Darkness had fallen by the time we pulled into the parking area in front of a café. We were told this was where we left our minibuses and continued our journey in a jeep. There was only one jeep for 10 of us but we kept squeezing up until everyone was on board. I had an iron bar pressing into my ribs on one side and an elbow on the other but at least I was so firmly wedged on the narrow wooden bench lining the side of the jeep it was unlikely I would fall off. We pitched straight down a steep, bumpy hill into darkness. Headlights cast a thread of light ahead and all we could see was stony ground and trunks of trees. Some corners were so sharp the jeep had to perform a clumsy three-point. There was an involuntary scream when some white figures loomed out of the darkness ahead. Nervous giggles followed when we realised they were large white sacks being carried by three cows.
We had no idea what lay ahead of us. No welcoming lights beckoned us towards them in the jungle below. We were still mystified when we stopped in a small clearing lit by one lamp swinging from the branch of a tree. We were encouraged to get out of the jeep. We did so and peered around us. They someone spied a small, canvas covered cabin swinging through the trees towards. The next stage of our journey was about to begin.
As the cabin could only carry a maximum of five people at a time it was a while before we had all descended to a large wooden platform below. There were still three more people and eighteen cases to come. It was going to be a long time before dinner. We sat down and waited for the cabin lift to re-appear. All we could see beyond the platform were narrow paths disappearing into the jungle around us.
Realisation was dawning that getting back up to main road would be the reverse of our journey tonight and could be a large chunk of time out of tomorrow’s programme. Unless we could put a plan in place. It was soon agreed that luggage would be collected and dispatched in the cabins at 7 in the morning while we had breakfast. The only flaw in this plan would be if the cabin lift refused to co-operate. We had dinner and then bedded down in our generous accommodation – one large room each. Complete with mosquito net and a variety of wildlife. I was lucky, my fellow residents were scrabbling around in the rafters above me and I was confident the mosquito net was strong enough to support anything that fell down during the night.
The next morning when I left my room just before 7 am everywhere was quiet – and empty. No sign of either cases being collected or breakfast on the go. Others joined me and we went hunting for case carriers and food. Both finally arrived.
But the cabin lift, now full of cases, remained stubbornly still. I went to investigate. There were people tinkering with the machinery. I was informed operations would start at 8 am. I reminded them it was cases at 7 and people at 8. They knew that but unfortunately the machinery was refusing to oblige.
I had already been assessing the chances of walking back up to the top of the gorge. Now I could see a path beyond the wooden platform. My enquiries were met with an offer to show me the way. I set off with my guide. We soon came upon a long rope bridge that spanned the river flowing along the floor of the gorge. This was going to be fun. I followed my guide to the middle of the bridge where we stopped to appreciate the view and take some photos.
After the bridge we walked through a fertile meadow to the bottom of a stony path that went straight up the side of the gorge. As I started to make way up to the top I realised I had not told anyone where I was going. But, just as I was considering the possibility of turning back (I did not have a SIM card for Sri Lanka) I was suddenly in sight of the top and our jeeps. I was able to use the driver’s phone to inform the group I was at the top.
It was not long before we were all gathered at the top and on our way down the track that looked a lot more friendly in daylight. Our schedule had been rescued and we were on the road again continuing our adventures in Sri Lanka.
