Author Topic: New Years in Sri Lanka.  (Read 39393 times)

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #40 on: April 25, 2016, 12:13:15 PM »
I feel like I've heard that once before from you already...
I'm consistent.

Offline Drago

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #41 on: April 25, 2016, 05:27:18 PM »
Me neither. Too bad it may never happen.

plz get up the next post tonight, as it would help many of us

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #42 on: April 25, 2016, 05:27:59 PM »
plz get up the next post tonight, as it would help many of us
Can I get an extension until tomorrow?

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #43 on: April 26, 2016, 07:38:09 AM »
Well there goes that, the rest of the TR that I had been working on just got deleted somehow :(

Offline Proisrael

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #44 on: April 26, 2016, 08:32:27 AM »
Well there goes that, the rest of the TR that I had been working on just got deleted somehow :(

Sounds like a story I heard in school about someones homework......

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #45 on: April 26, 2016, 08:32:59 AM »
Sounds like a story I heard in school about someones homework......

Offline sammy n

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #46 on: April 26, 2016, 08:46:57 AM »
Well there goes that, the rest of the TR that I had been working on just got deleted somehow :(
No ones gonna stop you from starting over.

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #47 on: April 26, 2016, 08:55:23 AM »
No ones gonna stop you from starting over.
And no one is gonna gonna stop you from coming over and doing my dishes.

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #48 on: April 26, 2016, 06:04:18 PM »
Around 6am I found my driver waiting for me and we drove the couple hundred feet to the park entrance.


Upon entering the park I saw this sign telling me that my luck ran out.


While the park has many animals it is primarily known for its elephants with over 500. In the first 2 hrs we didn't see any of those behemoths or leopards which I had no faith in seeing either way, Can you see the Elephant?


Well neither could I but it was officially there, and all the other jeeps there were snapping pictures of the invisible creature.
 but we spotted Water Buffalo,


Peacocks blocking the road,


Crocs,


Monkeys,


Jackals,


more Peacocks really blocking the road,


Kingfishers,


Bee Eaters,


many eagles and yet more peacocks,


as well as a bunch of other exotic and unique birds. Finally on the way back we came across a family of elephants who apparently hadn't gotten the memo to hide.




A lake thats only a lake in the wet season.


Even had I not seen them it was a very nice experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The drive up towards Nuwara Eliya is phenomenally breathtaking. Through endless plantations of tea,


coconut,


rubber,


and rice paddies.


With spectacular views of rolling hills of lush greenery


and waterfalls as far as the eye can see it was truly memorable.


 Most people do that route on train as the scenery is something else but with a child I opted into staying with my car after seeing train travel there and fearing the prospect of being trapped in that metal tube for hours at a time.


There are many waterfalls to stop by on the way with swimming holes.

The roads we drove one were like a 6 lane highway compared to the turnoff towards the hotel, it was 15 minutes of driving on a frighteningly thin path as it wound it's way up the mountains to one of the tallest peaks in the country. It was perfect size for a tuk-tuk but this was a 2 way road with cars, buses, and trucks fighting for the road with extremely tight and steep 180° turns. Whenever traffic comes from the other direction you need to back up until there is enough room for it to pass by the skin on your teeth,not for the faint of heart.




 
Upon arrival at the hotel there was some ritual we went through involving delicious tea and a dot on our foreheads. Quite a unique place, Its on a tea plantation and housed in a former tea factory and they left lots of the old charm. The main engine is still in the center of the lobby


and the elevator is an antique.




The staff is all in uniform,


and its all tea themed down to the handmade soap and shampoo containers in mini tea pots.


The hotel,


The property,


Lobby seating area,


Floor design in honor of Sinhalese new year made out of shredded coconuts,


Bar,


View from my room,


I was upgraded to one of the only 3 rooms with a balcony.
My room,


Good night.





Updated chances of me finishing this TR = 7%-93%.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2016, 07:29:21 PM by Emkay »

Offline Proisrael

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #49 on: April 26, 2016, 06:45:18 PM »
Is that a Rabbi in the bar??

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #50 on: April 26, 2016, 06:53:29 PM »
Is that a Rabbi in the bar??
It's a mannequin of the original British planter I think.

Offline yakrot

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #51 on: April 26, 2016, 07:08:40 PM »
I've never seen hotels make swans out of the towels like that and in your report there are two hotels that did it...am I the only one that thinks it's cool?

Offline yochiek93

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #52 on: April 26, 2016, 07:10:06 PM »
I've never seen hotels make swans out of the towels like that and in your report there are two hotels that did it...am I the only one that thinks it's cool?
It is cool

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #53 on: April 26, 2016, 07:14:40 PM »
I've never seen hotels make swans out of the towels like that and in your report there are two hotels that did it...am I the only one that thinks it's cool?
I have seen some pretty cool creations with towels in hotels I've been in. Maybe I'll start a thread.

Offline yakrot

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #54 on: April 26, 2016, 07:23:23 PM »
I have seen some pretty cool creations with towels in hotels I've been in. Maybe I'll start a thread.
I think I need to start hanging out in nicer hotels

Offline Emkay

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #55 on: April 26, 2016, 07:26:47 PM »
I think I need to start hanging out in nicer hotels
While it does happen more frequently in more upscale hotels, it's not limited to those. It's the ones that want to go above and  beyond. The other hotel that did it on this trip was less then $40.

Offline damaxer91

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #56 on: April 26, 2016, 07:30:44 PM »
I've never seen hotels make swans out of the towels like that and in your report there are two hotels that did it...am I the only one that thinks it's cool?

It's quite a thing in Asia

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #57 on: April 26, 2016, 07:43:24 PM »
Yay! You just increased my Simchas yom tov. Thank you.
^^^

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #58 on: April 26, 2016, 08:51:17 PM »
Wow! All those pictures are really nice, but that hotel looks really nice (ok, not the room carpet, but the other features of the hotel). Also that road looks like the width of the road on the back side of West Maui. Same procedure: small turnoffs and traffic needs to back up to let others pass (those going down hill always have the right of way if on a hill). Thanks again for sharing!

Offline AJK

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Re: New Years in Sri Lanka.
« Reply #59 on: April 26, 2016, 11:44:41 PM »
What I'd a doona and why has it changed your life?

Lol'd at the rules of the road hierarchy and the act like a chicken parts.

Great pics. What camera?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper