"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report # 81 Sri Lanka Safari Camp and Yala National Park March 21, 2016 Monday Very hot and humid 80 Pictures Part #1 Of 3 Morning Drive

Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2016 4:22:26 AM
Subject: Report # 81 Sri Lanka Safari Camp and Yala National Park March 21, 2016 Monday Very hot and humid 80 Pictures Part #1 Of 3 Morning Drive

Our first full day at the safari camp began much more comfortable than it had ended last night. Our guide had mentioned that it normally cools down at night, which it did. But that wasn't until 2am. The tent stayed warm and sticky until then. Even with the ceiling fan and the portable fan on a stand, it stayed hot. Our bed is a king size, but there were two single-size sheet-like blankets on the top….one for each of us. They were so lightweight, the breeze from the fan filtered through them. That's probably the idea. But when we woke up around 2am, we were freezing. Wish we had taken the time before it got dark to notice there were two blankets under the desk. Anyway, with the help of a little extra clothing, the rest of the night was OK.

Actually the night did not last much longer, since we had set the alarm for 4am. We had a wake-up call by one of the staff members, but not by telephone. There is none. There is no TV, nor a radio, and frankly, we don't miss it. We have the sounds of the night insects and animals instead. One of those sounds was from peacocks. Wonder why that sounded so much like home??? The staff would have provided coffee or tea, but we chose not to drink anything. Could be a long stretch between rest stops. Oh wait a minute….there are none, except for a lone tree or something else suitable.

We met up with our 4x4 buddies, Alex and Michelle, at 5:30am sharp. Our destination was Block # 1 this morning, which opened up at 6am. We were among the first of the vehicles to enter through the gate. In a few minutes, we had arrived to a flooded plain, which was loaded with water birds. The first sightings of the day included painted storks, a fish eagle, whistling ducks, and many herons. Joining them near the water's edge were common kingfishers, green pigeons, and bee-eaters. A peacock was perched in a tree, while the night herons scoured the lake waters for fish underneath him. More storks, jacanas, and lapwings were picking through the muddy flats. Across the water on the opposite bank, a large croc laid in wait for anything dumb enough to pass by it.

On the other side of the road was a small pond where a painted stork was bill-fishing. He simply opens his beak, then roots around the shallow waters. A few feet away from him, was a croc, who was patiently waiting for him to stroll by. Our guide said many birds are taken by the crocs, when they are busy feeding. The bird must have sensed movement, because he flew away….saved by our interruption.

Just as we got to some water buffalo and jungle fowl (the national bird), a mongoose ran across the road. He was so curious looking at us, he stopped and posed. It was around then, that our guide got a message that a leopard was up a tree, and we needed to rush there if we wanted to see him. Sure enough, it was only 7:30am, and we were seeing our leopard sighting already. Super. We lingered as long as we could, taking many photos in hope some will come out great. By the way, they did. This sighting had to be the best one yet, showcasing the impressive animal to the max. Wonder what he was thinking with all of the fuss being made over the fact he could climb a tree?

The list of further sightings included spotted deer, water buffalo, and wild boar. While watching some fantail flycatchers, our guide picked some tamarind seed pods for us to sample. Not sure we have ever tasted this before, but it wasn't the best flavor ever. In fact, it was extremely tart, but now we know what many animals and birds like to eat. Manjue, our guide, said there is a plant with leaves that are poisonous by day, but OK to eat at night. We certainly hope tamarind is not one of them. The only smart one not to try it was Bill.

At this point, we were heading back out of the park, but with a rest stop first. This was at a place where other safari vehicles gathered. Many macaques of all sizes and a few very large langurs live in the trees here. There is a reason why. Most folks are having beverages and snacks, and the monkeys beg for food. There are warnings posted everywhere…..do not feed the wildlife, but they do it anyway. What that does is create monkeys that can be very aggressive, and dependent on junk food.

Our driver had opened up the plastic container of crackers , cheese (Laughing Cow), and cookies for us, while we watched the little monkeys jump up into the other vehicles. Since the passengers were out "marking" their trees, the monkeys were robbing them of anything left inside the 4x4's. And the monkeys were leaving their calling cards behind in little puddles.

And that's when it happened. A teen monkey snuck down a tree limb overhanging our jeep. He slipped onto the roof, and slid down to the lower railing where the cookie box was opened on the tailgate. With five of us standing there, he grabbed a package of Oreos and ran up the tree before anyone could react. Cheeky little guy, Michelle said, as we all laughed. He was on his own now, as the other monkeys chased him down to steal his prize away. He had most of them eaten, when a bigger monkey stole the package. It's a tough world out there.

Continuing on, we had a rare sighting of an albino boar with a couple of regular ones. He was skiddish as he bolted for cover. Further up the road, we came upon the body of water again, picking up sightings of black neck ibis, grey heron, trees full of roosting storks, along with colorful bee-eaters and kingfishers. We spotted an elephant grazing with more water buffalo, then followed a golden jackal as he ran in front of us up the road. Funny thing, though, he kept turning around to watch us, stopping and staring. Great photo op for all of us. The last thing we saw was a monitor lizard as we headed back to camp on the pothole-filled dirt road. By this time we were eating dust and looked pretty bad for sure. Time to get back, take showers, and have some grub. It had been a longer game drive than normal, but it was sure worth it to see the leopard once again. Lucky, again. Little did we know that luck would be with us later on.

Back at camp, we were treated to a brunch, instead of just breakfast. The main course was a slice of cheese, onion, and tomato omelette, along with Sri Lankan pancakes with honey. Other toppings were mango and passionfruit jams and butter, that had melted in the heat of the day. There was a plate of tempting fresh fruit with pineapple, mango, papaya, and watermelon….lots of watermelon. Love it. There was a bowl of potato soup, but not sure how to eat it since there was no bowl for it. We drank two beers each, as well as water and soda. Must have been dehydrated. All of this ample meal was followed by ice cream…one chocolate and one vanilla. Coffee and tea are also included. By the way, we dined at a private table for two right down a path from our tent.

At this point we could have easily given in to a nap, but we didn't. Good time for a shower instead, and also catch up on some reading of the books left in our room. There were six volumes of travel and animal books all about Sri Lanka and the National Parks. Great information to have so we know a little bit about the country and their customs. It is certainly a place far different from where we grew up in California. We know one thing for sure, we will never see Brahma cows roaming down the streets freely. Or dogs running loose in packs.

By 3pm, we met with our guide, driver, and Alex and Michelle for a game ride to Block # 5. It is a more pleasant ride through town, avoiding the worst of the dirt roads. We drove into the park, and took a road that led to an ancient Buddhist temple, where monks used to come for a pilgrimage. It was straight up on top of black outcroppings of solid rock. Manjue mentioned that National Geographic came here to do a documentary on the area and the temples a few years ago. He was thrilled to have been part of the team at the time.

About then, he got a call that a leopard had been spotted, so we headed in that direction. He stopped and listened to the noise of the forest, as many birds and squirrels will let out alarm calls. He did hear them as we did too. We flew around a turn in the right direction of the calls, when a leopard came running across the road right in front of us. Possibly a female, she never slowed down, but we did get some good shots of her in action. We would come back later to see if she comes out again.

We continued our drive, seeing many of the same species. We added few new ones with seeing terrapins in a drying up pond, and a pair of cinnamon-colored paradise flycatchers. An emerald dove joined them at this muddy hole. As we prepared to leave, a barking deer, the size of a medium dog, ran by swiftly. Two pied Malabar hornbills were spooked from the tall trees. Could there be a leopard nearby?

It was time for a break, so the driver took us up a sulfur-base creek for snacks and drinks. We were handed Lion beers with cheese and crackers. Pretty good, it sure hit the spot. Most everyone made their "tree" stop, and we continued in search of the big cat. It wasn't long before we found a lot of vehicles parked under a huge tree. Looking straight up, we spotted a big leopard dangling from the sturdy tree branch. He was nervous though, as he kept going further up the tree to escape the hoopla. In a few minutes, he was so high up, we could barely make him out. And it was getting dark rapidly as we found him at 6pm. All of us had to be out of the park by 6:30pm sharp or else the rangers get fined.

Driving quickly on the bumpy dirt roads, we all ate dust. But we were on time, leaving exactly at 6:30pm. Not a second more. The ride back took us through town once again, where we dodged tuk-tuks and huge trucks that all like to drive in the middle of the narrow road. It's like playing chicken when our driver moves to pass the slower vehicles. The going policy here is beep and go, beep when passing, or beep when you see someone you know. It's seldom done in anger. Why we don't see more dogs or cows killed along the road is beyond us. Our driver made a stop at a tiny bakery in town, since Michelle had mentioned she was missing fresh bread. Don't know if Manjue had any luck, because he came out empty-handed. At least he tried.

Back at the camp, we cleaned up, and were served dinner at our own patio table. Great with us, because we were tired to the bone. And much to our surprise, dinner was spaghetti with Bolognese sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. A side salad of coleslaw was added. Dessert followed and it was their version of cheesecake. The crust was a cookie bottom, covered with sweetened buffalo curd (yogurt), then topped with a passionfruit syrup. Served ice cold, it was delicious.

Shower and shampoo was in order next, but by 11pm, the water stopped running. Good thing one of us was about done and not caught midway with the shampoo. The water eventually came back on, so we assumed the pump stopped or the tank was empty. We never would have guessed that a roaming cow had stepped on the connection, and broke the pipe, as we heard the following day. Guess we are "not in Kansas anymore".

Lights out by midnight, and that's all she wrote. Until tomorrow…….

Bill & Mary Ann

First morning drive in the safari vehicle