Day 2 began with me waking up at 5:30 out of my own volition and taking a cold shower. I would have opted for hot water but that would turn out to be a luxury on this trip. We ate breakfast, and packed our bags into the back of the vans that drove us up here. We drove an hour further up into the mountain range on tiny roads with steep drops when we arrived at a dead end with a path next to it. From here we started on my favorite hike of the trip. We traversed upwards into the mountains on a path accompanied by the non-native evergreen trees and the crisp moist air until we arrived at a stream attached to a waterfall. The other members of the group chose to swim but after my first run in with cold water on the trip I chose to hold back. Coming from Colombo, It was surprisingly cold up there. As we moved back we chucked pinecones  down the hills as laughter moved throughout our line.

Beginning our hike to Bambarakanda Falls on Day 2 of Week Without Walls (photo courtesy Mr. Ravi)

 

Bambarakanda Falls (photo courtesy Mr. Ravi)

 

Our Journey to Bambarakanda Falls

 

We got back in the vans and drove to our new accommodation where we would be staying for the next two nights. We dropped our bags off and had another traditional Sri Lankan meal. From there we got back in the vans and drove up to the tea plantations where we would begin a walk to visit Lipton’s Seat. The view from Liptons Seat was spectacular and probably my favorite on the trip. We ate samosas and roti at the top as monkeys jumped around in front of us as an attempt to barter for any leftovers. We got back to the hotel and separated into our rooms. I was finally able to take a hot shower and the day was capped off with dinner and a game of pool.

Learning objective – #5 Demonstrate the Skills and Recognize the Benefits of Working Collaboratively

Our group had to navigate across the uneven hills by calling out directions.