16th March- Ella to Tissamaharama for Yala National Park

We shard a van with a German couple down to Tissa. They asked us if we were from Malaysia to which we answered yes. "We have been to Maleyszia a few times....highly develowped!", the male out of them said. I smiled and thought, you have obviously not been to Kodiang.
Yala National Park is a protected wildlife zone where animals like elephants, deers, leopards, crocs all roam freely. It was a highly anticipated visit as neither of us had ever seen a leopard in the wild so we were quite looking forward to it, assuming of course, we could find a leopard. We arrived at our guesthouse to find 2 French girls and a guy waiting to go on the safari at 2 and they suggested that  Zul and I share their jeep as well so that it'll be cheaper. We did plan to stay in Tissa for 2 nights but seeing as we got there early and the guest house was what Zul coined as a "whorehouse for whores in transit", if we can do it now, why not? Slight miscommunication led the Frenchies and the organiser having 2 conflicting ideas to pricing, so an arguement ensued. I told Zul that these French people are making every cent count whereas we Malaysians were okay with a relatively reasonable price and our RM is a good times 5 against the Euro. Funny. In the end everyone agreed to pay Rs4000 (RM 100++) each and we set out on our way.

Babi huts!

Yes, there's a beach in the park! Amazing isnt it?!

ELEPHAAAANT!!

No leopards :( boo

I was quite surprised at how the landscape changed from hilly and fresh to dry and dusty- feels almost like Africa! not that ive been, but I imagine it to look more or less like that. We went round for a while to look for leopards but none came out to play :( we had fun, nonetheless, mainly because we didnt expect this from Sri Lanka. The French were great company on the jeep as well where one of them claimed a mongoose as a "giant squirrel", for lack of a better word :P