Sri Lanka and the Maldives

At the entrance of the park, I see numerous jeeps parked. Clearly, I’m not the only one doing this trip in such bad weather. In a convoy of several cars, we drive into the park. Ashok seems to know exactly where the elephants are, as he barely looks around for animals. The rainfall is clearly visible here. The vehicle often drives through deep puddles—sometimes meters long. Even in the back, I can’t stay dry. The raindrops blow in through the roof. I get pretty wet. At the lake, I already see a group of elephants. The many jeeps around them are almost embarrassing. I count at least thirty vehicles, yet there are only about four elephants. The jeeps race through the wetlands, spraying water and mud high into the air. Even in the back, I get splattered with mud. Further on, there are more elephants. I estimate the herd at over fifty. I’ve never seen so many elephants together in a nature park. Despite the somewhat dreary weather, it’s an incredible sight.