When I moved to Colorado in 2006, I became an avid hiker, and as a result, whenever I travel, I always try to search out a good hike. Sri Lanka offers a plethora of options and while the difficulty levels vary, Sri Lanka's level of beauty never does, so regardless of what hike you choose, your walk can leave you breathless yet enchanted.
Perhaps the most famous hike is Adam's Peak in Dalhousie. This mountain rises 7,360 ft/2243 m into the sky and is said to bare the sacred footprint of Adam (or Buddha or Shiva or St. Thomas depending on whether you ask a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist or a Hindu). Adventurers and pilgrims alike begin the ascent shortly after two a.m. in order to summit by sunrise.
But because we were in Ella not Dalhousie, and because I would be climbing by myself, and because I did not fancy a wake-up call at two a.m., I opted out of climbing Adam's Peak, and instead, went for a smaller version quite appropriately named Little Adam's Peak. And although that meant I gave up all chances of walking in the footstep of a spiritual great, I was content with the one and a half hour hike and the views that stretched out over Ella Rock and the rest of Ella Gap.
When I finished the hike, I stopped at a cafe where I enjoyed a cinnamon coffee with cream. The heavily flavored, slightly sweet, milky rich coffee tasted immediately like home. And for a long moment, I thought of my dad and how much he would enjoy this particular mug of his favorite liquid.
When the coffee was finished, my driver suggested we walk a bit further to see the Nine Arch Bridge. And, as you can see, that turned out to be a bit pretty.
When the coffee was finished, my driver suggested we walk a bit further to see the Nine Arch Bridge. And, as you can see, that turned out to be a bit pretty.
Total miles hiked: Too few to count.
Total moments of beauty: Too many to count.
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