Mountain Biking in Sri Lanka…Sort of
Dave and I love to mountain bike. We hit the trails regularly in the summer and get out of the city as much as possible. It is so much fun to ride a new obstacle with success, get up the nerve to go down a steep trail and totally gratifying to conquer an epic climb. When we read that we could mountain bike in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country, we made sure to hop on the train to check it out. We didn’t have any shoes or helmets and unfortunately they don’t rent them along with the bikes. We had been itching for a ride however, so we decided to chance it and see what trails are around the area.
Adam’s Peak Pilgrimage
If there is one thing that both Dave and I agree 100% on is that we both love to climb. We love treks and we love the feeling of getting to the top. When we learn about a great trek or climb in a country, we just have to climb it. And yes, the reason is, Because its there. What luck we had that it was prime season for pilgrims to make their way to Adams Peak to climb. Adams Peak is Sri Lanka’s Holiest mountain and each year Pilgrims flock to climb its 5200 steps.
Ella Rock, Sri Lanka’s Highlands
It was time for a trek to get the old legs back in shape and what better place to start than in Ella in Sri Lanka’s highlands. It is the perfect place for a little adventure travel as you can hike the hills for days on end.
Trails lead you through tea plantations and dense forest paths. We decided to check out Ella Rock, the highest peak in the area offering great panoramic views. It is the longest and most rigorous climb in Ella, so be prepared for a bit of a grind.
Yala National Park, A Photo Story
Having a high concentration of leopards, Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to spot them. But the leopard isn’t the only animal you will see in Yala. It is teeming with life and exotic animals can be found around every turn. The Landscape reminds you of something more out of Africa than Southern Asia and it’s location makes it easy for anyone visiting the country to take a trip to try to spot the elusive leopard of Yala National Park.
Leopard Spotting at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Dave and I have never seen a big cat in the wild. We cycled down the continent of Africa and still managed to miss the lion. We went to the jaguar sanctuary in Belize and didn’t see a jaguar and we left India before we had a chance to go to the Tiger Sanctuary of Ranthambore or Khana. When we heard that there was a place in Sri Lanka that had the best chance of anywhere in the world to spot a Leopard in the wild, we knew that we had to go to Yala National Park.
Dave and Deb’s Excellent Sri Lankan Surf Adventure
Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka is a beach lovers paradise. For surfers, it is the perfect spot to try your hand at the board. Mellow, sandy breaks make it a pleasure for novice surfer to practice their turns on the surfboard. They told us we need a few more lessons and we will be pretty good. At $40 bucks a day that pretty much eats into our budget, but it is tempting to learn from the pros and eventually become the king and queen of the beach. With a little practice, people will soon be swooning over our talent and surrounding us for autographs just like Kelly Slater.
Another Camel Safari in Rajasthan, Two Times a Charm
When a person has a bad experience doing something normally they will say to themselves…”Never Again.” When Dave and I have a bad experience, we say to ourselves…”We need to find way to give this another shot.” When we learned that we could go on a camel safari in Bikaner, a town 300 km north of Jaisalmer we just had to give it another try. The Camel man is an eccentric man that drives around in a Range Rover wearing a wide brimmed hat and impeccable suits. Vijay is his name and he has been running camel safari’s since 1983.
Camel Safari Adventure, Not so Mystical in Rajasthan
We awoke bright and early to catch our tour to the desert. We were excited to be on our way. A camel safari was a big item on our list of adventures that we wanted to do in India. The day was bright and sunny and we drove out 30 km towards the Pakistan Border. We were happy to see that we had 4 camels and two guides. That is until our jeep left.
Bus Travel Can be Bad in India Also
We bit the bullet and left Mumbai on a non-airconditioned sleeper bus. The weather is not hot at this time of year so we should be comfortable. The bus arrived and it looked quite smart. We said to ourselves that we would be fine. Boy were we wrong.
Climbing in Hampi? Who Knew?
Dave and I love to rock climb. For a couple of years in our life, we climbed regularly all around the Toronto area. We were regulars at Joe Rockheads climbing gym in the city and we hung out with our climbing friends to tackle the local crag on the weekends. That is why when we heard that there was bouldering in Hampi, we just had to check it out for ourselves.
Deb Gets a Ride with the Temple Elephant – Video
We set our alarms to see Lakshmi the temple elephant of Hampi. It was something that we had wanted to witness for years. An elephant being washed in the river by her master. We thought that we had missed our chance because we didn’t go to the elephant sanctuary in southern India. But as luck would have it, in Hampi they wash Lakshmi daily.
It’s About Time, India Here We Come
We have been Blogging for months about this day and it has finally come. We are off to India! Even up until a few days before leaving, it didn’t feel real. But the reality is, we are going to travel and explore this beautiful planet. We will be spending our days in some of the most beautiful destinations on earth. We both love discovering new places, meeting new people, trekking through jungles, climbing mountains and we really enjoying doing all of this together.
My 3 Best Kept Travel “Adventure” Secrets
We were recently nominated to participate in Tripbase’s “3 Best Kept Travel Secrets” game by our great Twitter friend, Isabelle of @IsabellesTravel. So here are our Travel Adventure Secrets. The Pinnacles of Borneo, The White Desert of Egypt and Huacachina Peru. These destinations on 3 different continents are some of our favorite adventures. Enjoy these photos and an overview of what exactly each one is about.
Our Top Adventures in Asia
In Six Days we will be in India. While it is drawing closer with every minute, it doesn’t even feel like in less than we week we will be on the other side of the world. We may be starting in India, but we have a lot of countries on our itinerary and we can’t wait to visit all of these destinations. So we want to share with all of you the adventures that we are most looking forward to in our upcoming travels. Will Dave be wrestling in Mongolia or will we find ourselves taking part in a Pilgrimage…Most Likely. We just can’t wait to get this adventure started!
Electronics while Traveling… A Burden or a Blessing??
“What the %#*! Electronics am I going to bring on this trip??” This is usually the first thing out of my mouth when I start thinking of what we are going to pack for our latest adventure. Deb is usually concerned over all of those non important things like Visa’s, Shots, Banking etc. But it is I who dares to ask this dreaded question that plagues every photographer before they jump on that plane and head to the next destination. Well maybe not everyone but me for sure. Technology changes so much I am always chomping at the bit for the latest greatest on the market. Unfortunately I am limited to a budget so it narrows down the choices. Like anyone I would love to spend 10,000 on the best gear as long as someone else is paying for it. But alas the funds must come from my coffers so money is an issue.
Climbing Gunung Batur, Bali’s Volcano
We had come to Bali for many things however and climbing a volcano was one of them, so I wasn’t about to admit that I was chickening out. As it turns out, Gunung Batur is not a frightening lava flowing volcano at all. Yes, it is an active volcano, but you won’t see any lava fields flowing by as you walk up the trail and you won’t have to worry or fear that you may tumble into molten lava. I really should have done my research before we climbed and I would have known this. Instead I lay awake all night fretting and waiting for our 2:00 am wake up call.
2010 Chevrolet Equinox, A Review
We weren’t asked by General Motors to write a review about the new 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. We weren’t even asked by them to blog about our time on the Chevy Equinox Rocky Mountain Adventure. Like everything that we put on this site, we only write about what excites and inspires us. If we didn’t love our experience and find it worth sharing with you, we wouldn’t post it. So, after test driving the 2010 Chevy Equinox we came to the conclusion that, this vehicle could be our next purchase. It has everything that fits the adventurers needs and then some.
Canoe Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta
While paddling Dave commented on what an “Authentic Canadian Moment” we were having – Canoeing in the Rocky’s on the majestic Lake Louise. He managed to take some great views of the Glacier from a different angle than what others were stuck with being in front of the Chateau Fairmont. Also, looking back towards the hotel was quite beautiful and having the structure in front of the hills and forests gave a great perspective of just how large the land is.
Chevy Equinox Rocky Mountain Adventure – Part 1; An Overview
Alberta is home to simply the most beautiful mountain range we have ever seen on the planet. Driving north from Calgary towards the Rocky Mountain range was breathtaking. We could only come up with one word over and over. Another writer on the drive Chris, used the word Dramatic to describe the drive while we were eating dinner the first night and he was right. Once those rocky mountains appeared we just couldn’t get the word “dramatic” out of our heads.
Chevy Equinox, Rocky Mountain Adventure; Day 1
The Chevy Equinox Adventure is underway and we are so excited to start driving today!
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