So, this is what I've done so far on my little vacation. The whole thing was masochistic insanity, and I DON'T recommend you go about this in the following manner:
- Took a night bus to Bangkok to catch my flight (I left a few hours earlier than last time specifically so that I wouldn't miss my flight again).
- Didn't sleep.
- Got to Bangkok Airport a few hours early and fell asleep on a bench. When I awakened in time for the flight, it had been delayed by 3 hours (I don't know why this couldn't have happened the first time, when I went to Doha. No, it happened the day I came early).
- Spent $10 on a tiramisu and a bag of cookies (lol, yes, ten dollars).
- Discovered Sri Lankan Air gives meal vouchers during delays. Bought a Double Cheeseburger at Burger King and saved it.
- Left at midnight and came into Colombo, Sri Lanka at 3 am and got locked out of the hostel.
- Pounded on hostel gates till they gave me a room (which had unexpectedly gone up in price.)
- Woke up at 11 am and went to the Bus Station. Got a bus to Hatton.
- Arrived in Hatton at 6 pm, and discovered it was too late to go to Dalhousie, the pilgrimage site I wished to attend. (Though the bus ride to Hatta is a beautiful, tortuously-wending journey through the mountainside, so definitely come check it out sometime).
- Takes tuk-tuk taxi to the mountain for 1200 rupees, down a bumpy, narrow, 1-lane back road with sheer cliffs and no guard-rails, on which two buses habitually pass each other.
- Arrives at 7pm and walks up 5200 stairs, still carrying all luggage in a backpack. Eats BK cheeseburger from yesterday.
- Arrives at the top at midnight. Realizes there are no more spaces for sleeping, so shivers and dog-piles with a group of co-pilgrims till 6 am. Realizes there is no food.
- Discovers the day is cloudy and misty, and view is obscured by a lit loudspeaker. Discovers we're too wedged-in to move. Gets chewed out by co-tourist for loudly suggesting that we move.
- Refuses to watch sunrise under such conditions and instantly hates Adam's Peak. Dismisses the journey as "a total waste of time".
- Storms 12 km down the mountain range to Ratnapura. Injures legs and cannot walk. Somehow forgot to eat more than a single Chapatti or drink anything.
- Drags self to bus station and takes bus to Ratnapura, another 2 hours on a cliff road in which we nearly collided with another bus.
- Drags self to massage center and promptly passes out. Wakes up sicker than a dog the next day due to muscular strain and dehydration.
Yeah. I'm not saying it was a bad journey--most of it was quite beautiful and entertaining. My point is, don't structure your vacation the way I did. That was stupid. At least don't carry your luggage up a mountain in flip-flops, and don't hold any expectations. Also, don't take the Ratnapura trail unless you like suffering. Just go back to base camp and take a bus or taxi the next morning if you want to go there.
I'll shortly make a separate post about Adam's Peak that is more than just negativistic summary.
- Took a night bus to Bangkok to catch my flight (I left a few hours earlier than last time specifically so that I wouldn't miss my flight again).
- Didn't sleep.
- Got to Bangkok Airport a few hours early and fell asleep on a bench. When I awakened in time for the flight, it had been delayed by 3 hours (I don't know why this couldn't have happened the first time, when I went to Doha. No, it happened the day I came early).
- Spent $10 on a tiramisu and a bag of cookies (lol, yes, ten dollars).
- Discovered Sri Lankan Air gives meal vouchers during delays. Bought a Double Cheeseburger at Burger King and saved it.
- Left at midnight and came into Colombo, Sri Lanka at 3 am and got locked out of the hostel.
- Pounded on hostel gates till they gave me a room (which had unexpectedly gone up in price.)
- Woke up at 11 am and went to the Bus Station. Got a bus to Hatton.
- Arrived in Hatton at 6 pm, and discovered it was too late to go to Dalhousie, the pilgrimage site I wished to attend. (Though the bus ride to Hatta is a beautiful, tortuously-wending journey through the mountainside, so definitely come check it out sometime).
- Takes tuk-tuk taxi to the mountain for 1200 rupees, down a bumpy, narrow, 1-lane back road with sheer cliffs and no guard-rails, on which two buses habitually pass each other.
- Arrives at 7pm and walks up 5200 stairs, still carrying all luggage in a backpack. Eats BK cheeseburger from yesterday.
- Arrives at the top at midnight. Realizes there are no more spaces for sleeping, so shivers and dog-piles with a group of co-pilgrims till 6 am. Realizes there is no food.
- Discovers the day is cloudy and misty, and view is obscured by a lit loudspeaker. Discovers we're too wedged-in to move. Gets chewed out by co-tourist for loudly suggesting that we move.
- Refuses to watch sunrise under such conditions and instantly hates Adam's Peak. Dismisses the journey as "a total waste of time".
- Storms 12 km down the mountain range to Ratnapura. Injures legs and cannot walk. Somehow forgot to eat more than a single Chapatti or drink anything.
- Drags self to bus station and takes bus to Ratnapura, another 2 hours on a cliff road in which we nearly collided with another bus.
- Drags self to massage center and promptly passes out. Wakes up sicker than a dog the next day due to muscular strain and dehydration.
Yeah. I'm not saying it was a bad journey--most of it was quite beautiful and entertaining. My point is, don't structure your vacation the way I did. That was stupid. At least don't carry your luggage up a mountain in flip-flops, and don't hold any expectations. Also, don't take the Ratnapura trail unless you like suffering. Just go back to base camp and take a bus or taxi the next morning if you want to go there.
I'll shortly make a separate post about Adam's Peak that is more than just negativistic summary.
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