SRI LANKA

In ancient times, Sri Lanka was known by a variety of names: Known in India as Lanka or Sinhala, ancient Greek geographers called it Taprobane and Arabs referred to it as Serendib (the origin of the word "serendipity").

Ceilão was the name given to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese when they arrived in 1505, which was transliterated into English as Ceylon. As a British crown colony, the island was known as Ceylon, and achieved independence under the name Dominion of Ceylon in 1948. In 1972, the official name of the country was changed to "Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic of Sri Lanka". In 1978 it was changed to the "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka". The name Ceylon is still in use in the names of a number of organisations; in 2011, the Sri Lankan government announced a plan to rename all of those for which it is responsible.

Thursday 5th July – Dubai, Colombo, Tangalla 

At around 2:45am our flight took off for Colombo and was fully packed mostly with Sri Lankans. We tried to get some sleep but it was pointless as the flight was only 4 hours. Another movie, an early breakfast and then it was time to touch down. We managed to alight fairly quickly and had a good position in the immigration line. Nearly to the front of the queue when we noticed some people being turned away. It was then that we realised we needed a visa. I had walked straight past the visa on entry sign in my mad rush to be at the front of the queue.

After joining the visa line we were now at the end of that queue. Eventually we were relieved of $50 and given a visa. Now we are ready to join the immigration queue again. We joined a line that was moving quickly as there were two officers working. One soon disappeared and the other one had to also look after any odds and sods. The line diminished ever so slowly and I reckon we were one of the last to be processed. Never mind we are on holidays!

I had organised a car through the hotel to take us on our five hour plus drive south to Tangalla. To my surprise, not, there was no-one there with a placard with the name GOULD emblazoned in bold print. After contacting the hotel they confirmed that they had not made any arrangements. Oops, sorry Mr Gould but can you organise. It was actually no problem and we soon had a driver. There was another small problem when the airport ATM would not dispense any money. Our new driver however came to the rescue and stopped at a supermarket where we availed ourselves of some cash and supplies.

The drive from the airport to the far side of Colombo was horrendous and took close to two hours. One interesting anomaly that we witnessed was a cow standing outside a McDonalds store. If only she knew what was happening inside! When our vehicle reached the new tollway to Galle it was time to put the foot down. For just over 100 kilometres we motored along with hardly a vehicle in sight. A little over one hour later we passed the small town of Unawatuna which is beautiful little spot on a curved bay. By this time we both needed a toilet break so the driver pulled into one of his friend’s hotel at a place called Ahangama. It also looks like a decent spot to while away a few days surfing or kite boarding. A 30 minute break and we were on our way again. A little over an hour later the outskirts of Tangalla came into view. Luckily, we had the telephone number of the hotel as this made it easier for our driver to find the hotel. Just after 4:00pm we pulled into the parking area of the Mangrove Chalets.

A couple of staff materialised from out of nowhere and hefted the luggage to our room. We dutifully followed them over the little wooden bridge than spanned the lagoon. After walking through the huge open aired restaurant I removed my sandals and crunched over the coconut coloured sand to our chalet. We have been upgraded as the cabana that had been booked is being refurbished. The chalets are set amongst the coconut palms, spaced generously apart and are 50 metres from Marakolliya Beach. The room and balcony is huge with the shower big enough to hold a party in.

Alice just wanted to crash as she was a little carsick and like me tired from not having slept for 36 hours. We ordered a beer and placed our order for dinner. After finishing dinner we hit the mattress and slept like logs until we were woken by barking dogs at 7:00am.

Friday 6th July – Relax in Paradise

If your idea of breakfast is digging your toes in the sand only metres from the ocean in the shade of coconut trees then this place is for you. Pots of fresh Ceylon tea, fresh local fruit, eggs and toast were consumed in a state of relaxed bliss. The beach in this section is protected by a long rock ledge which provides a safe shallow pool for swimming. There are not many resorts in this area and it is the perfect place to relax and unwind. The only sounds are the chirping of the birds and the waves crashing on the beach. Ah Bliss! To add to the bliss we were given another upgrade. We are now upstairs in a slightly better room with a verandah right round. You can nearly reach out and pluck a coconut from one of the trees.

After lunch the hotel arranged for a Tuk Tuk to pick us up for a trip into Tangalla. The town itself is quite ordinary and reminded me of towns in Nepal. Alice did manage to buy a dress as well as some supplies such as mosquito repellent. We had soon exhausted all the possibilities of something to do and so paid another 300 rupees for a trip back to the hotel. The beach bar was vacant so we enjoyed a beautiful sunset sipping on champagne from the bottle that the staff had kindly chilled for us. Lucky for us that we had the foresight to smuggle six bottles of wine into the country. No wonder that backpack felt heavy.

Saturday 7th July – Yala National Park

On the big deck just after waking up at around 7:00 I was startled by a rustling noise to my right. A large black faced Langur sauntered around the corner and then took flight through the trees as soon as it saw me. I don’t who had the biggest surprise me or him! You would think that everyone would be awake early and down for a beach breakfast given that everyone is in bed early without access to a television. As it was Alice and I were first even though it was about 8:30am.

No lunch today as a taxi van has been booked for 12:30 to transport us to Yala national park which is about 90 minutes away near the town of Tissamaharama. The centrepiece for the town and its surrounds is the Tissa Wewa, a huge man-made lake. There is just enough time for a quick bite to eat before we climb aboard our 4x4 jeep safari tour.

This vast region of dry woodland and open patches of grassland is the big draw for this corner of Sri Lanka. It is like the Jungle Book brought to life. The animal that everyone wants to catch a glimpse of is the spotted leopard and disappointingly for us we missed out. We were close but as luck would have it they had moved just before we arrived. At one stage we had a traffic jam of jeeps as a leopard had been seen. Unfortunately, there was no leopard etiquette and as a result the jeeps lined up one behind the other and many people missed out due to the ones in front not moving on after a reasonable time frame.

Nevertheless Alice and I really enjoyed our adventure. The driver managed to take us over a large section of the park and to quite a few brackish waterholes where there was always some wildlife. The following is a list of what we can remember:

• Wild elephants – bulls, mothers and calves
• Water Buffalo by the score
• Crocodiles large and small
• Peacocks by the hundreds in their finest frocks
• Mongooses
• Monkeys
• Spotted Deer
• Monitor Lizard (Goanna)
• Squirrels
• Fox-like jackals (rare)
• Boers (hundreds at sunset)
• Jungle Fowl (Sri Lankan National Bird)
• Birds such as kingfishers, blue flycatchers, black ibis, hornbills, cormorants and white winged black terns

We thought we would be back at our taxi by 6:00pm but the boys were still trying their best to get a leopard for us. They then ended up helping another truck which had broken down and would not start. As the light began to fade we saw more and more animals especially the spotted deer and wild boar. When the truck left the park borders it was already dark. They took one of their shortcuts which followed the electrified fence to keep the elephants inside the park. The track was deeply rutted, like traveling on the Freshwater track at Double Island Point and our speed was slow. We didn’t think it was much of a shortcut. Eventually we arrived back at the village just before 7:30pm. There was just enough time for a toilet break and to wash some of the dust off before heading back to the Mangrove Chalet. The cost of our little adventure was about 21,500 rupees including tips.

The trip back was a little faster due to less traffic and arrived back at the hotel well after the last orders for meals had been taken. Even though it was a quarter to nine the staff managed to rustle up a decent seafood meal with chips and salad for us. A nice way to end what was a very long afternoon.

Sunday 8th July – Scattered Rain

There was a very heavy down pour at around 4:30am and it seemed like it would continue throughout the day. Breakfast had been moved from the beach bar as there is no shelter. It was close to 9:00am when Alice and I ventured down for our tucker and once again we were first ones to arrive.

Afterwards I took a little walk along the beach to look at the area where the beach cabanas are located. They too are set among the coconut palms and although smaller than the chalets are tastefully furnished. They are also cheaper to rent. With the intermittent showers we are catching up on our reading and the infamous diary.

After a pot of tea and a coconut pancake for lunch it was time for a walk. It was tough going through the soft sand and dodging the waves that consistently swept up the beach. There were a number of hotels that were in the process of building new rooms as well as the remnants of old establishments that were destroyed in the tsunami eight years earlier.
 

We kept walking until reaching the groyne which acts as a marker for the end of the beach. On the way back Sandy’s Resort welcomed us in for a cold beer. There are a number of basic cabanas right on the beach with great views. They informed us that the room rate was 2,500 rupees a night which is about $20. The mother of Sandy apparently cooks a mean curry. At these prices it definitely worth checking out. Back at our stretch of beach we eventually went for a swim in the Indian Ocean. The water was much warmer than the Greek Islands but a decent swim at this time of year is a little difficult. As the sun dropped over the horizon we finished the afternoon off by placing our order for dinner and relaxing over a cold drink. Life is definitely tough when you are faced with these perplexing decisions on a daily basis.
 
Monday 9th July – The Blow Hole

After a relaxing morning it was time to hit the road once again in a rented tuk-tuk. Our destination, Ho-O-Maniya Blowhole is about 16km away near the town of Dikwella (gotta love the name). The admission fee for foreigners is 200 rupees and as soon as you enter one of the locals attaches themselves to you. Their job it seems is to show you the way up to the blowhole which is only 50 metres away and quite obvious. They then make a space for you so that you are in the prime position to photograph the “blow”.

The weather was good and there was a decent swell which meant that we were rewarded with a couple of decent spouts as the water forced its way up the 23 metre natural rock chimney. The drive back was interesting as our driver had to dodge buses, buffalo and dogs. The dogs just lay on the road like witches hats on an obstacle course. They hardly flinched as we weaved through them.

Back at the Mangrove Garden I took advantage of the free kayaks and went for a long paddle through the mangrove lagoon adjacent to the chalets. It took over an hour just to explore a small section of the lagoon. Along the way there were herons, kingfishers and kites to entertain me. After the most exercise that I have had in a while I undid it all by joining Alice on the beach for a bottle of Greek dry white table wine. Once again we had the whole beach to ourselves and there is nothing like a cold wine underneath a coconut palm on an isolated stretch of sand with the sound of the breakers crashing on the sloping sandy beach. Ah, paradise!

Tuesday 10th July - Ella

While waiting for breakfast over the past few mornings there has been a Sri Lankan man with a big gapped tooth smile throwing a crab dilly into the surf. He is dressed in shorts and wears the brightest white vinyl boots to give himself grip on the slippery rock ledge. He waits for a break in the swells and then wades purposely out and drops the dilly which is weighted by a rock and tethered by rope into a deep hole. Today he was rewarded for his efforts with a decent sized rock lobster. He gave us a triumphant wave as he strolled up the beach to home.

Our taxi for Ella is due at 10:00 but first the bill needs to be paid.  Our account of 55,000 rupees was cheaper than expected as it included 5 nights’ accommodation, 1 massage, all meals, beer and wine. That worked out to just under $90 a night which was excellent value considering the quality of the chalet and surrounds. It was a great place and definitely worth a return visit.

The trip up to Ella takes around three hours and the last 20 km is quite steep. About 6km from Ella we stopped at the Rawana Ella waterfall to watch the water tumbling over the falls. There were a number of locals trying to sell pieces of quartz and others asking for coins from our country of origin. They claim that it is a donation that will go to helping the local school. The reality is that they wait for the next lot of tourists and then sell the coins back for Sri Lankan rupees. Very clever!

Our driver eventually found our hotel, The View which was recommended by the waiter at Tangalla. The cost per night is 4,400 rupees and the view of Ella Gap is awesome. The hotel is slightly higher up than the railway line and has an uninterrupted view. After packing our bags away we headed down to the railway tracks, walked along the line for a short distance and then dropped down to the main road and into town.

Lunch was taken at the Roti Hut before heading off on a 4.5km hike to Little Adams Peak. The walk took us through tea plantations and when we reached the summit we had a great view of Ella rock. You could also see tea factories shimmering in the distance and the bitumen road snaking up the mountain side. Back in town we decided to treat ourselves to an Ayurveda massage. My skin was pretty dry and it was great to get some essential oils back into me. There was that much aromatic oil laced with secret herbs and spices that it was like being basted for one of Colonel Sanders KFC chickens. The massage was pretty good and cost 2000 rupees for one hour.

We had ordered a curry dinner for 7:00pm but when we arrived back at the hotel they informed us that it would not be ready until 8:00pm. No problem as I could always enjoy a cold beer and the cool evening. I had wondered how they were going to prepare our meal as when I looked in the kitchen they had less equipment than what I take camping. Just after 8:00 we heard the sound of a tuk-tuk and then noticed the staff running down to meet it. Turns out that they were delivering our curries. It was soon dished out but I would have to say that the beef portion is one of the worst meals I had ever eaten. It was tough, bony and full of fat. The other two vegetable curries were much better.

Wednesday 11th July – Trains and Tea Plantations

This morning it was time to organise a train ticket from Ella to Kandy for the next day. There is a certain amount of satisfaction about being able to walk along a railway track without the fear of being run down by a locomotive. I have not done that since I was a kid when we used to walk along the track on the Ipswich line. Anyway, we walked up to the office and purchased two first class tickets for 1500 rupees. We took an early lunch at The Curd shop as it was time to try one of the local delicacies, Buffalo Curd. Alice had it with pancakes while I tried it with honey and fruit. The verdict, delicious!

After lunch a local tuk-tuk driver is taking us on a small tour of the local sights.  Our first stop was the charming Dowa Temple which is situated next to a small stream. A beautiful 4m-high standing Buddha is cut into the rock face below the road and according to the locals is about 2000 years old. Inside the temple the walls of the cave shrine, cut from solid rock, are covered with Sri Lankan style Buddhist murals.

Our next stop was the Uva Halpewaththa Tea Factory where we took a 200 rupee tour. Our tour guide a 60 year old Sri Lankan gave us the rundown on the whole tea refining process from picking to packaging the final product. It is still a labour intensive process and the leaves are still handpicked by female Tamil labourers who earn 500 rupees ($4) for a very long day. The best leaves are the young ones at the top of the tree and in good conditions the new growth occurs within one week. A fascinating and enjoyable tour made even better by our guide. Someone lucky will get to try some Ceylon tea straight from the grower.

Our final stop was the nine arches railway bridge. This is an old structure from colonial days and the bridge spans a large gorge. I was content to take a photograph from the road but when we heard the sound of a distant train the driver convinced me to climb down to the track. I clambered down a rough track and was soon in a good position to photograph the train as it emerged from a tunnel onto the bridge. I hope there were a couple of good pictures as I was stuffed when I got back to Alice.

We have decided not to chance another take away dinner at the hotel and have opted for dinner at the Roti Hut. Prior to dinner Alice decided that she should have at least one more Ayurveda massage. This time she is going for the Rolls Royce by having the Shiodhara treatment. This involves them dripping heated scented oil onto the head for about 15 minutes and then following up with a 30 minute head massage. Alice thought it was a little over rated especially when she had to walk back up the hill to wash her hair before dinner. She did look like a good advertisement for Brylcream.

Thursday 12th July – Shake, Rattle and Roll

Time to leave Ella and settle up our bill which was 3,850 rupees ($30) per night. Our tuk-tuk was fully loaded for the trip to the station which proved to be an issue. Alice and I had to get out half way up a steep hill as it did not have sufficient power to get over the rise. Fortunately for us we did not have to push.

The train was on time and there was a mad rush to get into the first class observation saloon. Being last on was not an issue but we did have to figure out where to store our large suitcase .Once the train started moving everyone relaxed and started to enjoy the marvellous scenery. Riding the rails on a slow train past waterfalls, forests and tea plantations has to be a great way to travel. The speed fluctuated from 10kph to 20 kph for a big part of the journey due to the grade and curvature of the track. From time to time the train vendors would enter the cabin trying to offload Nescafe, fruit and sandwiches. We both took the opportunity to stand at the open door of our carriage and then lean out and catch the wind on our faces.

There were plenty of stops along the way and the second class carriages were doing a roaring trade. Some of the towns we travelled through were Bandarawela, Haputale, Hatton and Kitulgala. After seven hours we pulled into Peradeniya at 4:30 where thankfully there was someone looking for Mr Allan. He managed to get our entire luggage into his tuk-tuk and transported us rapidly to our hotel in Kandy. The traffic which we were not used to was thick and slow moving. As we sucked in the diesel fumes our driver darted in and out of traffic and through spots that a rabbit could not go.

The hotel owner had advised us that there may not be a room available and sure enough that was true. However, the house above them had a couple of spare rooms so we have ended up staying in the upstairs section of a rather large house. Alice and I are not too concerned as the room is large, quiet and we have access to a refrigerator.

The owners recommended the Garden Cafe at the bottom of the hill for a good Sri Lankan dinner. They were doing a roaring takeaway trade with the locals and also at the half a dozen tables. The waiter made space for us at a table that already had a family of Sri Lankans eating at it. They were kind enough to allow us to sit with them at the plastic table with plastic chairs, my favourite type of eating establishment. When they left we were joined by two Australian girls who are backpacking their way around the island. The food came quickly and was of excellent quality. We washed it down with two bottles of water and when the bill came it was under 600 rupees which is less than $5. What a bargain!

Friday 13th July – Candy in Kandy

We went down to the hotel for a basic breakfast where the owners greeted us warmly. There are still no rooms available as some of the guests have extended their stay. It now looks like we are staying at the house for the duration of our stay in Kandy.

It was time for some leisurely exercise and there was no better way than to walk around the perimeter of Kandy Lake. The lake was created in 1807 by the last ruler of the kingdom of Kandy using forced labour. It is said that some local chiefs who protested were put to death on stakes in the lake bed. As we commenced our walk we came across a troop of small monkeys scavenging food scraps from a rubbish tip. No wonder you need injections if you are bitten by one.

A rest stop was required so we took respite in a restaurant called the Bakehouse. The carrot cake was moist and the chocolate brownie divine. Refreshed and ready to shop Alice headed into the market area. It did not take long for her to find a pair of sandals that she needed. Our most interesting purchase was two bottles of wine from the Food City store. After walking around the entire store there was no sign of any liquor. We were just about to give up when we saw a sign that said foreign alcohol was available for purchase at the basement level. A kindly staff member unlocked a door for us to descend into the Sri Lankan version of Dan Murphy’s. It was like a sly grog shop where only those in the know could purchase something.

After yet another rest it was time for another massage at the Wedamedura Ayurveda. This place was set up to look like a doctor’s surgery or pharmacy. We opted for a 90 minute massage which for me included a facial and a steam bath. The massage was excellent but I was a little wary when I saw the steam bath. It looked like a contraption that only Harry Houdini could escape from. It was made of heavy bamboo and the lid closed over your entire body with only the head protruding. The steaming process was ingenious as all they did was place a gas burner underneath the bamboo slats and then boil a large pot of water. In no time flat I was sweating like a pig and taking in the benefits of the secret herbs that were placed in the boiling water. An added bonus was that we both had our first hot shower since arriving in Kandy.

Dinner again at the Garden Café and tonight was barbeque night. Another cheap meal with the only disappoint being that we were not allowed to drink our bottle of Jacobs Creek Chardonnay. A small setback that was rectified when we returned to our room.

Saturday 14th July – Temple Of The Sacred Tooth Relic

The above temple is just north of the lake and only a short walk from our room. As we approached one of the entrance gates to the temple we were approached by a number of people offering their services as guides or pointing out that my shorts were not acceptable attire. I succumbed to the advances of a sarong renter who dressed me in a lovely gold braided number for 200 rupees. We were now ready to enter the temple grounds. The tooth is Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic and is said to have been snatched from the flames of the Buddha’s funeral pyre in 483BC.

After paying our 1,000 rupee entrance fee we were given a mini DVD and a place to store our footwear. Barefooted we joined the many Sri Lankans who were making a pilgrimage to the temple. The lotus salesmen who operate near the moat were doing a roaring trade. The queue for a glimpse of the tooth was quite long and moving quickly despite the occasional queue jumper. You don’t actually see the tooth as it is housed in a gold casket shaped like a stupa. The view of the casket is from a doorway 3 metres away from the actual altar. The guards keep the queue moving and you are lucky if you get more than 15 seconds. As a non-Buddhist it was interesting to watch the fervour of the devotees who prayed and made offerings to the Buddha.

Another interesting pavilion is the Rajah Tusker Hall that houses the stuffed remains of Rajah, the Maligawa tusker who died in 1988. This elephant was declared a national treasure due to the number of times he carried the Sacred Tooth in the Kandy Esala Perahera.

After all this action it was time for lunch and then some more shopping. Alice did manage to find a nice cotton top and more shoes while I could not resist an 80 cent knife sharpener. It has been a sticky day so it is back to the hotel for an afternoon shower and siesta.

This evening we have decided to be a little cultural and have booked seats to watch dances of Sri Lanka at the Kandyan Art Associations’ Hall (500 rupees). You could tell that the performance was not far off starting due to the number of mini buses parked haphazardly over the road. Inside the hall all the front seats had been taken but fortunately there were still some good seats left. The show started with the blowing of the Conch Shell which is a traditional Sri Lankan welcome. They then progressed through a number of different dances highlighting different ethnic areas. I enjoyed the Mask Dance showing the killing of a snake by Garuda (not the airline). This is usually performed to drive off evil spirits and is still being used as a psychiatric treatment especially in the southern regions. Alice enjoyed the Raban Dance which entailed the spinning and balancing of a single faced drum by a male and female performer. All up there were about eight different dances that lasted about 45 minutes.

We were invited for beers by the owners of the hotel but as it was starting to rain we bailed out. Instead we once again had dinner at the Garden Café before heading off to bed.

Sunday 15th July – Heading to Colombo

After breakfast we settled up our account with the Shangri-La hotel (1500 rupees) for the three breakfast meals and our accommodation (7,500 rupees - $60) at Mrs Fernando’s. Our taxi driver to Colombo was on time but he had another van for us to travel in as his car was still in the workshop. This guy is like a Sri Lankan Arthur Daley, and always seems to be hatching a scheme. You can’t help but like him though. Our driver “Lucky” speaks next to no English but has our destination written in Sri Lankan. We had no sooner hit the outskirts of Kandy when Lucky’s mobile rang. It was Arthur hatching another scheme. We met up with him a little further down the road where one of his mates hitched a ride with us to Colombo to transact some business for Arthur.

The drive down took us nearly four hours due to the stop start traffic, especially buses that you encounter at every village. At one stop we bought a couple of king coconuts for the juice. This turned out to be a mistake as both our bladders were bursting at the seams. Lucky saved the day by pulling up at Indian restaurant. Arthur’s mate escorted us through the café, the kitchen, the preparation area and finally to the squat toilet out the back. We must have looked a strange sight, two westerners racing into their toilet block.

Not long after we arrived at the Sapphire Hotel just as a Sri Lankan wedding party was finishing their reception. It was a sea of colourful saris and beautiful young girls. Our hotel is a little more upmarket so we have access to a gym as well as a swimming pool. More importantly it is close to the house of fashion which means Alice can go berserk while I relax in comfort.

Monday 16th July – Shopping

For our trip to the Fashion House we had a first for a tuk-tuk trip. Our ride was equipped with a meter that registered distance, speed and cost which meant that we did not have to haggle over inflated prices. The Fashion House is an outlet for excess stock from Sri Lanka’s garment factories. We both managed to spend a few rupees on what we thought good quality items.

After lunch it was off to the Majestic Centre to see what sort of bargains they had to offer. Maybe Alice was exhausted after the morning effort as she refrained from buying any fashion accessories. A swim in the hotel pool to wash off the smog from travelling in tuk-tuks was in order. Even though it is overcast, the humidity and heat is still high. The water temperature however was just perfect. As we churning out our 15 metre laps we were joined by the national bird of Colombo, the ubiquitous crow. They are everywhere looking for opportunities to scavenge food or have a drink of water poolside. Earlier in the day one welcomed Alice with a well-directed bomb to the side of her shirt.

Dinner tonight was at the Beach Wadiya where you can eat under cover of a weather beaten shack or outside in the sand. It is renowned for its seafood and has attracted an impressive list of celebrities over time including Richard Branson, Princess Anne and now Lord and Lady Kawaku.

On their picture wall there is a cricket section which includes stars such as Beefy Botham, Michael Holding and Steve Waugh. You have to take care when entering the restaurant as you have to cross the railway track that runs along the entire beach length. There are no signals to inform you when a train is approaching however unless you are hearing impaired you will hear the noise as it hurtles down the steel rails. As I sucked back on a chilled bottle of three coins beer the waiter delivered our feast of chili crab, garlic prawns, calamari, rice and vegetables. Alice of course had a couple of glasses of white wine. The food was delicious and my only complaint was the small size of the crabs which made the extraction of flesh a little more difficult. Luckily, there was a tap nearby as I had chili sauce all over my face and hands which was testament to how much I enjoyed it.

Islands in the Sun

Saturday 23rd June – Rhodes

Today was our last day on Crete. It is a beautiful island with lots of secluded beaches and getaways as well as hotspots for the package tourist. Apart from the wind it has been a fantastic destination that needs at least twenty days to see the whole island. The people have been helpful, courteous and just plain nice and whenever we have needed help it has been forthcoming.

This morning after a long leisurely breakfast we are just chilling out by hanging around the hotel. We will take advantage of the 12 noon checkout and then drive about 100km to the airport at Heraklion. 

Our flight to Rhodes on a small airline named Sky Express is due to depart at 3:00pm. We took our time driving back along the beautiful coastline and arrived at the airport just before 2:00pm. By the number of people in the line for check-in we thought that it was going to be a packed flight. When we boarded there was not a spare seat left but that was understandable given that our turboprop aircraft only had 30 seats. The one benefit we had was the good view from the window of Crete and Rhodes.

Our Hotel is called the Nausika and is situated about 50 metres from one of the many beaches. With the right angle you can see the sea from our balcony on the fifth floor. The room which is costing 36 euro with breakfast is excellent and appears to be recently refurbished. We even have a television with some English programs. For dinner we took a stroll up to the old town and found a rather good restaurant. The food was reasonable but not exceptional. I could only eat a small amount as my tum tum, to quote Tony, is still playing up. There was some excess food left in a couple of gardens as we walked back to our lodgings.

Sunday 24th June – The Old Town

This morning we grazed over what was a very good hotel breakfast. Again, I cannot eat too much due to the tightness in my stomach. After lathering up with some sunscreen to protect us from the 35 degree heat we set off for a walk along the waterfront to the boat harbour. The water is a little choppy but that has not deterred the masses from sunning themselves on bright sunbeds which have been strategically placed to avoid the shade of umbrellas. 

The westerly wind that annoyed us in Crete is now here in Rhodes but not with the same intensity. At the harbour we found the ferry ticket office where we purchased our onward tickets (118 euro) for Kos and Patmos.

There are many entrances or gates into the old medieval town of Rhodes. We chose one and plunged into a labyrinth of laneways and even smaller alleys hoping to lose ourselves to discover the delights on offer. It did not take Alice long to discover the market stalls and I was soon carrying a heavier backpack. In some of the alleys we were surprised by the number of cats that were taking afternoon naps on cool steps.

 Historically, Rhodes was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In 1309, the Byzantine era came to an end when the island was occupied by forces of the Knights Hospitaller. Under the rule of the newly named "Knights of Rhodes", the city was rebuilt into a model of the European medieval ideal. Many of the city's famous monuments, including the Palace of the Grand Master, were built during this period. The Ottomans who were led by Suleiman the Magnificent eventually ousted the Knights from their fortress stronghold in 1522. Although there has been a lot of restoration work done there is not much of the old walls and buildings that are still functional.

Like the Greeks we are getting into the afternoon siesta mode to escape some of the heat. The balcony is shaded in the afternoon and is catching some of the breeze so it is just the place to have a cold beer. Alice is killing some time before dinner by visiting Anette’s Fish Spa. No, it is not a place where fish go on vacation but rather where they are forced to survive by eating the dead flesh from the feet of Homo sapiens. Lucky fish! 

 

Dinner tonight was at what we would call a fast food restaurant but the exception here was that they were specializing in Pita Gyro’s. The Gyro is very like a Doner Kebab and we ordered one each of the chicken and pork varieties. This place was really humming with the waitresses actually running to keep up with the chefs and the crowds of locals and tourists that kept streaming in. Our plates were so full that they could have fed four of us. Needless to say we left a fair quantity on our plates before departing for our waddle home.

Monday 25th June – A Day at the Beach

The wind is still blowing in from the west which makes conditions for swimming a little unpleasant near our hotel. Our aim was to take a 15 minute walk to the beach near the harbour which should have some protection. We claimed a pair of sunbeds and umbrella for 8 euro and set ourselves up on a square metre of sand. The water was inviting so we wasted no time in plunging in. I headed out to sea where there was a diving platform for the foolhardy to show off their skills. I’m no Ethan Warren (Alice’s friend, Michelle’s son Ethan represented Australia in Diving at the last Commonwealth Games) but I did manage to execute a half reasonable dive off the 5 metre tower. You can take the boy out of Inala but you can’t take the Inala out of the boy!

Alice needed some R&R away from me so she left me in charge of the sunbeds and went off to the old town for some retail therapy. All I had to do was swim, read and watch the girls in their summer clothes. She returned a few euros later bearing exotic spices and gifts. We ended up leaving the beach a little after 4:00pm satisfied that our 8 euro was well spent. 

On the walk back to the hotel we were feeling peckish and Alice could not resist the impulse to try some of the food on offer at the aptly named Danish Corner. The restaurant was straight across the road from the beach and had a food view as well as half decent nosh. They had an all you can eat Greek buffet with over 30 Greek dishes for the very reasonable price of 9 euro. The buffet starts at five and the food had just been brought out. I had a look at was on offer and was disappointed that there was no spare room inside my stomach cavity. It all looked very delicious.

Another cold beer and a scotch with soda on the balcony and it was off to bed.

Tuesday 26th June – Fast Ferry to Kos

For a change we are up bright and early as we have to catch the 8:30 ferry to Kos. We managed to get breakfast in before catching a taxi down to the quay. Our conveyance is a high speed catamaran the “Pride of the Dodekanisos”. After stowing our luggage we picked a seat on the port side of the vessel to avoid the sun. 

The ferry has a couple of stops at various ports in the Dodecanese group of islands. Simi was the first stop and quite a few passengers alighted for what seemed like a day trip. The town is set in a beautifully protected little harbour. White washed houses and apartments are perched in positions on the hillside to take advantage of the view. It looks like a great place to unwind.

Our cat pulled into the dock at Kos dead on 11:00am and at first glimpse it appears there is less hustle and bustle than Rhodes. The claim to fame for Kos is that the Father of modern medicine, Hippocrates was born here. During our afternoon walk we stopped at the Tree of Hippocrates which is a plane tree under which, according to the legend, Hippocrates of Kos taught his pupils the art of medicine. 

Hippocrates' tree resides on the Platía Platanou (or "Square of the Platane"), in front of the Castle of Knights and next to the Gazi Hassan Mosque in the centre of Kos town. The biggest selling souvenir is a copy of the Hippocratic Oath, available in a number of languages and a dried leaf from the plane tree. I could not resist buying a copy for the newest member of the medical profession, Telissa. Apparently, St Paul also taught and preached under the plane tree.

The streets are well laid out and there is a bicycle only lane that travels for about 16km along the waterfront. The temperature is in the high 30’s with little wind and Alice and I are slowly frying. We headed back to the Hotel Yiorgos which is owned by the family Anastasiou. Our 30 euro room is small, functional, clean and thankfully has air conditioning. There is also a small balcony and the added bonus of a refrigerator and kettle.

We headed out for dinner just as the sun was setting at around 8:30pm. A nice pizza place opposite the water allowed us to see the not too distant lights of Bodrum, Turkey. We had noticed earlier in the day that you good take a ferry to Turkey for 15 euro and that day trippers only needed their passport. There was no need for a visa which would have significantly increased the cost. Dinner was good and when we had finished there was an extra bonus of a complimentary full glass of wine. It seems to be common practice in most restaurants to give guests something extra like raki, fruit or wine.

Wednesday 27th June – On Your Bike

Another beautiful day, the sun is out and the wind has picked up slightly to take the bite out of the sun. Next door to the hotel is a bicycle rental shop so it is time for some serious exercise. After securing the use of two bicycles for the day at the reasonable rate of 7 euro we struck out along the bikeway. 

The terrain is flat and follows the beach past a number of 4 star hotels. One of them is holding the world conference for fetal medicine and there are supposed 1000 doctors in the house. From what I understand they don’t need much of an excuse to attend a conference especially when they are held in idyllic locations like this. Telissa, I wonder if fetal nurses would be allowed to attend? 

By the time we arrived at the end of the trail, the wind that has been following us around the Greek Islands had also arrived. The kite surfers that we were watching were making the most of it. On our return leg we stopped off for a swim at a nice isolated location. Just as I was about to go the full monty an elderly Greek couple sauntered up and sat right next to us. Oh well, looks like the speedo lookalike undies will have to do.

Alice challenged me to a quick game of mini-golf before lunch. The scores were tight and a bit high. I think we will blame that on the wind and not our skill factor! A couple of pork gyros and it was back to the hotel to escape the heat of the afternoon.

Heading in the opposite direction of this morning we pedalled our way through town and out to Lampi beach. This beach was sort of out of the wind so we decided to stop for a swim. We found a spot that offered free sunbeds which meant no sun on our heads.

I was soon in the water which had a fair amount of seagrass floating about. This was possibly due to the slight surge caused by the wind. From this spot the coastline of Turkey looks very close. Apparently, the ferry trip is about 20 minutes from Kos to Bodrum. The ride back was significantly easier as the wind was at our backs and seemed to push us along. We must not have been riding fast enough as Alice found a shop and bought a sun top. When we dropped the bikes off at around 7:00pm we discovered that the entire town was suffering from a power blackout.

Alice is suffering from a sinus headache so I have decided to go out by myself for some dinner. I found a nice little spot that had some light from the passing traffic. My chair faced the water and while sipping on my glass of red I stared out at the glittering lights of Bodrum. It was a very romantic evening but alas there was no Alice (or Gene) to share it with.

Thursday 28th June – Kos is a Beach
Today we are off in search of beaches that are not exposed to the wind. A little Fiat Panda that cost 42 euro for the day will be our mode of transport. The first thing we noticed was that Kos Town was far bigger than we imagined. The town is spread out over a large plain with access to beaches both sides of Cape Skandari. 

We made some detours to the beaches at Tigaki, Marmari and Mastihari. These were good sandy beaches but the wind was so strong that only the foolhardy were in the water or sunbathing. Our pick would have been Marmari as it was less busy but still offered enough to keep you entertained.

The airport which is in the middle of the island was soon behind us. I suspect that the taxi drivers would get a decent fare from here to Kos Town. A quick detour to have a look at Paradise Beach, Camel Beach and Ag. Nikolaos soon confirmed that this was a good area to spend the day swimming. 

The next town we travelled through was Kefalos which lies adjacent to Kamari Bay. A break for lunch was required so we took a lonely road to the opposite side of the island where there was a single tavern with outstanding views. The wind was still blowing here which caused a small swell suitable for body surfing. There were a couple of hardy souls having some fun on their boogie boards.
 
After lunch we did some more exploring in this isolated part of the island. Apart from a few hire cars and quad bikes the only other inhabitants we encountered were the goats. Our hire car had been playing up and was cutting out for some reason. This was a good excuse for us to pull up a sunbed and have a swim at Kamari. The water was crystal clear, cool and just out of the wind. After a relaxing few hours we headed back to our hotel. The car behaved without any issues and we were back at the hotel by 7:00. Alice had chilled a bottle of champagne so we celebrated our last night in style by relaxing on our little balcony.

Friday 29th June – Patmos

This morning we are just biding our time prior to heading down to the port for our 11:05 ferry trip (29 euro) to Patmos. Kos has been a great place to stay and one could easily spend a week here without getting bored. The access to a range of beautiful beaches by car or bicycle, historical ruins like the ancient agora, day trips to remote islands or an excursion to Turkey are all easily available.

Alice and I have been looking forward to visiting Patmos because of its link to St John. This is where John was said to have lived in a cave and wrote the book of Revelation. 

The fast catamaran to Patmos takes 2.5 hours and has scheduled stops at the islands of Kalymnos, Leros and Lipsi. These three islands all look beautiful from the upper deck of the catamaran and judging by the number of passengers alighting they must have something to offer. 

On arrival at Patmos there was no shortage of touts offering hotel accommodation. We have already booked ours at the Captain’s House Hotel (40 euro). The hotel is only 50 metres from the port and when we were shown the room we were suitably impressed. Our room has been recently renovated and everything seems to have a touch of class. When we stepped onto the balcony Alice’s smile lit up as we have a great view of the water and the port.

After settling in we took a walk around the town (Skala) and had a nice lunch down by the water. In the late afternoon we relaxed with some beer and champagne and watched the street scene unfold below us. The fishing trawlers departed port, motorcycles swished by and restaurants slowly prepared for the evening trade.

Saturday 30th June – The Cave of the Apocalypse

We were up reasonably early today as we wanted to beat the expected cruise ship passengers to The Cave. After a really good breakfast we mounted our trusty quad bike that we had hired (20 euro) the night before for the trip up the hill. Our timing was impeccable as we were fortunate to arrive whilst there was a Greek Orthodox service in progress. 

The hypnotic chanting and ritualism added to the special feeling that we both had. John wrote the Book of Revelation in this cave after he was exiled by the Emperor Domitian in 95AD. The cave is known today as the Holy Cave and is located on the hill between Skala and Hora. The cave was fashioned into a place of worship by St. Christodoulos. Beneath the rock you can see the place where John slept, where he laid his head to rest and a crevice that he could hold onto for support as he stood.

Next stop was the Monastery of St. John the Theologian which was begun in 1088 by St. Christodoulos. From the outside it looks like a fortress as it straddles the highest position on the island. Its 15 metre high walls were effective in repelling pirate rids that used to occur in the 13th century. Inside the monastery there is a museum and library with many relics and icons. There are parchments written in the 5th century, gifts from wealthy Patmians as well as from the Czarina of Russia, Catherine the second.

It was getting close to lunch so we headed over to a little bay called Grikos. This bay and beach has been voted as one of the world’s best. It was good but not that good. The bay was a mecca for yachties and it was easy to see why this beautiful and safe anchorage attracted them. 

The beach itself was a mixture of fine pebbles and brown sand. We found a good spot under a shady tree to store our clothes. The water was a little cool but nevertheless very inviting. The other good point about this bay was that we were protected from the wind. 

I wanted to check out the next bay known as Petra so it was back on the quad for more adventure. The road came back down to the water’s edge where we had to make a right turn and drive along the beach for 100 metres. We then moved off the beach on to a sealed a road which took us past a few restaurants and hotels and then down to the bay. 

This beach was a little rockier but there were plenty of trees providing respite from the sun. A couple of more swims and then at around 6:00 we headed back to the hotel. No need to guess we were back into the beer and champers.

Sunday 1st July – The Northern Beaches

There are more bays on the northern part of the island so we decided to spend some time on the quad bike to check out a few of them. The first bay which was protected from the wind was Agriolivadi Bay. It is a beautiful spot with trees and a sandy beach. Maybe next time we will swim here. 

A short distance further was the small hill village of Kampos. There is a quaint little square which also has a taverna under the shade of huge tree. We took the directions to Vagia Bay however our little quad protested as it slowly made its way up the steep hill. This bay did not appeal to us as it looked a little small and rocky.

We retraced our route and then headed down a steep incline to Lampi Bay. This is a beautiful stretch of beach with the foreshore consisting of pebbles. There is a sign warning people not to remove the pebbles as the number of stones has reduced significantly over the years. Despite the signs we noticed one woman with a big handful. 

A short water break at the taverna which is right on the edge of the sea and we were on our way again.

We had ridden past Kampos Bay earlier and had decided that this would be the place to spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing. After hiring a couple of sunbeds we lathered up and were soon enjoying the water. 

We took lunch at the taverna across the road and had the Patmos Veal which was one of the best meals so far. On returning to the beach the sunbed owner surprised us by going swimming with his pet goose. He would talk to it and then it would follow him out into the deeper water. It also kissed him on the side of the face a few times. When they had finished they both waddled up the beach together and took shade underneath their concession stand. It would not have surprised us if the goose also collected the fees for the sunbeds. 

When swimming I did notice a couple of decent size sea bream and a couple of small flounder trying to camouflage themselves in the sand. As we are leaving today we cut our time short and headed back to the hotel at about 5:30pm.

Our view of Patmos is that it is a great island and worth a longer stay. It was the pick of the islands for us on this trip.

The hotel owner has been kind enough to allow us to stay in the room until 7:00 which will allow us both to freshen up. After a shower I took a run out to Meloi Bay and was not disappointed. It is another top spot with plenty of shelter from the wind. The quad has to be returned and it was definitely a good investment and the perfect way for us to see the island. 

Time to check-out and find a way to kill a few hours before boarding the Blue Star Ferry at 11:55pm for our trip to Athens. We decided to have our “Shirley Valentine” moment on the small beach directly in front of the hotel. With our toes in the pebbles and the sea lapping at our feet we watched our last Greek Island sunset accompanied by a couple of wines. Dinner was an interesting affair as we were surrounded by Italian and Spanish football supporters who were watching the European final. When the game finished it is was time to pick up our bags and take the short walk to the port. We only expected a few hardy souls to be traveling at this late hour but the port was jammed with people, cars and a few trucks.

Monday 2nd July – Athens

With the big crush of people we boarded the Blue Star 2 just after midnight for the 8 hour trip to Athens. At reception we were given our pass key to the cabin we had booked for 176 euro. One of the stewards escorted us to the cabin, turned down the beds and left us to get some shut eye. It was a pretty good cabin and it did not take long to go to sleep. I should have taken the lower bunk because all that beer that I had drunk made me get up twice. Alice slept like a log because I had to wake her as the ship was due to berth in the next 30 minutes.

We were going to take the Metro from the port to our hotel but decided against it due to the number of changes we would have to make. Reluctantly we joined the taxi queue and waited our turn for a ride. One mistake that I did make was not writing down the address of Hotel Tony. Our driver had no idea where it was and he also spoke no English. 

I explained roughly what area the hotel was in to a port security guard who then translated this to the driver. He sped off into the traffic and took a few taxi driver shortcuts which eventually had us on the freeway and into the Athens city centre. The meter was not on so I knew that he would be trying to get us to the hotel as quickly as possible. He drove past the area where I thought the hotel was, asked another taxi driver for directions and then stopped at the Hotel Adonis in Plaka.

I explained as gently as possible that it was the wrong hotel and the wrong suburb. He tried another route but turned too early and ended up in a parking garage. We were close but not quite there. He then tried a service station and after some advice from the mechanic we were heading in what I thought was the right direction. After about two minutes I spotted the hotel and the driver happily deposited us at the front door. After handing over 30 euros which was not too bad a price he sped off mumbling Greek obscenities about dumb tourists. I thought it was a darn good adventure which killed a little time for us.

It was only about 10:00 and Tony of Hotel Tony informed us the room would not be available for about an hour. We found a breakfast place that served good coffee and just relaxed for a while. On the way back to the hotel there was a good supermarket which supplied us with some essential food and drink staples. Our room on the first floor has a small kitchen with a microwave, a nice sized balcony and is furnished with quality fittings. We stayed here on our last visit and at a price of 85 euros in a capital city it is excellent value.

The afternoon was spent walking around the Plaka area and generally getting used to the area. We remembered quite a lot and had no trouble navigating our way around the area. Later that evening we returned to the area and had dinner at God’s Restaurant. It is recommended in all the guide books and on our last visit had a good meal there. This time we were disappointed as it seems they are dining out on the recommendations. It was obvious to us that the meal we ordered was reheated in a microwave. The taste of the meal was just suitable but it was only just warm. It arrived on our table only minutes after placing the order. Ah well, looks like it is an early night for us!

Tuesday 3rd July – Hop On, Hop Off

Our plans for today are very fluid with no set agenda. When we reached Hadrian’s Gate we decided to join the Hop On, Hop Off bus tour. There are two companies competing for business and as a result they are trying to undercut each other. Our cost for the ‘red” bus was 13 euro each. The “yellow” bus then dropped the price to 12 euros and offered the ticket for two days. Now I know everyone won’t believe me but I took the “red” bus. Stupid really!

We stayed on the bus until the Monstiraki stop which is near the ancient agora. I had a look at a few ancient ruins such as Hadrian’s Library and an old Roman aqueduct that was uncovered when they built the metro. Alice on the other hand was content to browse through the flea market area of Athens. After a bite of souvlaki in Mitropoleos Street it was back on the bus for more sightseeing. As the bus drove down Athinas Street we saw the central market where they sell meat, seafood and vegetables. It would have been an interesting stop especially early in the day. It was another hot day at around 33 degrees so we called it quits in the afternoon.

After escaping the worst of the afternoon heat we took another tour on the bus. The highlights this time was the Panathenaic Stadium and the National Library. The stadium that can hold 60,000 spectators was built of marble for the first modern Olympics in 1896. The library and university are built in neo-classical style and have a number of impressive marble statues. Plato and Socrates are in the prime positions. Our bus terminated at Syntagma Square opposite the parliament and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. From here it was a long walk back to the hotel via the Plaka which was just beginning to get lively with tourists. Back at the hotel our day finished with a homemade salad with beer and wine.