December Hike Day 2: Horton Plains

World's End

Camp was cold.

There were freezing gusts of air that blew so hard, we heard the trees howl and moan throughout the night. Thank God we were all cramped inside one big tent and had each other's body warmth. Trust me, it still didn't help. We all slept in fits & starts and that only coz we were so tired.

The dying fire BEFORE it revived

And did I mention that we had to wake up at night to put out a fire? Yeah, so were were very responsible and put out our campfire completely before we went to sleep. Thanks to the crazy wind however, one tiny stray ember had been brought back from the dead. By the time we heard the crackle, there was a merry little fire going, happily feeding on a log close by.

We set off... (on a paved road)

The boys put it out of course. Nearly froze to death in the process.

Next morning, we went to Horton Plains. Seriously, words cannot describe just how LONG that walk is. I swear, I have the heart of a hiker; my body needs to catch up. Not to mention that my bestie is an avid cam-'o-holic (as opposed to an amateur photographer) and would take a photo every 5 minutes. No hate - I love that girl.

We took the left route; came back the right way :P

On the way to Baker's Falls

Anyhoo, we did it. Conquered both Little and (Big?) World's Ends-es. The views were of course breathtaking and cold. The wind was biting and sharp, and I could feel the skin of my lips cracking bit by bit the longer we stayed. But man the experience was worth it.

And then back down, through Baker's Falls and the crystal clear water that was more like glass being blown in a factory. We avoided the crowds and crept further down from the falls. There we splashed some water, struck some poses, took some pics (of course) and refreshed ourselves. It was divine.

... Sigh

😂😂😂

I'll tell you what wasn't divine though.  There was absolutely no cell coverage. None. It was a nice respite from my bestie's office (which kept texting her for some reason) but seriously. We were on top of a mountain!!! Also, we needed to call down to our tour coordinator Amila aiya to send up the cruise cab and our lunches. Without signal, we couldn't reach him so we started WALKING out of the park and down the road till one of us got a bar. It was past 4PM when he finally came up and we hurriedly ate coz we had yet another hike to do.

Oh. I just realized how long this post is. You know what guys? Thotupola kanda can wait till next week :P Till then, check out more pictures from our hike here  (@travel_with_hiru) and here (me! @girlwithabudget)

(Approx.) Time Taken : 10 hours
(Approx.) Total Cost    : LKR 10,000 (for 4 people)
Satisfaction                 : 4/5

*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2016