litre of milk through a funnel and a feeding tube.

Once fed, they were ushered to a waiting area where they munched on leaves that were scattered on the ground until all were fed.

Now we get to return to Colombo and spend some time with our friend Upali and his family and to take in some gentler adventures before heading to Kerala, India.

Thanks for taking the time to join us and stay tuned.

The pinnacle of Sri Lankan beauty

There are times during this visit to the Indian subcontinent when I cannot believe I am really here.

This feeling was never more real than today when we left Kandy for Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. I felt like pinching myself.

Our driver and tour guide, Surath, did not give us much detail about what to expect, other than there will be tea plantations, it will be on the mountains and it will be cool.

What unfolded over the next few hours was a truly remarkable experience. Surath's little Nissan started winding its way through the mountains of Sri Lanka. I have travelled through mountains before -- the Rockies, the Alps, even the northern range of Trinidad.

But this was something to behold. If there ever was a moment to appreciate and be truly grateful for God's creation, this was it.

As we ascended the mountains, the view seemed to be more breathtaking -- the trees, some slender and tall some spreading, some evergreen, and all in full rich green foliage. The scene down in the valleys became even more dramatic as we climbed higher.

And throughout these scenes were houses, some new, some old, dotting the hillsides. And the houses were all framed by thriving gardens of healthy vegetables and colorful flowers.

We entered a village and encountered a parade of Buddhist worshippers making their way to the local stupa to pay their respects to their spiritual leader. What made it even more interesting was the drumming, chanting and dancing. We couldn't believe our luck in finding this parade.

As if to make a perfect picture more captivating, there were raging, foamy waterfalls -- some in the distance and others by the roadside.

And then, as if in a dramatic change of scenes in a movie, the hillsides covered in tea plantations unfolded. With each new plantation, I was awestruck. To look at mountain after mountain with these neat rows of tea plants was most extraordinary.

It seemed to reach a crescendo when we reached the tea museum and factory. The tour by the local guide, Taruka (star) was most informative and fascinating. Being here on a Sunday seemed to be a mixed blessing. We had a quiet exclusive tour by a very pleasant guide and a chance to absorb the process and ask questions.

But we could not see the whole tea factory at work with the sounds, smells and activity that would normally fill the place.

Of course, the view from this location alone was a good reason to stop. Then add the free cup of tea and browsing through the shop.

After the visit to the plantation, we pushed on to the mountain resort of Nuwara Elyia (City of Lights), a stunning town that felt like the cherry on top. The downtown was fairly typical of Sr Lanka towns, but the drive outside unveiled scenes unlike any other community. This is a mountain gem developed to remind the early British settlers of England, hence the nickname "Little England," complete with an 18-hole golf course, race track, play ground, horseback riders, lakeside park with swan-shaped paddle boats and other amusements and houses designed British style.

I have clearly not seen all of Sri Lanka, but I could not help and ask him if this was one of the most beautiful cities in the island. He suggested that Kandy also is beautiful. So I cast my vote for Nuwara Elyia.

We will leave this picture postcard of a town with beautiful images impressed in our memories. Next we shift our attention to an elephant safari.

You are welcome to join us through this blog.

Ayubowan.

Our life in ruins

When we decided to travel to the Indian subcontinent, we did not include Sri Lanka in our plans. We knew Cintra's close friend, Upali, lived here, but we did not know we would ever have the chance to see him.

But it seemed so natural to extend our Indian trip and visit this country. We knew little about the island - its climate, history, culture, etc.

Now that we are here we are totally in awe of this wonderful country. We have already shared with you some of our experiences and there will be lots more to come.

But we have quickly realized that no visit to Sri Lanka is complete without exploring its archeological treasures. In fact, this is probably why many people visit here; to see why UNESCO has designated so many World Historic Sites in this relatively small island.

That alone is a sign of the richness of Sri Lanka's history and culture. But the country's Buddhist and Sinhalese roots dating back thousands of years are not buried and forgotten. They are prominently visible in the form of archeological ruins scattered in different parts of Sri Lanka.

Naturally, there are ruins that are still hidden and may or may not be uncovered over time. But those that are visible, tell fascinating stories about the quality of the original architecture, the way the kings ruled their domains, the central role of the Buddhist monks, the agrarian lifestyle of the people, the domestic lives of the people and the wars and hardships that the people faced at the hand of invaders.

In an earlier blog, we mentioned a palace built on a 200 m high rock in Sigiriya. We did not go into these ruins, but there there were many features to this World Historic Site.

Over a period of two days, we visited the World Heritage Sites in Polonnaruwa and in Anuradhapura about 60 km away.

The first King of Sri Lanka (Aggabodhi) had built his palace in Polonnaruwa in 663 AD. Anuradhapura had already been the administrative capital a thousand years before that. But the King favored Polonnaruwa as the capital and location of his palace.

After the invaders from India destroyed Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa was the natural centre for the palace and Buddhist shrine.

Another Sinhala King (Vijayabadhu I) made major improvements to the buildings in 1070 AD and encouraged trade and agriculture to boost the economy.

During his reign between 1153 and 1186, a King Parakramabahu raised Polonnaruwa to its height with even more expansion, including this 2400 hectare tank that was named after him. He unified the three Buddhist shrines and built a huge centre for Buddhism.

In the late 1800s AD, the last King Nissankamalla neglected Polonnaruwa and let it fall into disrepair. Further, invaders mainly from India, completely burned and destroyed the buildings and left them to be abandoned and covered by forest.

The remains of these destroyed buildings and shrines were discovered by the British in the 18th century. Since then, archeologists have painstakingly cleaned up the ruins and in some cases conjectured what they might have looked like originally.

The result is nothing short of amazing if not miraculous. And today thousands of visitors as well as Sri Lankans are enjoying viewing these historical wonders and learning unbelievable lessons about the roots of the early Kings and their subjects in Sri Lanka.

It is no doubt that the ruins of Sri Lanka make this country one of the most fascinating for visitors and local residents and truly deserving of their designations as World Historic Sites.

During our visit to Polonnaruwa, we stopped for an amazing "farmer lunch" in a country home. The food itself was delicious, but the ambience was unusual. Behind this rural family home were two thatched roof sheds with home made benches to seat up to four each accompanied by narrow tables. At the centre were two large tables where the food was placed. Each of us was given a lotus leaf on which to eat. In our shed, there were about a dozen "guests."

Washing hands is a normal routine before and meals, largely before South Asians often use their hands to eat instead of using forks or spoons. They also use only one hand for eating.

When we went to tour the ruins of the Sacred City of Anuradhapura the following day we found ourselves in the midst of tens of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims from all over Sri Lanka paying homage to Buddha at the central shrine.

There is so much more we can say about our experience but will take too much time and space. So we invite you to do some searches on your own under the town names of Sigiriya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa or under World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.

Thanks for joining us on this journey through the ruins.

Ayubowan.

Why blog our travelogue?

Banyan tree in Auroville, Puducherry, India

Thank you for taking the time to follow us on our travel through India and Sri Lanka. We are happy that technology allows us to journal our progress and to share it with family and friends so quickly.

Given that social media is so much a part of our lives, we are finding that this is as opportune a time as any to use it to keep us connected.

We miss our family and friends, but through this blog or through FaceTime and Skype we have virtually eliminated time and distance, even though we are about 11 hours ahead of most of you and a half a world away.

We know it is not always easy to find the time to read a blog, any more than it is to read your mail or the newspaper. However, we want it to be there for you to view it at your convenience. It may not always be interesting, but you can choose what and when to read.

This journal is just that; it is our own jottings to remind ourselves of our daily activities. Over seven weeks, there will be far too many things for us to remember. And photos and a journal will help us recall what we have done.

We also want to share our experience with others when we return. It is not likely that we can take the hours or days it will need to share our travelogue. However, by sharing our blog on a regular basis, we hope it is an easy way for readers to capture the reports in bite size pieces.

And we will be happy to expand on anything of interest to particular people if needed.

This journal also just captures a fraction of our experience on this trip. Every minute of every day we are absorbing new and interesting experiences from meeting people, to the cuisine, the scenery, culture, fashions, architecture, accommodations, modes of travel, airports, security, shopping, hospitality, climate, spiritual events, health, wildlife, vegetation, recreation, education and so on.

We hope you find our updates of some interest and welcome your comments and suggestions.

Ayubowan.

A ride on Sri Lanka's largest animal

Yesterday we fulfilled a dream we shared for a long time - to visit an elephant orphanage. Memories of that visit will last a long time.

Today, we did something we never imagined we would ever do. We rode an elephant.

Our day actually began in the mountain city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, where we toured a batik factory and a gem museum and factory. Both happened to be close to our hotel.

In tourist places like this, it is clear that these are skillful marketing devices to hook the visitor by offering solid, interesting information. However, we found it quite fascinating to see how batik is developed from a blank cloth to a wrap, top, cushion cover or wall hanging. And at the end of it we did buy a couple of pieces.

Next we stopped at a gem shop where we were ushered to a media room to view a video on how gems are mined. It was most educational.

Then we looked at how a row of artisans were at various stages of creating jewelry with exquisite gems of every type and color.

Not surprisingly, we were finally shown to the floor with a vast array of gem articles. We resisted the urge to buy anything.

Then we were off to see a historic mountain and ride a gentle beast.

Along the way, we stopped to photograph a Hindu temple in a small town and the The Golden Temple Buddha, a World Heritage Site in Dambulla.

We finally made it to Sigiriya, the location of the Sigiriya rock fortress. This mountain is a historical and archeological wonder that has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. King Kasyapa (around 400 CE) built a palace atop this column of rock some 200 m high.

In same village is the site where elephant rides are sold.

Cintra climbed the steps first and was helped to a platform on the elephant's back. Then I made my way to the seat and we were off.

There was a guide who spoke to the elephant and guided him with a long rod. We handed our camera to one of the workers and he followed along snapping this memorable occasion. And he did a fine job, as you can see here.

Now we know this was nothing like the real thing. Real elephant riders do not need stairs or a seat with cushions on the animal's back. But this was good enough for us.

I got a bonus as I was offered the opportunity to ride on his neck. I did so for awhile, and chose to go back to the tourist position in the interest of safety.

It was exciting to interact with elephants in a controlled situation. And then on our way to our stop for the night, we saw our first wild elephant by the roadside.

At the end of an exhausting and hot day, we welcomed the opportunity to rest in a lovely and comfortable Hotel Mahanuge in the town of Bendiwewa, Polonnaruwa.

As exciting and historic as this was, we have a few more interesting stops to make before returning to Colombo in a few days.

Please come back.

Elephant orphanage fulfills a bucket list

Did you hear the one about the elephant who thought he was a dog? He only wanted to eat leaves and bark. (Sorry, I made that up.)

But we had the most amazing experience today visiting an elephant orphanage in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. This was part of our second full day of visiting this island nation south of India on the Indian Ocean.

Our day started with a most interesting 90 km drive to this mountainous region of Sri Lanka that includes Pinnawala and Kandy, the second largest, and perhaps the most beautiful city, in Sri Lanka. We are extremely fortunate to have a wonderful and most informed professional tour guide, who is also our friend, Upali's, cousin.

The drive exposed us to the interesting country side, where we observed luscious vegetation, exceptional roads, fascinating vendors and unusually sane traffic.

At different areas, road side vendors offered different things such as lychees, cashews, pineapples, durians, drums, car seats, inflatable toys, and so on.

We arrived in Pinnawala and were excited to see our first ever elephant in the field. Then we entered the elephant orphanage and were blown away with the many elephants grazing and bathing themselves, under the supervision of orphanage workers.

You have to know Cintra to know how special this experience was for us. Our house has countless elephants in every medium -- too many to display.

And now here we were. It was really fulfilling her bucket list . We witnessed elephants being fed. A three year old elephant could gulps down almost a liter of milk in seconds. Then we watched some eat. Yes, they prefer leaves and bark.

And sadly, there was one separated from the others because it had a damaged leg from a bomb blast by terrorists.

At 2 p.m. We witnessed a daily parade of elephants into a shallow river for two hours of basking, bathing and exercise.

The only thing to top this experience is to ride an elephant, which may happen on our next stop.

The second fascinating experience in Kandy was a cultural show in a local hall. The show featured Singhalese performers doing drumming, dancing, and fire eating and walking on fiery hot coals

Following the show we went to perhaps the biggest attraction for tourists, namely the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth. This temple is perhaps the most important Buddhist holy place in the world.

All of these are conveniently located in this spectacular mountain city of Kandy. Much of this part of the country seemed to have been favored by the English settlers back in the 14th and 15th centuries and hence the King erected beautiful structures, created a lake, even built an island, to complete this picturesque gem.

We hope to have much more to report on our second day of this adventure. Meanwhile, I encourage you to read a bit about the elephant orphanage or the village of Pinnawala and the Temple of the Tooth, to get more facts about these attractions.

Enjoying a gem in the Indian Ocean

With apologies to the people of India, our Passage to India includes a visit to the spectacular island of Sri Lanka.

It didn't take very long for us to see the dramatic difference in this country compared to Chennai.

Although we have been here for less than 24 hours, there is so much we could say about what we have already seen. However, we will save some of those reports for a future blog, as we are preparing for perhaps the adventure of our life around the island in the next five days.

Today Upali took us on a drive around Colombo. It is amazing how much more advanced Colombo is than Chennai. The traffic is normal for any big city - no wild darting around in every direction by swarms of motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses and so on.

The surroundings are beautiful and it is a pleasure to see work being done to continue to make it cleaner and more attractive.

I am impressed with the greater attention to safety and the environment. So far all the motorcyclists and their passengers wear helmets and most drivers and passengers wear seat belts. In Chennai, the lack of use of helmets and seat belts is shocking.

I am very pleased also to see the ethnic and religious diversity in Colombo.

Please continue to watch for more updates about Sri Lanka.

We are somewhat restricted by the limited access to WiFi. At this point we are relying on hotspots in malls and restaurants.