Udaipur

I'm definitely ending India on a better note. I had decided to go to the city of Udaipur and I'm so glad I did. It's a cute town on the shores of Lake Pichola. A James Bond film and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel were filmed here. There are rooftops all over the place with wonderful views. The people are nice and not as bothersome as in Delhi and Jaipur. The food has been pretty good and I got some solid runs in. Overall, wonderful, and I could have stayed there for weeks.  

Rooftop view.

I arrived super early after my awesome night bus experience. A few of us decided to walk from the bus drop off. A perfect example of rickshaw trying to rip us off, was them offering an exorbitant amount of money to take us the 6 kilometers to our hotels, when in fact it was little over a mile. Totally walkable. And we made it with no troubles. I had to wait a bit for my room to be ready, but since I was very early, I was patient, even though I really wanted a shower. I needed to work with my friend on getting my replacement phone set up and activated, so that was my actual priority. Which I will get on Saturday when I meet her here in Vietnam. I'm excited to see her, and to get a working phone. It'll be nice to have a handheld device again, instead of pulling out my tablet when I need to refer to my location via GPS. I try not to pull out too often as I don't need any extra attention outside of my white skin. 

I met so many people at the hostel I was staying at from all over, including the US. I haven't come across too many other American travelers. A lot of Australians and Europeans, so it's nice to chat with fellow Americans every once in a while. Most everyone was in a similar sort of mood of hanging out and relaxing. There were a ton of cafes and rooftop restaurants that served this purpose very well. I walked around a bit to explore, but primarily tried to catch up on things and took it all in. The owners of the hostel were very friendly and I definitely recommend their place to anyone visiting Udaipur (Bunkyard Hostel). It's fairly new and they have some improvements to go, but definitely worth it. A welcoming place to meet like-minded travelers. 

Drinking with new friends.

I got a few runs in, which was great since India isn't seeing too many miles. I did an easier run one day and actually got a tempo in the following day. I haven't done a tempo or speed workout recently. We'll see how this bodes for the marathon that's in less than 5 weeks. Since I haven't been doing any tempos, let alone any longer tempos, I decided to do mile repeats. I feel like I should try to do more, but why push it at this point. I managed to get progressively faster for each mile. Which I was pleased about. I was also pleased since I saw another female runner and a few others walking for exercise. That makes me happy. 

Post-run stretch on the rooftop.

One night a group of us went to check out the nearby puppet show. It wasn't only puppets though. Actually, only about 10 minutes. There was some traditional dancing, a story acted out and some balancing acts. Possibly a bit more targeted to kids, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The following day, I actually got my own private show while I was getting some printouts for my Vietnam visa. The daughter of the woman who owned the shop (and gave me a henna tattoo), wanted to show me what she has been practicing in dance class. She was pretty good. I would have loved to have seen her practice some more and maybe learn a few moves, but I had to make my way to the train station for my overnight train back to Delhi. Once you get past all the people trying to sell you things, you can meet some genuinely nice people and have some good experiences with the locals. It's just hard to get to that sometimes. 

Dancing with fire.

The sleeper train was an interesting ride. So I didn't realize there were different classes for the sleeper train, so I just paid for the regular class. Which isn't super nice but doable. I was prepared though as I got the lowdown from some fellow travelers. I made sure I had locks ready to attach my bag to my seat, shoelaces to tie them to myself, a blanket to sleep with, and my scarf in combination with my backpack to use as a pillow. I did wake up several times, especially when my neighbors got off (who I was got to know before bedtime) and some young kids got on. I wanted to be sure no one was stealing my stuff, so was keeping somewhat of an eye on them. No one did. I tell myself that it's not the end of the world if someone takes my bag, but it would definitely be a huge hassle to deal with replacing it. It's always better to be safe than sorry. And seeing the Indian family lock their stuff up is reassuring. It's not just paranoid foreigners who are worried. 

Sleeper train neighbors.

So I had one full day in Delhi to finalize my trip. And I didn't do too much. But the city did redeem itself just a bit in my eyes. I saw a few other parts of the city, including the metro, and can see how people live there. I still couldn't do it. But if I had grown up in India, that is probably where I would have ended up. Riding the metro was actually nice and if there's one sort of transport that I know, it's a subway system. There were a few local neighborhoods that I walked through with people doing there daily routine. And when I checked out Central Park, people just were sitting around, relaxing in the sun. No one was bothering me and left me to relax as well. 

Before I heading to the airport, I walked around the Main Bazaar again, got a few Kingfishers in Connaught Place, and ate some Indian food and dessert. I wasn't bothered too much by rickshaw drivers, but there was one that stood out. I was walking over the bridge to the metro, and this guy kept yelling Madame at me. I turned and laughed at him since he expected me to hurdle a fence to get onto the road and ride his rickshaw. What a joke. He continued to bother me as I walked along. He finally left me alone, but jeez. 

Delhi's Central Park.

I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.Good thing as I didn't want to repeat what happened in Sri Lanka. Oh but wait. I make my way to the departure area and get stopped at the door to show them my ticket. Which I don't have yet. I did check-in online, but never received my ticket in my email. And there's no wifi at the airport, so couldn't even check to see if it had come in later on. The security guy then has to go to Thai Airlines to get me sorted out. I was finally allowed into the departure terminal and formally got my ticket and checked my bag. I think they need to do a better job of communicating this process. Especially as I wasn't the only one dealing with this. 

I spent the last of my rupees and settled into sleep on the plane. Vietnam is next. 

Jaipur

I spent a few days in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, about 4 1/2 hours from Delhi. When deciding where to go in India, I really based it on recommendations from people I've met and geography. I knew I wasn't going to be giving the amount of time to India that it deserves and it will be somewhat of a whirlwind. Right now, I'm ok with it, but that may not leave me with the most positive lasting impression. But I have one more town to hit up before I head out.

I ended up sitting next to a nice couple from England and France on the train ride to from Delhi to Jaipur. My plan to nap or catch up on things didn't end up happening. But I did get to have a good conversation the entire ride out. And I got to play the 50-state game with the English guy. As an American, I had to beat him, but I have to say he did a pretty good job. I helped him out a bit. I got up to 49 and for the life of me couldn't remember Wisconsin. I better get there at some point so I don't forget it. Anyway, the train ride went by relatively quickly and we arrived in Jaipur. I settled in, showered (didn't go for a run like I thought about), and went in search for food. I eventually got to the Old Green Tandoori Dhaba about a mile away. For some reason, I though Jaipur was a lot smaller than it really is. At this point, I was pretty hungry and settled in. Another woman actually came in at this point and I ended up joining her. She's retired and has been traveling around India for a while. This is her 3rd trip here actually. She was helping me out to figure out what I should do next. She seemed to have a really interesting life and hasn't been back to the UK in a long time now, and it'll still be a while before she does. I think going on a couple of years. I think about doing that every once in a while and wonder if I can last that long. We'll see. A lot of people asked if I would be lonely before I headed out on this trip and I knew I wasn't going to be. I've met so many people and have had good conversations with people from all over the world. 

After getting my fill, I made my way to the Old City, also called the Pink City. Pretty much pink walls surround the area, which is made up of many bazaars. So many bazaars. One thing that is getting exhausting is the attention from all the rickshaw drivers and the people selling you things. It doesn't make it enjoyable to me. I wouldn't mind lingering a while to window shop, but it's hard since I would have to have the same conversation over and over. I do wish they could let tourists peruse in peace, we may even buy things. I actually ended up buying a few things later on, but I do have to say part of it was because I wasn't being constantly hassled. I'm not sure if I was tricked or not, but this guy showed me around a few places in the Old City, including a temple and a rooftop view of the City Palace down the street and Amber Fort up on a hill on the outside of town. He then took me to a few shops that were away from the Old City. I'm pretty sure he made some sort of commission off of what I ended up purchasing, but oh well. I was able to negotiate down a bit, so I hope I didn't overspend. If anything, I have some nice souvenirs of India. And I'm not saying what they are as they also may be Christmas presents. 

The Pink City.

Later that evening, I met a nice couple from Australia and we hit up a restaurant in the neighborhood for dinner. Well it was definitely a super nice place. We sat outside in the back area under some nice lights. The menu was pretty pricey, but we decided to get a few things to share as we all had a late lunch. And we got a beer tower to share. I didn't think I would be having one of those on this trip. But we did. We of course got the local Kingfisher Lager. I have to say I wasn't really feeling it when we left though. So I wonder how much alcohol content there was. The couple were really nice and we had a nice time eating some good food, drinking the beers, and listening to the continued Diwali celebrations happening all around us. 

Dinner with a beer tower.

The next morning I finally went for my first run in India. I really haven't had made the effort to run, nor have I had the time. It's been a bit overwhelming to attempt to. With all the people and traffic, it makes me a bit nervous to get out there. I don't want to have to deal with the constant attention and continued dodging of moving vehicles, people, and animals. But I got up pretty early and went for it. And I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get as much attention as I was expecting. Which was a relief. I also found that some of the rotaries they have around the city have dirt tracks in the middle of them. Others were walking and exercising, so I took advantage and would do a few laps every once in a while. This week had a lack of miles, but I was able to get a solid 6-miler in, which I was pleased about. It was a good warm-up for my 13-miler on Saturday. I again got up early to kick it off and made my way to the Old City. I figured most of the shops would be closed for a while, so it would be safe to get some miles in there, along with public gardens nearby. It was a good run. Not a lot of attention, although there was some guy that laid on the horn until I realized it was to get my attention. Seriously. How obnoxious. Definitely got a few 'hello's, a 'run faster', and some guy attempting to run next to me. Like he would be able to keep up. The weather was a big improvement from last week's long run in Sri Lanka. It was a bit cooler, but dry. Much better running weather.

Running the dirt track.

And good thing I'm getting some miles in with all the food and sweets I'm consuming. I've made a few trips to the bakery, including Laxmi Misthan Bhandar. In all seriousness, I don't need to worry about it. But man the sweets have been good. And the lassis. Which I'm still not entirely sure what they are made of, but are along the lines of a milkshake. They also have milkshakes, so there must be some sort of difference. All the rice has been good carbo-loading for sure.

More Indian treats.

I visited the City Palace in the Old City, where I saw old weapons, royal garments, apparently the largest silver objects in the world (silver vessels), and one courtyard that had 4 gates to represent the 4 seasons. My favorite was the peacock gate, which happens to be autumn, my favorite season. I did have to look up the significance of the peacock as I have noticed them elsewhere. It's the national bird of India. Which I think is a nice choice and happy to see them depicted in various places. 

Autumn gate of the City Palace.

Before I headed out of town on the night bus, I had a few Kingfishers with my new friends at the hotel, and then dinner at a local place. I was hoping the beer would put me right to sleep on the night bus. But no such luck. After fearing that I was getting tricked on another bus, I found where I needed to be, and settled in my bed for the night. Of course it was another sleepless night involving bumpy roads and a roadside squat at 4am. Add to the list of things that happen in India. 

Overnight bus ride.

Delhi

I made it to India. And so far, it has met my expectations. Loud, dirty, crazy traffic, and people everywhere. I spent my first hour getting from the airport to my hotel listening to the nonstop horns. I thought elsewhere was bad, but this takes the cake. Goodness. You must learn to block it out. I think I did to some degree later in the day.

I checked into my hotel and got fed a delicious and filling 2nd breakfast (first was on the plane). I ate so much, that I wasn't hungry for hours. After getting rid of my sweaty travel smell, it was time to explore. I was staying near one of the train stations out of convenience, but not too far from the Main Bazaar. The first thing I attempted was to go to the International Tourist Bureau to book some train tickets, but the wait was taking too long, so I gave my spot away and planned to come back later in the day. So towards the bazaars I went. I pretty much wandered around, making my way in the general direction of the Red Fort. I'm really surprised there aren't more accidents with the number of rickshaws, tuk tuks, scooters, animals, and pedestrians all over the tiny streets (if that's what you want to call them). People everywhere. I mean everywhere. It's no joke that almost 17 million people live here. And it's no joke that you can almost buy anything on the streets. Besides the normal food and clothing, there were large appliances, car parts, towels, flowers, shoes, and anything else you can think of.

One of the many bazaars.

I didn't purchase any items, but did treat myself to a jaleblis, deep-fried dough with syrup. And it was pretty tasty. I've been warned about not eating any street food and certain items throughout India. This place was recommended, so I decided to trust it, like with most places I end up eating at. Since I arrived in Sri Lanka, every time my stomach is a little off, I get nervous that I ate or drank something bad. But then I dismiss it as I can't spend my time worrying about that. And I'd like to think my stomach is strong enough to deal with any minor issues. So far, so good. 

Jaleblis.

I spent some time walking around the Red Fort and exploring the various buildings it consists of. I took in the red sandstone columns of Diwan-i-Am, the white marble of Diwan-i-Khas, and the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), where the British removed and sold the copper off the domes.

The Red Fort.

There were a few people out and about enjoying the site and relaxing. I keep forgetting that I stand out here, not that it's hard with all the looks, smiles, and hellos. I've been asked a few times in my travels for photos and do oblige for the most part. In the Red Fort, I was asked 3 times. The first time I was a bit weary as it was a group of guys at first. I did agree, but then a few others joined, including women and children. So I figured it was ok. And of course I asked for a photo in return. A few minutes later, one of the group wanted a photo alone. I hope he doesn't run off and tell people I'm his girlfriend. But I'll never know. The last photo was with a young girl dressed up in a very pretty blue saree. So many photo albums I'm going to appear in.

Group shot.

After securing my train tickets, I went to look for dinner on the Main Bazaar. I ended up at Madan Cafe, another Lonely Planet recommendation, where I had some veggie biryana and people watched. The food was yummy and the people were nice. They actually had me worried the the Taj Mahal was closed the following day due to Diwali, but they checked into it for me and reassured me that I was ok. After chatting with a guy from Saudi Arabia, I headed back to eat the cookies my hotel left for me and get some sleep.

Dinner on the Main Bazaar.

I feel like I should be getting so much sleep on this trip, but there are periods where I definitely do not. The good thing is that I don't typically feel tired. Probably excitement of seeing such cool places. One of which was the Taj Mahal. I made my way to the train station before dawn to make my way to Agra. I chatted with a nice Indian women around my age on the ride. She was headed home to celebrate Diwali. We found some commonality as she works for a company that designs booths for exhibits, something that I am familiar with. After an autorickshaw ride to the south gate of the Taj, and some tea, a lassi, and food at a nearby rooftop hotel, I queued up for the spectacular Taj Mahal.

Lunch with a view.

I pretty much spent the afternoon wandering around the grounds of the Taj Mahal. And it was pretty cool. Very impressive and large. It was built in memorial for Shah Jahan's 3rd wife, Mumtaz Hahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. And I thought I had a big family. I took in all the different views leading up to the Taj Mahal and all around it. 

Up close.

Just like at the Red Fort, I met lots of people who wanted photos with me. A range of people for sure, but this family was very charming. They lived in California for a while, and the girl has a pretty decent American accent. They are back in India, but the boy is apparently counting down the days he can go back to the US, and I think NYC specifically. I say apparently as he was very shy and actually didn't speak to me. But his family filled me in of course since they were all very chatty.

Fellow visitors to the Taj.

After taking it all in, I waited for the sun to come down. Due to the smog, it wasn't as spectacular as I was hoping. But the lighting was different and the Taj Mahal looked pretty cool against the white backdrop. 

As the sun went down. 

After I was done looking at the building, I then made my way to Sadar Bazaar area of Agra to take in the Diwali scene before my train ride. A lot of people were out and about participating in the festivities. Lights and candles were all around and there was even a carnival set up for the kids. The area definitely had a fair-like vibe to it. 

Agra Diwali celebration.

I made sure to get some dinner and Diwali sweets while I waited for my train. Eventually I made my way to the train station once I was done exploring. I do wish the train was a bit earlier. And of course it ended up being late. I just have to take advantage of the down time and read or get myself organized as much as I can without wifi. I finally made it back to my hotel in Delhi to pack up my stuff as I had another early train to Jaipur. After finishing off my sweets off course. 

Diwali sweets.

Colombo

Well I didn't do too much in Colombo since I only had one night. And I'm glad that I only allotted one night. However, I will remember the city for 2 key things. And they weren't good things. One for trying to fix my phone, and the other for trying to not miss my flight to India. Since I'm sitting in Delhi right now, I was successful on the latter. Not on the former.

Remember that 20-miler I went on? Well my phone stopped working after that run. I pretty much killed it with my sweat. The humidity was so bad, and I sweat just walking, let alone running for several miles, I'm not entirely surprised. However, the phone should still be working. Aren't you supposed to be able to run with it? There are all these exercise apps already built in. Anyway, I waited until I got to Colombo to see if anything could be done. I tried an online Samsung support chat, with no luck. After multiple stops in Samsung stores, I was led to a hole-in-wall place where these IT guys were going to attemp to fix it. Or at least I had hoped, and they were feeling good about it. I waited for the initial diagnosis, and sure enough the guys kept asking me if I dropped it in water. I said I did not. I went running with it and it seems like it got sweat inside. He returned to his work station and attempted to fix it. Over an hour later, he returned and after a couple of them conversed (not in English), I was informed my phone wasn't fixable. Awesome. I have insurance, so that should cover getting a new phone not at full price. I still have to pay something, which is annoying. And I'm going to have to download all my apps again and all that. Mostly everything is backed up. I did lose some photos while I was running though. I guess it's ok since I have a ton of photos on my camera. So I'll get over it. Now the next step is to actually file the claim, get it delivered to my friend, have her activate it, and  bring it with her to Vietnam where I'm meeting her. No biggie. Having a phone makes such a difference when youa are traveling though. I want to avoid pulling out my tablet as much as possible. I also was given an India Lonely Planet book. Which is great (and heavy), but again, it brings more attention to me than I want. A phone is way more manageable to navigate all these new places (or play games). 

So onto the better news. After exploring Colombo (I'll get to that in a minute. Or two.), I started the trek to the airport. I left myself 4 hours to get there in time for my flight. You'd think that would be enough time. But no. I walked to the bus station to catch the express bus to the airport. After waiting for over 30 minutes, I was getting a little nervous, but just brushed it off as other travelers were showing up. Finally the express bus pulled up. And then pulled away. I have no idea why they weren't turning around to go back to the airport. After some discussions, we found out that the buses weren't even coming into the station, and only pulling over on the side of the road. Seriously. Why is there a stand if they don't pull up to it like every other bus. Fortunately we caught one right away. Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic. Af this point, I had 3 hours left. Ok, no problem. The ride in from the airport was pretty quick, so hopefully the city bus wouldn't take that much longer. Well it did. It's now a little over an hour before my flight is leaving. And guess what? They need to stop for gas. 2 kilometers before the airport and all of a sudden they need gas. I'm convinced it's some sort of conspiracy that the bus drivers have with the tuk tuk drivers. They drop you off in the middle of nowhere, amongst half the tuk tuks in Sri Lanka, so that you need to take one if you are late. Well I was and I did. So I ran off the bus, grabbed a tuk tuk and we drove the 2 mintues to the airport. I ran up to counter looking for someone to help me. And all I see are cleaning ladies. Finally, I notice a woman on the phone who hung up to help me out. After getting connected to the internet and showing her my India visa and my flight out of India, I was able to go to security. Just as I was waiting, they called out last call for my flight. Of course once I got through, I ran to the gate. The person there reassured me I was good. But of course I was all sweaty and rushed by that point, so it didn't matter. I had to pull up the visa and flight info again before boarding. And I was finally in my seat. Where I could resume to a normal breathing pattern. Man, I'm going to have to leave even more time for my next flight. It's around midnight, so I may as well as get to the airport nice and early to get comfortable.

So I made it to India, but I'm carrying a phone that doesn't work.

What else did I do in Colombo you may be wondering. I pretty much walked around and drank tea. I walked along the ocean, checked out a few temples, explored a few parks, and did a tea crawl. There really isn't much else to do in Colombo. Or at least not that I was aware of or interested in doing. I needed some time to catch up on my next steps so it was fine with me. 

Indian Ocean and Colombo.

Viharamahadevi Park.

Sambodhi temple.

1st stop on tea crawl.

Unawatuna

After hanging out in the hill country for a good part of the trip, I was ready for the beach. I was going back and forth whether to stay in Galle, a Dutch fort town, or the beach. The Chinese couple I was hanging out with were leaning towards Unawatuna, so I went for it. And I'm glad I did.

Of course getting there was an adventure. We took 2 buses from Tissa to Unawatuna. The first one started out ok as all the school boys just wanted to talk to the white girl sitting next to them. So I obliged. One of them complimented my glasses or my eyes. Not sure. Maybe he liked both. They all got off and I had shuffled my seat around a bit to get comfortable. I chose poorly since a drunk guy (I learned later) sat down next to me at some point during the ride. He started a conversation but I wasn't having it as I didn't like the vibe he was giving off. I made it clear that I wasn't interested in talking. It was a crowded bus but he sat too close and again I made clear with body language to not get that close. Totally not necessary. He didn't try anything and I was just hoping he'd get off soon. Once he did, this other guy told me what was up. And everyone around, including the women seemed to be in agreement so I trusted what he was saying. It's just like that guy standing too close to you on a crowded subway. If he had tried anything, I had my massage stick in easy reach. 

On our second bus, there was another incident. The fare collector wouldn't give me the proper change. He said he'd be back and when I flagged him down he refused to give it to me. I spoke up and continued to until he would give me my change. He did not. He even tried to kick us off. I refused. My change wasn't much, but the principle mattered. I also wanted to be sure my friends got the right change as I'm sure they were owed more. I know I've been getting ripped off and overcharged but I think it's been worse for them as English isn't their first language. Since I made a big stink they dropped us off further down the road in Unawatuna. Stuff like that infuriates me and you shouldn't be able to get away with it on public transportation. I know they want to make as much money as possible, but not be honest about it isn't ok. I end up taking the train to Colombo, where the fares are made clear, and probably end of being cheaper for tourists. And more comfortable. 

I finally made it to the beach and it was time to relax and forget about the bus rides. I walked to the ocean even though it was dark and stuck my feet in. I totally wanted to jump in, but really couldn't see anything and didn't know the lay of the land. I couldn't wait to come back the next morning. I grabbed dinner with my friends at the Roti Hut, where I'd eat a few times during my stay. Good juice and good kothu. 

Kothu and papaya juice.

The next few days involved running in the jungle and along the beach, swimming in the Indian Ocean, and exploring the area. It was definitely perfect beach weather, when it wasn't raining of course. Which, fortunately, wasn't as much as elsewhere. I even got a tan. Only several months and halfway around the world later. Did I mention that I didn't really have a summer? Well I'm getting it now. The water was beautiful and there were waves to play in. Not like the Northeast, but good enough. It was also relatively quiet, and not as many crowds as I expected. Which I liked as I don't enjoy crowded beaches. Hello Long Beach. 

The Indian Ocean.

I ran most mornings and got a 20-miler in. Was it good? Perfect beach weather doesn't make for perfect running weather. I was definitely wishing I had cooler temps about 5 miles into my long run. I knew the shorter runs would end soon so I put up with the humidity but that 20-miler was rough. I drank so much water. Good thing for all the stands by the roads. I did see some great spots along the ocean and ran through the jungle. The ocean was a little bit of a tease though since all I wanted to do was jump in. During my runs, it wasn't monkeys or lizards I was afraid of, it was the dogs. The dogs in Unawatuna bark at you. Elsewhere they pretty much leave you alone. One chased after me and was right on my heels. After I felt it grab me, I turned and yelled at it in English. It at least understood my tone as it backed off. Give me a lizard over these dogs. 

One afternoon, I reluctantly left the beach to explore the nearby Dutch fort town of Galle. I had thought about staying here or at least spending one night. But I didn't feel like switching spots for one night when I could do it in a day. And it turns out that all I needed was a few hours. It was a nice little town and the fort walls surrounding the town had some really great views. But since it was so hot, I'm glad I stayed near the beach. From the city walls, I took a look at the cricket stadium and then made my way around the perimeter of the town towards the lighthouse. A lot of locals also take the opportunity to walk the wall, so I saw lots of people out and about. And of course I continued to draw attention wherever I went. I think there must be  sign on me that says "talk to the white girl". Mostly I don't mind, especially with the women and children. Children are not shy and they give me a lot of smiles. Which puts a smile on my face. 

Galle fort.

After my fill of the wall, and before the sunset, I wandered around the cute streets. There were a lot of ruined places among the newer places. I think some places were just left deserted from the tsunami. Others were completely renovated and looked pretty nice. There was some construction going on throughout the town and I do hope they can get back to what it was like before. I then went to catch the sunset, but then then it decided to rain. And it was time to go back to Unawatuna. 

Old versus new. 

I had a lovely stay and would think about returning to the area someday to see more and do more. Definitely a top recommendation. And one more ocean checked off my list. 

Tissa

On Tuesday, I made my way down a very curvy mountain road to Tissamaharama. The bus was jam packed with people and I actually felt a little nauseous part of the way. Usually my stomach can hold it together for most things, but I had to focus on not moving much. Without realizing, my neighbor had shared a fruit candy that helped. Once we made it further down, the ride got a bit smoother. And people were getting off here and there. Somehow I got stuck trying to keep the luggage from falling all over the place and all over me. I was unsuccessful. Later in the ride, I moved over and even though we weren't on the mountain anymore, the buses are still not the best as they brake a lot and wind around on the roads. So of course, I managed to get stuck in a corner with all of this luggage blocking my exit. If you are traveling with a rolly suitcase, maybe you should take a tuk tuk around.

Stuck.

A few hours later, I made it to the town where I needed to catch another bus to Tissa (shorten name that everyone uses). Of course as a group of people got off at the stop, we were bombarded with tuk tuk drivers. I wish I had a dollar for every driver that offered a ride. There was a couple from China that were also headed in the same direction, and they kind of stuck by me as I investigated the bus situation. I had planned on waiting, but one driver offered 100 rupees for the 3 of us. I know the bus still should have been cheaper. But they probably would have overcharged us anyway. So into the tuk tuk we went. The couple were from China and we actually ended up hanging out for a few days. The girl said I looked like Carrie Bradshaw, so I liked her right away. Not sure how I managed to do that all sweaty and gross. It must have been the fedora.

We made our way to the hotel, but not after the tuk tuk driver tried to have us stay at his place and do a safari with his group. I had my hotel confirmed and somewhat committed to their safari already. The couple had not, but I think they wanted to see where I was staying. And that's where they ended up. First thing that I did, was hang up all my wet clothes. I was hoping they would dry before morning when I had to pack it all up again. Second, food. Every time you get food you need to get some sort of juice to offset the heat. The food comes out piping hot and since the temperatures are high, I'm constantly sweating. It's obvious I don't live here. Although I'm not convinced I could ever get used to it.

Later on we decided to go for a walk to check out Tissa Lake at sunset. We took our time and checked out the temple nearby. We eventually found a good spot to watch the sun go down. But of course the locals had to try to sell us something. This time a boat ride. I understand why they do it but it's exhausting to be asked nonstop for something. We politely declined and proceeded to take in the sunset. The guy lowered his price dramatically and it sounded like it was now free. We decided to do it since they had kept asking. We proceeded to ride around for about 10 minutes on the lake to watch the reflections of the surrounding area. We did give them money in the end. They made some money and we got a nice ending to the day. Well not quite ending as it was only 6pm. Since it feels like summer, when the sun goes down I keep thinking it's later like 8pm. Which is good since I still have a few hours before bed. Especially with our early morning ahead of us.

Tissa Lake sunset.

At 5am, after some tea, our jeep picked us up for our safari. We passed many jeeps on our way to Yala National Park in order to get our tickets first. It worked out as we were in the park shortly after it opened. We really optimized our time with viewing all the different animals. And we saw a lot. Birds, deer, buffalo, lizards, crocodiles, and many others. Including elephants. We finally saw elephants towards the end. Elephants and leopards are the key highlights, but unfortunately didn't see the latter. But seeing 5 elephants made up for it. Although one of them was angry. A girl had dropped her phone from her selfie stick and the driver had to open the door to retrieve it. You are not allowed to get out of the jeeps and this is probably why. The elephant stared the jeeps down, and I was convinced focused on ours specifically. After a few more minutes of observation we safely drove away.

Elephants.

Another key highlight of the safari was the stop at the Indian Ocean. We were able to get out here and I immediately stuck my feet into the ocean. I would have gone swimming if I could have. But that would wait one more day. I had noticed some sort of structure that was destroyed and a memorial close by. The driver explained it was from the 2004 tsunami. I remember when that had happened and supporting some fundraising on campus that spring semester. But I didn't fully comprehend that I was now at one of the sites of destruction. People had died in the park but apparently the animals felt something and most had escaped to higher ground. After reading a bit more, Sri Lanka was the 2nd country (past Indonesia) that was impacted. This is something I thought about a lot during my stay and saw remnants of in the days following.

2004 tsunami memorial.

My next stop was the beach town of Unawatuna.

Ella

The rain just doesn't want to stop. It really inhibits my exploring.  Or forces me to relax and do other things that I need to (like get visas and book flights). But still, who wants to walk around in the rain? Especially when nothing gets dry? I did laundry and it took over 2 days to dry. Carrying around damp items is the worst. Someone did tell me it's rainy season, even though I looked it up again and it's really not supposed to be raining this much. Maybe all those websites are wrong. Oh well. There does seem to be a pattern though. Nice in the morning and rain in the afternoon. Which means I have to do whatever I want in the morning. Like with Kandy, I may not have done everything I wanted, but still enjoyed the non-raining portion of my visit to Ella. I actually decided to stay another night, partly due to the rain and not seeing everything, partly due to it being a cute little town.

Ella Main Street.

One of the first things I did in Ella was run 18 miles. And it was actually very pleasant. Way better than last week's long run in Amman. I got the full distance in, even though it was pretty hilly and humid. I started in Ella town, and did 3 out and backs on the roads leading out of town. The area is so beautiful, just like the train ride to Ella. I feel like my photos won't do it justice. As I ran around all the tea plantations, all the locals were very supportive of my run. They all said 'hello', 'good morning', and I got a few cheers along the way. Way better than honks and catcalls. One local girl asked me why I was running. As I ran off, I yelled out, 'because I like it'. And then she told me good luck as I went on my way. During my run, all the support I was getting, I was sending off to NYC to my sisters and all my friends who were running the marathon later that day. Even though I was halfway around the world, technology is so great that I was able to follow along like I was there.  I planted myself at a local roti shop for dinner and streamed the marathon. I was also texting my friend in Texas during the entire thing as we watched the elite, and tracked my sisters and friends. I end up falling asleep before one of my friends finished her very first marathon, but I woke up to news on a great finish. It was weird not being on 1st Avenue cheering, but this was a good alternative. 

Streaming the NYC Marathon during dinner.

After my long run, I decided to do a little hiking and check out the area. Now I didn't think I was going to go very far, so began my trek down the railroad tracks to Ella Rock. At first I was a little hesitant whether it was the right way. And who walks on on a railroad track? Besides the locals of course. But I saw many others coming back, so along I went. Now, did I make it to Ella rock? I don't think so. I made it to a rock, which had a great view of the Ravana waterfalls. Then I decided to turn around. I figured I ran 18 miles, and I was hungry. Turns out that I most likely didn't make it. I think it was a further hike and much higher up. But nothing was clearly marked, so I probably would have wandered around aimlessly anyway. 

Railroad hike.

On my way back, I stopped at one of the random restaurants on the side of the railroad. I was the only customer, and ordered some fried rice and tea. That's what you do in Sri Lanka. Rice and tea. And it was delicious. The portions are so big, but I'm always hungry, so I eat it all up.

Fried rice for lunch.

Since I was in Ella, right in the middle of the tea plantations, I had to check out a tea factory the following morning. I decided on the Newburgh Green Tea Factory since I'm a green tea drinker, although really not recently since everyone serves black tea. It was an interesting tour where you learn that all tea is from the same plant, but the process is different for each type. For green tea, you go through a series of heating and drying processes. However, this took all of 10 minutes to go through. I was a little disappointed that the tour was so quick, especially as the price had also gone up a lot from what I had researched. The TV in the waiting room area went through the process so I could have just sat there. I got a cup of green tea as part of the tour, but it was at the beginning instead of the end and had to rush through it since the woman was then waiting on me. This was really a shame and I do wish maybe I went to a different one. But it could have all been the same. I didn't even get to walk around the plantation, which was what I was hoping to do. When I was looking for Ella Rock, I happened to walk through a few fields, so I guess that was ok, but was still hoping to learn a bit more.

Newburgh Green Tea Factory.

After that, I decided to do a bit more hiking and this time went in search of the Nine Arches Bridge. And fortunately I found it. After getting direction from some locals, I made my way down what seemed to be the backyards of various homes to the bridge and walked along it for a bit. After the train went by of course. It looked like there was room to stand of on the side, and I did notice some people stayed put on the bridge. But since I have minimal experience of dodging trains, I plan to stay a little further back from the tracks when a train is approaching. 

Nine Arches Bridge.

On my hike down, a man flagged me down to see if I was interested in a snack or tea. I told him I was, so when I hiked back up, he prepared lunch for me. A guest book was brought out by one of his sons to show how popular of a spot it was. Now, I don't think this was a legitimate restaurant or cafe as they claimed. And I'm finding this is pretty norm for the country. You don't need to be a store to sell water, or a restaurant to sell food, or a licenced taxi driver to sell tuk tuk rides. This was something I figured out later. Since he was preparing the food from scratch, it took a while. But since it had started raining, I was in no hurry. After getting my fill of a huge lunch which consisted of various items like roti, curry, and a few other items that I couldn't quite catch the name of. I then topped it off with some more tea. After hanging out for a couple of hours and learning about his family and other visitors, I was ready to pay. I didn't quite understand at first, but finally figured out that it was based on donation. Which is when I realized maybe this wasn't a real cafe. Based on how full I was, I left behind what I thought was a suitable amount that I would have paid elsewhere. I hope it was enough. If anything, I had an nice experience with a nice man and 3 of his 4 sons. I also helped them out by giving them a geography lesson of the USA as they get pictures sent to them from their visitors. And if you find yourself in Ella, Sri Lanka and hiked to Nine Arches Bridge, tell them I sent you. 

Nice people and nice view.

I could have stayed in Ella for a few more days I think. But I was also itching to get out of the rain. And closer to the beach. But before the beach, I had to stop and visit Yala National Park. Stay tuned.