Jungle to Jungle

After a super hectic week at work, I disappear into the hills and jungles of Sri Lanka on one of many hiking adventures. I love the great outdoors. Our lives are so tied up in the hustle and bustle of work and day to day life and the constant buzz of the digital world. Sometimes it’s important to take a break from it all and enjoy the natural world.

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The journey begins on Friday night close to midnight. As I wander out of my hotel, the hotel staff stare at me wondering where I’m off to in the dark. This time, I’m off to Knuckles; a mountain range in Sri Lanka that resembles a clenched fist. I join the rest of the group on the bus, which is exactly like the public buses here in Sri Lanka. This is no luxury trip I’m going on by any means. The seats are thinly cushioned, there’s rails on the windows and there’s no air conditioning. I didn’t come here for luxury though. We travel through the night, some managing to sleep and others not so much. Luckily, I’m one of those people who can sleep anywhere as long as I have somewhere to rest my head.

As I wake up in the early hours of the morning around 5am, I watch the night gradually turn into day, the light peeking up behind the dark mountains that surround us. The sky is shades of blue and the air is crisp and clear. Our bus is winding through the mountains on snakelike roads, and as I look out the window, I can see the sheer drop down the side of the cliff. I have no idea how a bus this size is able to navigate these narrow roads, but eventually we arrive at the small village from where we begin our hike.

Everyone is wary that Knuckles is full of leeches throughout the jungle. Some are wearing leech socks, others apply salt or citronella to their legs, all in hopes that they don’t get a leech on them. We begin our hike through the village and up into the hills. It’s 7am, and the sun is rising, but the temperature is still slightly cool for now. Looking back as we climb higher and higher, the view of the mountain ranges around us becomes more and more spectacular. A combination of green and blue mountains that seem to continue endlessly into the horizon. We trek further into the mountains, through the jungle, across rivers and both wet and dry terrain. And there’s leeches, everywhere. It’s almost impossible to see them because they blend in with everything around you. As if it’s not difficult enough making sure you stay on the right path, you’re constantly scanning yourself for leeches.

It feels like we’ve been climbing and trekking for ages, but it’s only midday. With the sun beating down on us, we continue our journey, not only to hike through this vast jungle, but to hunt for waterfalls. We move off of the beaten path and into wetter and muddier terrain. It’s slippery and every step has to be judged carefully. Our guide appears out of nowhere and takes us through the river down to the end where it opens up to a cliff where the rushing water disappears off the edge. We’re standing at the top of a waterfall with an open view of mountains and valleys.

Far off in the distance, we spot the village from where we started out hike. It’s a speck in this grand landscape and for a second I wonder how we managed to make it this far. Taking in this view is something else. The rolling hills and mountains, the rivers running through the valley, the heights to which we’ve climbed,  the sense of achievement having made it up this far, and the pure fresh air; there really is nothing better. It’s enough to get your adrenaline pumping for what’s next. As Newton’s third law of motion states, “What goes up must come down”. And making your way back down Knuckles is no easy feat.

What goes up must come down.

For starters, there’s no clear path and because we’re hiking down along waterfall areas, the incline is steep, the ground is wet, slippery, muddy, narrow and there’s a sheer drop off the side of where you’re inching your way down. It’s absolutely terrifying, let alone taxing on every part of your body. My legs were shaking, my knees were aching and I felt pain in places I never knew existed. I’ve been on a fair few hikes in my time, and I think of myself as being quite a resilient person, however the amount of resilience, perseverance, and mental strength required to get through a jungle like this is like no other. As I tried to get a grip, both mentally and physically, whilst losing my feet deep in the mud, all I wanted more than anything was a helicopter to descend and lift us out of there. I’m not sure how my crazy mind fantasized about this when more than anything I needed to focus on the task at hand. I was lucky enough to have the support of fellow hikers, and with patience and perseverance, we all finally made it down to the bottom and out of the jungle, whilst passing by a few more waterfalls on the way.

Feelings of utter relief washed over me as I hobbled through the rest of the hike back down and to the village. This was probably the most challenging thing I’ve done in a really long time, and definitely the most tiring. As the sun was beginning to set, we collected ourselves and began walking back to the village, which was another 5 kilometers away. At least the road was paved, but who had the energy to walk all that way?! Luckily, I had the company of my new friend, who helped me with the descent through the jungle, and we spent the next 5 kilometers getting to know each other and reminiscing and commiserating on the day’s events. Towards the last 2 kilometers, savior was a little tuk winding its way through the rural village areas we were walking through. We arrived back at the village, stocked up on water and snacks and piled back into the bus. The sun had set on quite an epic day filled with so many experiences and emotions. I fell asleep straight away, and when I woke up, we had arrived outside my hotel safe and sound. It was midnight, a full 24 hours since I’d walked out of the hotel the night before. As I walked into the hotel, shoes covered in mud and looking worse for wear, the hotel staff looked amazed when I told them I’d been hiking in Knuckles. I myself was amazed I made it back in one piece! All in all, what a tremendous experience. For some people, it may sound crazy spending the weekend trekking through jungles and mountains and scaring the living daylights out of yourself, but I’d do it again and again. It’s such a great release, and a better way to see the world from one jungle to another.