A Busy Day

The floods are still disrupting our programme with the entrance gate to the National Park still blocked. Instead of an early morning safari, we went first to the temple site at Anaradhapura - two hour coach ride with picnic breakfast - and then on some fairly ancient bikes for a ride around the site and visits to a number of Stupa and other holy sites.

Visiting on a Sunday was very busy with hundreds of people - mostly in white clothes - making their gifts and praying to Buddha.

One of the sites included the oldest recorded tree in the world - a ficus that came from Buddha's place of enlightment. Venerated in Buddhism but not hugely impressive with trunk and roots hidden in a building - made me think of Trigger's brush.

Our guide assumed - correctly - that the group was not interested in ABT - another bloody temple - and we headed back to the Wilpattu National Park via a different gate for an afternoon / sunset safari.

Slightly under-whelmed by 3 hrs bouncing around in the back of a Toyota Hilux with limited wildlife on view

until we came on a male leopard wandering along the trail in front of the truck - very calm, checking and marking his territory and apparently oblivious to the 7 or 8 safari trucks all jockeying for the best camera shot.

 Eventually he turned off and headed for the bush and we headed home, arriving at our hotel by 19.30.