February 1991
On February 1, 1991, we set out for the low lying areas of Horton Plains. The first night we stayed in a guesthouse where we would start our 9 hour hike at 6am and head to the plateau of Horton Plains.
The climb seemed pretty easy except for having to check for leeches constantly. There are only 2 ways you can remove these guys. One, by using a lighter and burn them off, or two, use Vaseline to make them slide off. If the leech already had his head inside your skin, then you got a different story. You might need some tweezers as well. By the time we crossed our first river, most of us had an encounter with one of these guys.
When we finally reached the top of the plateau, it was as if we arrived in another land. The sun came out as if it came to welcome us.
We arrived at the next guesthouse exhausted. As night started to fall, it became very cold like it does in the mountains.
The next morning we set out for the famous Worlds End (AKA Lovers Leap). The walk along the dirt trail to Worlds End was also mysterious. As the fog started to lift we noticed there was no one in sight except for us. It was so quiet that it felt like an alien was going to jump out at us at any moment. Sure enough, at the next hairpin turn, we came to Worlds End. It’s not every day that you get a view like this.
As soon as you reach the plateau heading up from Nuwara Eliya which is about a 1.5 hours drive, one can see breathtaking views of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Horton Plains looks like you have just stepped onto an uninhabited planet. Not much happens here and it is always peaceful. The last time I was here was in 1991 when I went on a field trip from my high school. Please visit my memoir Beautiful Eye to hear more about this story.
As we drove to the trail head where you can hike to see World’s End and Baker’s Falls, I noticed Farr Inn which was a guesthouse my family and I stayed in about 3 times. It is now a museum and research facility. A friendly deer came out to welcome us.
Me Sitting at the Edge of Worlds End in 1991
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