Stony Rock and Flying Cloak

Two days in Ella - a tourist magnet. A vibrant little town filled with bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, and adventure activities. It begins with the spectacular train ride from Amwalla to Ella, already breathtaking in its scenic beauty, and the audacity and recklessness of some tourists can take your breath away. Unfortunately, I am seated on the 'wrong' side; while I enjoy the view along the mountains, Thomas sits on the 'window side' with a view into the valleys, taking in the vastness and depth. As soon as Thomas writes and shares his experiences, I will insert his blog link here. At noon, we see the train as it crosses THE bridge, one of the most photographed spots that always comes up when searching for images of Sri Lanka online!

Our first hike was up Ella's Rock, exhausting yet rewarding. The ticket counters annoy us a bit, as at the end, on the plateau, 50 m from the viewpoint, there is a barrier and a small booth with a cashier. Well - we consider it a good deed to help preserve nature. It's fascinating to see how many travelers are out with stickers; many of the signs allow you to spend some time discovering and reading.

Adam's Peak is the magnet, the adventure hill in Ella. You can get a ride through tea plantations - which we obviously don't do; we walk and first come across a station with a giant swing. It's not the swinging part, but a photo shoot that takes precedence. To get THAT photo, you can also borrow a crown and a cloak, and they show you how to spread your arms, form hearts and kiss as a couple during the whole thing. The main thing is that it looks good, which is wonderful to see! Once in a lifetime, to be this beautiful :-).

Further up, we see the zipliners racing over the valley, best with a selfie stick in hand, focusing only on themselves while the landscape rushes by. Sometimes we wonder... not who is the fairest in the land, but how important it has become to succumb to this hype, pressure, and facade. An interesting piece from LOGO on ZDF presents a study showing that after just one week of social media break, young women felt better and were more satisfied with themselves.
https://www.logo.de/social-media-studie-100.html

I admit it motivates us; I pose in front of a statue and act a bit silly, which is fun. Unfortunately, I can't achieve the swollen lips look at all ;-)

Some manage to make it all the way up to Little Adam's Peak; we enjoy the view and decide to try the skywalk on the way back. This doesn't simply lead through the treetops as we had expected; instead, it surprises us with wobbly, different surfaces in the nets, which adds a lot of fun.