Entries about yala

We were up at 4:30 this morning to get to Yala safari park. Sophie took a little shifting, but it was well worth it! Our guide warned us that they had not seen a leopard yesterday. He also advised that he would tear off round the park with us hanging on in the back of the Jeep if he got wind of anything. Sure enough, 30mins in, we were flying over pot holes and bouncing off our seats. We arrived to find about a dozen jeeps jockeying for a view of a leopard lounging on a rock, not too far from the road. It was great to think that we'd seen the most elusive animal in the park and it was far more impressive than the pictures suggest... After that we barely saw another Jeep as we crept around Yala, spotting hornbills, crocs, wild pigs, monkeys, deer and all sorts of other critters. Then we got another call... This time we saw a leopard with a fresh kill, munching away. Naturally we thought we'd join her and tucked into our breakfast; got to be up there with the most impressive settings for a breakfast that we've ever experienced. The egg sandwiches weren't great though.
After Yala we arrived back at the hotel to find a wedding in full swing! We sat on the edge of things and had a drink, before being beckoned to join for some food, which was a massive sri Lankan buffet. Just as we were finishing, the owner of the hotel brought a desert over and by the end of that we were stuffed. Retiring to our balcony ( we got a free room upgrade) we did some people watching and i started a new book. The music was blaring, but reading was easy enough until the men started dancing... Anything went, providing it was out of time and as camp as possible. Naturally, I thought: "I could have a go at that"! If I say so myself, I went down a storm... Being completely sober, made the dancing a little difficult but the local soon sought to remedy that with free 9% beer and some sort of whisky. All was good, but as the party abruptly ended at 4pm, I was told that I was joining my friends for an after party... They seemed to want to feed me tuna, have their photo taken with me and take me out on the lake. I declined the latter. I went down particularly well with chanaka who expects me to save him and thought I was like Jesus... If anyone knows of any jobs in England for a sri Lankan chef, it would really get him off my back... I tried to pay for my share of the whisky and coke, but they would have none of it. I've never met so many friendly people, who only want your company and maybe a photo!

Anyway, everyone has now left and I'm sat writing this as the sun goes down on an excellent day in sri Lanka.