Beyond My Wildest Dreams – Dayagama Trail…

“Sri, that Kirigalpoththa trail you did” Ana opens up the conversation in his own style. “Yeah Ana”, I prompt him. “Is it too difficult?”, he doesn’t waste much time but gets to the bottom-line straight away. “Ayyo, it’s not so tough, even old Tony managed it with no problem. Only problem is it’s frequented by the leopard”. “We aren’t that lucky”, he replies through suppressed laughter.

That was only the beginning of a lengthy chat about the mighty Kirigalpoththa. Ana wanted to do it and I didn’t mind joining once again as Horton Plains is one place that is very dear to my heart. The prospect of walking through that heavenly place made me dream of our previous encounter. It was after the Rail Hike from Talawakele to Rosella that brought Ana into my, as many put it, the Old Gang. It was a 20+km journey that tested our stamina beyond limits.

Recently during our Journey to Kohonawala for the Wheelchair Donation, the Kirigalpoththa talk was revisited and we decided not to prolong it any further. So we set the dates for October and got busy with the preparations. Making the wildlife bungalows available for online reservation was a very good thing and it made the procedures so much easier. Even though I have visited HP well over a dozen times during the last 15 years, I had never been lucky enough to spend a night there. It was a big gap in my travel log and this was a god send. “I was seriously gonna spend not one but two nights in one of the most beautiful places on earth” I kept telling myself.

However Ana had booked the Ginihiriya Bungalow aka Anderson Lodge by mistake as we were originally planning to stay at Maha Eliya Bungalow. Looking back, I feel that mistake too was a god send as Ginihiriya is located in a very secluded place along Ohiya Road, about 5km before the Farr Inn. I’m sure you know that more than 80% of the tourists use the Pattipola Entrance when visiting the HP. Only a very few people use the Ohiya Entrance. As a result, Ginihiriya is not disturbed by the continuous stream of travelers and vehicles. Ginihiriya is built in such a place where it is not even visible from the road giving you all the privacy you want. A perfect place for a bungalow.

Tour Highlights:

1. Kande Ela Reservoir & Ambewela Farm
2. Dayagama Trail
3. Agra Falls

We left for HP in the wee hours on 6th Oct and arrived at the viewing platform of Devon Ella. The light was still not so good but she had covered herself with a thick white blanket, leaving no room for us to take a look at this gorgeous girlie. The roar of the water falling 200+ft straight onto the rocks below was deafening making me want to stay till I the mist lifted. We savored our sandwiches here, breathing the invigorating mountain air that was coming from the 6th highest mountain off Kotagala, the Great Western. She was the one who started this hiking frenzy when Hari and I went to climb her nearly two years ago. That was a very nice looking bungalow to the left of the tea center in front of Devon platform and I was naturally curious. It had the hallmarks of colonial era and while munching on a sandwich I walked up to the gate and talked to the security and the gardener. They said it’s managed by the Richard Pieris Group, (the very same that manages the Fishing Hut). This too is a very good location for some quiet time.

Leaving after the breakfast we were soon getting closer to my beloved St. Claire and my heart soared with hopes as it always does, they were multiplied by the heavy rains that had fallen in the last couple of days. But, I was once again disappointed as she looked the typical abysmal self. The sorrow was so much I couldn’t even bear to stop and look at her. Recently the rafting industry in Kitulgala got a shock as well when the stupid powers-that-be came up with a smart plan to block the Kelani River around Kalugala building a similar failure like Upper Kotmale. When the people involved in rafting and tourism industry in and around Kitulgala protested against this, one senior fellow of the project had said that they would release water at certain times so that they can do the rafting then. What fools we have running things like these projects. Remember, they promised the same for St. Claire, but nobody knows how long they did that. All big fat lies, nothing else. The returns from the rafting and tourism around Kitulgala are so much greater than another failure like Upper Kotmale. If we’re to believe a word of them, they can kiss goodbye to rafting in Kitulgala very soon making thousands of people redundant.

The bungalow I told you about

Closer look

The tea centre in front of Devon Viewing Platform, isolated

Ready for the journey

Kande Ela & Ambewele Farm

The road was built up to Raddella short cut with carpet but beyond that is still under construction till the Ambewela turn off at the Nanu Oya Bridge. In this stretch occurred the recent earth slips blocking the road few times recently. In fact it has happened either side of our traveling dates. So avoid using this in the night and a low clearance vehicle will have some trouble passing this stretch, hopefully it will soon be finished, at least by the season in December. From the Ambewela turn off till some distance passing Pattipola is now well carpeted but the road is narrow so you need to be cautious about the speeding tuk-tuks, motor bikes and worst of all, milk lorries of the farm.

The windmills were very still as there was no wind. After a quick cuppa coffee we reached the Kande Ela Reservoir. It was like a wall mirror; the water was so still, there was not even a slight ripple in the water. We saw perfect reflections on the surface of water and it is a sight many dream about. There were, unfortunately, more structures built along the edge of the reservoir running towards the hills and trees destroying the beauty of the surrounding. You might be aware that there are two bungalows situated here. To the left is the old Irrigation Department Bungalow and beyond the water to your right is the newly built Forest Department Bungalow. The Kande Ela Park where you can walk along a 2-3km trail is also close by and it’s ideal for students. I did this trail some time ago all alone in the wee hours and the experience was a mixture of anxiety, soothing and relaxing. Check it out Here.

Never seen it so clear, better than a mirror

Perfect reflection

Towards the sluice gates

Up close

The full package

These weren’t there before

Leaving this was so hard

Going for the morning session

Towards the Windmills, another hallmark of Ambewela Farm

Closer look

Kande Ela Hill

Perfect morning

Not a hint of rain

Dayagama Trail

We got back on the road after another brief stay and enjoyed the lush greenery on either side. This road is something that you can’t get enough of no matter how many times you’ve traveled in it. Passing the fast urbanizing Pattipola we entered the isolated journey through the virgin forest. We were early so no traffic was there helping us enjoy the ride all the way to the ticket counter. We showed them our online receipts and were asked to get a vehicle permit that cost us Rs. 280/-. The officials were emphatic that we were not to get to the bungalow till 12 noon. They drilled it into us so much and we were wondering if there was something going there. We then reached the Farr Inn and went into a poorly lit office and showed our permit. “You can’t go there till 12″, they said it for the umpteenth time and we solemnly nodded our agreement. “You can visit the World’s End till then” they added as an afterthought. We were relieved to get out of that dim hole and reached our vehicle to get ready for the first adventure of the journey, the scenic Dayagama Trail.

It’d been raining recently and there was a hint of more in the air. So we got ready with raincoats and umbrellas and were on our way. The thought of having to do such a beautiful trail with raincoats sickening and I was constantly asking the Mother Nature for clear weather at least till we were back. As soon as we started we came across a homeless Sambar Deer couple who were begging for anything from the passing vehicles. Already the traffic had increased tremendously and crossing the road was like Galle Road on a Monday morning. The Sambar couple kept nibbling at the grass but every time a vehicle was near wondered towards begging for something better than the grass. I hope people don’t feed them coz little did that Sambar couple knew they were gonna die of food poisoning or polythene consumption.

We soon passed the park warden’s bungalow and reached the head of the Dayagama trail. It’s easy to identify with a closed gate across the jeep track. The gate is in place to fend off the trespassing vehicles. We all posed for a group picture using a nearby tree trunk for a tripod. As soon as we entered the path, to our left was the 8th mile post. This confirmed the distance to Dayagama, 13km. However the downhill path was just over 5km till it ended at the tea estate and the Kovil. First 500-600m were badly damaged and you would need a very good 4WD with plenty of clearance to tackle this. After that, it was just a typical jeep track and the path was in better condition compared to the beginning.

For me, this was a longtime dream come true as I had wanted numerous times to do this trail over the years but found no way to achieve it. The whole journey was like walking through a hidden paradise. The number of people who attempt the Dayagama trail is negligible; I don’t think it will surpass the number of people who do the Kirigalpoththa trail let alone Thotupola. Most they do the circular trail and get enough of Horton Plains for the time being and return home. I’d say that the Dayagama trail is far easier and rewarding as well. About a km into the journey, we came across a Giant Squirrel colony. There were around 4-6 fellows, probably having a morning game of hide and seek. Surprisingly their black was more prominent compared to the ones found elsewhere, especially in dry zone. Even the white border looked cleaner than the others. However none of them was in the mood to pose for a picture and our waiting with pointed cameras only managed to bring the leaves and branches.

We were in very high spirits and made solid progress. The elevation was not so great and you won’t feel it that much. After a while we passed the 7th mile post and did the math mentally, just over 3km to go. You might have heard about the Agra Falls located near the perimeter of HP with the tea estate, however there weren’t many pictures or details about her and I badly wanted to go see this mysterious girl. The charcoal grey clouds kept threatening and looking menacingly at us but Mother Nature wouldn’t have any of it. She kept pushing them away from us but left a nice layer of clouds protecting us from the piercing sun. We kept chatting about until out of nowhere we came across the 6th mile post. Just a touch over a mile to go and we were elated. The stream we crossed around half way was now to our right and flowing down with a meditative sound which Ana wanted to record.

Some more walking gave us a distant view of the Dayagama tea factory through the trees and we were close to our target. Out of nowhere came the tall turpentine trees signaling the end of the trail. There is a Kovil just as we came out of the HP into the civilization. To our surprise, the tea pluckers were coming after their morning run and we heard the gong of the factory as well. As I was taking some pics of the tea pluckers there was a whole bunch of them coming and asking to be photographed. I was in a dilemma but had to satisfy their needs and took a few pics of them posing here and there. Then came the million dollar question, “Where’s the Agra Falls?”, we kept asking everyone but almost all didn’t realize what the devil we were referring to. However we managed to act and get the message across. They then just pointed downhill path and rapid fired a few hundred sentences in Tamil and we pretended we understood every mono syllable.

Ana, waiting patiently for the computer to spit out the vehicle permit

Isolated

The pond at the entrance

Here I am, the loving HP

Already overflowing with vehicles

A common sight

Felt ashamed at his greediness

The wife was also keeping an eye on the passing vehicles

Finally resorted to known grass

They had a huge lead on me

Near the trail head

The closed gate

Perfect combination in the group

Maha Eliya in the distance

Ana and Prasa, leading from the front, you can see the decay in the road

Very few of them

Plenty of these though

Misty Agra Bopath

Millions of these

Very nice

The path is good after the first 500-600m

The dream team

Some clear skies

Artistic tree

They were very tiny

Easy to manage in a jeep

Water stream crossing the path

Very wide

Not edible

Nobody home

Dayagama tea factory in the distance

Lusty

They are all over

Beautiful colors

Lonely path

Some flowers too

We’re here

The boundary

They were the photogenic ones

Some dark clouds loom in the distance

Away they go for the work

Busy at work

Worth reading again and again

Agra Falls

We followed the estate road downhill till we reached a note saying that Sambar and Leopard can be seen 500m up the road which means as soon as you enter the HP. We tried to ask the directions from the workers but none of them understood what we wanted to see. However, they kept pointing down the road and finally we hit the jackpot when we spoke to a couple of tea pluckers who were busily packing their stuff. She asked “Ungalukku Tamil Theriyama?” for that I said “Illai” and thankfully she asked “English Theriyuma” and I happily conceded “Kongngam Theriyum”.

She smiled and then gave the directions in fluent English, even showed us a short cut to go through the estate. By this Ana and Prasa had had enough walking and Atha and I decided to do the final push. We climbed down along the tailor-made footpath through the tea bushes. It was further 500-600m downhill when we got a look at the top of the falls through the tress some way to the right. From then, it was just finding the straightest path possible along the tea patch and we soon reached a good viewing place and spent about half hour enjoying the beauty of this hidden girlie.

The water levels were not fully up but what we saw was enough to embed her picture in our minds forever. The rain was imminent and we hurried back to avoid getting trapped amid the tea bushes. As we came out onto a clear path it started drizzling and I had the umbrella and Atha the raincoat. We reached Ana and Prasa who were waiting in a shed. It was time to walk back the way we had come, more than 6km.

The view towards the mountains, the range probably is just before the New Zealand Farm

They were leading the way

Was getting gloomy

The typical estate road

State Workers’ houses

Feels scary

The shortcut

Plenty of them

First glimpse

Getting closer

Not much water

Upper part

Wider view of the top

Middle

Parting shot

“Gosh, who’s that?”

The Yeti?

Full of colors

Time to head back

Back to HP

We reached the Kovil to find out that they’ve cooked a Pongal Rice and there were many people savoring the dish and plenty of dogs waiting in anticipation. They got worked up as we walked up the path thinking we were there to rob them of their share of this delicious meal. The Poosari and the others offered us Pongal Rice and even blessed us painting the Pottu on our foreheads. An altogether completely difference experience.

We then started walking back and the rain gods smiled at us and pushed the rain towards Dayagama and Thalawakelle. Return journey was also great and we made good time to reach the vehicle but just as others were ahead of me, I saw a group of Sri Lankan Black Monkeys (Purple-Faced Langurs) and stopped to get a few pics of them as well. Then after a rubbery roti meal that nearly broke my jaw from the HP canteen we headed along the Ohiya Road towards our destination. Hurraaaaaaaah!!!, I’m gonna spend a night at HP after many years of pondering over.

The Pongal Rice distribution

Looking at hungrily

First portion to the god

For us

The Kovil

Look at their foreheads

Water drops

Color combination

Bunched together

Clear jeep track

Ana was running uphill

“Paarata Bara Athu”

Patterns

Some clear blue skies too

Life on the dead

Artistic

Close to the end, look at the state of the road

So beautiful

Colors

Ana at the end of the trail, note the 8th mile post

Please follow this

Good bye Dayagama!

Park Warden’s Bungalow

“Hey man!”

Playing hide and seek with me

Looking for something to eat

Ginihiriya Bungalow

We arrived at the Ginihiriya Bungalow which is located at a very secluded place. This is completely isolated and not visible to the main HP-Ohiya Road. There’s hot water and electricity but both solar-powered so don’t expect to charge your phones or other electronic equipment. It’s better to carry your own power banks. It has 4 rooms (2 triple and 2 double) with very good single beds. The caretaker Abeysinghe was a very good person and can cook well. There was another with him called Piyadasa who’s been there at Farr Inn for ages. The garden is full of Maha Bovitiya Plants that has a beautiful purple flower.

We settled at the bungalow while Ana giving the instructions to the caretakers as to how we need the meals for our stay. Gosh, I was really gonna spend a night at HP after all. I was very excited and didn’t even realize how cold it can get. The temperature dropped to 14 degrees by 6.00pm, (must’ve touched 10 towards the dawn) and I felt a chill run down my spine. We decided to take a walk towards the ticket counter while the preparation was being made. However, it felt so cold and the constant drizzling made it so difficult too and we decided to get back to the warmth of the bungalow. Ana had been in this in late 80s and few other times and was sad to see the current state of the bungalow compared to the good old days.

The dinner was being prepared but we had a nice, hot and nutritious vegetable soup. We were good to go for bed after a hearty meal and went into the cozy beds after a cold bath (no sunlight for a few days and no hot water as a result) around 8pm to the dismay of the bungalow keepers as it’s not a common thing for them to have visitors going to bed that early. However they were in for greater shocks as the stay went on and more about it later. This really was a dream come true and I was living it for real.

The turn off

The path to the bungalow

The front view

Entering in

The dining and living area

Another view

One of the bedrooms

Another

The bungalow keeper’s part

The overgrown garden

Beautiful colors

Maha Bovitiya

The color was amazing

Just look at that

Some more

The nests of the crow

The chilly travelers

Well folks, I’ll leave you for the time being and will see you with the rest of the journey later. The idea of continuing with the same report fell into pieces when I realized how long the report is gonna be. So I’ll cut down the reading time and will come with the second phase later.

By the morning, I’ll probably have forgotten that I was in HP. Let’s see what happens by then.

Take care and keep travelling. This Sri signing off for now.

Sayōnara!!!