Udawalawe National Park ~ A Seahawks Experience?

January 17-18

Drive from Tea Factory Hotel (NuwaraEliya) to Udawalawe

Udawalawe National Park ~ A Seahawks Experience? 

At 6:30 am we take a walk into the hills and forest area searching for birds. The mist descends and the forest seems strangely quiet with few birds located.  Nonetheless it is an invigorating hike with glimpses of spectacular views.  As the walk finishes we are rewarded with a beautiful view of a baby Hawk Eagle sitting patiently in a tree trying to locate his morning meal.  
Next we have a tour of the hotel’s mini tea factory where the tea I have picked yesterday (along with the other 5 women’s day load) has already been withered, and now is rolled, fermented, fired or dried and sorted for packing into packets of black tea.

We take a 4.5 hour drive to Udawalawe National Park, stopping in Ella for a lunch of rotti and kottu which I am growing to love. 

One of many roadside stands along way

Chopping Kotu 

We arrive at Kalu’s Hideaway in time for a lovely swim with views of a peacock spreading its fan of feathers.  Dinner on the outside deck is lovely with eager discussions between Marie and John about how they are going to watch the Seahawks game. The internet at the hotel is very slow and with the time change the game will start at 1:30 am Monday Sri Lanka time. Since we have a 6 am safari drive they wonder if they should just stay up all night.

What is more exciting--- the Seattle Seahawks win against the Green Bay Packers or the Hawk Eagles and elephants?

Waking up in the morning and immediately checking the internet we learn that Seattle Seahawks won 28-22 in an overtime victory. We find a video of the game is not available.  However, on the jeep to the national park John narrates from his I-pad the verbal scripts of the game. There are expressions of dismay and disbelief at  quarterback Russell Wilson’s four interceptions.  But undaunted and persistent Wilson redeems himself and the Seahawks team stun everyone with a miracle comeback and a wild,victorious finish. Seattle returning for a 2^nd straight Super Bowl is incredible. I imagine the celebrations in Seattle now and our children figuring out how they can get tickets and the time to go to Arizona.  John talks of trying to download the video of the whole game and wanting to savor every moment. Steve thinks he only wants to see the last 5 minutes (where 21 points were scored) while Marie and John want to watch every second. While I am not a football fan and worry about head injuries and these player’s future lives, I can’t help but get swept up in the excitement.

Our safari jeep ride into Udawalawe National Park, tinged with Seahawks adrenaline is intoxicating.  This park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwas and Uva Provinces and was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe Reservoir. Perhaps because we have not seen many birds on our hike the day before we are amazed by the huge variety of birds. 

Blackwinged Stilts 

The brilliant fluorescent green, blue and turquoise colors of the Green Bee Eaters,  large Parakeets, and Peacocks stun us ~ perhaps not as much as the Seahawks. 

We see jackals sneaking in among the water buffalos, egrets sitting on the backs of water buffalos, and other birds such as the grey heron (with red eyes), a baby serpent eagle, a hawk eagle and hornbill pair (Tucan) and black solar kites.  The tiny Green Bea Eaters sprint back and forth and become so common I think of them as Sri Lankans version of crows.  Interestingly, they have the colors of Seattle Seahawks.

Green Bee Eaters

This park is known for its elephants. My guide book says there are 500 elephants here and our reason for coming here is to view elephants ~ personally elephants are my favorite animal partially because of their loving, empathic and protective behavior towards their young. However, in the first 2 ½ hours of the trip we are disappointed and discouraged because we have only seen 3 elephants. Where are the other 497 elephants?  Marie and I want to negotiate for more time here but the rules are that our time is almost up.  But like the Seahawks in the final 5 minutes, first a large elephant wanders towards us on the road and a few minutes later a small baby elephant lazily drinks water by the side of the road. 


So we learn it’s not over until it’s over. 

Steve and John with Guide 

Back at the Kaku hotel for breakfast and a swim before we set off for Katargama at noon. But John has been able to get the video of the game so John, Marie and Steve are entranced.