A day we would
never forget…
Checking out of Kandy Land was always going to be a bit sad.
We had made many memories here. Big Al’s ton, Seb’s 5 fa, Barker posting its
first ever score of 400+ in a tour game, egg hoppers with every meal – all
special moments. But it was time to check out of the palatial Amaya Hills Hotel
and pay our room bills. Room 76 – that comment was meant for you.
The tourists were pumped for today as Ravi and Professor
Thomlinson talked up the experiences of Day 8. First was a half hour ride to
Geragama Tea Factory. We were taken through the process of making tea and
various varieties that this factory produced. It proved another quality venue
for the boys to purchase further souvenirs for family and loved ones. The
jackfruit black tea was a surprise winner when it came to aroma.
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| A small fraction of the 265 million tonnes that SL export to the world. |
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| Tea for two with Luke and Tyler. |
You could feel the humidity increase as we left the hills
and headed south towards Pinnawala. Dr. Merven mocked the wardrobe choice of
some staff members, but a relatively quick retraction was made when after 10
minutes in the heat it looked like he’d been bathing in his clothes. The group
had reached Pinnawala Elephant Sanctuary just before lunch. We alighted from
the bus quickly to avoid fines from local police and walked down a narrow
street to amazing scenes.
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| Benny R cleaning behind Chamindah's ears. |
It is often said that an elephant never forgets. It is
believed that an average Asian elephant has a memory of 40 years – a fact
obtained from less than politically correct training methods. The lads that
decided to go into the river and help bath some of the local elephants will
hopefully remember for much longer. To be able to get up close and personal
with such majestic creatures is a unique opportunity and provided time to
reflect our lives, their lives and the universe; all while trying not to get
hit by elephant dung. Unfortunately for Angus, his deep thought led to a lapse
in concentration.
After Justus got just the right profile picture for his
Instagram account, we headed up to a local restaurant for lunch. The choice of
buffet didn’t seem to appeal (#firstworldproblems) but the coaches’ eyes lit up
when the words “beef burger” made an appearance on the menu. This place was
going to get the highest possible rating on Trip Advisor. Ecstasy turned to
agony when the waiter informed us they were out of beef. Pinnalanda Hotel –
you’ve made the list!!!
The second part of our Pinnawala experience allowed all and
sundry to get close to some baby elephants. Pats and scratches all round; even
some for the elephants. Max had a special moment when he milk fed one of the
babies in the enclosure. Very special. Back towards our pick up point provided
further occasion for souvenirs. Others absolutely love the chance to
demonstrate the skill of bargaining and “the walkaway”. This coach’s best
effort 60% off. Others seemed to revel in the gem shop. After an hour we were
allowed to leave when Dan had finally made the right purchase.
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| Introductions are made. |
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| Then it's feeding time. |
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| After a 250 run win yesterday, Merv is seeing if there's any cricket coaching jobs in Colombo - he loves the humidity. |
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| The best way to beat the heat. |
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| Awwwwww. Little Fernanado. |
A longer bus ride on our way back to Colombo
(with a quick cashew nut stop) and a welcome arrival at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel
at 5pm. It’s hard to believe that given the opulent settings thus far, that
this was our first 5-star venue. We have been well and truly looked after and
I’m sure the boys do appreciate it. A quick team meeting after an amazing dinner in
preparation for tomorrow’s game and then straight to bed to dream about
elephants no doubt.
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| We could get used to this... |
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