Hiking to Horton Plains

February 1991

On February 1, 1991, we set out for the  low lying areas of Horton Plains.  The first night we stayed in a guesthouse where we would start our 9 hour hike at 6am and head to the plateau of Horton Plains.

The climb seemed pretty easy except for having to check for leeches constantly.  There are only 2 ways you can remove these guys.  One, by using a lighter and burn them off, or two, use Vaseline to make them slide off.  If the leech already had his head inside your skin, then you got a different story.  You might need some tweezers as well.  By the time we crossed our first river, most of us had an encounter with one of these guys.

When we finally reached the top of the plateau, it was as if we arrived in another land.  The sun came out as if it came to welcome us.
We arrived at the next guesthouse exhausted.  As night started to fall, it became very cold like it does in the mountains.

The next morning we set out for the famous Worlds End (AKA Lovers Leap).  The walk along the dirt trail to Worlds End was also mysterious.  As the fog started to lift we noticed there was no one in sight except for us.  It was so quiet that it felt like an alien was going to jump out at us at any moment.  Sure enough, at the next hairpin turn, we came to Worlds End.  It’s not every day that you get a view like this.

As soon as you reach the plateau heading up from Nuwara Eliya which is about a 1.5 hours drive, one can see breathtaking views of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Horton Plains looks like you have just stepped onto an uninhabited planet. Not much happens here and it is always peaceful. The last time I was here was in 1991 when I went on a field trip from my high school. Please visit my memoir Beautiful Eye to hear more about this story.

As we drove to the trail head where you can hike to see World’s End and Baker’s Falls, I noticed Farr Inn which was a guesthouse my family and I stayed in about 3 times. It is now a museum and research facility. A friendly deer came out to welcome us.

 

 

 

Me Sitting at the Edge of Worlds End in 1991

Related articles

• Horton Plains – Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka (travelpod.com)
• Horton plains (jayanathpcs.wordpress.com)
• Baker’s Falls (nirodhapcs.wordpress.com)
• Sri Lanka on a Budget (dnaindia.com)
• My last week in Sri Lanka – Haputale, Sri Lanka (travelpod.com)

 

Getting to Sri Lanka

So you have decided to go to Sri Lanka on vacation.  You have made an excellent choice!

1. You must have at least 6 months left on your passport
2. Most countries must now obtain a visa.  The type of visa depends on whether you will be traveling there or working there.  You may apply directly at the Electronic Travel Authorization System. Just pay the fee and print out the authorization form.

How does one get to Sri Lanka?  You can book your trip through your travel agent or directly through the airline.  Many airlines fly from Europe, Asia, and America.  Here are a few to start you off:

Sri Lankan Airlines
Thai Airways
British Airways
United Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Emirates

Location of Sri Lanka. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sri Lankan Culture

Sri Lankan Mask (Photo credit: A.Davey)

Trincomalee beach, Sri Lanka (Photo credit: james_gordon_losangeles)

The Kandy Perehara – Colombo, Sri Lanka (Photo credit: whl.travel)

Elephants in Sri Lanka, so presumably Sri Lankan Elephants. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was just doing some research on Sri Lankan culture for this memoir when I came across an article on Wikipedia that badly needed editing, so I decided to edit it.  Here is the the work in progress: Culture of Sri Lanka.

Related articles

• Sri Lankan Culture (hbdcolombo.wordpress.com)

Revised Itinerary for Bangkok, Sri Lanka, and Maldives

Day	Place		Areas to Cover
Day 1 ~ Day 5	Bangkok	·                 Palaces ·                 Temples ·                 Visit friends
Day 6	Colombo	·                 Arrive in Colombo
Day 7	Colombo	·                  Visit high school ·                  High School Reunion
Day 8	Colombo	·                  Visiting temples ·                  Visit Old Colombo
Day 9	Colombo	·                  Fashion show at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel
Day 10~Day 11	Southern beaches	·                  Mount Lavinia ·                  Bentota ·                  Galle ·                  Hanbantota ·                  Yala ·                  Hickaduwa
Day 12 ~ Day 17	Hill country	·                  Adam’s Peak ·                  Horton Plains ·                  Nuwara Eliya ·                  Uda National Park
Day 17 ~ Day 19	Kandy	·                  Kandy ·                  Elephant orphanage ·                  Sinharaja Forest
Day 19 ~ Day 24	Cultural Triangle	·                  Dambulla ·                  Polanarua ·                  Annaradnapura
Day 24 ~ Day 22	Colombo	·                  Transferring to the Maldives
Day 22 ~ Day 26	Maldives	·                  Maldives
Day 26 ~ Day 29	Colombo	·                  Back to Colombo to meet with journalists

Related articles

• Places to Visit in Bangkok, Sri Lanka, and Maldives (bookonsrilanka.wordpress.com)
• Back to Sri Lanka 20 Years Later (bookonsrilanka.wordpress.com)

 

An Interview with a Newspaper Company in Utah

I was just recently interviewed by the Editor-In-Chief, Kathryn Elizabeth Jones at Idea Creations Press in Utah.  An interview about this book and I just got published. I am really looking forward to my trip starting in just 18 days! Please do check out the interview and I look forward to you following me on my next adventure!

To see the interview, please go to Author Interview

Invite to my High School Reunion

The Overseas School reunion will take place at the Colombo Swimming Club on November 17, 2013 at 2pm.  Please RSVP here: Overseas School Reunion. 24 days from today till I embark on my journey!!!!!!!!!!!

Favorite Hangout as a Child

Colombo Swimming Club (Photo credit: Taariq Maruzook)

 

Colombo Swimming Club (Photo credit: Taariq Maruzook)

 

My favorite hang out was at the Colombo Swimming Club.  It was here where everyone from my high school would go every weekend.  We would swim, lay in the sun, have a snack, have afternoon tea, or play snooker.  They even had a library.    What was your favorite hangout as a child?

 

My Colombo Swimming Club membership card taken in 1988 (notice no expiration date)

 

 

 

Colombo Swimming Club. Photo credit: Kess Wittachy , 2012

 

 

 

Related articles

• Updated Schedule (bookonsrilanka.wordpress.com)

 

The Model United Nations Team Goes to The Hague

One of my blogger buddies from Findland just posted a picture of her at this same castle I was at in 1993, so I decided to write about it and my trip there.

January 1993

                   This time we represented the Maldives (I think we were given this country because the Maldives is very close to Sri Lanka and is also a very small country).  This tournament was going to take a lot of planning on our part.

          Not only was there going to be a lot of research involved, but we had to figure out how we were going to get there. 

          Flying to Europe was not going to be easy with all the costs involved.  We were going to need a sponsor.  KLM became our sponsor

           Upon touchdown in Amsterdam I saw the Alps covered in snow from my airplane window.

View from the Airplane

          After arriving in Amsterdam, we had to take a 2-hour train ride to The Hague.  Most of us had never been on an express train like this before.  It was both exciting and nerve racking at the same time.  

On the Train to The Hague.

          The next day, the debates started.  As I walked into the main room, I could feel my heart start to pound.  I had never seen this many people in a room ever.  The theater was two levels, which was filled with delegates representing all the countries of the world.  It took us a while to find our reserved seats.

          On the last day, we went back to Amsterdam to see the Muiderslot Castle.

Inside the Debate Room

At the Castle

            

The Castle

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Places to Visit in Bangkok, Sri Lanka, and Maldives

Photographs from Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Photographs from Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Photographs from Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Photographs from Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Photographs from Maldives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sorry for posting a blog more than once in a day.  I try not to do this as I know you are all very busy people, but I wanted to post this before I get more busy today.  This is my revised schedule.  Again, please let me know if you think I am missing anything.  Another reminder to 28 days to go!.

Day	Place	Areas to Cover
Day 1 ~ Day 4	Bangkok	·                 Palaces ·                 Temples
Day 4 ~ Day 6	Colombo	·                 Temples in Colombo
Day 7	OSC	·                  Visiting Overseas School (my high school)
Day 8 ~ Day 12	Southern beaches	·                  Galle Fort ·                  Yala National Park ·                  Bentota ·                  Mt Lavinia
Day 12 ~ Day 17	Hill country	·                  Adam’s Peak ·                  Horton Plains ·                  Nuwara Eliya ·                  Uda National Park
Day 17 ~ Day 19	Kandy	·                  Kandy ·                  Elephant orphanage ·                  Sinharaja Forest
Day 19 ~ Day 24	Cultural Triangle	·                  Dambulla ·                  Polanarua ·                  Annaradnapura
Day 24 ~ Day 22	Colombo
Day 22 ~ Day 26	Maldives	·                  Maldives
Day 26 ~ Day 29	Colombo

Map of the Area I be Visiting

Traffic waiting at a busy intersection in central Bangkok. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To Do List for Trip

I have added my to do list in case you are interested.  Let me know if you think I should add anything.  The ones I have crossed off, I have already done.  Can you say 29 days to go!

                  1.      Register at state.gov

                  2.      Call health insurance company

                  3.      Get shots

                  4.      Unlock phones

                  5.      Contact newspaper companies in Sri Lanka

                  6.      Make appointment with my high school

                  7.      Get permission to visit national parks

                  8.      Contact magazine companies in Korea

                  9.      Inform Lonely Planet

                 10.  Get glasses

                 12.  Order from REI

                       13.  Contact blogs in Korea

                 14.  Apply for a credit card

                 15.  New business cards

                 16.  Contact tour companies in Sri Lanka

                      17.  Upload pictures to categories

                 18.  Contact American Embassy

                 19.      Get visas