Monkey Camp: Travel Diary (Day 1)
http://www.energyservices.lk/pdf/techspecs/vh_w_b/bat.pdf
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Travel Diary Ambewela Farm and return to Polonnaruwa (Day 5)
The Ambewala, New Zealand, Farm
The ticket prices are remarkably lame for an establishment that has so much farming methods to teach. The staff are friendly and the smaller children as well as the adults get a chance to feed and touch a few animals. Although not a soul would ask anything about the animals but walk through as if at the Zoo.
The ticket prices are remarkably lame for an establishment that has so much farming methods to teach. The staff are friendly and the smaller children as well as the adults get a chance to feed and touch a few animals. Although not a soul would ask anything about the animals but walk through as if at the Zoo.
Sheran & Chameera petting a kid
Free Range Pens
The 1st stop is the Goat Pen. Brought down from Denmark the pure white goats live in a shed and separated by size and age. There were 4 new born kids and about two dozen smaller kids.
Also in free range pens they house Heifers and rabbit bred for meat and as pets.
Also in free range pens they house Heifers and rabbit bred for meat and as pets.
The Gouda cheese is processed in the premises and the machines are large and impressionable. As are the milking units which start operating at 6m once all the cows are brought back in to their shed.
Large Leaved Green Cabages
Travel Diary - Hortain Plains (Day 5)
16th December 2008 (Tuesday)
Monks walk towards the World's End. And the Irony!
Sri Pada - view from Hortain Plains
Coffee at 6am from Glen Falls Inn and to Hortain Plains.
In Horton plains
Chorus
In Horton plains
Chorus
What a day, what a day
What a very sunlit day.
If you go to Horton Plains
Don’t forget your walking shoes.
Verse 1 Magnificent birds,
Great Samba,
Brilliant light
Falling on trees.
Go from World's End to Bakers falls if ya'll want to take a peak.
Chorus Repeat
Verse 2 What a walk,
What a walk,
What a lovely sunshine walk,
On our little, little walk
We can see Purple faced Langurs,,,
Which are dark on their face.
Chorus Repeat.
Sheran Hewa
(8years)
What a very sunlit day.
If you go to Horton Plains
Don’t forget your walking shoes.
Verse 1 Magnificent birds,
Great Samba,
Brilliant light
Falling on trees.
Go from World's End to Bakers falls if ya'll want to take a peak.
Chorus Repeat
Verse 2 What a walk,
What a walk,
What a lovely sunshine walk,
On our little, little walk
We can see Purple faced Langurs,,,
Which are dark on their face.
Chorus Repeat.
Sheran Hewa
(8years)
The Milage is scratched off and had not been painted over the last 3years. The charge for a vehicle to enter the park to use it's 19km road to walk is over Rs 500. One would imagine why a 50ml paint tin cannot be purchased to mark the distance? I waited at this marker for 1hour trying to take a good photograph of the Pied Bush Chat with a very temperamental 200mm lens in horrible light, and over 15teams of travellers paused, made comments to take the issue back to the athorities at the gate but kept trudging on.
The round trip is 19km as per the officials at the gate.
The orchids are in bloom.
We just missed the Otter at the main ticket counter from Pattipola entrance but are compansated with lovely sunny weather.
People are body searched like they are entering a high security zone for anything other than the most essential items. Though we note that in several places plastic bottles and garbage are strewn and wondered how they were smuggled in their in the 1st place?
Since there are no dogs the only possible scavenger is the Common House Crow. I counted over 17 crows in 2minutes between the small café and the Visitor's centre (former Farr Inn) Though the visitors centre has many closed rooms, there's no place for a person to rest inside from the cold wind which seems quite a basic human right.
From the Marker towards Bakers Fall
A Pot of tea for barely 4peope costs Rs 400 and one tea bun costs Rs 100 at the Visitor's Centre Café. While we waited out side for 3hours for the others to return 12 people at different times walked in and out without purchasing a single item of food.
The only place to take picnic food is an open lodge again with no protection form the cold and wind between the Mahaeliya Circuit Bungalow and the Visitor's centre. There were several van loads of people who would not be able to know this if they use the Ohiya entrance. Nothing about the existence of this place is advertised at the ticket office or the car park.
The staff were no where around when two sambar wandered in onto our selfless travelers who felt so horribly guilty that the 'poor' animals had to eat grass when they were eating rice or bread or biscuits and felt compelled to share it with them.
And the staff still wasn’t around when the afore said people's children started to throw all sorts of non perishable wrappers everywhere near the garbage bins provided. So what if the future generation has no clean environment to live!?
Birds in HortainPlains
Birds, birds
Montain birds, here
Is a list of
Birds that we've seen,
Black winged Kite
Crested Serpent Eagle
Jungle Fowl
White Throated King fisher
Blue- tailed Bee eater
Yellow Wagtail (1st Winter Visitor)
East Asian Swallow
Hill Swallow
Flame Minivet
Yellow Eared Bulbul
Pied Bush chat
Eurasian Black Bird
Indian Scimitar Babbler
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler
Great Tit
Wonderful Birds, Wonderful Birds
Not that common
But Guess what???
We've seen them!
Sheran Hewa (8years)
And the staff still wasn’t around when the afore said people's children started to throw all sorts of non perishable wrappers everywhere near the garbage bins provided. So what if the future generation has no clean environment to live!?
Birds in HortainPlains
Birds, birds
Montain birds, here
Is a list of
Birds that we've seen,
Black winged Kite
Crested Serpent Eagle
Jungle Fowl
White Throated King fisher
Blue- tailed Bee eater
Yellow Wagtail (1st Winter Visitor)
East Asian Swallow
Hill Swallow
Flame Minivet
Yellow Eared Bulbul
Pied Bush chat
Eurasian Black Bird
Indian Scimitar Babbler
Sri Lanka Bush Warbler
Great Tit
Wonderful Birds, Wonderful Birds
Not that common
But Guess what???
We've seen them!
Sheran Hewa (8years)
Female Pied Bush Chat
Jungle Fowl
Yellow Wag Tail (1st Winter Visitor)
Travel Diary, Nuwara Eliya (Day 4)
15th December 2008 (Monday)
Zesta Tea Cup Stop. The Best Butter Cakes in the entire stretch.
In dire need for cash today! Totally strapped after paying our dues to the management of the Blue Magpie. Don’t get me wrong, they did give a discount.
The drive to Kalawana then to Ratnapura takes 2hours after discounting pot hole stops if you value your vehicle shocks and bushes of all nature and specially if they are not company owned and no one gives two hoots about who pays for the damages.
Ratnapura is busy and noisy and over populated on a Monday morning. All Museums are closed due to the fact they stayed open the previous day for may be a few dozen people. Banks are packed with other desperate souls and from the haunted look on the faces with the hungry and medicated looking kids hanging on their arms, it's apparent all waited valiantly out side till the bank doors were opened.
We change tracks, fill up gas tanks and head off to Nuwara Eliya and beyond!
Nanu Oya Train Station. The train at the platform pulls an observation coach.
The drive to Kalawana then to Ratnapura takes 2hours after discounting pot hole stops if you value your vehicle shocks and bushes of all nature and specially if they are not company owned and no one gives two hoots about who pays for the damages.
Ratnapura is busy and noisy and over populated on a Monday morning. All Museums are closed due to the fact they stayed open the previous day for may be a few dozen people. Banks are packed with other desperate souls and from the haunted look on the faces with the hungry and medicated looking kids hanging on their arms, it's apparent all waited valiantly out side till the bank doors were opened.
We change tracks, fill up gas tanks and head off to Nuwara Eliya and beyond!
Nanu Oya Train Station. The train at the platform pulls an observation coach.
We got two rooms at the Glen Fall Inn Resort. Ravi, the steward is a helpful chap always running around and trying to make everyone feel comfortable. This is a wonderful place if you come with a crowd as they do not really mind people cramping in their rooms. 
The Glen Fall Inn also does a small out door restaurant theme under canopies next to the land of Central Finance Vehicle Sales Centre during December and April. Food is of a very extreme nature: the price as low as it gets for the amount dished on a plate.
The next stop is warm jackets. The shopping stop is the Bazaar in town opposite Hill's the Supermarket. As there are over 15 small traders the competition is stiff and the prices are remarkably volatile. One can get the latest Eddie Bauer, GoreTex, Columbia or StJohn's Bay for less than $30. Some would have a stitching mistake or a button missing on a lapel but generally these are of supreme quality and I can vouch for the durability personally.
The day is spent relaxing for the boys. One of whom had never been to Nuwara Eliya. rooms at Glen Fall Offers a 15inch TV with Digital TV with 50 channels and most of the time is spent channel surfing rather than actually watching the programs. The beds are luxurious, with picturesque bed spreads and comfortable pillows. Wall to wall carpeting and lovely oil paintings on the walls.
Dinner is from the famous De Silva's Food Court in town. Fried rice for some and snack food for others. Also, there's absolutely nothing to eat in any of the shops after 9pm.
The day is spent relaxing for the boys. One of whom had never been to Nuwara Eliya. rooms at Glen Fall Offers a 15inch TV with Digital TV with 50 channels and most of the time is spent channel surfing rather than actually watching the programs. The beds are luxurious, with picturesque bed spreads and comfortable pillows. Wall to wall carpeting and lovely oil paintings on the walls.
Dinner is from the famous De Silva's Food Court in town. Fried rice for some and snack food for others. Also, there's absolutely nothing to eat in any of the shops after 9pm.
Orchids - Hortain Plains
Water Hole near Pattipola Rail Station, the highest train station in Sri Lanka.
Travel Diary (Day 3)
14th December 2008 (Sunday)
Sinharaja Map at the Entrance
Venus Fly Trap
Wide angle shot of pine trees
The afternoon we walked down Thuru Sevena road, which is the road leading east before the bridge next to Waggadala Bus Stand. This is a tarmac road and only 5feet wide. We met a local by the name of Piyasena, who used to work for the Forest Department and had been living in the district for the past 40years. His garden boasts a few migrant birds in the season also the frog mouth and a few owls. We were offered tea grown in his land and an hour's worth of chat.
The many locals we spoke to also were weary of not informing birding spots as are quite angered by the way the Sri Lankan Tour Guides trample and plunge apparently in the forest disturbing the natural habitat of the birds. During the Migrant bird season and also the other times there would be lots of tourists and guiding is one of the many available livelihood of the locals. Hence being biased about who does the guiding. 
In Sinharaja
A rain Forest
What is it?
Is it a forest?
Or a leech Place?
Please do tell me
What is it?
I know what it is!
It's a wet and muddy place
It's nice at all times even though it's far away
What a wonderful sight you will see
If you take a peak
At the lovely rainforest
You'll hear the birds in the morning
And you'll hear the Cricket's Chirping
And you'll hear the frogs croaking
While you hear the people talking.
(Sheran Hewa, 8Years.)
A rain Forest
What is it?
Is it a forest?
Or a leech Place?
Please do tell me
What is it?
I know what it is!
It's a wet and muddy place
It's nice at all times even though it's far away
What a wonderful sight you will see
If you take a peak
At the lovely rainforest
You'll hear the birds in the morning
And you'll hear the Cricket's Chirping
And you'll hear the frogs croaking
While you hear the people talking.
(Sheran Hewa, 8Years.)
Sinharaja Map at the Entrance
Breakfast is served at 7am and they served bread, fried egg, dhal curry, chick peas, Manioc and scraped coconut.
Cost for the entrance to the Sinharaja Nature Reserve, is RS 25 per adult, 15 per child between 6-12 and Rs. 6 for a child in school Uniform. There's a flat rate one pays for the facility of a guide, a local who would walk you through the reserve and would educate you by a crash course for the duration you would walk with him in the forest. Our lucky guide for the day is Sena Somasiri, a slim, fair young man with such a mild manner. He was well endowed with spotting birds and would amazingly spot them over a 100feet away in the dark canopy without any binoculars. Though one may argue that this is something he ought to be great at as he might be in the reserve at least 4 times a week I still think he was incredibly accurate. He spotted the Malabar Trojan, the Velvet fronted nut hatch, the Red Faced Malkoha and the crested Drongo all in such horrible fading light at times. We did not unfortunately get to see the local specialty, the Blue Magpie.
Cost for the entrance to the Sinharaja Nature Reserve, is RS 25 per adult, 15 per child between 6-12 and Rs. 6 for a child in school Uniform. There's a flat rate one pays for the facility of a guide, a local who would walk you through the reserve and would educate you by a crash course for the duration you would walk with him in the forest. Our lucky guide for the day is Sena Somasiri, a slim, fair young man with such a mild manner. He was well endowed with spotting birds and would amazingly spot them over a 100feet away in the dark canopy without any binoculars. Though one may argue that this is something he ought to be great at as he might be in the reserve at least 4 times a week I still think he was incredibly accurate. He spotted the Malabar Trojan, the Velvet fronted nut hatch, the Red Faced Malkoha and the crested Drongo all in such horrible fading light at times. We did not unfortunately get to see the local specialty, the Blue Magpie.
Venus Fly Trap
Wide angle shot of pine trees
There's a new Forest Department building being built 1km from the park entrance gate built with enough wood to fill a 40foot container. This is such an irony as they are the ones who preach on conserving and preserving the forests!
Sheran & Sunil Ratnayake
Our walk took a little over 4hours and this is with quite a bit of stops on the way to see birds and one delightful troop of toque monkeys, the Macaca sinica aurifrance, the wet forest sub species. The strength of the troop was approximately 20 animals and were too shy to get close to take a census. We did not see a single group of Purple faced langurs the entire 4hours we were inside. The only other mammal we saw was the wet zone giant squirrel and the mongoose.
The list of birds seen on a 1 & 1/2 km walk into the reserve.
Jungle fowl
Indian Scimitar Babbler
Red Faced Malkoha
Malabar Trogan
Green Bee Eater
Blue Tailed Bee eater
Yellow Fronted Babbler
Brown Headed Babbler
Crimson Headed Babbler
Gray Rumped Tree Swift
Black Headed Oriole
Little Swift
Flame Minivet
Black Bulbul
Spot Winged Thrush
Dark Fronted Babbler
Booted Warbler
Black Naped Monarch
Velvet Fronted Nut Hatch
White Throated Flower Pecker
Crested Drongo
Hill Myna
Female Jungle Fowl
The list of birds seen on a 1 & 1/2 km walk into the reserve.
Jungle fowl
Indian Scimitar Babbler
Red Faced Malkoha
Malabar Trogan
Green Bee Eater
Blue Tailed Bee eater
Yellow Fronted Babbler
Brown Headed Babbler
Crimson Headed Babbler
Gray Rumped Tree Swift
Black Headed Oriole
Little Swift
Flame Minivet
Black Bulbul
Spot Winged Thrush
Dark Fronted Babbler
Booted Warbler
Black Naped Monarch
Velvet Fronted Nut Hatch
White Throated Flower Pecker
Crested Drongo
Hill Myna
Female Jungle Fowl
200m from the Blue magpie just towards the west of the bridge, there's a perfect bathing spot for not the faint hearted. Included pictures are Sunil Ratnayaka and Ruwan Jayewardene, very experienced swimmers going a high dive, 15feet from the water while the senior staff screamed protests. The river bed at the place we bathed was a rocky plate with non slip gritty surface. The deepest spot would have been 6feet 10inches.
The afternoon we walked down Thuru Sevena road, which is the road leading east before the bridge next to Waggadala Bus Stand. This is a tarmac road and only 5feet wide. We met a local by the name of Piyasena, who used to work for the Forest Department and had been living in the district for the past 40years. His garden boasts a few migrant birds in the season also the frog mouth and a few owls. We were offered tea grown in his land and an hour's worth of chat.
The many locals we spoke to also were weary of not informing birding spots as are quite angered by the way the Sri Lankan Tour Guides trample and plunge apparently in the forest disturbing the natural habitat of the birds. During the Migrant bird season and also the other times there would be lots of tourists and guiding is one of the many available livelihood of the locals. Hence being biased about who does the guiding.
Travel Diary (Day 2)
13th December 08 (Saturday)
Misty mounted tops at 6.30am lookign towards North East
Susitha & Sheran
There's no sleep after 4.15am. 1st bird I hear is the Indian Pitta, followed by the Changeable hawk eagle. I read by candle light till 6.15 till we hear the boys rousing in their rooms. Sunil divides us into two groups. After tea we set off to observe our respective troops of purple faced langurs.
Breakfast at the Blue Magpie is Milk rice, manioc and scraped coconut, boiled egg curry and fruits. The food is delicious, clean and well presented. What the Blue Magpie lacks in luxury they make up in quality and taste of food offered and with a young and friendly staff, ready to help with locations for bird watching or contacts for guides. Not a single day did we feel that this is a place they need to be nice to us because we are paying guests.
Aricanut Flower
White Browed Bulbul
Black Headed Yellow Bulbul
Yellow Browed Bulbul
The bath at the river is awesome with a Ruwan jumping off a ledge and making everyone laugh. Sheran and I unfortunately had several cuts while scampering over rocks and was unable to really enjoy the water.
Evening we make another trip towards the west to see another troop of langurs but the evening is washed off after an hour.
Party at night in the hotel room.
Misty mounted tops at 6.30am lookign towards North East
Susitha & Sheran
There's no sleep after 4.15am. 1st bird I hear is the Indian Pitta, followed by the Changeable hawk eagle. I read by candle light till 6.15 till we hear the boys rousing in their rooms. Sunil divides us into two groups. After tea we set off to observe our respective troops of purple faced langurs.
Breakfast at the Blue Magpie is Milk rice, manioc and scraped coconut, boiled egg curry and fruits. The food is delicious, clean and well presented. What the Blue Magpie lacks in luxury they make up in quality and taste of food offered and with a young and friendly staff, ready to help with locations for bird watching or contacts for guides. Not a single day did we feel that this is a place they need to be nice to us because we are paying guests.
Aricanut Flower
Pepper Plant with Seed
Late morning, stretches on comparing bird lists for the two parties that went off towards opposite direction in search of the elusive monkey. By late evening when I write this the list we complied in a 24hours.
1. Black Eagle
2. Changeable Hawk Eagle
3. Serpent Eagle
4. Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl
5. White breasted Water Hen
6. Spotted Dove
7. Emerald dove
8. Pompadour Green Pigeon
9. Green Imperial Pigeon.
10. Sri Lanka Hanging parrot
11. Layard's Parakeet
12. Greater Coucal
13. Grey Hornbill
14. White throated king fisher
15. Chestnut headed Bee Eater
16. Blue Tailed Bee Eater.
17. Brown Headed Barbet
18. Crimson Fronted Barbet
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Greater Flameback
21. Common Wood Shrike
22. Brown Shrike
23. Small minivet
24. Black Headed Yellow Bulbul
25. Yellow Eared Bulbul
26. Red Vented Bulbul
27. White Browed Bulbul
28. Yellow Browed Bulbul
29. Common Iora
30. Jerdon's Leaf Bird
31. Magpie Robin
32. Indian Pitta
33. Brown Capped Babbler
34. Yellow Billed babbler
35. Pale Billed Flower Pecker
36. Sri Lanka Paradise Flycatcher
37. Indian Paradise Flycatcher
38. Asian Brown Flycatcher
39. Purple Rumped sunbird
40. Purple Sunbird
41. Black Throated Munia
42. House Sparrow
43. White breasted Drongo
44. Common Myna
45. Little Comarant
1. Black Eagle
2. Changeable Hawk Eagle
3. Serpent Eagle
4. Sri Lanka Jungle Fowl
5. White breasted Water Hen
6. Spotted Dove
7. Emerald dove
8. Pompadour Green Pigeon
9. Green Imperial Pigeon.
10. Sri Lanka Hanging parrot
11. Layard's Parakeet
12. Greater Coucal
13. Grey Hornbill
14. White throated king fisher
15. Chestnut headed Bee Eater
16. Blue Tailed Bee Eater.
17. Brown Headed Barbet
18. Crimson Fronted Barbet
19. Grey Wagtail
20. Greater Flameback
21. Common Wood Shrike
22. Brown Shrike
23. Small minivet
24. Black Headed Yellow Bulbul
25. Yellow Eared Bulbul
26. Red Vented Bulbul
27. White Browed Bulbul
28. Yellow Browed Bulbul
29. Common Iora
30. Jerdon's Leaf Bird
31. Magpie Robin
32. Indian Pitta
33. Brown Capped Babbler
34. Yellow Billed babbler
35. Pale Billed Flower Pecker
36. Sri Lanka Paradise Flycatcher
37. Indian Paradise Flycatcher
38. Asian Brown Flycatcher
39. Purple Rumped sunbird
40. Purple Sunbird
41. Black Throated Munia
42. House Sparrow
43. White breasted Drongo
44. Common Myna
45. Little Comarant
White Browed Bulbul
Black Headed Yellow Bulbul
Yellow Browed Bulbul
The bath at the river is awesome with a Ruwan jumping off a ledge and making everyone laugh. Sheran and I unfortunately had several cuts while scampering over rocks and was unable to really enjoy the water.
Evening we make another trip towards the west to see another troop of langurs but the evening is washed off after an hour.
Leeches crawling up shoes
This is the area Sunil and his team worked in the morning and on their way back they've had a tea at a tiny boutique at the road side. They were told that the shop keepers would be making Wade, a deep fried small dhal patty. Which is a south Indian delicacy. And they really managed to make it really spicy.
Party at night in the hotel room.
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