A Week Away in Sri Lanka
26th July
For the second time this week, I’d headed to bed after 2 & arose just before 6, head mildly buzzing with excitement & ringing with things left undone. I ambled through my final preparations before heading out to one of the local bookshops, where I met Tracey & we had hoped for a Lonely Planet exchange - it was not to be for, despite clearly listing there opening times, none of the three bookshops decided to open before 10am! Instead we settled for a coffee, a pleasant review of our joint antics within the Ministry & a long goodbye (as Tracey will have left by the time I return)... I headed over to the airport a little early - my belly had been somewhat unsettled so I got a good breakfast from the cafeteria over there (surprisingly cheap while still good quality nosh) & re-engaged with my current book (E. Waugh’s “The Loved One”) between dips back into Lonely Planet (I hate the way these books are laid out)... The wait slipped by quickly enough (despite the natter of cricket from every TV in the waiting lounge) & I joined a plane full of folks who’d come a long way with one stop before Colombo - I found myself beside a well travelled Sinhalese fellow who was kind enough to give me his perspective on the Sri Lankan situation (political, economic, cultural, etc). We landed very gently (between numerous armed checkpoints & trenches) & I meandered easily enough through the entry processes... Things got somewhat more tricky when I tried to convert the large fund of Maldivian rufiyaa I had with me into Sri Lankan rupees - none of the official exchange agents were prepared to touch the rufiyaa & none of the “unofficial” agents were offering anything like a fair exchange rate. Thankfully, I’d ensured I had back-up funds ready (thanks Dad for checking that) so I stashed my significant foreign currency wad in my first aid kit & prepared my debit card for a mild battering... At the exit, I met Sarat who was to be my driver for the coming week - despite the mature look & formal get-up, he struck me as a graduated tout & it took some time before I had enough of his measure to know where I stood with him. Other, more pleasant things also struck when I finally got out f the airport - birdsong (not just crows here) & new plant life (including grass) both got my expectations for the week rising as we drove off. Our first destination (after finding a reputable looking ATM) was Kandy, last capital of the Sinhalese kingdom that fell to the Brits in 1815 - this had seemed a relatively short drive on the map but, between road twists/turns & the traffic chaos, this took us well into the evening. I actually enjoyed the chance to acclimatise to the flurry & vibe over these hours - the places we passed clamoured with folk (including those preparing for local elections) & looked well lived in. Other features that told me I was no longer in the Maldives included the huge number of dogs scattered along every road side (must remember to look out for dog piles again) & the odd scarecrows that the locals attach to their houses to keep out both dogs & birds... We almost got to Kandy without incident - Sarat got pulled over by a cop with a speed camera for taking a downhill stretch at an ill advised pace, then settled the situation with some “underground money”. On arrival, Sarat took me to a couple of hotels overlooking the lake - the prices were fur times more expensive than those quoted in my LP (admittedly a 5 year old edition) but still a bargain so I took the more lavish option. As I’d been fighting exhaustion sine I arrived, I opted for a simple meal at the hotel (watching little bats duck in to catch the bugs), a brief check of email & then read roughly two paragraphs before sleep took me...
27th July
I slept very well at the Blinkbonnie Hotel - my belly had settled a bit more through the night & the bed was immeasurably more comfy than the one at home in Male’. After a simple breakfast (with Sri Lanka’s patented weak coffee), I got a lift with Sarat down to Sri Dalada Maligawa (aka, the Temple of the Tooth) - this is the current resting place of the sevenfold reliquary (Russian doll style) that allegedly holds an incisor tooth of the Buddha (heck, I’ve seen Mohammed’s footprint & beard at Topkapi, may as well check other godly bits)! While the temple may be beautiful in its own right (& the resident monkeys somewhat comical), the ceremony to see the tooth container felt like some perverse carny to this unbeliever (pushing crowds, loud music in questionable keys, bare glimpses at dubious exhibits, requests for offerings & donations), so I kept back & quiet rather than upset the fervent throng. I took a long walk around the grounds before heading back to the car (odd to have to go through so many armed checkpoints to get into a place of reflection but there was that bombing ten years ago...) - I did get to practice my beggar push through & brush off techniques, again not happily but very necessary! I checked in with Sarat before taking myself for another round of sightseeing - both the National Museum & Garrison Cemetery were closed (damn Sunday close of business) but I did get a peek at the Kings Museum (lots of busted ceramics & rotting woodwork, but cooler than outside). I took myself for a brief wander through town, then a walk around the lake (as opposed to walking around an island) - this feature was crowded with cormorants, flying foxes, water monitors (I’m sure one was fed to stay there as tourist bait for the touts) & even a vessel declaring itself as the Navy (three guys in a large dinghy, protecting these waterways from invasion). I returned to the car again & took a massive lunch at the Avannah Restaurant nearby (good simple food/different style of biriyani, cheap & fine service). I went up to the Udawattakelle Sanctuary after lunch & went for a wander with a guide through the forests - it rained on & off, the leeches were insistent & plentiful, I was out of practice walking in scrub & I loved every moment of it! Back to the hotel for a quick scrub & brief snooze, then an evening tour of some of the nearby industries (wood carving, jewellery), thankfully with scope to check out what they do while escaping without hard sell. The evening culminated in a trip to an Ayurveda massage parlour - this is sensation buffet, with the oily/scented massage, steam bath (weird sarcophagus thing for slow cooking) & the assisted shower at the end (how long since someone scrubbed my back for me?). It may sound sleazy but this managed to keep on platonic side of sensual & revitalised without draining vital fluids... Sarat introduced me to a local Tamil eatery he liked (great snacks & tea, not so keen on the mains) - it was a little disturbing to recognise these comestibles have been sitting in the dispenser for an unknown time, so the intestinal lottery begins again...
28th July
Another early rise & heading back west again - our first stop was Kingston Spice & Herbal Garden, where the “manager” gave me a good rundown on how different plants are used in Ayurveda products/processes & then put a very hard push on clearing his products (I bought one overpriced balm but that was all he’d get from me). Our next stop was the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, arriving just as the dozens of elephants got into the nearby river for their daily bathing display - it is pretty magic to see these animals being able to thrive & frolic but one needs to be prepared for a whole range of touts/scams/beggars flocking about the visitors & my patience with some (“let me read your palm, Mr Lucky”) got sorely tested. As we headed back to the main road, I allowed myself to be convinced to try an elephant ride - yeah, the ride felt somewhat silly (led about like a toddler on a pony ride) & the “museum” seemed more of a collection of past pet pieces than anything else but the photos were a laugh in the end. Nuwara Eliya was my next planned stopover but we stopped along the way for a few snaps (Bible Rock, tea fields, waterfalls, all with locals asking for donations as you take your snap) & to visit a tea factory (don’t ask me the name as I didn’t have to pay & so don’t have a ticket stub to remind me) - the factory tour showed the whole process “done by hand” (& relic machinery) & left me smelling like all kinds of T2 bargaineer. We got to Nuwara Eliya in the late afternoon & found a truly dodgy hotel to stay at the Eden Hill Hotel is not one of the majestic manor houses (such as the Grand Hotel or Hill Club which doubles as the President’s other residence) that dot the area but a musty slap-up hovel that was somewhat cheapish. It’s an odd place to for tourists in my opinion - imagine Lithgow (mountains surrounds, mists, bearded & muffled locals) with a racetrack & a smattering of the Sri Lankan well to do visiting. I did enjoy the first sense of cold I’d had all year (yeah, Sydneyites, quit your whinging) but was disappointed to hear I could not do even a short climb up Pidurutalagala (aka Mt Pedro, Sri Lanka’s tallest mountain) due to “security concerns”. We took a chance to get some provisions in town before the following day’s activities - I found myself wandering in the outskirts of the town, chasing frogs & caressing the local eucalypts (half expecting a roo or kookaburra to zip into view). Sarat & I both opted for local take away rather than rely on the hotel, then settled in for the evening - I had a brief meeting with a local guide/jeep owner about the trek I had planned for the next day & reluctantly agreed to his price although it seemed extortionate. A bit more book (move onto H. James “Turn of the Screw”) & then to the smelly bed...
29th July
Rose early to snap Lake Gregory at sunrise, followed by a lengthy shower (good hot water!) to get rid of the bed smell. I caught up with Sarat (missing for much of the evening) & he informed me I would not need a jeep as our car could make it most of the way & he had “heard it was only a short walk” from the gate to the start of the Horton’s Plains/World’s End trail. I was happy with this approach so we packed quickly & left before the manager decided to bill us for anything else. A quick nip to town to refresh my finances, then heading East - the road seemed simple enough until we started seriously climbing, then Sarat had to show some very fine motor skills to get past the mix of potholes, slippages & other obstacles. Once there, I worked my way through the European couples gathered to go in (one pair with my cancelled guide/jeep man) to sort out the ticket price - I’m not sure how it happened (mistake or scam, you decide) but the gate keeper kept insisting that I pay three times the official entry fee (c.$US75) until I got Sarat to speak to him & help settle things (grrrr). That idiocy sorted, I set off - Hortons Plains has been described as similar to Scotland, a description I’d agree with (misty, heather, alpine forests, rocky outcrops, etc) while noting the pleasant lack of midges! While I haven’t done a lot of walking in the Maldives, I could still work out that the trek in to the start of the official trail was well over the 1.5Kms I’d been told to expect but the weather was lovely for walking & I set an easy pace to relish the wander. I saw a few Sambar deer on my way in (big buggers, males look like moose) but no leopards sadly/thankfully... Eventually, the park proper emerged from the bush & I started along the loop around to the World’s End lookout - this cliff is so known because it has an 800m+ vertical drop from the highest point &, combined with the cloud/mist that is often there, it can seem, well, you get what I mean! Luckily or not, the drizzle & mist had mostly cleared by the time I got to the lookout & I shared a clear view of plains & rivers below with some other/accompanied walkers there at the time. The trail also takes in Baker’s Falls which, while picturesque enough, may not be worth the climb up & down when you have long way to walk... I’d left the park by early afternoon & started back towards the gate (noting it was actually a 4.5Kms walk) - I got about halfway back (more than 15Kms done) when Sarat came pelting along the road to pick me up. Apparently, he had decided to sneak past the gate during changeover & collect me rather than wait an indeterminate time - we ended up having to sort out his indiscretion on the way out & I was a little sad not to have finished the walk myself. We stopped at a roadside diner & I gorged on Tamil munchies before driving off again into the gloomy day... It was hours later when I was wondering about our progress - aside from the time component, I was keen not to go over the 1200Km base limit the driving contract allowed us. Sarat continued to assure me we had barely dented that allowance but I remained unsure (“driven four hours so far today, averaging 40Km/hr... maybe their Kms are longer”). I also picked up that Sarat was not supportive of my next proposed stopover (Ratnapura, city of gems) but he was unwilling to speak clearly about this - my concerns were realised when we pulled into a hotel for the evening & I realised we had not made it all the way to my intended stop! I remonstrated with Sarat for a little while (especially over his choice to stop for some family shopping in Hatton) but was ultimately too tired to push the issue just then - the Avissawella Hotel Famous was simple, offered good food at reasonable rates & promised hot water (which I never worked out how to operate) so I agreed to the spend night there, had my meal & read perhaps two lines of my nineteenth century ghost story before I passed out.
30th July
I opted to skip breakfast again for an early start to the day - it was a little awkward with Sarat initially but we cleared the air OK & got back on track. Ratnapura is surrounded by rice paddies, which oddly enough is where the best stones are found (especially sapphires of blue & star quality) - I opted not to run the gauntlet of earnest gents trying to convince of the value of their wares but we did stop at the Gemmological Museum where I got a detailed rundown (accompanied by more weak coffee) on how different gems are formed, shaped & valued. Despite the wealth of beautiful stones, I’m still amazed by how tacky so many of the pieces of jewellery look to my eyes & was happy to stick the steel & quartz I’m wearing now... The next destination was Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the “last remaining patches of virgin rainforest” - once we’d left the multitude of seemingly identical villages behind, the road in was almost as bad as that to Hortons Plains but we got there with minimal damage to the car. I was paired up with my mandatory guide (Jetanura) & assured him I’d be more than ready for a good long walk, having mastered one just the previous day - I was to regret this comment as I was NOT ready for the kinds of climbs & scrambles we were to partake of. The place was kind spectacular in terms of the lush growth & the multitude of beasties we made the acquaintance of along the way (I could have done without the leech wipe ritual every few minutes though) - Jetanura had excellent eyes & was able to point out many plants & critters I’d have missed without his help. The bugger also had the stamina of an ox (I miss those days) & had to use various forms of coaxing & fooling to get me to complete the climb to the park’s summit - it was embarrassing & humbling to find myself needing so many rest breaks as well as some reassurance about the safety of the peak point itself. Still, I managed the flat areas with no hassle & Jetanura did not spend too much time taking the piss out of me - he claimed later (& politely) that we walked 21Kms while I’d have estimated half that, either of which I am happy with given my lack of physical exertion of this type in the past six months! As Sarat & I were leaving, he informed me that he was not comfortable about travelling to Tissamaharama tonight due to “rebel activities” (?!?) - I was not ready to head for Colombo as he wanted & eventually convinced him to drive to Galle for the night. We stopped for a brief rehydrate (& to refill a droopy tyre) & then headed off again - I should have eaten something then, having not eaten since the previous night, but I had the impression that Galle was only a short distance away... Hours later, having taken a numbers of streets new to Sarat (asking directions of pedestrians as you go by does not inspire confidence), we were cruising slowly along the southern coast road - we passed through the surf/hippy town of Hikkaduwa as they commenced their annual festival week (to the tune of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” from tinny speakers along the road) as well as a horde of road maintenance crews conspiring to slow traffic to a crawl (I’m sure that was their only purpose, really). We checked a few hotels around Galle, only to find the prices were very steep & there was no facilities for one’s driver (usually included in base price) or the places offered were noxious dives (the room above the central booze hall in town looked like it had not seen residents for quite a few years & even the caretaker was unsure how to access it initially). We decided to try our luck further back along the road heading westward - it was six stops & early two hours later that we found the Endless Summer Restaurant & Guesthouse in Booba, not a reputable looking place at first (the two brawling drunks n the front lawn may have something to do with that) but ultimately one of the nicer & more friendly places I stayed anywhere in Sri Lanka. The price haggling was done quickly, a quick shower & then they rustled up a healthy feed for me despite the late hour. I had just enough energy to say thanks before staggering off to bed...
31st July
I rose at a fair time & took the chance to resort my bags (laundry now out-massing the clean clothes) before wandering out the back to the beach (wild rough surf but a homely sound & smell all the same) - I tried getting a snap of a particularly cheeky squirrel but this was a grandmaster at leaving the frame just as focus is achieved. The staff put together a simple breakfast for me & I was even ready to forgive the wimpiness of their coffee... I spoke at some length with Sarat about our next move, opting to pass on a return to Galle (turned out to be a good idea, given it was the third day of the Second Test between Sri Lanka & India) & instead visit a few of the touristy spots on the path north to Colombo. First stop was Koggala Lake for a boat tour of the sixty plus islands in this estuarial lake - it was a rather shameless setup (especially the visits to the Temple isle with the monks & Cinnamon Isle with the crafts woman making cinnamon products) but the lake itself was quite impressive with squads of monitors & sea eagles putting on an unabashed show. Even my boat’s captain treated much of the scamming as a laugh & did his best not to have us breathing in too much diesel exhaust as we navigated the shallows... After this leisurely start to the day, Sarat took me to the Turtle Research Project, a hatchery that assists various breeds of sea turtles by looking after the newborns for a few days after hatching (“get their strength up”) & then shepherding many of them to the ocean so more will actually get there - despite these noble ideals, the centre felt more like a money spinner with green spots & I was not comfortable with the invitation to pick up the “research specimens” the centre had chosen to keep from the ocean... Our next aim was to get somewhere to stay in/near Colombo - Sarat wanted me to get a room near where his family home in Nugegoda (roughly 5Kms from Colombo’s centre) as this would make it easier for us to stay in touch while also allowing him a better accommodation experience. I’d done some unsuccessful checking for beds closer in (all taken for the SAARC events) & so I agreed to this plan of Sarat’s - the place he finally brought me too was pretty simple but it had all I wanted from a room so I agreed readily enough. It wasn’t until we tried to confirm the booking that we found the snag - apparently this “hotel” usually books it rooms for “short times” (3-5 hours) & was not ready for someone who wanted to stay a whole night (or presumably to sleep while there). After much nattering/dealing & a hefty deposit, I took the room anyway as there seemed few other options suggesting themselves at the time - I couldn’t take the room immediately, mind you, as it was booked for a few hours yet but soon... I asked Sarat to take in to the Colombo National Museum to help kill some time - it was the first time I’d realised how tightly locked down Colombo was for this little conference (army folks with AKs every fifty metres on main roads, roadblocks ready & prone to spring when you least expected it), especially when Sarat had to take the car to another suburb while I toured the institution. I guess it was an interesting collection in some ways (no one should ever treat sword blades like that though) but I quickly got distracted - the small meal I’d had at the hotel during the negotiations seemed to be objecting to its alimentary confinement & wasn’t ready to let me focus on much beyond my own waste. I’ve noticed it’s always when your belly is most rebellious that one is presented with a plumbing challenge & this was no exception - I usually don’t mind squat toilets too much but certain balancing acts don’t need unpredictable emissions to complicate matters! Through some mix of pluck & luck, I got through with measure of dignity & re-establishment of peaceful co-existence with my own bowel - I was even prepared to “treat” myself to a coffee-inspired beverage from Coffee Bean Cafe’ on the way back to the hotel... Once I’d settled into my room, I took my chance to check my email at a nearby ‘net vendor - thankfully, little to worry about from my employer as yet! I caught up on world news between the ‘net & the TV in my room, then went to dinner with Sarat & his son at a nearby diner owned by another relative - it was more than a little awkward, what with the language barriers & Sarat deciding to treat himself to a small bottle of the local spirit (a form of arrack, tastes poorly but it works). As luck would have it, my belly decided when I had to leave them (& saved me some of Sarat’s potential “hospitality”) & I spent the night somewhat tensely monitoring all cues as what may or may not move next...
1st August
It was not a great sleep at the Nandana Food & Rest - between the traffic outside (or was that inside) & the dissent in my gut, I woke somewhat grumbly. This was not helped when I had to go through the same arguments as the previous day in terms of holding my room for another night - they would not let me leave my bags there (nor did I especially want to do so) but they did guarantee the room would be cleaned if it were “used” during the day... The only recommendations I’d had about Colombo was that it good for shopping (which I’m not good at) so I opted to visit a place that Tracey had recommended as my starter - Sarat pointed out few places would be open before 9am & suggested that we visit his company’s office so I could meet his boss & give some direct feedback to them about my trip. I knew this was coming as he’d spoken about it number of times on the road & I was prepared for the worst - it was a bit of a farce, with Sarat (whom I was still depending on for assistance & transport) standing in & prompting the praise he felt I should be giving to his efforts. Still, he deserve many thanks & I hinted at some of the difficulties we had working together - I also got the bosses email address & sent a more balanced report later. Once Sarat was satisfied, he took me to Barefoot Gallery (mix of cafe’, material sales & gallery) which was pretty enough but too “euro-cultured” for that time of my day. Instead, I took myself for a walk into town - I’ve always preferred walking around a city to get a sense of it but this was not a flattering process in building my picture of Colombo. I spent the next handful of hours taking in the scenery, moving through checkpoints, palming off 3-wheeler cabs, checking those shops that held a smattering of interest & snacking at various bars along the way - I was stuck how similar it felt being here during SAARC as in Sydney during APEC, wondering what it would be like to never see a city unless it was locked down for your presidential protection. Having done a fair course, I got a cab back to Barefoot for lunch & was fortunate enough to catch some Male’ acquaintances there, sharing advice about places I’d seen & they were about to visit... I asked Sarat to take me to some places that might offer better shop-pickings but, after another couple of hours, I knew my heart wasn’t in it - I did get back to the seaside & soaked in some more sounds of surf (so unlike Male’s passive tides) but I ended up getting “moved on” by suspicious guys with guns. Another brief visit to the ‘net cafe’ as a time killer, then back to my (very “fresh” smelling) room at the hotel - a brief snooze, then I asked Sarat to help me find some nightlife to fill my final evening in Sri Lanka. Let’s just say it was not a fun or successful evening - as I’d been advised, most places would not allow a single (white) male into their club & some were downright derisive of my “smart/casual” attire (maybe I should have shaved the moustache?). Anyway, I headed home sooner & less “funned out” than I had hoped, making do with more of Mr James prose to help me settle for the night...
2nd August
I had planned to get in a swim at one of the more upmarket hotels but the weather decided against that by being rainy & miserable for much of the morning (of course it cleared up once I’d adopted another course of action) - instead, I got Sarat to take me to Dehiwala Zoo where I hoped to find the conditions improved from the Lonely Planet reports of five years ago. I guess I should not have expected an amazing zoo in the middle of a developing city - the walk in aviaries were quite good & some enclosures were being extended/”naturalised” but most of the animals remain in concrete boxes, getting fat & working on their obsessive behaviours to keep from boredom. It will be hard to forget the leopard that met my stare & moved towards this big pink prey, only to recognise the bars in the way & slink off seemingly embarrassed - likewise, the emu looked rather dejected & desperate to really stretch its legs in a good run. It was very crowded at the zoo - SAARC had closed the capital’s schools & the zoo seems very popular with intimate couples, meaning I had to keep dodging family & snogging moments as I moved from place to place... Anyway, I had eventually had enough & met up with Sarat again - he had heard that the road to the airport would be closed from mid-afternoon & advised that I get there rather early as opposed to watching my plane fly over us as we waited in traffic. I wasn’t entirely convinced but I’d had enough of Colombo so I agreed to this early mark - I did insist on one final Tamil flavoured roadside lunch, then bid Sarat adieu at the airport (from whence he left happy with a fair sized tip). Not surprisingly, my flight had been delayed - this meant I had close to eight hours to wait for my flight, enough time to finish Mr James masterpiece, read J K Jerome’s “Three Men in a Boat” & then make a significant dent in T Pratchett’s “Thud”... The flight back was uneventful (apart from the warning video fritzing repeatedly during the presentation - maybe flight doesn't bother me so much anymore), the customs/immigration games long-winded & I eventually let myself into our Male’ flat at 11.30pm, eight hours before work tomorrow...
For the second time this week, I’d headed to bed after 2 & arose just before 6, head mildly buzzing with excitement & ringing with things left undone. I ambled through my final preparations before heading out to one of the local bookshops, where I met Tracey & we had hoped for a Lonely Planet exchange - it was not to be for, despite clearly listing there opening times, none of the three bookshops decided to open before 10am! Instead we settled for a coffee, a pleasant review of our joint antics within the Ministry & a long goodbye (as Tracey will have left by the time I return)... I headed over to the airport a little early - my belly had been somewhat unsettled so I got a good breakfast from the cafeteria over there (surprisingly cheap while still good quality nosh) & re-engaged with my current book (E. Waugh’s “The Loved One”) between dips back into Lonely Planet (I hate the way these books are laid out)... The wait slipped by quickly enough (despite the natter of cricket from every TV in the waiting lounge) & I joined a plane full of folks who’d come a long way with one stop before Colombo - I found myself beside a well travelled Sinhalese fellow who was kind enough to give me his perspective on the Sri Lankan situation (political, economic, cultural, etc). We landed very gently (between numerous armed checkpoints & trenches) & I meandered easily enough through the entry processes... Things got somewhat more tricky when I tried to convert the large fund of Maldivian rufiyaa I had with me into Sri Lankan rupees - none of the official exchange agents were prepared to touch the rufiyaa & none of the “unofficial” agents were offering anything like a fair exchange rate. Thankfully, I’d ensured I had back-up funds ready (thanks Dad for checking that) so I stashed my significant foreign currency wad in my first aid kit & prepared my debit card for a mild battering... At the exit, I met Sarat who was to be my driver for the coming week - despite the mature look & formal get-up, he struck me as a graduated tout & it took some time before I had enough of his measure to know where I stood with him. Other, more pleasant things also struck when I finally got out f the airport - birdsong (not just crows here) & new plant life (including grass) both got my expectations for the week rising as we drove off. Our first destination (after finding a reputable looking ATM) was Kandy, last capital of the Sinhalese kingdom that fell to the Brits in 1815 - this had seemed a relatively short drive on the map but, between road twists/turns & the traffic chaos, this took us well into the evening. I actually enjoyed the chance to acclimatise to the flurry & vibe over these hours - the places we passed clamoured with folk (including those preparing for local elections) & looked well lived in. Other features that told me I was no longer in the Maldives included the huge number of dogs scattered along every road side (must remember to look out for dog piles again) & the odd scarecrows that the locals attach to their houses to keep out both dogs & birds... We almost got to Kandy without incident - Sarat got pulled over by a cop with a speed camera for taking a downhill stretch at an ill advised pace, then settled the situation with some “underground money”. On arrival, Sarat took me to a couple of hotels overlooking the lake - the prices were fur times more expensive than those quoted in my LP (admittedly a 5 year old edition) but still a bargain so I took the more lavish option. As I’d been fighting exhaustion sine I arrived, I opted for a simple meal at the hotel (watching little bats duck in to catch the bugs), a brief check of email & then read roughly two paragraphs before sleep took me...
27th July
I slept very well at the Blinkbonnie Hotel - my belly had settled a bit more through the night & the bed was immeasurably more comfy than the one at home in Male’. After a simple breakfast (with Sri Lanka’s patented weak coffee), I got a lift with Sarat down to Sri Dalada Maligawa (aka, the Temple of the Tooth) - this is the current resting place of the sevenfold reliquary (Russian doll style) that allegedly holds an incisor tooth of the Buddha (heck, I’ve seen Mohammed’s footprint & beard at Topkapi, may as well check other godly bits)! While the temple may be beautiful in its own right (& the resident monkeys somewhat comical), the ceremony to see the tooth container felt like some perverse carny to this unbeliever (pushing crowds, loud music in questionable keys, bare glimpses at dubious exhibits, requests for offerings & donations), so I kept back & quiet rather than upset the fervent throng. I took a long walk around the grounds before heading back to the car (odd to have to go through so many armed checkpoints to get into a place of reflection but there was that bombing ten years ago...) - I did get to practice my beggar push through & brush off techniques, again not happily but very necessary! I checked in with Sarat before taking myself for another round of sightseeing - both the National Museum & Garrison Cemetery were closed (damn Sunday close of business) but I did get a peek at the Kings Museum (lots of busted ceramics & rotting woodwork, but cooler than outside). I took myself for a brief wander through town, then a walk around the lake (as opposed to walking around an island) - this feature was crowded with cormorants, flying foxes, water monitors (I’m sure one was fed to stay there as tourist bait for the touts) & even a vessel declaring itself as the Navy (three guys in a large dinghy, protecting these waterways from invasion). I returned to the car again & took a massive lunch at the Avannah Restaurant nearby (good simple food/different style of biriyani, cheap & fine service). I went up to the Udawattakelle Sanctuary after lunch & went for a wander with a guide through the forests - it rained on & off, the leeches were insistent & plentiful, I was out of practice walking in scrub & I loved every moment of it! Back to the hotel for a quick scrub & brief snooze, then an evening tour of some of the nearby industries (wood carving, jewellery), thankfully with scope to check out what they do while escaping without hard sell. The evening culminated in a trip to an Ayurveda massage parlour - this is sensation buffet, with the oily/scented massage, steam bath (weird sarcophagus thing for slow cooking) & the assisted shower at the end (how long since someone scrubbed my back for me?). It may sound sleazy but this managed to keep on platonic side of sensual & revitalised without draining vital fluids... Sarat introduced me to a local Tamil eatery he liked (great snacks & tea, not so keen on the mains) - it was a little disturbing to recognise these comestibles have been sitting in the dispenser for an unknown time, so the intestinal lottery begins again...
28th July
Another early rise & heading back west again - our first stop was Kingston Spice & Herbal Garden, where the “manager” gave me a good rundown on how different plants are used in Ayurveda products/processes & then put a very hard push on clearing his products (I bought one overpriced balm but that was all he’d get from me). Our next stop was the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage, arriving just as the dozens of elephants got into the nearby river for their daily bathing display - it is pretty magic to see these animals being able to thrive & frolic but one needs to be prepared for a whole range of touts/scams/beggars flocking about the visitors & my patience with some (“let me read your palm, Mr Lucky”) got sorely tested. As we headed back to the main road, I allowed myself to be convinced to try an elephant ride - yeah, the ride felt somewhat silly (led about like a toddler on a pony ride) & the “museum” seemed more of a collection of past pet pieces than anything else but the photos were a laugh in the end. Nuwara Eliya was my next planned stopover but we stopped along the way for a few snaps (Bible Rock, tea fields, waterfalls, all with locals asking for donations as you take your snap) & to visit a tea factory (don’t ask me the name as I didn’t have to pay & so don’t have a ticket stub to remind me) - the factory tour showed the whole process “done by hand” (& relic machinery) & left me smelling like all kinds of T2 bargaineer. We got to Nuwara Eliya in the late afternoon & found a truly dodgy hotel to stay at the Eden Hill Hotel is not one of the majestic manor houses (such as the Grand Hotel or Hill Club which doubles as the President’s other residence) that dot the area but a musty slap-up hovel that was somewhat cheapish. It’s an odd place to for tourists in my opinion - imagine Lithgow (mountains surrounds, mists, bearded & muffled locals) with a racetrack & a smattering of the Sri Lankan well to do visiting. I did enjoy the first sense of cold I’d had all year (yeah, Sydneyites, quit your whinging) but was disappointed to hear I could not do even a short climb up Pidurutalagala (aka Mt Pedro, Sri Lanka’s tallest mountain) due to “security concerns”. We took a chance to get some provisions in town before the following day’s activities - I found myself wandering in the outskirts of the town, chasing frogs & caressing the local eucalypts (half expecting a roo or kookaburra to zip into view). Sarat & I both opted for local take away rather than rely on the hotel, then settled in for the evening - I had a brief meeting with a local guide/jeep owner about the trek I had planned for the next day & reluctantly agreed to his price although it seemed extortionate. A bit more book (move onto H. James “Turn of the Screw”) & then to the smelly bed...
29th July
Rose early to snap Lake Gregory at sunrise, followed by a lengthy shower (good hot water!) to get rid of the bed smell. I caught up with Sarat (missing for much of the evening) & he informed me I would not need a jeep as our car could make it most of the way & he had “heard it was only a short walk” from the gate to the start of the Horton’s Plains/World’s End trail. I was happy with this approach so we packed quickly & left before the manager decided to bill us for anything else. A quick nip to town to refresh my finances, then heading East - the road seemed simple enough until we started seriously climbing, then Sarat had to show some very fine motor skills to get past the mix of potholes, slippages & other obstacles. Once there, I worked my way through the European couples gathered to go in (one pair with my cancelled guide/jeep man) to sort out the ticket price - I’m not sure how it happened (mistake or scam, you decide) but the gate keeper kept insisting that I pay three times the official entry fee (c.$US75) until I got Sarat to speak to him & help settle things (grrrr). That idiocy sorted, I set off - Hortons Plains has been described as similar to Scotland, a description I’d agree with (misty, heather, alpine forests, rocky outcrops, etc) while noting the pleasant lack of midges! While I haven’t done a lot of walking in the Maldives, I could still work out that the trek in to the start of the official trail was well over the 1.5Kms I’d been told to expect but the weather was lovely for walking & I set an easy pace to relish the wander. I saw a few Sambar deer on my way in (big buggers, males look like moose) but no leopards sadly/thankfully... Eventually, the park proper emerged from the bush & I started along the loop around to the World’s End lookout - this cliff is so known because it has an 800m+ vertical drop from the highest point &, combined with the cloud/mist that is often there, it can seem, well, you get what I mean! Luckily or not, the drizzle & mist had mostly cleared by the time I got to the lookout & I shared a clear view of plains & rivers below with some other/accompanied walkers there at the time. The trail also takes in Baker’s Falls which, while picturesque enough, may not be worth the climb up & down when you have long way to walk... I’d left the park by early afternoon & started back towards the gate (noting it was actually a 4.5Kms walk) - I got about halfway back (more than 15Kms done) when Sarat came pelting along the road to pick me up. Apparently, he had decided to sneak past the gate during changeover & collect me rather than wait an indeterminate time - we ended up having to sort out his indiscretion on the way out & I was a little sad not to have finished the walk myself. We stopped at a roadside diner & I gorged on Tamil munchies before driving off again into the gloomy day... It was hours later when I was wondering about our progress - aside from the time component, I was keen not to go over the 1200Km base limit the driving contract allowed us. Sarat continued to assure me we had barely dented that allowance but I remained unsure (“driven four hours so far today, averaging 40Km/hr... maybe their Kms are longer”). I also picked up that Sarat was not supportive of my next proposed stopover (Ratnapura, city of gems) but he was unwilling to speak clearly about this - my concerns were realised when we pulled into a hotel for the evening & I realised we had not made it all the way to my intended stop! I remonstrated with Sarat for a little while (especially over his choice to stop for some family shopping in Hatton) but was ultimately too tired to push the issue just then - the Avissawella Hotel Famous was simple, offered good food at reasonable rates & promised hot water (which I never worked out how to operate) so I agreed to the spend night there, had my meal & read perhaps two lines of my nineteenth century ghost story before I passed out.
30th July
I opted to skip breakfast again for an early start to the day - it was a little awkward with Sarat initially but we cleared the air OK & got back on track. Ratnapura is surrounded by rice paddies, which oddly enough is where the best stones are found (especially sapphires of blue & star quality) - I opted not to run the gauntlet of earnest gents trying to convince of the value of their wares but we did stop at the Gemmological Museum where I got a detailed rundown (accompanied by more weak coffee) on how different gems are formed, shaped & valued. Despite the wealth of beautiful stones, I’m still amazed by how tacky so many of the pieces of jewellery look to my eyes & was happy to stick the steel & quartz I’m wearing now... The next destination was Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the “last remaining patches of virgin rainforest” - once we’d left the multitude of seemingly identical villages behind, the road in was almost as bad as that to Hortons Plains but we got there with minimal damage to the car. I was paired up with my mandatory guide (Jetanura) & assured him I’d be more than ready for a good long walk, having mastered one just the previous day - I was to regret this comment as I was NOT ready for the kinds of climbs & scrambles we were to partake of. The place was kind spectacular in terms of the lush growth & the multitude of beasties we made the acquaintance of along the way (I could have done without the leech wipe ritual every few minutes though) - Jetanura had excellent eyes & was able to point out many plants & critters I’d have missed without his help. The bugger also had the stamina of an ox (I miss those days) & had to use various forms of coaxing & fooling to get me to complete the climb to the park’s summit - it was embarrassing & humbling to find myself needing so many rest breaks as well as some reassurance about the safety of the peak point itself. Still, I managed the flat areas with no hassle & Jetanura did not spend too much time taking the piss out of me - he claimed later (& politely) that we walked 21Kms while I’d have estimated half that, either of which I am happy with given my lack of physical exertion of this type in the past six months! As Sarat & I were leaving, he informed me that he was not comfortable about travelling to Tissamaharama tonight due to “rebel activities” (?!?) - I was not ready to head for Colombo as he wanted & eventually convinced him to drive to Galle for the night. We stopped for a brief rehydrate (& to refill a droopy tyre) & then headed off again - I should have eaten something then, having not eaten since the previous night, but I had the impression that Galle was only a short distance away... Hours later, having taken a numbers of streets new to Sarat (asking directions of pedestrians as you go by does not inspire confidence), we were cruising slowly along the southern coast road - we passed through the surf/hippy town of Hikkaduwa as they commenced their annual festival week (to the tune of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” from tinny speakers along the road) as well as a horde of road maintenance crews conspiring to slow traffic to a crawl (I’m sure that was their only purpose, really). We checked a few hotels around Galle, only to find the prices were very steep & there was no facilities for one’s driver (usually included in base price) or the places offered were noxious dives (the room above the central booze hall in town looked like it had not seen residents for quite a few years & even the caretaker was unsure how to access it initially). We decided to try our luck further back along the road heading westward - it was six stops & early two hours later that we found the Endless Summer Restaurant & Guesthouse in Booba, not a reputable looking place at first (the two brawling drunks n the front lawn may have something to do with that) but ultimately one of the nicer & more friendly places I stayed anywhere in Sri Lanka. The price haggling was done quickly, a quick shower & then they rustled up a healthy feed for me despite the late hour. I had just enough energy to say thanks before staggering off to bed...
31st July
I rose at a fair time & took the chance to resort my bags (laundry now out-massing the clean clothes) before wandering out the back to the beach (wild rough surf but a homely sound & smell all the same) - I tried getting a snap of a particularly cheeky squirrel but this was a grandmaster at leaving the frame just as focus is achieved. The staff put together a simple breakfast for me & I was even ready to forgive the wimpiness of their coffee... I spoke at some length with Sarat about our next move, opting to pass on a return to Galle (turned out to be a good idea, given it was the third day of the Second Test between Sri Lanka & India) & instead visit a few of the touristy spots on the path north to Colombo. First stop was Koggala Lake for a boat tour of the sixty plus islands in this estuarial lake - it was a rather shameless setup (especially the visits to the Temple isle with the monks & Cinnamon Isle with the crafts woman making cinnamon products) but the lake itself was quite impressive with squads of monitors & sea eagles putting on an unabashed show. Even my boat’s captain treated much of the scamming as a laugh & did his best not to have us breathing in too much diesel exhaust as we navigated the shallows... After this leisurely start to the day, Sarat took me to the Turtle Research Project, a hatchery that assists various breeds of sea turtles by looking after the newborns for a few days after hatching (“get their strength up”) & then shepherding many of them to the ocean so more will actually get there - despite these noble ideals, the centre felt more like a money spinner with green spots & I was not comfortable with the invitation to pick up the “research specimens” the centre had chosen to keep from the ocean... Our next aim was to get somewhere to stay in/near Colombo - Sarat wanted me to get a room near where his family home in Nugegoda (roughly 5Kms from Colombo’s centre) as this would make it easier for us to stay in touch while also allowing him a better accommodation experience. I’d done some unsuccessful checking for beds closer in (all taken for the SAARC events) & so I agreed to this plan of Sarat’s - the place he finally brought me too was pretty simple but it had all I wanted from a room so I agreed readily enough. It wasn’t until we tried to confirm the booking that we found the snag - apparently this “hotel” usually books it rooms for “short times” (3-5 hours) & was not ready for someone who wanted to stay a whole night (or presumably to sleep while there). After much nattering/dealing & a hefty deposit, I took the room anyway as there seemed few other options suggesting themselves at the time - I couldn’t take the room immediately, mind you, as it was booked for a few hours yet but soon... I asked Sarat to take in to the Colombo National Museum to help kill some time - it was the first time I’d realised how tightly locked down Colombo was for this little conference (army folks with AKs every fifty metres on main roads, roadblocks ready & prone to spring when you least expected it), especially when Sarat had to take the car to another suburb while I toured the institution. I guess it was an interesting collection in some ways (no one should ever treat sword blades like that though) but I quickly got distracted - the small meal I’d had at the hotel during the negotiations seemed to be objecting to its alimentary confinement & wasn’t ready to let me focus on much beyond my own waste. I’ve noticed it’s always when your belly is most rebellious that one is presented with a plumbing challenge & this was no exception - I usually don’t mind squat toilets too much but certain balancing acts don’t need unpredictable emissions to complicate matters! Through some mix of pluck & luck, I got through with measure of dignity & re-establishment of peaceful co-existence with my own bowel - I was even prepared to “treat” myself to a coffee-inspired beverage from Coffee Bean Cafe’ on the way back to the hotel... Once I’d settled into my room, I took my chance to check my email at a nearby ‘net vendor - thankfully, little to worry about from my employer as yet! I caught up on world news between the ‘net & the TV in my room, then went to dinner with Sarat & his son at a nearby diner owned by another relative - it was more than a little awkward, what with the language barriers & Sarat deciding to treat himself to a small bottle of the local spirit (a form of arrack, tastes poorly but it works). As luck would have it, my belly decided when I had to leave them (& saved me some of Sarat’s potential “hospitality”) & I spent the night somewhat tensely monitoring all cues as what may or may not move next...
1st August
It was not a great sleep at the Nandana Food & Rest - between the traffic outside (or was that inside) & the dissent in my gut, I woke somewhat grumbly. This was not helped when I had to go through the same arguments as the previous day in terms of holding my room for another night - they would not let me leave my bags there (nor did I especially want to do so) but they did guarantee the room would be cleaned if it were “used” during the day... The only recommendations I’d had about Colombo was that it good for shopping (which I’m not good at) so I opted to visit a place that Tracey had recommended as my starter - Sarat pointed out few places would be open before 9am & suggested that we visit his company’s office so I could meet his boss & give some direct feedback to them about my trip. I knew this was coming as he’d spoken about it number of times on the road & I was prepared for the worst - it was a bit of a farce, with Sarat (whom I was still depending on for assistance & transport) standing in & prompting the praise he felt I should be giving to his efforts. Still, he deserve many thanks & I hinted at some of the difficulties we had working together - I also got the bosses email address & sent a more balanced report later. Once Sarat was satisfied, he took me to Barefoot Gallery (mix of cafe’, material sales & gallery) which was pretty enough but too “euro-cultured” for that time of my day. Instead, I took myself for a walk into town - I’ve always preferred walking around a city to get a sense of it but this was not a flattering process in building my picture of Colombo. I spent the next handful of hours taking in the scenery, moving through checkpoints, palming off 3-wheeler cabs, checking those shops that held a smattering of interest & snacking at various bars along the way - I was stuck how similar it felt being here during SAARC as in Sydney during APEC, wondering what it would be like to never see a city unless it was locked down for your presidential protection. Having done a fair course, I got a cab back to Barefoot for lunch & was fortunate enough to catch some Male’ acquaintances there, sharing advice about places I’d seen & they were about to visit... I asked Sarat to take me to some places that might offer better shop-pickings but, after another couple of hours, I knew my heart wasn’t in it - I did get back to the seaside & soaked in some more sounds of surf (so unlike Male’s passive tides) but I ended up getting “moved on” by suspicious guys with guns. Another brief visit to the ‘net cafe’ as a time killer, then back to my (very “fresh” smelling) room at the hotel - a brief snooze, then I asked Sarat to help me find some nightlife to fill my final evening in Sri Lanka. Let’s just say it was not a fun or successful evening - as I’d been advised, most places would not allow a single (white) male into their club & some were downright derisive of my “smart/casual” attire (maybe I should have shaved the moustache?). Anyway, I headed home sooner & less “funned out” than I had hoped, making do with more of Mr James prose to help me settle for the night...
2nd August
I had planned to get in a swim at one of the more upmarket hotels but the weather decided against that by being rainy & miserable for much of the morning (of course it cleared up once I’d adopted another course of action) - instead, I got Sarat to take me to Dehiwala Zoo where I hoped to find the conditions improved from the Lonely Planet reports of five years ago. I guess I should not have expected an amazing zoo in the middle of a developing city - the walk in aviaries were quite good & some enclosures were being extended/”naturalised” but most of the animals remain in concrete boxes, getting fat & working on their obsessive behaviours to keep from boredom. It will be hard to forget the leopard that met my stare & moved towards this big pink prey, only to recognise the bars in the way & slink off seemingly embarrassed - likewise, the emu looked rather dejected & desperate to really stretch its legs in a good run. It was very crowded at the zoo - SAARC had closed the capital’s schools & the zoo seems very popular with intimate couples, meaning I had to keep dodging family & snogging moments as I moved from place to place... Anyway, I had eventually had enough & met up with Sarat again - he had heard that the road to the airport would be closed from mid-afternoon & advised that I get there rather early as opposed to watching my plane fly over us as we waited in traffic. I wasn’t entirely convinced but I’d had enough of Colombo so I agreed to this early mark - I did insist on one final Tamil flavoured roadside lunch, then bid Sarat adieu at the airport (from whence he left happy with a fair sized tip). Not surprisingly, my flight had been delayed - this meant I had close to eight hours to wait for my flight, enough time to finish Mr James masterpiece, read J K Jerome’s “Three Men in a Boat” & then make a significant dent in T Pratchett’s “Thud”... The flight back was uneventful (apart from the warning video fritzing repeatedly during the presentation - maybe flight doesn't bother me so much anymore), the customs/immigration games long-winded & I eventually let myself into our Male’ flat at 11.30pm, eight hours before work tomorrow...