Week Without Walls (WWW) is an educational trip outside of school which is not only aimed towards exploring the host country, but also providing the students opportunities for service learning and outdoor education. For our WWW we have four choices:
- Highlands: A hiking oriented trip designed towards exploring the ecology of the Sri Lankan Highlands.
- Hambantota: Working on building projects and leading activities in local schools.
- Cycling: Biking and exploring the northern central dry zone of the island.
- Jaffna: Interacting with the kids in the SOS villages located in Jaffna and Anuradhapura.
For my first and final Week Without Walls, my first option was the Sri Lankan Highlands, which I was lucky enough to be a part of. As I am new to Sri Lanka, I haven’t had a chance to explore the island, and this gave me an opportunity to experience the high altitude ecosystem in the Horton Plains National Park. I chose this trip is because not only do I love high altitudes, it would give me an opportunity to escape the humid climate of Colombo. The guiding question for our trip was: How can we better understand the fascinating ecology of Sri Lanka’s highland ecosystems through an interactive trip that emphasizes learning through the medium of photo documentation and learning? To what extent have humans modified the landscapes and ecology of the Central Highlands?
Day 1
We left OSC at 7 am and before we reached Belihuloya, we stopped at a restaurant in Ratnapura. The place was next to a stream, which was absolutely beautiful. As we ascended up the gorgeous hills, you could see the scenery changing. Before we reached our campsite, we walked about 8 km during which we had a chance to observe many different types of birds and insects. After we reached our campsite we had dinner and then headed out for a late-night walk, looking for insects.
Day 2
One of the best days of the trip, on Day 2 we had a chance to see the Lanka Ella Falls which was just amazing!!! The next morning I woke up earlier than usual, just to have a walk around the campsite before we left. It was pitch dark, and the temperature was probably in the lower 10’s. The mountains were covered in fog, and it was freezing cold. Before heading out to the Falls, we had breakfast and some delicious tea. The hike was not long, and we got to see another waterfall while on the way. Before we realized it, we were at the falls. The water tumbled upon the rocks, with an opening just underneath it, big enough for us to take a dip. Before we jumped in, I just wanted to see how cold the water was, and I can’t explain how cold it was. It was a challenge, and for a moment, I did not feel like going in the water, but I realized that if I did not go in, I would regret it. So I jumped in. The moment I jumped in, I could feel my body shivering with cold and I got goosebumps up my arms and legs. The rocks were pretty slippery and hard to grab but with the help of one other, we managed to see another day. After this hike, we departed for the Horton Plains National Park and did some shopping for our stay at the Mahaeliya bungalow. As we did not stay at a traditional hotel, we had to buy our groceries and vegetables for our two-day stay. We were divided into groups and my group had to buy vegetables and fruits. One of our goals on this trip was to use the least amount of plastic as possible, and for this reason, we carried cloth bags even when we were buying vegetables. We were accompanied by a teacher, and she helped us sort out the vegetables and helped us understand which vegetables were good to buy. Later that day, after we had our dinner we were out stargazing outside the bungalow and then headed back to sleep.
Day 3
Today was the day we ventured off to climb the second-highest peak in Sri Lanka known as Kirigalpotta. Measuring at 2388 m above sea level, it is located in the Horton Plains National Park. The hike was very long and it took about 5-7 hours to finish. We started in the morning at 8 am and came back at around 4 pm. Along the way, we got to see some amazing animals. We saw the Brahminy Kite, giant squirrel, bush warbler, and a mongoose. At night, after we had dinner, we also had a chance to see some constellations.
Day 4
We woke up quite early today and climbed the third highest mountain in Sri Lanka, Totupola Kanda. After that, we went for a lizard search. We didn’t find many lizards but we saw the rhino horned lizard. We left the Horton Plains National Park and arrived at the St. Andrew’s Hotel in Nuwara Eliya. Day 4 was definitely the highlight of the trip, as we went to Victoria Park to search for rare birds. Generally, I am not a big fan of birds, but thanks to one of my classmates Luca, I was able to learn a lot more. At first, it was very boring, but when Luca told me that there is a rare bird called pied thrush, which he had never seen, I was pretty excited. We spotted a lot of birds, and I occasionally annoyed Luca to tell me which bird we spotted. The search for the pied thrush lasted for two hours but it was definitely worth it!
Day 5
Unfortunately, today was the last day of the trip. Definitely, the best trip I have ever had. Today we drove to the highest peak in Sri Lanka called Pidurugalatala and we looked for lizards. Not only did we see a lizard, but I also managed to catch it myself! It was absolutely beautiful. Our last activity on the trip was when we stopped by an Orchid at Watawala to search for a rare daffodil. Over the last few days, I learned many new skills and techniques. Some of the things I learned are how to take a good photo, how to buy vegetables, and about the different types of species in the Highlands. This was definitely one of the best trips I have ever had, and I am grateful to my teacher for giving me an opportunity to be in this group even after the trips were finalized.
Lizard Picture
Here is a link to the places we explored:
WWW highlands 2019: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1C7GmzjzK9SsgPi_d1J5LK9zcV3moGpNq&usp=sharing