My accommodation owner came to pick me up, but he led me to a motorbike. I wasn’t sure how we were going to fit two people, my two backpacks and a bag on it, but we managed somehow. On the way, he asked how much my accommodation was on Booking. It was $3. He said that it was a mistake that Booking always makes, and he told me the normal price of the room. I said that it was way too much (I instantly started regretting getting on his motorbike – why didn’t he tell me this before, when I could have found new accommodation?). He asked how much I had been paying at other places and I told him, so we agreed on a price. But he told me not to tell the other guests how much I was paying. I felt somewhat annoyed, and wondered if I was going to be scammed while in Ella. Again, I was very far out of the town so I didn’t get to explore it very much. In some ways, this was nice when I wanted an escape, but I wasn’t getting much human interaction in Sri Lanka since I hadn’t been staying in hostels. Also, in order for me to see anything, I’d have to arrange transportation or tours (unless I taught myself how to drive a motorbike). The accommodation owner asked me tons of questions as soon as I got there, such as if I wanted to go to town for dinner or if I was going to have it at the hotel, and if I wanted to hike Ella Rock and if so, how we’d have to get up at 5am. I said I had just done that today and I just needed some time to relax and decide what I was going to do. The room at Adam’s Apple Homestay was probably the nicest room I stayed in during my time in Sri Lanka, and it had the nicest view! The owner brought me a whole pot of coffee and I drank most of it – I was so exhausted! After relaxing for awhile, I messaged the owner and said that I’d have dinner at the hotel, and that I’d be interested in hiking Ella’s Rock the next day. He came to my room and said that he’d wait to see what the other guests say and if they want to do Ella’s Rock too, then we’d go early. When it was dinner time at 7, I sat outside on the deck. Again, it was an assortment of curry and honestly, it was probably the best meal I had in Sri Lanka! The flavours were so amazing! The owner said that the other guests were doing Ella Rock on their own, so we could leave later. He said that we’d go to Ella Rock, then do Little Adam’s Peak, then go to the Nine Arches Bridge, and then the Secret Waterfall. He basically jam-packed two days’ worth of stuff into one day! But I was glad because I only had two nights in Ella, so I wouldn’t have been able to see everything otherwise.
I had breakfast around 7:30 (and chatted with the other guests – a couple from Belgium), and we left around 8. Luckily, we had a special path from the accommodation, so it probably knocked off about an hour of the hike (and a lot of the climbing!). I was in shock watching my hotel owner quickly go up the hill in jeans and flip flops, and he didn’t even bring a water bottle! I was struggling to keep up, sweating profusely, and constantly running out of breath. We found a guy who seemed lost in the forest, so he joined us. I was being extremely careful since the last time I was outside in this kind of heat, I got sick in the Philippines and I was starting to feel the same way, so I continuously asked for breaks and explained why. I think the guy who joined us was thankful though, because it seemed like he wanted a break as well. My hotel owner seemed completely fine, but he said that he does the hike 3 or 4 times per week. On the way up (during a break), I met a girl from Ireland who is living in Switzerland. We talked for a bit, but we couldn’t get enough time to talk before one of our guides would say to continue. We felt like they were trying to keep us apart for some reason. Finally at the top, we got to see the views of Ella, and had to time our picture-taking just right because the clouds were constantly moving in and out of the way. The Irish girl (Michelle) and I talked for quite awhile at the top and before we left, I suggested that we exchange information in case we want to meet up later. I’m glad we did because as soon as we walked towards our guides, they separated us again. There was the option to continue higher to see a similar view, but I was pretty exhausted so I was good with going back down. I had no idea how I was going to do Little Adam’s Peak afterwards! On the way down, we stopped for some fresh juice, which was so refreshing! And then headed back down to the accommodation. The owner said that we’d rest for 20 minutes and then leave at noon.
We got on his motorbike and he drove me to the beginning of Little Adam’s Peak. He said that he’d wait for me there, and I could explore on my own. There was a bar at the beginning with a bunch of pools and an amazing view – I was tempted, but figured it would probably be way too overpriced. The walk was really just up to a viewpoint and not so much a hike, which I was very thankful for. And honestly, I think the views were nicer than Ella’s Rock, just because it was clear and you could see a lot more. At the top, I ran into a group of Sri Lankan university students who were doing a weekend trip, so I had a good chat with them. Then I headed back down.
My hotel owner asked how tired I was because he could either stop above the Nine Arches Bridge, or I could go down to the train tracks and walk across the bridge. I said that I’d go down, so he stopped by a small restaurant and pointed me to the stairs. I had to go all the way down (meaning I’d have to climb all the way up), and then follow the train tracks. When I got to the bridge, there were so many people there. I saw Michelle and she had been waiting over an hour to see the train (which was supposed to come an hour earlier). I was SO lucky because I only had to wait five minutes before the train crossed the bridge. After the train went by, I explored the bridge for a bit and then headed back up to where the motorbike was.
We got on the bike and the hotel owner asked if I was hungry. I was starved since it was after 3pm, so he stopped at this tiny restaurant on the side of the road (Gaha Yata Rotti Kade), which was run by a young couple. It was a buffet-type restaurant, so they opened all of their pots for me and asked if I’d want spicy chicken or dried fish. I opted for the fish and loaded my plate with the rest of the food. They seemed quite excited when I said that I was from Canada (as do most Sri Lankans – they don’t seem to have many Canadians since it’s so far).
After lunch, my hotel owner drove me to the secret waterfall. We stopped at the side of the road and he led me through a hole in a barbed wire fence, under a shrub, and through a forest. I had no idea where he was taking me and I actually took a tumble down the hill (into the mud) on the way back – likely due to my legs feeling like jelly and one of them buckling. The waterfall wasn’t much of a waterfall to be honest, but it was still refreshing to be able to go for a swim. When we arrived, the couple from Belgium was there with their tuktuk driver so we chatted for a bit before they left. After that, I went for a swim and my hotel owner joined me. He said that the hotel is where he grew up and he was running the place with his sister (and his parents lived with them), and he was my age. We didn’t swim for long because the mosquitoes started coming out, so we headed back to the hotel. We stopped at one of the big waterfalls on the way back so I could take some pictures. He asked if I’d be going into town or if I wanted to have dinner there and while I was tempted to stay at the hotel since the food was so good, I figured I should probably see the town once before leaving. He said that the Belgian couple would be going to town later, so I could take a tuktuk there with them. I showered and got ready, and then got a message from Michelle asking if I wanted to meet for dinner. I waited and waited for the Belgian couple to come back and then finally, at 7, I messaged the hotel owner to see if they were coming back. Apparently they left early! So he arranged for a tuktuk to take me into town. The town of Ella had really nice vibes, and I wish I got to explore it a little bit more – although I think it was set up for tourists. Michelle and I met at Cafe Chill, which had a very extensive menu (so it’s obviously more difficult to decide what to get). I got a passionfruit mojito with a curry/poppadom meal, which was really good! It was nice having someone to talk to, especially another rare person who I clicked with! After dinner, it was about 10pm and I was meant to wait for the Belgian couple to catch a tuktuk together but I was exhausted. I messaged the tuktuk driver and he came to pick me up, and then took me back to my hotel. I pretty much passed out as soon as I got back – it was a full-on day!
The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel and then my hotel owner said that he’d take me to the bus stop. Again, there weren’t any bus schedules posted online but he seemed to know when it would be coming. I thought that we’d be hopping on his motorbike, but he walked right by it and started walking down the street. Luckily, our tuktuk driver went by so we hopped on and he drove us to the bottom. We waited for about ten minutes and then he waved down the bus. It was so full! I ended up having to stand for the first 30 minutes. The guy who sold the tickets gave my bag to a girl who was sitting down (he must have known that she’d be getting off next), so that when she got off, I could take her seat. Standing for that first half hour was so difficult though! The roads were so windy and the bus didn’t slow down at all, so I was holding on as hard as I could, while trying not to think about how hot I was. I was so glad when I finally got to sit down! I was going to Mirissa that day, which would be my first beach town in Sri Lanka. On the way there, I heard a huge bang and jumped. A tire blew! The bus stopped and I thought that we’d have to get off. But surprisingly, it just kept going. For another hour and a half (but slower than before). Finally, we stopped at a mechanic and we waited about 15-20 minutes for them to change the tire. And then continued on our way. I finally got to Mirissa after about 5 hours. Love always
Prairie Girl Abroad 