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OK my new key board as the pics first before text ! this is my safari seat vehicle
my new key board is of course doing some funny things with the interface maybe I need to get some interface app installed Still it’s nice to type with all fingers!
First a big Hurray!! In the upscaale shopping zone of big city Columbo I have found a bluetooth keyboard. actually had five to chose from, cost 1500 rupies (about $12.50) hurray again!
OK so backing up to the journey off the southern coast enroute to Ella in the high lands, keeping my bus trips to under five hours I stop for two nights at the Udawalawa park view hotel. The whole area tourist industry is based around vehicle “safari” through the National Park. I’d booked the hotel on Agoda at all of $11/night. The owner made it clear that the expectation was I would also book a safari trip. At $30 it made the whole two night stay still under what I’ve been averageing for aircon room & private bath so I agreed. Not too excited about a Disney like ride through the park. but OK. first he said we’d go the next afternoon, I must have looked disapointed (both guide books and experience say early morning is better to see animals) but then he came back and said If I would ride in the cab, not in the turck bed mounted seats I could go in the morning. At 5am ! OOOKay I’ve been hitting the streets around 09:00 after looking at email, doing my yoga, etc. We roll out at 5 to get in a vehicle line seeming to stretch a very long way. apparently we are buying the ticket for entrance, the other six safari goers will join us in an hour & 1/2. It’s all good though one of the group of english midlans tourist, elderly lady wanted the cab seat, so I get the rear highest bucket in the truckbed, much better view. The park is a maze of dirt tracks where ever the 4x safari truck drivers want to go. Lucky for us it hadn’t rained for two days. Still the ride was reminicient of Alaska at breakup driving on uninproved roads.
so it turnned out to be great fun, my guide turnned was a 20 year expeienced guy who really knew how to go where critters might be And they were. 37 elephants in many groups, lots of birds monitor lizards, spotted deer, black faced Macques monkeys, aligators, golden hyenas, many many wild peacocks, buffalo, plus the excitment of maybe we would get stuck in some deep mud hole ( didn’t but close acouple times)
OK good WiFi hear at my B&B in the middle of Columbo so lets upload some pics
Shawn's travel updates 