At World’s End. All good things... (part 1)

Next days I was hiking in the mountains (well, hills better to say). I was amazed by the beautiful landscape, breathtaking views, crystal clear waterfalls and tea hills – I’ve never seen so many shades of green before. So magnificent that it looked almost surreal. Actually, I thought of going on a safari in the South of the island, but I fell in love with the hill country and decided to stay there.

Lonely Planet recommended a hike through one of the national parks – Horton Plains -to a place called World’s End. Tempting... To get to world’s end... My kind of thing ;) I read about the trail that it’s recommended to start the hike early in the morning, the world’s end is an escarpment – almost straight down for about 900 meters. If one comes there after 10 a.m. there’s already mist and it’s not possible to see the view. Lonely Planet also recommended to hire a guide through the park (especially for solo women travelers...)

That morning I woke up at 3 a.m. (!) and was at Horton Plains about 5.30 a.m. and... the park was closed. No guides, no tourists, no one… Well, actually there was one guy – I think my car woke him up actually. Anyways, he let me in. “Do you know where to go?” – he asked. “Not really” I said. “Ok, so go right, then left, then right, then you will get to that rock, don’t climb up, it’s dangerous”. That was all. First thing I did was to go instead of right – left. On purpose. I got a map of the trail and figured that I will get to world’s end quicker with a shortcut. Not such a good idea...

The hike is pretty easy, however, so early in the morning, totally alone, it was an experience. The trail leads through plains, rocks, thick forest. I was on my way and out of sudden a small wild pig appeared in front of me. I didn’t move. I was totally surprised. The pig looked at me and run to the woods. Close encounter of the third kind ;) Anyways, I was walking and listening to the sound of nature – no sound of silence at all, woods are loud! It was really early in the morning, the path was muddy (important detail for the second part of my story), finally I got first to so called Little World’s End, then to the ‘real’ World’s End.

The view was – I have to use this word once again – breathtaking! No mist at all, first rays of sun seemed to fill the valley with light and the escarpment itself - when I came close to the edge - made me feel a little dizzy (although I do not have any acrophobia!). But it really did make an impression on me! I wanted to take a picture of that view, but as I was there alone I decided to step back a little. However, there was that rock the guy at the entrance was telling about – “if I were there with a tour guide I couldn’t do this” I thought… and so, not thinking much, I climbed up the rock. I don’t know if it was because of the magnificent view, the sun, the fact that I was there in that huge park alone, but I felt free and happy.

On my way back I met two tourists with a guide coming from the opposite direction. I was going through woods and at one moment I arrived at crossroads (cross-jungle paths ;) To make a long story short, I took the wrong one. I realized that something’s wrong when I got into a big spider web (between trees on both sides of my ‘road’) which meant people I met couldn’t go that way. Otherwise they (and not me!) would have got into the web ;) Then I got to a point where the path ended in very thick woods. I went back, took another path, but it was not that easy to find the trail. The path didn’t look like a path, believe me. Anyways, I remembered that I got a map and a compass, and so, little by little, I found my way. Then I also spotted footprints – I was relieved...

After the hike (me – covered with mud, dirt, spider’s web ;)) I took a 5-hours ride to Colombo where I was supposed to meet another couchsurfer. On the way I texted him asking for the address. He replied with the address of a posh hotel... I found it kind of strange, “but well, maybe he’s working there” I thought. I got to Colombo, said goodbye to my clueless driver and walked to the hotel. I called my host to make sure he will be at the meeting point. “Yes, sure, but how will I recognize you?” he asked. “Hm.. well, how can I explain? ...I’ve just spent five days in the jungle, hiking, believe me you cannot miss me”. As I was entering the hotel - a really nice one - with my backpack, in my dirty clothes, looking pretty much like a homeless person, I had the feeling everyone was looking at me, moreover, that they were gonna throw me out in a minute. Luckily, I’ve noticed my new host; I had no doubt that it was him – I’ve noticed namely a guy who was going my direction, looking at me and couldn’t stop laughing. “Well, one really cannot miss you” – were his first words. It turned out he was living close to the hotel and that's why that meeting point. I took a shower, put some clean clothes on, had a beer and a cigarette and I felt better.