Today has been a very eventful day. This morning I gave my ankle its first real workout when we climbed Lion Rock (or Sirigiya), a volcanic plug and World Heritage Site which stands 200m tall and totally dominates the landscape. I was wobbling a bit by the time we made our way down the thousand odd stairs but it was well worth the effort as we got to feel a bit like the Kings who built their palace there must have felt standing atop the Rock and surveying the surrounding countryside for miles in every direction.
After a quick dip in the pool and a restorative bite to eat, we were ready again, this time to set out on an excursion I had particularly set my sights on since booking this holiday to Sri Lanka - to go see elephants in the wild. My ankle had to 'man up' once more as I climbed into the back of a jeep that I would call home for the next four hours in order to bump and jolt our way around Minnerya National Park in search of nature's most magnificent mammals. We weren't disappointed. After the initial excitement of spotting a herd in the distance and zooming over to take lots of photos, it was wonderful to experience the calm that washed over the group as we simply settled in to watch elephants of all shapes and sizes go about their daily business of eating, drinking, washing, feeding and communicating with one another. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to get up so close and spend some time in their world.
This evening after yet another shower - I'm averaging three a day due to dust and humidity - we enjoyed a second pleasant evening in the bar and restaurant of the Hotel Sirigiya. The bar is under a canopy by the gently-lit pool and the trees either side perfectly frame Lion's Rock, making it a wonderful spot to relax and congratulate yourself on a day well spent!
Cycling tomorrow... eek!
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