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| Sunday, 21 April 2002 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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On the trail of breathtaking beauty..... "What have you been doing all this time? Six hours! You took six hours to walk just nine kilometres!", exclaim my friends as I return to 'Anderson House' the bungalow of the Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC) my temporary aboard for the night. They had reached the house hours ago. Snail's pace they call it, slumped on easy chairs - after effects of their walk. True. It was my 'longest' walk in the Horton Plains. But, I'm brimming with energy, with a fresh breath and a fresh mind. "Have they captured her real beauty, the essence of the Plains?" I wonder. A group of us stepped out of 'Anderson House' in the morning, to the cool mist and warm sun rays. Walking along a jeep track, we come to a T junction. Both paths would carry us to the popular "World's End" one more difficult than the, other. We opt for the difficult path, where another attraction, the Bakers Falls await. We walk through the grassland and to our left are the hills, covered with bushes and trees. This is the virgin montane forest. The variations amaze me. The leaves of varied colours which absorbs Ultra Violet rays. Umbrella type fragmented canopies, twisted trunks, branches and dwarf trees, all adaptations to survive the rough gales. Along the way we come across little brooks. "Meet the origins of Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe" someone announces. Imagine! The water is tempting, clear as crystal. However, I would not venture in. The purity of the waters should not be disturbed. The ground we stand is bumpy. I stamp my feet and jump up... just to test. This is one grassy area where the water transformation takes place. The water molecules in the air are absorbed and stored in the ground which is soft and rubbery. I get to know the peat layer in the marshes around which goes to a depth of 2.5 meters. Horton Plains - a breathtaking beauty. Stopping for a few minutes to admire a bird, pluck and taste a minty leaf, look at a few birds on flight, butterflies feeding or frisking about, a few of us lag far behind the rest. All of us enjoy the nature trail - immensely. Blooming flowers - red, yellow, blue and purple. The calls and sight of a variety of birds. The squirrels jumping from branch to branch sometimes coming down far enough to accept a morsel of food, offered by visitors. Bear monkeys warning others of our presence. We continue in silence, very cautious and observant. Perhaps we might come across one of the rare sights of even a rarer creature, a greenish black lizard with a small white snout. The Horned Lizard endemic to the Plains. Now, our efforts though not rewarded fully, are fruitful. A majestic looking lizard, sunbathing on a branch sports all shades of green. He is "Kata Kaluwa" another endemic species commonly known by the black lines on either side of its mouth. Horton Plains is an "outdoor laboratory", I remember the words of the park warden. Indeed. It is home to 101 recorded plant species of which 49 are endemic. The variety of animal species are also amazing. Five out of the 14 mammal species, 21 out of the 98 bird species, 4 out of 5 reptile species and 15 out of 40 butterfly species are endemic. There are 20 amphibian varieties and 2 fish varieties recorded as well. Stepping over a stone or the protruding roots of a dwarf tree, avoiding a low hanging branch or a creeper and wading through brooks of crystal clear water, sometimes teaming with fish and other aquatic creatures, give me that heavenly feeling of becoming one with nature. The sound of water gushing down. Yes, it is the Baker's Falls. Sheaths of white foam falling, resting on one stone and rolling off another. A few visitors sit on rocks. A place where I would like to spend a lifetime. We reach World's End in time to warm up in the morning sun. The mist has cleared and binoculars show that the 'toy houses' far below have more to it. Why is it called World's End, I think aloud to be promptly reminded that "It will be the end of the world for you... if you dare take a few steps further." Next moment, the mist rolls in, catching me and my friends in her sweeping embrace. Heavenly.... among the clouds. We trek the shorter, broader and easier path back. World's End, is certainly not the end. There is a Small World's End too. "This is a better end", remarks a friend who is happy to notice the web of roads down below, in another province, another district. Hunger and thirst gnaws the stomach. The berries and fruits in abundance come to our rescue. If you are accompanied by someone who knows the wilderness, the jungle is filled with food to last you a lifetime. Otherwise, venturing into eating wild-berries could be most dangerous, sometimes lethal. We return to Colombo with a lungful of fresh air, and mixed feelings. Glad, on the one hand that such beauty still exists and sad on the other, remembering the sights on our way and back. Waterfalls - Devon, St. Clair, Gerandi Ella, Bambarakanda and even Baker's Falls trickling lethargic and sick compared to what it was a few years back. Belihul Oya, Kotmale Oya with rocks protruding over the waters, telling their own dismal tale. Acre after acre of forest cover on the hill tops turning into brown earth - giving way to unplanned tea and vegetable plots and housing. Back at home, facing the power cuts and water cuts, seeing huge tree trunks hauled into saw mills it flashes warnings - poses questions. "Would the natural resources of Sri Lanka be there tomorrow? How long can we live exploiting our natural resources?" Can anybody please answer? |
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