Diyaluma Falls

Today we rented a scooter to go on a trip. Our first destination was Ravana Falls. This waterfall is one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka and has a height of 25 meters.

We then went to our destination for the day, the Diyaluma Falls. The lower part of the falls has a drop of 220 meters making it the second highest waterfall in Sri Lanka. The upper part of the falls consists of several levels that form natural pools in which to swim. In addition, there are natural slides and high rocks from which you can jump into the water.

To reach the upper part of the falls we had to hike through the jungle for about 45 minutes. Since Madlin was attacked by twelve leeches while hiking yesterday, two of which even bit, we were particularly careful today 😳. Neither of us needs an experience like that a second time 😵‍💫.

After some swimming fun and a few jumps, we enjoyed the view from above. We could even see an elephant in the distance. We would have had the opportunity to jump from a rock ten meters into the water, but we weren't brave enough for that 🙈. The only person who took this plunge was a guide from the village. None of the many tourists present jumped.

We were really lucky with the weather because when we got back down there it started to rain heavily. The rain was only a short but heavy shower. After a few minutes we were able to continue driving.

Our next destination was a viewpoint near Haputale that our guide recommended. Here we met a large group of locals. We chatted briefly and said that we were from Germany. Shortly after the conversation, they picked up a large music box and two drums from their coach. They played local songs on the jukebox and drummed along. A few others in the group dance very passionately. We watch the hustle and bustle of the locals and applaud after every dance. After a while they played a German song and asked us to dance for them. Of course we complied with this wish and put on a lively Disco Fox. Both the locals and we had a lot of fun.

At the end of the day we had a traditional Sri Lankan dish; vegetarian rice and curry. The dish consists of rice and various vegetable curries, for example lentil, potato or pumpkin curry. We were also able to enjoy a beautiful sunset. On the way back we always pass a short patch of forest where hundreds of fireflies fly. This is what we look forward to most after dinner. Unfortunately, the souvenir photos are nothing.

We had a wonderful day and are now falling into bed tired. On our to-do list tomorrow are the visas for India and Kenya.