Grand Ella Motel

... the stars gave me more kicks than route 66.

I left Tioman Island and spent a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur which proved to be an interesting city full of amazing Asian cuisine and a number of worthy sites. I indulged in some star bucks and junk food in one of the super malls knowing that I would be unable to get my western fix for at least the next few weeks.

I took the bus last Wednesday evening to the KL airport at 11pm and slept on the ...

... short walk. Good views over the hills and across to our next conquest Ella Rock.

The next morning we got up early-ish in order to go up Ella Rock before it got too hot. Our driver decided he wanted to come too, which is just as well, as at first we went the wrong way! We also somehow managed to pick up a local guide on the way. The walk up was really tough but rewarding. We walked along the railway track, then through grassy fields and finally through an Eucalyptus ...

... and the British style houses. We visited a tea factory just outside the town to see how tea is made and it was fascinating - I never knew it was so complicated. On our way back to town we passed a Hindu festival, with men pierced with hooks through their back and legs, hanging and swinging from the hooks - it looked painful but they seemed to be enjoying it! An hour later when we ...

... it was still a beautiful sunrise. The valley behind the mountain was shrouded in mist and had different hues of pinks as the sun rose... gorgeous! The walk down was actually easier than going up but I think part of that was because we walked down with a couple and were distracted from what we were doing. At the bottom there is a man that puts a bracelet on your wrist and prays over you that most people stop off at. Ella For some reason the train system in ...

... organised for one of his mates to come down with his tuk tuk so we could learn how to drive it... Its way more complicated that we all though! I'm not a manual driver so i thought i would be stalling every time i moved but I did ok -- even managed to change into second gear..! We just burned around the footy oval in the mud -- the driving telling us to slow down on corners so we would roll... Next we visited our leaders shop and used ...

... a visit to Nuwara Eliya in the mountains. This trip wasnt quite so glamarious as a beach.... firsty our bus kept braking down on the 7 hour trip up the mountain, and secondly the place is so high up that the weather was exactly the same as the UK! I had 3 layers on and was still cold. Not only that but we didnt manage to find beds so we ended up on the floor in some farmers house with no heating... During the day was much better though, we went to a tea plantation and got to play ...

... choices. Kandy is a great place to base yourself for tours of most ancient sites in the central plains as well as excursions into the hill country. Don't stay in Colombo any longer than you have to, other than the international airport, some discount clothes shopping, a few historic hotels, and a handful of museums; it has little to offer the traveler. Despite the fact that there is a guerilla war going on in the north ...

... size of my belly, it needs to happen. 5) TUK TUKS - We need them in London. I'm sure they're more economical than black cabs. They're certainly more fun. 6) BARTERING - Can see me in Sainsbury's now when I say 'How much is that?', the cashier says '20 pounds' and I'll respond with 'Too expensive. I'll give you 10'. You never know, it may work! 7) SCENERY - Looking out the window as we've been travelling each day too and from ...

... the most popular person there. For a minute or two anyway. I'd like to think at least part of the excitement was my return to the group but I won't get too hung up on it! After lunch we headed off to Pinnawala where the elephants are and I came face to face with one of nellies for the first time. They are actually pretty scary. And when there's 20 or so of them moving round it does make you slightly nervous. But they are brilliant. They are all different ages and ...