SRI LANKA TRAVELOGUE

Colombo

After rather a long winded route I arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake, about 20 miles from central Colombo. Having only cabin baggage I got through the formalities pretty quick, and changed up some money before the queues started. It seemed I had chosen rather a bad week to arrive, as the Asia World Cricket Cup was in fall swing, and most of the hotels in central Colombo were fully booked up. After playing hard to get with a few agents and pondering my next move over a much need cigarette, I settled for a hotel room somewhat south of the city centre in Mount Lavinia. An hours cab ride later I arrived at Tropic Inn. Not a bad place to start my trip. Air con, a restaurant, and most important of all clean and quite. After a shower and a bite to eat, I put my head down for a few hours sleep. It was still early so I could wake up just after lunch and sort out my onward travel arrangements. Which is just what I did. Luck would have it, that there was a tuk-tuk stand just across from the Hotel, so after prolonged negotiations I got a ride into town. First port of call was the railway station to book a ticket up to Kandy. I could not get a ticket for the next morning as the train was fully booked, unless I wanted to stand all the way (no thanks), so I settled for the day after. This was going to give me 2 days in Colombo to have a look round.

I needed to stretch my limbs a little after being cramped up on 2 planes for over 12 hours, I decided to stroll into the downtown area of Colombo. I needed to pick up a local sim card for my mobile phone as I wanted to call my beautiful wife back home, and a cold beer would not go amiss either. The central area is called Fort, and is a small island connected by four bridges to the mainland. Armed soldiers and check points all over the place. Guarding against terrorist attacks from the Tamil Tigers. There was still a lot of damaged buildings in the centre cordoned area from a previous bomb attack. I managed to track down a sim card, for about $18 that included $5 of calls. Picked up a couple of top up cards as well. Not a bad start to the day. Now for that beer. Sim card and train ticket safely tucked away I headed for the Ceylon Intercontinental hotel and their bar. Still fresh-ish off the plane I still looked clean and smart enough to pop in. Seeing the bar was closed but drinks where being served in the not too attractive lobby, I asked if they could open the bar up for me, which they did. A comfy seat and a cold beer later, it was time to tackle sorting the phone and adding the credits to it. Time for another beer. Phone sorted and calls made, I made my excuses and left. Tuk-Tuk'ed back to my hotel, to do a little reading up on Kandy, and also to think about what I was going to do for the next whole day to Colombo.

It being the start of the Esala Perahera in Kandy, I made use of the phone and made a booking for two nights at the Queens Hotel. Accommodation and travel arranged for the next leg of my trip and now being well rested I headed out for dinner. A 20 minute tuk-tuk ride took me to the Galle Face Hotel. This is where I had planned to stay when I first arrived, but it was booked solid. Still I did not have any trouble getting a table on the terrace over looking the the sea. It being my first night in a new country and being of an adventurous nature, I ordered burger and chips! I washed it down with a couple of beers whilst I watched the sunset. Up bright and early the next morning (9am, that's early for me), I headed down stairs for breakfast. Not being one for a heavy start to the day I settled for a piece of fruit and a few cups of black coffee accompanied by a couple of cigarettes.

Now to explore Colombo. A short walk brought me to the public beach. It looked o.k. But there was no way I was going in the water, not with the pollution pouring into it from the city, besides it was monsoon season and the waves were a little on the energetic side for my taste. The only surf that is for me, is the clothes washing powder kind. Walked round for an hour or so and ended up at he Mount Lavina Hotel, time for another coffee break. A nice looking place, good terrace area and pool. Spent a happy hour getting some sun on my pasty skin. Not sure how to spend the rest of my day I got a Taxi along Galle Road into central Colombo, had a look round a few of the shops, got a snack from a road side vendor. Then tuk-tuk hopped back down Galle Road stopping off here and there and walking parts of it. Lots of shops along the entire length of it selling all manner of goods. Even a shopping centre (Mall), and a McDonalds fast food joint. Window shopping fast losing its glitz I headed back to the hotel for a shower and a siesta. Having an early start the next day I sorted my hotel bill out, and arranged a taxi to the train station for 5am the next morning. Now time to feed the inner man, well not quite, but dinner was on the cards. Having read about the Cricket Club Cafe, and it being the Asia Cup, there seemed to be little choice than to head there for dinner. The interior was all cricket memorabilia in the restaurant. Funny that! I ordered Steak and Ale Pie with veg, (really getting into the swing of eating Sri Lankan food), and can honestly say it was on of the best I've ever had. Only a one course kind of guy I headed to the bar after my meal to finish my drink. I needed an early night so did not linger there long. A fast trip (white knuckle) back to the hotel, to shower and pack for the next morning. Up at the crack of dawn next morning for the taxi ride to the train station. Oops, seems the driver was going down a one way street the wrong way. Police car stopped us. Paper changed hands, and we were on our way again. Out of the taxi into the station and on the train before the touts could even clock me.

Kandy

The train ride up to Kandy is meant to be very scenic and beautiful, but at that time of the morning, my ability to appreciate such things is very low. All I can say is that the seats in second class were comfortable, and I was well rested when the train pulled into Kandy station. A short taxi ride took me to the door of the Queens Hotel. A few minutes to check in and I was shown a few rooms I could choose from. I opted for the one that would give me a view of the Esala Perahra at no extra cost. $80 per night seemed a good deal, considering the ones at the front were going for $200+ per night. I had a good view (for the price). Unpacked, changed clothes, and walked across the road to the Temple of the Tooth. It being the Esala Perahera, you leave your footwear outside, it was thronged five people deep, and only having a very old a tatty pair of sandals I just left them on the side like a lot of other people and in I went. The Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth), is where the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is kept. The temple is a larger complex with many shrines inside. It is easy to spend an hour or two walking round, and even with all the crowds the are still places to sit and rest. During the Esala Perahera the grounds outside the temple are teaming with Elephants and their trainers. The Esala Perehera is a procession of jugglers, drummers, dancers, acrobats, and hundreds of Elephants, through the street of Kandy. The Esala Perahera starts at about 7pm and lasts for 10 nights, the last few days the route gets longer and more and more people spill onto the street to watch it. There is lots of seating set up on the pavements, and you can rent a plastic chair for the night to watch the procession go by, but even at the start of the week the chairs cost about $15 and go up to about $ 45-50 for the last night. Accommodation prices all rise as the week progresses. Being about four or five times the normal rate for the last three nights of the Esala Perahera. That aside it is money well spent, and is an amazing spectacle to watch. There is also enough to do in Kandy and the surrounding area to fill up your days until the procession starts at night. There is no alcohol served during the ten days, but hotels will let you order it in your room and I also heard of a place on the far side of the lake that served it up in teapots. Afternoon tea for two anyone! There are a good number of places to stay in Kandy, with something to meet all budgets. The town is also well stocked with restaurants so there is never a need to go hungry.

Anuradhapura

After a nice early start and what seemed like all day, (that'll teach me for not getting the bus), on trains I pitched up in Anuradhapura, The last train was a real oddity , more like a bus than a train. Tuk-tuk'ed to the Milano Tourist Rest, a nice clean place with bar and restaurant in a quite location. Now to explore. Rented a bike at the Milano, got to the end of the drive and the tyre runs flat. Took it back, they pump it up, get to the end of the drive and it's flat again, take it back and swap it for another bike, this time get to the end of drive and find out it has no brakes! An hour later I'm on the road. Only off to explore the local area, find there are a few nice hotels close by, and stop at the Miridiya Hotel for a late lunch. There is a very nice garden with pool to sit in while I read up on what I'm going to do the next day. The food is also very good.

Anuradhapura was the capital of Sri Lanka starting in 380BC under Pandukabhaya, but it did not rise to importance until Devanampiya Tissa when Buddism first reached Sri Lanka. With such a noble history there are a great many ancient sites to visits, and a push bike, (with brakes), is a great way to get around. To view the site you need to buy a tourist ticket ($15) at the Archaeological Museum, though taxi and tuk tuk drivers will offer you the tour without a ticket for a little less money, but if you buy a ticket at least you will know that your money to going to be spent preserving these ancient monuments for future generations of visitors.

The Sacred Bodhi Tree ( Sri Maha Bodhi) should be your first port of call. It is the oldest recorded living tree in the world. The Tree has grown from a sapling brought from Bodhgaya in India by Princess Sangamitta, sisiter of Mahinda, who introduced Buddism to Sri Lanka. Since the tree arrived in Sri Lanka it has been looked after by by a succession of Buddist guardians for over 2,000 years. The tree itself is not by any means large or imposing, but its history and surrondings make it a real highlight in Anuradhapura, if not Sri Lanka itself. You can watch people make offerings of rice and flowers in the lower part of the temple, and there was even drinking water offered, to water the tree at the top. The local monkey population live very well on the cooked rice that is left, and can be seen scampering all over the temple.

The Brazen Palace is a very short walk from the Sacred Bodhi Tree, though all that is left are a few dozen short columns. It was once home to 1,000 monks and was nine stories tall. It was started by Dutugemunu over 2,000 years ago and has been rebuildt many times, always getting smaller and smaller and less grand. It was last rebuilt in about the 12th century AD by Parakramabahu.

Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba is the next stop on the Swarnamali Road, a paved pedestrian only walkway, (not even cycles are allowed along it), that starts/ends at the Sri Maha Bodhi. There are large areas of park either side of the walk which make a nice spot to stop and have a picnic. The Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba is said to be the finest example of the work of Dutugemunu. It rises 55m, considerably less than its original, after receiving much damage from invading Indians.

Thuparama Dagoda is just north on the Ruvanelisaya Dagoda, set amidst a small wood. It is said to be the oldest Dagoda in Anuradhapura, if not the whole of Sri Lanka. The Thurparama Dagoda was built by Devanampiya Tissa and is said to contain the right collar-bone of Buddha. Spread out to the north of here are a collection of ruins. You will need some form of transport to get round to them all. Abhayagiri Dagoda is massive at over 75m tall and was the centrepiece of a monastery of 5,000 monks. The Mahasen Palace is a ruin, but has a very fine moon stone. Ratnaprasada (Gem Palace) has the finest guardstones in Anuradhapura, dating from the 8th century and depicting a cobra-king. A little futher on and you come to the Samadhi Buddha Statue. This 4th century seated Buddha is said to be the finest in Sri Lanka, and visiting dignitaries and heads of state are always brought to admire it. There are also a good number of other sites to explore in Anuradhapura, though most are little more than ruins of a few stones spread around.

Matara

Metara sits at the end of the southern railway line. I headed down this way so I could visit Kataragama for the Puja, but on arriving in Matara found I could only book one night as there was a sports event on. After sitting with a cold beer or two, and after much deep reflection I decided I had had enough of Buddah's, Temples and the whole cultural bit. I booked into the Rest House on the sea front, which was nice and clean, with big airy rooms. After offloading my stuff I went for a stroll round town. There is an old Dutch fort, called the Star Fort that occupied a hour of my time. The town is a hive of activity and it was just pleasant to sit and watch life passing by. Next morning I headed by tuk tuk to the area of Polhena to find a place to stay. No luck there either, but the owner of the Tk Guest house I think, said they had a place a little further along the coast, so off I went in another tuk tuk. This new place was on the beach, with large rooms and a great view. I decided after all the travelling it would be nice just to stop at this remote and tranquil location for a couple of nights. There were only a couple of other guests so the beach was all but empty.

During my rest I decided to work my way back round to Colombo, the slow way, with many legs of the journey done by tuk tuk. So a hop, skip, and a jump brought me to Galle. The stops on the way were pleasant, but there was little to write home about. The best part being the travelling and not the arriving.

Galle

I had planned to stay at the New Orient Hotel, but my driver told me it was closed down. Not one to take things at face value I got him to drive me there, and yup it is closed down to be refurbished. Apparently in to a 5 star palace, with some rooms costing over $550 per night. My second choice was the Closenberg Hotel, which thankfully was open and had rooms. The Closenburg Hotel was built as a residence for a P&O captain in the 19th century. It sits on a promontory with views over Galle beach and the Fort. The Hotel was charming with massive open public rooms and attentive staff on hand. Off in to town to explore the fort.

The Fort house is the main site to see in Galle. It was built by the Portuguese, taken over and expanded by the Dutch, and finally by the British. Most of the older buildings inside the fort are from the Dutch era. There are a couple of museums to visit, or a pleasant walk round the wall of the fort is a great way to spend some time. The are a number of places to stay inside the walls, and also a good selection of restaurants. If money is no option then a stay at the Lighthouse Hotel should be on the cards. It was designed by Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's most famous architect, and it is a stunning modern building. The interior staircase makes it worth a visit, and it's nice to take a cool drink on the terrace.

Unawatuna is about 4 km's along the coast from Galle. I visited with the idea of spending a few days there, but for some reason the place did not appeal to me. It seemed a little odd??? Though there is a good range of accommodation. I looked at a few places, and the best seemed to be The Sea View Guest House. Some of the places are very over priced for what you get, and I visited in low season when there where not that many travellers around.

Hikkaduwa

This was my next port of call. I stayed at Richard's Sons Beach Inn. Good value for money, even if the rooms were a little on the small side and dark. Hikkaduwa is a thriving town, both as a tourist resort and a port. There is lots to keep you busy here, even for a week.The Hotel Blue Note next door to Richard's Sons Guest House does great food. There are lots of water sports on offer in Hikkaduwa in season, and even when the sea is starting to swell and it is to rough for swimming or diving, the beach is very wide and clean. There are lots of shops selling all manner of goods. A fair few Wine Stores, (Liquor/ Off License), and places to buy food and drinks. There is also no shortage of restaurants facing the beach. Hikkaduwa is more a place to sit and relax with a good book than go off Temple hunting.

Ambalangoda

This was my next stop on the way back up north. There is little reason to visit though. I stayed at the Shangrela on Sea beach Road. It was good~ish value and the rooms are big, airy and clean. There is a large hotel opposite the bus station that may be a much better bet. It has a good roof top restaurant, and a bar with T.V. and also serves food. On my way back from lunch there I stopped off at a bar/restaurant, a nice looking place. Had a cold one, than off I trotted to do other things. It seemed such a nice place, I thought I would give it a try for dinner, so in I went later. I smiled at the lady owner and asked for a beer and a menu, and went and sat outside. I had a book with me, so lost all track of time, then 30 minutes still no drink or menu, I went back inside and asked for my drink and a menu. Sorry sir, we have no more beer left, you had the last one at lunch time, and we do not serve food. So not the greatest bar/restaurant I have ever visited. Maybe you should say outside, bring your own food and drink, and they will serve the atmosphere!

Colombo. Part 2.

With just over a week to go before flying home I stopped off in Colombo to buy some gifts. The goverment run Laksala shop in Fort was my one and only stop. Everything is fixed price so no hassle or haggling for 30 minutes to save $1. One mask, and a few little bits and bobs all wrapped up and I was happy. I stayed one night at Wayfarer's Inn in Cinnamon Gardens. It was o.k. But food needed to be ordered well inadvnce, i.e. dinner ordered at breakfast time. I also had one night in the Galle Face Hotel. Is was undergoing major upgrades so a large section of it was closed.

Negombo

Negombo is the closest beach resort to the International airport, so it gets a lot of travellers passing through either on the way in to Sri Lanka or on the way out. There is a wide selection of accommodation to choose from, most of which face the beach. I stayed at the Hotel Silver Sands, and the room was first rate. I opted for air~con. The restaurant does first rate food, though service can be a little on the lax side, and you have to pop in to the kitchen to find staff. The hotel also rents out bikes. If budget is not a problem and they have rooms, I would also recommend Browns Beach Hotel. Lots of entertainment here, and a great beach setting. The other hotels in the same price range can not hold a candle to it.There are a few things to do and see in the main town. The best way is to rent a bike and peddle round. The fish market is interesting, if a little smelly. There's a Dutch fort in ruins, oh and more Christian church's than you can shake a stick at. Throw in the odd Buddist and Hindu Temple and you have a days exploration. There are lots of places to eat and drink along the main hotel strip. All are about the same in real terms and none spring to mind.

The five weeks I spent in Sri Lanka flew by, I enjoyed my trip but I was very happy to return home, to my gorgeous wife.