Our first safari

The alarm woke us at 4am and after a quick shower, we met our guide and driver, Tissa, collected our breakfast boxes (which are enough for lunch as well) and drove down to the entrances to Yale safari park where our driver for the day was waiting with the tickets. The park opened at 6 and we were the second jeep to enter. The game plan was to look first for the leopards and see the rest later.

At 6am, the gates opened and all the jeeps moved off over the bumpy road, fanning out down the various routes. Would anyone catch a glimpse of the elusive leopards today?

Along the way, the driver spotted a 'kill', possibly a water buffalo or a cow.

We continued our search, but to no avail.

But there was plenty of birds and animals to photograph

Clockwise: 6 am at the gate; dawn;









6am at the gate, dawn, water buffalo, jacket.








Peacocks, the display ceremony.








Black headed stork taking off, bee eaters, eagle, deer









Jungle fowl, wild boar,elephants and tortoise








Throughout our safari, each time that we passed another jeep, the drivers paused and exchanged information.

At 8am, we took a breakfast break and towards the end of the safari, we went down to the beach and Pat paddled in the Indian Ocean. There was once a village close to the beach, but it was lost in the tsunami of 2004.

We returned to the hotel and have been catching up with sleep and blogging today. While sitting on the veranda, we were visited by a boar who accepted an apple.










And later, heard a lot of noise in the trees- that could be only one animal





- Pat and John on tour