Rice & Curry and the first leopards (Negombo-Anuradhapura)

We have now been in Sri Lanka for 3 days and have already experienced all sorts of things. This much can be revealed: We enjoy it to the fullest and really appreciate the hospitality and openness of the people here!

But let's start from the beginning - Monday morning we landed in Colombo early in the morning, Sri Lanka greeted us with a heavy downpour. It is currently the rainy season on the (south) west coast, so that was to be expected. Since we preferred to get out of the city, we went straight to nearby Negombo to arrive for a day and rest (accommodation was Villa Kapuru). In our opinion, one day is absolutely enough! A boat tour into the Langoon is highly recommended. The colorful fishing boats, the fruit on the boat and a short stop at Monkey Island was a wonderful start to the rest of the trip!

The next morning we went to the fish market at 6 a.m. (There is an app similar to Uber - "Pick me" that you can use to order TukTuks). We plunge into the odor-intensive turmoil and inspect fresh squid, shrimp and tuna.

After a hearty breakfast we continued to Anuradhapura , inland. The means of travel we chose was the local bus. Thanks to Google Maps we found the bus number - so hand out and get into the colorful and full vehicle! With Sri Lankan Bollywood music and a bit of wind in our faces, the 3 hours flew by - so quickly that we missed getting out. But a fresh papaya juice makes everything better and you don't have to wait long for a TukTuk, which then took us to the accommodation (Lake View Homestay).

As soon as we arrived, the owner made a plan for us. At sunset we went to Mihintale - one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in Sri Lanka. In the evening the grandmother of the house cooked for us - a real curry dream!

Today our alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. - safari in Wilpattu National Park ! After our homestay owner dropped us off at the park, our jeep set off at 6 a.m. sharp to have the best chance of spotting a leopard. And we had that, even twice. Close to a deer every time - but unsuccessful for the leopard, luck for the deer :) We were also blessed by an elephant, as well as wild boars, eagles, peacocks, crocodiles, jackals, monitor lizards, crocodiles, buffaloes, various rodents and many, many birds.

After a really delicious lunch, there was a portion of culture in the afternoon. Anuradhapura is known for its ancient temples, Buddha images and stupas. Shoes must be removed in the facilities. Our feet were grilled on the hot stones - but the atmosphere and views were worth it!

Tomorrow we move on - we're going to Dambulla!