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
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.
• 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
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.
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”.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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