The pilgrimage, Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka.

Due to the poor conditions we were put under during our hike to towards the Lover’s Leap waterfall, the ladies demanded some kind of luxurious hotel experience to make up for it. We had been in worse conditions before, but after a couple of hours hiking and being expose to some rough wet weather conditions it seemed the ladies longed for a hot shower and a comfortable and clean bed to rest their bones at the end of the day, which we (the men) completely understood and respected.

Finding an Accommodation near to Adam’s peak trail

Since our plan was to climb to Adam’s peak, we weren’t sure what to expect and what type of hotels would be available nearby. We were able to find a couple of motels online on the way, but there wasn’t enough information about transportation and logistics so we didn’t have any pre-booking further to our stay in Nuwara Eliya. We decided to play it by ear. That wasn’t the first time that we take off on a trip without any hotel booking made in advance. (Read about our motorcycle ride from Lebanon across Turkey reaching Bulgaria and back, which we did without any prior hotel booking).

We took off on a quest for comfortable hotel. For few hours our road trip took a completely different direction. Stress started to build up because we couldn’t find a suitable accommodation near to Adam’s peak. “Here’s a hotel we found on booking.com, it is on our way and it has one of the best views, let’s check it out” one of ladies in the back shouted.

After taking several wrong turns and dead-end roads that Google took us on, we parked our filthy mini-van and walked to the hotel reception in our soggy shoes and wet shirts. The hotel manager asked a high price that exceeded our planned budget. “Was it worth it?” For me, not really. The manager endured a long negotiation without giving up. Maybe he had a reason why…maybe because of our look, I guess. It was then that our idea of finding luxury started to get shaken. “Ladies let’s head toward Adam’s peak and book the closest accommodation we could find and disregard its condition. I promise you a luxurious stay afterward” I said it in a not-so-serious voice and the boys agreed simultaneously by shaking their heads and rambling. Not so convinced, the ladies reply: “OK”

A Good Deal! Just What We Needed!

The road was gravel for the last part of our drive and for some time we doubted that we would arrive at any type of civilization. Fortunately, we came across this motel.

We parked next to the entrance and a man walked toward us with a friendly face. “Adam’s peak?” he asked. “We are searching for an accommodation as close as possible to the trail” Ronnie replied. “Search no more” he confirmed with a smile. “How many rooms” he added. “Three!” we all answered simultaneously. “For how much?” Ronnie added. “A special price for special visitors, I will take USD 25 for each room” he said while opening the mini-van door.

Ronnie and Edmond asked to see the rooms. A few minutes later, we heard a laugh coming from inside the entrance hall, and then the guys appeared. “Get your bags, we are staying here tonight” they shouted with a grin on their faces. It appeared to us that they got a good deal! Late that night we understood that the hotel manager offered us the accommodation with early morning breakfast and transportation to Adam’s peak track for USD 20 per couple. He even got us a local guide to walk with us all the way up to the peak.

The rooms were good enough for a one night stay. But since we were located in the middle of a forest, we could hear a symphony orchestrated by the forest night creatures. Occasionally, we had some 6-legged visitors.

The plan was to get some rest and few hours of sleep before we wake up early in the morning and start our journey up on the mountain trail. We wanted to catch the sunrise from up above which was expected around 6:20 am. Therefore, we had to start our walk at 2:30 am.

The Early Ascent to the Peak

At 2 am, we heard a knock on our room door. We were barely able to open our eyes. It was the hotel manager waking us up. On a table he had prepared a set of omelets and cheese for breakfast. “There is a possibility of showers, I have waterproof vests if you want to buy” he said. We looked outside and we saw that he was right, so we accepted his fair offer. A local guide drove us in a small bus all the way to the mountain trail. It took us around 15 to 20 minutes to arrive. It was so dark that we couldn’t see any further than the few meters illuminated by the vehicle’s fading front lights, but we felt every pebble and stone we crossed over.

The Religious Significance of Adam’s Peak

At 2:30 am we started our ascent to the peak, giving ourselves enough time to witness a unique sunrise. Adam’s peak is also known by the name “Sri Pada” or the “sacred footprint”. However, the religious significance of Adam’s Peak depends on who you ask; Buddhists claim that the footprint mark is the left foot of Buddha, Hindus consider the footprint to belong to none other than Lord Shiva, while Muslims & Christians believe it’s Adam’s first step after being exiled from the Garden of Eden. At a height of 2,243 meters, Adam’s peak is the 5th tallest, but the most sacred mountain in Sri Lanka.

The Mystic Hike

The trek was a mix of almost 6,000 steps built by Buddhist monks. The challenge started shortly after we completed the straight part which was about few hundreds of meters. It was quite chilly at that time. What made it more challenging was the occasional drizzle accompanied with low and thick fog. At times it didn’t look promising and it made us doubt the possibility of reaching the top in such weather. Climbing the stairs up, in complete darkness, occasionally lit by some other trekker’s phone torch, in the misty and wet cool breeze gave our hike a more mystic sensation. The perfectly fit guide leading the way up the stairs waited for us occasionally at turns and other potentially confusing passages. We took few 10 to 15 minute breaks at some designated spots where we could sip a hot cup of tea and have something to eat.

Gratitude Can Be Expressed in Many Ways…

After a couple of hours, the fatigue started to show on our faces. Our hearts beat fast and our feet became numb. I looked back and asked: “How’s it going ladies?” at first there was no answer. The sky started to lighten up from a pitch black to a dark blue. I could see the look on their faces. We continued our way up.

“Make way” said Ronnie, who’s the most athletic between us. I turned to him and saw a shoeless Sri Lankan pilgrim pushing on his shoulders a 50 kg bag heading toward the summit. Astonished by his walking tempo and speed, I asked our guide. “What does this guy have in his bag?” he looked at me and said: “as a way to give back to their community, the monks give a small compensation for those who help them pull up the construction raw material to the top. This guy is holding construction pebble stones which will be used to maintain the damaged parts of the stairs and the temple” he continued “some may offer their effort instead of money, to Buddha or god in gratitude for a wish that came true”. “That’s amazing” I replied with wondering eyes

Is it God?

I have always been fascinated watching people from different religions across the world praying for what they believe in. We had the same feeling when we attended the Easter Mass at “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church” in Goa, India. I may not be a religious person, but I have absolute respect for true believers no matter what their religion is.

It just makes me wonder how different people from different ethnics, religions, nationalities and cultures pray to different Gods and how some of their prayers are answered by these Gods. Are they all praying to the same God, but calling him with different names, or is there really a unique deity for each religion? What is the true nature of God? Could you imagine a life where the notion of God doesn’t exist? Since the first day, man has needed something to believe in. Man even built a god when he couldn’t find one to believe in. Yet across the ages, history proves that Man is the only creature cable of exercising hatred and destruction. Too many questions pop in my head when faced with situations like this so I better get back on track.

Racing Sunrise

While I was baffled with all that, Ronnie got his strength back from the sight of this pilgrim. “See you at the top” he said. In a flash he disappeared ahead of us, taking the stairs two at a time. The sky was getting brighter, enlightened by the shy rays of the sun behind the mountains. “We need to be at the top before the sun rises” Chantal said. “Let’s Hurry up” I shouted with my voice hardly coming out of my throat.

Catching a Unique Sunrise

The sun peaked from behind the low clouds, radiating its colors over hundreds of miles of greenery interspersed by rivers and waterfalls. Shortly after, we felt the warmth falling on our wet faces and feet.

We had a couple of stairs left to reach the temple at the top, but we decided to pause and enjoy the majestic moment. It wasn’t long before waves of darker clouds started forming below us which covered the views of the mountain slopes and the valley. We were lucky enough to capture some photos before we continued our walk and were united with our athlete, Ronnie.

By the time we reached the top, strong winds were blowing which sent goosebumps all over our bodies. We had to cover ourselves and enjoy the cup of tea that the monks had offered us upon our arrival. After digging through our backpacks for some food, we found a shelter away from the wind and had something to eat. We rested for almost an hour and got our strength up and headed back out.

On our way down, we had the chance to enjoy the beauty of the nature that surrounded us, which we couldn’t distinguish at night.

Heading Back

“How many times do you do this route every day?” I asked the guide. “3 to 4 times depending on the speed of the group I’m with” he looked at me and smiled. “I hope you don’t get many groups as slow as us!” I replied sarcastically.

Adam’s peak is certainly not for everyone. For those who love to hike and enjoy physical and mental challenges, it would be pure pleasure. For us, it was an achievement and the highlight of our minivan road trip across Sri Lanka.

One thing was certain, we needed to rest our bones and muscles, and before I forget we had a promise that we need to keep for the ladies. We had promised them a luxurious stay.

More about that luxurious stay in the following post

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