Greenheart Travel

Author: Hayley Shapiro

  • Udawalawa National Park and Adam’s Peak

    Ohh what two days…
    On Wednesday 2nd December Sophie, Nacho, Sebastian and I had a driver take us to Udawalawa Natonal Park and Adam’s Peak for the Wednesday and Thursday. We were picked up at 6am from Hikkaduwa and drove for around 5 hours to reach Udawalawa. To our pleasure we had ultra-reclining seats so we chilled out in the van and napped on the way. On the road to the national park we came across a lonesome male elephant hanging out at the electric fence, so we stopped and took some photos of the beautiful giant. I later found out that lots of elephants used to come to the road and people would feed them, but the government put in electric fences to protect both the elephants and the humans, as it is not ideal for the wild elephants to be fed. Most of the elephants have stopped coming due to the fences, except this one male elephant who has found a way in, and stays at the fence.
    Recliner seats woo!!
    The beautiful male
    At the national park we had a jeep take us on a safari where we saw tonnes of beautiful birds and lots of elephants. We were lucky enough to see a few different elephant families with young babies, who were absolutely adorable. The elephants were really relaxed as they are used to human contact, so it was a nice, relaxed experience. We spent a few hours driving around, appreciating the Sri Lankan bush and wildlife, before heading back for lunch.
    Bee eater…I think?
    Elephant family having a drink
    The crew!
    The most serious Jerdon’s Baza (?) ever!
    And a very serious chameleon
    After lunch we began the 6-7 hour drive to Adam’s Peak. We were exhausted by the time we arrived, and booked into an expensive room considering we were sharing with four people, and only for a few hours. We had a quick dinner and some beer, before heading to bed for our short 3 hour sleep. To Nacho’s displeasure, when he lay down the bed broke, leaving a concave dent for him to sleep on, muahaha. At 2:30am we woke up, ready to begin the walk up 5,500 stairs to Adam’s Peak. I had questioned whether or not I wanted to climb Adam’s Peak, knowing with my low fitness level it would be a tough walk. I was not wrong – it was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, physically and mentally!
    In the beginning we ascended steadily, with few stairs, but in no time there were more and more stairs. It began to rain and I thought ‘what the hell is the point, we won’t even have a view!’ Soon I began to struggle, and decided to ask someone coming down how much further we had. ‘Ah, you have done about 1.7km, so you have 4000 stairs left’. ‘WHAT?!’ I thought I was going to die. As we continued I turned into a wounded soldier on a battle field. ‘Go on without me, leave me behind – I will continue’. ‘No! We are not leaving you behind! You can do it’ the others encouraged. ‘No! I’m only slowing you down and making it harder for you guys, leave me behind! I will see you at the top.’ Nonetheless the others would have nothing of my whinging and Nacho became firm with wounded-soldier-Sarah – ‘Be quiet, stop wasting your energy talking, and move your lazy ass’. Sir yes sir! I persevered and finally made it to the top at 6am, three hours after beginning the climb. At the top we changed our t-shirts as it is cold at the peak, and you sweat so much that your shirt is soaking wet by the end.
    I am happy to say that the weather cleared for us and we had the most remarkable sunrise at the top of Adam’s Peak, so it was all worth it in the end. We relaxed and appreciated the beginning of the new day with a sense of accomplishment. We then took off our shoes to go up to the temple, which led to feet that were numb from the cold, wet floor. When looking out from the temple over the surrounding mountains, there is a pyramid shaped shadow which is created from the temple at the peak. It was nice to see the shadow, but all I had in my head were the words of Thomas, a friend we met in Hikkaduwa. ‘All you do is climb 5,500 stairs to see a sunrise when I can see one anywhere, and then see a shadow…ohh a shadow! Look, I can make a shadow here.’ Hahaha, gotta love him. Our silence at the top of the peak was ruined when Nacho and Sebastian started ringing the huge bell which sits next to the temple. I wondered aloud to Soph whether they should be ringing the bell. Sophie later found out that one should only ring the bell after they have climbed Adam’s Peak seven times…woops!
    Sunrise at the peak…can’t really complain
    The mysterious shadow
    Above the clouds
    We climbed that!!

    We had been warned that the climb down is worse than the climb up, and I seriously pondered how the hell that would be possible. Luckily for me, the walk down wasn’t nearly as difficult, although we all had shaking legs as we hobbled down. We stopped off for the most delicious coconut rotty and cup of tea and then continued down. With our wobbly legs and sore knees, we finally made it back to our guesthouse. We had quick showers, packed our bags and began the 6 hour journey back to Hikkaduwa.

    Some beehives and honeycomb we saw on the walk down
    As much as I bitched and whined while climbing Adam’s Peak, I’m super happy I did it. I’m quite proud of myself actually, and really grateful I had Soph, Nacho and Sebastian there to egg me on. Thank you guys!

  • Goodbye Fieldhouse, Hello Hikkaduwa

    Hello dear friends and family,
    On Monday 16th I headed back to Colombo with two of the other volunteers, Brenna and Yufei, as hey also needed to extend their visas. It was sad to leave the fieldhouse and to say goodbye to everyone, they had all become my Sri Lankan family. I am so grateful to have met so many amazing people who have taken me under their wing, and guided me with their knowledge and experience. A massive thank you to Kylie! I can’t wait to hopefully come back and help out on your project next year, ya legend!
    Sawana (one of my favourite staff members) and myself
    Everyone I met at the fieldhouse was incredible and I will miss them all dearly. I will especially miss my volunteer girls, and the staff who would let me follow them around in the kitchen and occasionally help out. I will also miss the field boys, especially Supun and Sarath who were always cheekily talking and giggling about everyone in Sinhalese. Although I will definitely be back…there’s no doubt in my mind about that. So a big thank you to everyone who made my time at the fieldhouse as great as it could be!
    Supun and Sarath
    The night we wore weird Chinese face masks supplied by Cheng. From left: Yufei, Bri, Kylie, me, Cheng
    In Colombo we had some drinks that evening and enjoyed our last night together. On Tuesday morning we all went to the immigration office to extend our visas. Oh what a process. First you fill out a form, then take the form to the man, the man takes your form and passport, then gives it back, then you sit and wait for your interview. As one person goes into the interview room, everyone moves up a chair – it’s like musical chairs – and of course you get the occasional person trying to cut the line by sneaking into a spare chair. As we were only extending for a month we got given a number and had to wait on the other side of the room. Once our number was called we were told to go to the other counter to pay. Then we had to wait again for our number to be called to receive our passport with the new visa. My gosh, it is a long, tricky process…surely it could be simpler? It took us over two hours, but we did it.
    Once the visa ordeal was over I said goodbye to Yufei and Brenna and they hopped on a bus back to Colombo Fort, to begin their arduous journey back to the fieldhouse. I had become really close to Yufei so it was sad to say bye to her, but she will be hopefully coming to study in Australia next year, so this definitely isn’t goodbye!
    I went back to my guesthouse, got my things together and left for Hikkaduwa, a surf town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. While I was waiting for my train to Hikka, a few other trains came through and I almost hopped on the wrong one. ‘Does this go to Hikkaduwa?’ and the response I get is a smile and a head waggle. Don’t get me wrong , I absolutely love the head waggle, but sometimes I feel like screaming ‘IS THAT A YES OR A NO?!’ Hahah. So I hopped on and off when I realised no other tourists were getting onto the packed train. The next train that came through was my one, and we all piled in, packed like sardines. Some fellow backpackers and I stood the 2.5 hour train ride to Hikkaduwa as it was so busy.
    When I arrived I got a tuk tuk to Vernon’s Guesthouse, recommended by a friend from back home. It was nice to settle in and dump by backpack. The guesthouse is right on the beach, right at the break where all of the surfers go. I went next door to Funky De Bar where I had a beer and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. I was joined by Saya, one of the staff members, as it was pretty quiet in the bar, and it was really nice to chat with him. One beer turned into more beers, arrack and a super fun night.
    So lucky to have this stunning sunset!

  • The Sambodhi Home

    Ayubowan! Kohomada? 
    When I first arrived in Hikkaduwa and was chatting to Saya, he asked about what I do back home. I told him I work in respite for people with disabilities, and he told me about Victoria and the Sambodhi Home. The Sambodhi Home is a home for women with disabilities, about a 20 minute tuk tuk ride from Hikkaduwa beach, and Victoria has been going weekly to spend time with the women, bring craft material, and do different activities with them. Immediately I was interested in tagging along, and got chatting to Victoria within the next few days.
    Victoria told me about how one lady started the home, and now she has two other women working there with her. There are over thirty women living here, and one male, relying mostly on donations from the community to keep running.

    Since finding out about the Sambodhi home, I have been lucky enough to visit three times with Victoria and our friends Gayan and Saji. My experiences here have been absolutely fabulous, as the women are unbelievable. When I first arrived at the home I was greeted by all of the ladies standing, holding their hands together and calling out ‘ayubowan’ to me. I went along and said hello to each lady, and was quickly swept away by one lady in a wheelchair. First she gave me a necklace, and then began showing me all of these amazing crocheted blankets, bags and bracelets, which were made by the women. One lady, Pushpa, who has lost the ability to use her arms, also does amazing crocheting with her feet. Watching Pushpa drawing, writing and moulding clay with her feet is truly remarkable.
    That day at Sombadi we did some drawings to show support for France, as the bombings had recently taken place. The women all put so much energy and love into their drawings, it was really inspiring. After our craft time, everyone sat around while two women played the bongo drums and everyone sang along. They love music, so it was great to look around and see the smiling faces littering the circle – although my smile disappeared when they insisted I sing a song! Haha. It was actually kind of hard to leave as I had had such a nice time there.

    Victoria and Pushpa

    Everyone with their drawings
    My second visit to Sambodhi was extremely fun as well as we had some extra people coming along. A group of artists from across Europe had come to Hikkaduwa to collaborate on a one day arts festival filled with music, craft and theatre.  When they found out about the Sambodhi home, they got into contact with Victoria and asked if they could come along to make masks with the ladies. When we arrived that day, Samson the sculptor, did a little hello speech and then sang a traditional Nigerian welcome song which the women absolutely loved. Within no time everyone was sitting down and shaping the clay for their mask mould. It was so much fun, and great to watch the women use all of their creative ability to do some amazing work.

    The ladies making their moulds
    The masks coming along nicely
    On the third visit to the home, we were again accompanied by more artists, so that we could do the plaster for the masks. This was a lot of fun, and the ladies really enjoyed putting the bandages all over the masks they had created. It was quite exhausting helping everyone with this, so I think everyone was happy when we had a break after the first layer of plaster. Samson and Yuri got out some instruments they had brought along and began playing wonderful tribal music. Yuri, who I believe was from Sweden, began belting out tradition Mexican, South American and African songs. It was strange to hear such a voice coming out of him. Everyone enjoyed the energising music, and some of the ladies got up to dance, which was so much fun to watch. Being in that moment was really special.
    Words cannot really describe just how extraordinary this place is, how amazing the women who run it are, and how beautiful the women who live there are. There is so much positive energy at the Sambodhi home, with smiles and laughter at every corner. I’m so lucky to have been able to visit and I cannot wait to come back on the 20th December to help out with the day trip.
    On a final note; Victoria has been raising money for the home so that she can buy some more supplies for the women and for a daytrip she is planning on the 20th December. If you are interested in donating some money, starting at 5 euro, please follow this link. Every little bit counts! I think today is actually the last day open for donations…

    http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/fr/projects/creativity-fun-and-joy-for-disabled-sri-lankans

  • Hikkaduwa continued

    Ahoy from Hikkaduwa!


    It has been over two weeks and I am still here…this did not go according to plan but I guess sometimes when you travel, it is good to get lost in a place you enjoy. After three nights in Hikkaduwa I was ready to leave, as there actually isn’t a whole lot to do during the day, and then there are parties almost every night. I haven’t come travelling to just drink and chill, I want to be doing things that I can learn from and that are going to better me. So on Saturday I started packing my things with the intent of leaving. I then decided to hang around a bit longer to go for a scuba dive and to visit the Sambodhi home for women with disabilities that Victoria, a French girl, has been helping out at…and now I still haven’t left…

    When I say I have spent over two weeks in Hikkaduwa, it makes me feel like I haven’t done anything while being here, but that isn’t true. Now for an update of what I have been getting up to while here in this beach town…
    On the Wednesday after I arrived I went and visited Galle, which is about half an hour from Hikkaduwa. It’s a beautiful place with a massive fort built in 1588 by the Portuguese. Walking around the forte you can feel the Portuguese, Dutch and British influence – evident in the thin streets with European buildings, and beautiful old churches. Walking the streets of the fort, you feel like you are no longer in Sri Lanka. While exploring I met a nice local named Dinash, who took me to the fort wall where we watched the sunset and the turtles swimming up to the rocks. Just before 6pm he took me to the clock tower where the Sri Lankan flag stands. A military man was standing nearby, and at 6pm he marched up to the flag, saluted, took the flag down, and then marched the flag back to where it is kept for the evening. It was really nice to watch the lowering of the flag, especially as it was carried out in such a ceremonial manner.

    Galle Fort – the photos are from my phone so the quality isn’t fantastic

    Dinash insisted on taking a photo with me in it

    Sunset at the fort wall

    Ridiculously amazing clouds

    The clock tower with the military man

    At 7pm I met with Gilda and Randy, who I had met back at the fieldhouse in Hettipola. They had an older Italian couple with them who run an orphanage near Galle. We spent the evening at the fancy Amangalla Hotel where Gilda and Randy were staying, eating delicious grilled tuna and drinking expensive wine. Once the couple left we moved onto margheritas and had a great night getting to know each other. Gilda and Randy have travelled all over the world shooting amazing photos and documentaries – it was amazing listening to all of the stories.
    The next day we went and visited the orphanage, with a bunch of snacks and drinks that Gilda and Randy had bought. The kids were so sweet and shy, and I was so happy to see the orphanage. The couple are doing such a fantastic job there.
    On the first Friday I went for a snorkel along the beach in an enclosed rock pool area. I saw so many awesome things in this tiny space, including a scorpionfish, lionfish, pipefish and eel. I then tried to explain to some Russian tourists to be careful where they were standing as there were poisonous fish nearby and they just stared at me blankly. I don’t think I’m very good at charades…haha.
    I was excited to spend some more time in the water, and on the Sunday I went diving with Poseidon which seemed the most legitimate of all the different companies. We went out on two wreck dives which was great, as I had only ever done one wreck dive before. There were lots of cool little fish and a heap of amazing, colourful nudibranchs. I also saw an awesome little black and neon orange crab. The visibility was pretty good, and it was just a really nice dive. Unfortunately when we went down I tried to turn on my GoPro only to realise it was out of battery. Grrr!
    My friend from England, Lorraine, and I went and explored Mirissa, a small beach town around 1.5 hours from Hikkaduwa. It was nice to get out of Hikka, and laze out on the beach, swimming, eating prawns and enjoying the beautiful weather. On the bus back to Hikkaduwa I almost lost Lorraine as the bus started driving off before she had a chance to get on. We managed to stop the bus driver, only to realise it was the wrong bus anyway. It was very funny.

    Mirissa Beach
    While here in Hikkaduwa I have made a great group of friends which have become my little family. We come from all over the world; England, Switzerland, Argentina, Canary Islands, France, Israel, Italy, Australia, Whales, Russia and Kazakhstan.  I guess this is also one of the main reasons I am still here! I get along especially well with Lorraine, it’s like we have known each other forever which is really nice. That’s the best part about travel – meeting people from all over who you just click with. Although it is bittersweet because everyone eventually moves on to a different place or to head back home.

    Sebastian and Nacho looking sexy

    From left: Dunia, Denis, Lorraine and me
    I have visited the Sambodhi Home for women with disabilities three times, but I’ll save that for a post of it’s own! Otherwise I’ve just been keeping busy chilling out, swimming, spending time with new friends, eating and sleeping. The good life! My friend Sophie, from back home in Sydney, came and joined me on Sunday and will be with me for two weeks which is great. So yes, I am having a ball here in Hikkaduwa. I love all the other backpackers and I love all of the locals who I have made great friends with. It’s an awesome community vibe here and I think it will be hard to leave…

  • Exploring The Knuckles Mountain Range

    Ayubowan family and friends!
    My second week was special as on Tuesday we got up extra early and drove to the Knuckles Mountain Range, which we were all looking forward to. On the way up we stopped to take some photos and have a sneaky toilet break. When we were getting back into the car we noticed we had leeches on our shoes, which made Cheng absolutely freak out.  She took off her shoes and started crying and yelling in Chinese that she wanted to go home. Yufei had to pick her up and throw her in the car, and then we found a leech on her leg which we pulled off. Apparently where she comes from they are told that leeches suck your blood and then bury into your body…not sure if that is fact or not but I can understand why she was so afraid. So I checked all over and found nothing on me. About ten minutes later I felt something sting my bum, and to my displeasure when I slipped my hand down I found a leech. I pulled my pants down and made Yufei pull it off while the others awkwardly looked away. At that point I didn’t care about people seeing my bum, I just didn’t want any leeches in my downtown. Yufei found the whole affair quite hilarious, especially the fact she had seen my bottom! Haha.
    The view on the way up
    Me and Yufei
    From left: Sampath, Olivia, Brenna, Nick, Yufei. In front: some sexy beast

    We continued the drive up the mountain range and then got out of the car to walk the rest of the way. Cheng refused to get out of the car so we left her behind and ventured up the mountain. It was a really nice walk up there, and the views were breathtaking. It seriously felt like we were on top of the world, level or above the clouds at some points.
    On the drive back down the mountain range we came across this beautiful hanging nest of large honey bees, so I was very stoked to get this photo of it!

    Large honey bee hive

    We stopped off at a river to have some tea and wade, which is fried daal with spices – absolutely delicious when cooked fresh. The couple who were making it were so sweet, cooking everything in their pots over fire.

    The pots the wade and tea were being cooked in
    The creek on the way down from the Knuckles
    The rest of the week went along like most other days in the fieldhouse. On the Friday I was super happy to go to the national park again where we saw over 60 elephants – majority of them from a distance. Still, it was really nice to see the huge herds.
    That night all the volunteers and staff had some cheeky beers and arrack which turned into a really fun night of singing, dancing, poi and playing the bongo drum. It’s safe to say a couple of the volunteers, and Supun and Sarat wouldn’t have been feeling so sharp on Saturday morning. The weekend was pretty relaxed, and I was happy to spend it at the fieldhouse as it was my last weekend there.

    On the Saturday night Gilda, one of the sponsors of the beehive project, and Randy her photographer friend arrived at the fieldhouse. They were there to do a short documentary on Kylie’s project, and they spoilt us with wonderful photos and videos from their travels around the world. This is the link to the amazing video Randy showed us, and he told me I could share it around – it’s definitely worth a watch, so sit back, grab a cup of tea and enjoy my friends. https://vimeo.com/120023755

  • Exploring Cave Temples and Lion Rock in Sri Lanka

    Hello everyone! I hope everyone is well and enjoying themselves as much as I am.
    So, the weekends at the field house are free time, so on the first weekend I went away with Cheng and Yufei. We first went to Dambulla where there are the famous cave temples. Once we had climbed to the top and reached the caves, we were greeted by lots of monkeys – there’s just always monkeys at temples!
    Inside the caves are beautiful statues of Buddha, as well as amazing paintings all over the roof of the caves. It really is something remarkable. I was especially taken by the feet of the Buddha in the first cave we went to – all you have to do is look at this photo and you’ll know why!
    Buddha’s feet
    Paintings on the roof of the cave

    After exploring the caves we went and checked out Dambulla. While in a veggie shop Yufei picked up an avocado and asked me what it was. It turns out that Cheng and Yufei had never had one, so before I could say anything I hear Yufei asking for two and for them to be cut into half. I tried to explain that you don’t just buy avocado and cut it in half and eat it there and then, but by then it was too late. Both girls took a big mouthful – Cheng looked disgusted and Yufei ate the whole avocado. ‘How was it Yufei?’ I asked, to which she replied ‘Hmm, was good but not as sweet as I thought. I thought it would be like a mango’. I then explained it’s a vegetable we put in salads, on sandwiches, with lemon and salt – but we never eat it like a mango. It was probably one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen! Ohh thank you Yufei for the amusement.

    Yufei caught red handed!

    Afterwards we hopped in a tuk tuk with Lakshmi, aka Lucky Bob, who definitely wins the award for the most rasta tuk tuk. He was absolutely unreal. He drove us to Relax Guesthouse in Sigiriya, and on the way we stopped off at a spice garden. It was really cool to see all of the plants where common things come from, like pepper and vanilla. Did you know that vanilla has to be fertilised by hand as there are no longer the type of bees that used to do it? That’s why vanilla is pricey! Crazy!

    Lucky Bob and his tuk tuk

    Once in Sigiriya we hired some bicycles and checked out the local area which was lots of fun. It was beautiful driving around the back streets where locals live and bathe, minus almost getting attacked by an angry dog. Two little kids screamed at the dog and it backed off, otherwise I am convinced we would have soon been frothing at the mouth with rabies. That night we chilled out and had some beers, although Cheng left early, assuring us she could walk back to the guesthouse safely. Yufei left not long after, and I kicked on with some other backpackers. I found out when I got back to the accommodation that Cheng had gotten lost and had called the fieldhouse crying and speaking no English. Yufei followed the sounds of her sobs and eventually found her…woops.

    The next morning we got up nice and early to go have some breakfast and then climb the infamous Lion Rock. When you enter the area, there are beautiful water gardens leading up the towering rock, which would have taken amazing planning and construction. Being the smart cookie that I am, I wore Birkenstocks for the walk, not thinking I would need enclosed shoes. The stairs were a bit wetter and steeper than I thought they would be, but I made it to the top nonetheless. At the top are palace ruins that date back over a thousand years, with an amazing view looking out over the surrounding land. The huge lions feet which are at the entrance of the palace give the rock its name.
    After our walk up and down we were pretty tired and went and had lunch, before embarking on our bus ride back to the fieldhouse. It was fantastic to get away for the weekend and see what Dambulla and Sigiriya had to offer.

    Lion Rock
    The beautiful paintings on the cave wall on the walk up Lion Rock
    The ruins at the top of Lion Rock
    Me and the view!
    The lion feet which give the rock its name
    A beautiful little girl from Sunday school
    Alrighty…
    Just on a parting note…a dog with dreadlocks

  • An Average Day At The Field House Volunteering in Sri Lanka

    Every morning we drive out to a specific area to do a transect, which involves walking along a planned route in search of signs of elephant activity. When we find elephant dung we note the GPS coordinates, measure the circumference of the dung, estimate how old the sample is, and examine the contents. By examining the contents we can see what the elephants have been eating – we are especially interested in finding if the elephants have been raiding farmer’s crops or raiding the local dump site. We have found plastic pieces in various dung samples, including in calf dung.

    During the middle, hottest part of the day we have a break back at the field house to chill out and spend our time how we like. After lunch we head out again to the dump, treehouse or tank to sit quietly and wait for elephants. If elephants are present we observe and take data on the number of individual elephants, as well as their sex, age and behaviour. We also take data on the number of humans who go past, their transport mode, how noisy they are, whether there are any attempts to move the elephants on and how the elephants respond to this. It is not uncommon for locals to yell at elephants to try and move them along – it is an extremely negative relationship. The elephants here can be quite aggressive due to this, and the farmers do shoot the elephants, yet they do not admit to this.
    The rubbish dump – a scary contrast between the dump and the beautiful nature.
    Observing this sneaky guy from the treehouse.
    Sometimes instead of going with the other volunteers, we can go with Kylie to visit her village which has the beehive fences. I don’t know how much you readers know about elephant research at the moment, but in Africa it was discovered that elephants do not like bees. This means that beehive fences are a great biological deterrent for elephants, to try and keep them out of human habituated areas. Kylie has been carrying out this work here in Sri Lanka, and she is hoping to get some great results. It is really exciting the work that is being done here!
    It was awesome, when I went to visit the fences, one of the farmers climbed up his coconut tree and cut down some coconuts for us. He then chopped off the tops and we guzzled the coconut water down, spilling it all over ourselves. He then cut them in half and we scraped out the flesh. Now that is how you enjoy a coconut!
    Don’t beehive fences look fun?!
    The farmer with his lovely bunch of coconuts, and his beautiful daughter.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    On Friday afternoons Kylie and Bri go to Wasgamuwa National Park, and two lucky volunteers get to go along with them. The national park is really beautiful with lots of spotted deer, peacocks, tonnes of birds, leopard (good luck finding one), jackals and of course, elephants. Lots and lots of elephants. Although the elephants like to be illusive and come out right before the sun sets, which makes it super difficult to count them and to video them.

     Indian Roller – was so psyched to get such a great photo
     
    Just a few favourite photos from Wasgamuwa National Park
     
    In the evenings we go back to the field house and have dinner, which usually consists of curry, daal, rotty and whatever other delicious dishes Leela and Sawana come up with! After dinner we splurge out on curd with coconut treacle, which is delicious – it tastes like natural yoghurt without as strong a flavour. We are usually in bed pretty early as the heat really takes the energy out of you, and we wake up so early too.
    So that’s it…that is an average day at the field house. I bet you all want to come along and volunteer now too, right?!

  • The Most Unforgettable Train Ride in Sri Lanka

    Ayubowan! Kohomada?
    On Monday morning I caught the train from Colombo to Kandy, which has to be the most unforgettable train ride I’ve ever experienced. My new friend, and co-volunteer Cheng, grabbed my hand as soon as the train started and pulled me to the doorway of the train carriage. Here we sat down on the step and looked out at the passing stations, villages, people walking on the tracks and rolling hills filled with gorgeous green trees. Hanging out of the doorway with the wind pulling my dress and hair would have to be the epitome of freedom. Every time we went through a tunnel, Cheng, the local Sri Lankan kids and I would yell out the doors as loud as we could, and then crack up laughing. The other people on the train probably thought we were a little insane. The train ride was completely liberating. I don’t think I can accurately describe just how awesome this experience was, so I just have to say: go to Sri Lanka, catch a train and get wild hanging out of a carriage door! (On a down note, be safe while doing it…obviously accidents can happen).
    Getting excited about the train ride
    View from the train
    Cheng is an absolutely hilarious girl from China. On the train she pulled out a portable karaoke microphone and explained in her broken English that we would have fun with this while volunteering. Cheng has definitely contributed to a lot of my entertainment while being here.
    At Kandy we were met by Sipun, one of the field staff, and began our arduous 3-5 hour bus ride to Hettipola. Hettipola is a small town surrounded by little villages of farmers who grow rice, maze, beans and other crops seasonally. We had to get a tuk tuk for half an hour along bumpy roads to reach our destination at the SLWCS fieldhouse in a village named Pussalayaya.
    Sunrise at the field house
    We were welcomed by the other volunteers, field staff, researchers, house staff and a nice, simple house to live in. Everything here is extremely open, and the bedrooms are bricked off with a curtain for a door. I think the mattress may be made of straw or definitely has something plant based in it, and are surprisingly comfortable. The windows are just gaps in the brick wall…who needs glass anyway? Mosquito nets are draped over the beds which I am extremely grateful for, as I am covered in itchy bites. I actually love just how open everything is, it is very homely. From the lounge area you can look out onto a large manmade water tank which is absolutely stunning at sunrise. It attracts lots of different birds, especially some nice big kites and eagles which are great to watch.
    Here at the fieldhouse are two other volunteers, Nick and Yufei, who are both absolutely lovely. There is also Kylie who is doing her PhD on beehive fences, and Bri who is doing her honours on elephant activity at the local dump. It’s great learning about their projects and getting to help out with data collection; it also just highlights how high the human-elephant conflict here in Sri Lanka is. I’m so grateful to have people like Kylie here who can give me so much advice and insight into the world of elephant research. I think I’m already in love with this place…

  • 16 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Volunteer Experience in Sri Lanka

    I have just concluded my two weeks as a volunteer at the Elephant Conservation Project in Sri Lanka, and I am sad it was time to leave as I have had the most amazing time. I came here to get some hands-on experience as a current biology graduate who wants to continue studying and working in the field of elephant research and conservation. I’ve definitely learnt lots about human-elephant conflict and met some amazing people who have given me great advice.

    The field house is a great, homely place filled with lovely local staff, fun volunteers and delicious food prepared fresh every day. I think it definitely attracts a certain type of person, and you have to be prepared to rough it a little to enjoy.

    At the fieldhouse you do not have the luxury of hot water, air conditioning or wifi, but I think that is what makes the experience all the more greater. I also have to mention that we have a stunning view (especially at sunrise) over a huge body of water, which brings many species of birds.

    sunrise in sri lanka

    Every morning we drive out to a specific area to do a transect, which involves walking along a planned route in search of signs of elephant activity. When we find elephant dung we note the GPS coordinates, measure the circumference of the dung, estimate how old the sample is, and examine the contents. By examining the contents we can see what the elephants have been eating – we are especially interested in finding if the elephants have been raiding farmer’s crops or raiding the local dump site. We have found plastic pieces in various dung samples, which demonstrates just how serious the problem of human-elephant conflict is here.

    During the middle, hottest part of the day, we have a break back at the field house to chill out and spend our time how we like. After lunch we head out again to the dump, treehouse or tank to sit quietly and wait for elephants. If elephants are present we observe and take data on the number of individual elephants, as well as their sex, age and behavior. We also take data on the number of humans who go past, their transport mode, how noisy they are, whether there are any attempts to move the elephants on and how the elephants respond to this. 

    We had the weekends free to explore surrounding areas or to relax at the field house. On my first weekend I went with two other volunteers to Dambulla to visit the Cave Temples which have beautiful statues of Buddha, as well as amazing paintings on the walls. We then headed to Sigiriya where we hired bicycles and then climbed Lion Rock the next morning.

    volunteers and friends in sri lanka

    At the top of the rock are ruins from a palace, which is stunning, as are the views! I would highly recommend anyone traveling to Sri Lanka to check Sigiriya out. I spent my second weekend at the field house, and had a few cheeky beverages with the staff which lead to lots of dancing, singing and playing the bongo drum! It was a ton of fun!

    The human-elephant conflict here in Sri Lanka is extremely high, and it has been interesting, yet disappointing, to see the effects first hand. It shows the need for volunteers to come and help out at the project to collect data which can later be analyzed and used to implement methods to reduce human-elephant conflict. A solution is desperately needed here in Sri Lanka.

    I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to come and stay at the fieldhouse and meet such amazing people from all over the world who are all working towards the same goal. I am also lucky to have had the support of the staff from Greenheart Travel who were so helpful and caring, and who genuinely want to ensure I had the best time possible. I can’t wait to come back again, hopefully as a researcher myself, to try and help the elephant population in Sri Lanka.

    elephant in sri lanka

    Sarah’s Advice for Future Volunteers:

    ☼      Be open-minded and embrace the culture, new opportunities, experiences and friends. You truly do get out what you put in!

    ☼      On the train from Colombo to Kandy sit in the doorway and enjoy the scenery passing by. It’s a really liberating feeling, but hold on tight as there are some horror stories associated with this.

    ☼      If you’re a girl, bring a sport bra. The roads can be pretty bumpy!

    ☼      Buy some snacks and fruit for in-between meals. The papaya is delicious; you can’t go wrong with it.

    ☼      If you decide to go away for the weekend, keep in mind it may take longer than you think to get around due to the roads and buses.

    ☼      Earplugs/headphones and an eye mask go a long way.

    ☼      Bring mosquito repellent and make sure you tuck your mosquito net in nice and tight.

    ☼      You do get a fair amount of spare time so bring a book, a journal and any other hobby you want to improve on.

    ☼      Bring a good camera and binoculars – it’s not uncommon for the elephants to be a distance away so you’ll be happy you can zoom in nice and close.

    ☼      Take lots of photos! Not just of the animals and the scenery, but also of all the people you meet. You can never have too many photos.

    ☼      Make sure you get up to watch the sunrise over the water tank, it is stunning.

    ☼      When you’re out in the field, forget about everything for a moment and pretend you’re in Jurassic Park – yesss it sounds weird, but just do it.

    ☼      Ask the staff if you can go up to the Knuckles Mountain Range. It’s absolutely beautiful and you feel like you’re on top of the world.

    ☼      Respect the culture and people here – don’t walk around in short dresses and low tops while you’re in town. It will be uncomfortable for you and for them.

    ☼      Give yourself some time before or after your time here to explore other parts of Sri Lanka. It’s such a beautiful country that you’ll regret it if you don’t!

    ☼      Enjoy yourself; make the most of every moment and soak up as much knowledge and information as you can from the people who know so much about human-elephant conflict.

    A little favor…if you like dogs and have a little bit of spare cash, please bring some tick/flea ointments. There are so many pups that hang around near the fieldhouse who would greatly benefit from some simple medicine that isn’t obtainable here! 

  • Exploring Colombo While Volunteering in Sri Lanka

    Ayubowan family, friends and strangers!
    So last time I blogged my travels, I got a little carried away and wrote quite extensive notes on my day-to-day activities. This time I have vowed to be more concise and not bore all of you wonderful people with the in-depth details. Here begins…
    As soon as I arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 31st I knew I was going to love this country. The runway is lined with beautiful coconut trees and other tropical plants, an indication of the warm, humid climate. Exiting the airport I was hit with a wall of humidity, which quickly turned to pouring rain. Luckily this didn’t last too long and by the time I reached my hostel, the Downtown Monkey, the weather had cleared. I was greeted by a sweet Sri Lankan lady who ran the place and offered me tea, and other travellers of various nationalities. I spent the next two days exploring Colombo with my newfound friends from Switzerland, Germany and France. I should also say I spent that Saturday night drinking beers and feeling disappointed watching the Aus-NZ rugby world cup final.
    Colombo is like most big cities – busy, dirty, smelly – but it definitely has character. The streets are lined with shops selling everything from lottery tickets, nuts and snacks, fruit and vegetables to laundry detergent. Everything is hectic and chaotic, especially the roads…it is quite a lot like India in that sense. Like most big cities, you can only spend so much time there.
    The waterfront at Colombo
    I’m extremely curious as to what these poisonous species are…
    The food here in Sri Lanka is absolutely delicious, consisting of curry, daal, roti, curd and other random things that I don’t actually know the name of. It’s hilarious and interesting because every time you go into a place and order food, there’s a high chance you aren’t going to get what you want. Generally I have been asking for rice or roti with vegetables. The staff will then bring out a selection of different curries with rice/roti, and if you’re lucky it will actually be vegetables, not meat. One of my favourite foods is this little folded triangle roti filled with curried vegetables, it is so delicious!
    The hygiene of the food and drink is also questionable, but you’ve just got to embrace it. On my second night my friend, Gabriel and I were offered tea, and I noticed something floating in it – a little fly. I tried to pull it out with my finger, only to notice that there were a couple more. I then saw Gabriel swishing his finger around his tea too. ‘Extra protein’ he said, and continued to drink it. I was later told that most places give you some paper to put over the top to filter the flies out, haha!
    A combination of vegetable curries that were delicious, and cost around $7 in total for four people
    That same night Gabriel and I got caught up in a conversation with four Sri Lankan men who were enjoying the local alcoholic beverage, arrack, over some food. They were excited to have us to talk with, and told us many strange things and also asked us many strange questions. One of the men was pleased to tell me he liked my hair and my eyebrows, and was insistent that I never change either. Probably one of the weirdest compliments I have received, yet a compliment nonetheless. Another of the men who was quite intoxicated was giving Gabriel and I life lessons which made absolutely no sense. ‘Imagine this glass is God, now boom the glass…gone…glass…now…?’ Sorry mate, I really have no idea what you are getting at here – perhaps the moral of the story was something about faith? The one thing I did kind of get a grasp on was his saying he repeated over and over again to us. ‘Now, one thing you need to know’ for the fifth time ‘A thousand days enjoy, one day think. Money go round and round, man go underground’. After many times of hearing it I had analysed it pretty well…I think I can go with that one, it’s a pretty nice concept.
    Anyway, I said I’d keep this short so I’m going to love you and leave you there. Hopefully you’ve been able to get a nice little image of Sri Lanka thus far. I’m having a fantastic time and am excited to continue exploring and experiencing everything this fantastic country has to offer.