Road Trip with my Dad

I had just graduated from my degree, and I was aimless at home. I was looking out for jobs, but there were few and far between.

My father told me he is going to Yala with one of his closest friends Uncle Stefan, and I jumped at the idea and asked if I could tag along.

The journey began from Colombo, and we headed firstly towards Galle. This was 2009, and there was no Southern Expressway, hence we took the good old Galle Road.

We spent 2 nights in Galle at the light house hotel, and we visited some friends of Uncle Stefan along the way.

Thereafter we set off to Yala. I was very excited as I hadnt been out to the wilds in quite some time due to the work in University. Reaching Tissamaharama we filled up the coolbox with crushed ice and with a box full of chilled beer and provisions we set off to Yala.

Our stay was in Nimalawa, just outside the park, and we dropped our bags, and headed into the park with our trusty jeep driver at the time Jagath.

Jagath decided to turn into the Welmalkema Road, and passing the main Kema area we came across a decomposing carcass of a Sambhur kill. Driving a little ahead we came across a leopard on the rocks. This is the first time I moved to a DSLR for photography as I borrowed my father's Canon 350D with a Tamron lens to try and get some photographs. It was too late in the evening and the photographs did not come out as desired. Nevertheless I was happy at the sighting of the leopard peeping from the rocks as a large wild boar passed by. After a few minutes the cat moved back into the rocks.

We turned our jeep around and came back to the kill, and noticed its been moved to a different location. This signified none other than the fact that a second leopard has moved the carcass while we were gone.

We decided to wait for some time at the carcass. It was quite difficult given the overwhelming stench, but we stomached it and waited. All the other jeeps decided to move off, and we remained. After over an hour of waiting, it paid off, when the leopard crossed the path in front of us and moved to the carcass. Given the level of decomposition it was doubtful the leopard was able to find anything to eat in the dead Sambhur which was mostly skin and bones by then. Nevertheless I kept on clicking and was delighted with this sighting. After it has had its fill the leopard crossed teh road and walked deep into the bush.





I was elated at the sighting and happy that my father and Uncle Stef were able to witness it as well.

The next day, we returned to the site, but had no luck, and we continued on our search. We came across the usual wildlife in Yala which was amazing from elephants, to crocodiles to a vast array of birds.

In the evening we returned to Welmalkema and came across a large male who walked across the rocks near the Kema (rock pool).

On our final morning safari, we decided to make a change and headed towards Bundala. We didn't see much wildlife but were happy to have a change of landscape and witness a park I handn't visited since my school days. We did come across a massive bull elephant who was prone to charging vehicles, and we did get abit worried at one time when Jagath had trouble starting the engine, but finally managed to do so and escape in the nick of time.

A great trip, and one of the first "post school" trips which began a new series of adventures for me.