As we gaze across the lake filled with water lilies and hyacinths toward Elephant Rock in Yala National Park outside Hambantota, Sri Lanka, Robert and I feel good.
Our excursion to see the animals in this large nature preserve on the shores of the Indian Ocean has been exceptional. From the moment we boarded the 4x4s and headed out from port, we’ve had a great time. Although this part of Sri Lanka was heavily damaged by the 2004 tsunami, what we see is a brand new port and sleek, divided highways recently built with Chinese investments. The land is quite flat and this far out from the main town, largely undeveloped—although we drive by a massive hospital and a very modern convention center, both under construction. Often, verdant rice paddies border the road. A lot of cattle, always branded (in flowing Sri Lankan script), roam freely.
It takes a little over an hour to reach the borders of the national park. As we near the entry, our guide is already pointing out animals. Some curious peccaries venture out from the brush right up to the truck. Then an energetic group of monkeys put on a Cirque du Soleil acrobatic show in the tall trees to the side. They’re quite playful and bound on all fours in a way that just makes you smile.
With just six of us in the back of vehicle, we all have good vantage spots for whatever we see. The weather is warm, with just a hint of possible rain in the air. In short, it is quite pleasant. Once officially in the park, the guide starts pointing out one sighting after another: jackals, a herd of deer, a big group of water buffalo in the waters, a large land monitor lizard, the head of a crocodile lurking in the lilies.
Then there’s a real treat. A leopard is resting in the shade of a tree just off the dirt road. Somehow news spread among the various drivers and a bunch of vehicles try to edge into place to give each of their passengers a good view. The leopard continues to sleep. I guess it figures only mad Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
For us, the unexpected bonus is the great variety of birds. Our driver/guide is expert at spotting them and we see an enormous variety: brightly colored bee-eaters; various storks, ibises, egrets and spoonbills; orioles; wild peahens and peacocks, and many others. An ork eagle perches on a branch very near the road and engages in a stare down with the six of us before sounding a warning and flying off.
The tour’s highlight is near the end of our time in the park. We were beginning to fear that the only elephant we would see is the rock named for its resemblance to the beast. Then straight ahead is a mother and baby elephant making lunch out of tree branches. The young one seems to have some trouble getting its trunk to do exactly what it wants to. The mother just watches her baby and sticks her own trunk into her mouth, sucking on it as if in deep thought. Crashing sounds come from the woods, and the male breaks into view, just to the right of our vehicle. Asian elephants may be smaller than the African counterparts, but this one certainly looks big enough.
Time to go on our way.
Robert adds: The reason we titled this entry the way we did was (a) because we had a completely wonderful time and (2) [ha!] we had been warned beforehand by the “location specialist” that Hambantota was nothing to write home about. Obviously, we proved that wrong. Our time there, plus the incredible array of animals we saw, was – to borrow a favorite word from one of our galpals – AWESOME. [I hope you know who you are….]
I also hope that we got the names of some of the birds we saw spelled correctly. We’ll have to double check when we’re home and have speedier internet, but for now, the amazingly colorful and brilliant birds we saw are “bee-eaters.” That’s what it sounded like our driver guide said anyway. Meanwhile, here’s what we saw on signs leading up to the safari: “Animals are the true owners of the jungle.” Words to remember.
At Trivia, we had scrabbled our way to 4th place before the start of today’s quiz. I fear we will have slipped. For one thing, give yourself bonus points if you know—(without looking it up!)—the patron saint of music and musicians. Our team had zero idea.
Playing at gossip: we and our dinner tablemates have been trying to spread a rumor around the ship by casually dropping into conversation a juicy morsel in hopes that people nearby will overhear us and repeat it. We want to see how long it might take for the story to get back to us. We decided to let slip that we heard that the Owner’s Suite is being prepared for Barbra Streisand who will join the ship in Singapore. Not as a performer, but just as a vacation getaway. The effort has been completely unsuccessful, but …
Last week, an incredible female vocalist performed at the after-dinner show. I chatted her up at lunch the next day and complimented her. When I asked if she would be doing a second show, she told me that another one was scheduled (for tonight as I write this)…and that she would be singing…a lot of Barbra Streisand songs! Too funny. [I wonder if she says a silent prayer to Saint Cecilia.]
Our next stop: Yangon, Myanmar [aka Rangoon, Burma]
To check out Dennis’s novels, visit www.amazon.com/author/dennisfrahmann
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