Saturday 16th July – Dubai to Colombo
One good thing about the upgrade is that the stopover in Dubai is more pleasant as I can make use of the business lounge for a couple of hours. The shuttle train whisked me over to terminal B where I entered the biggest lounge area that I have ever seen. I didn’t know that many people flew business class. After a light breakfast and a couple of coffees I needed to take care of another kind of business. It was unbelievable there was a queue of men lined up to use the toilet. For the time it was taking I thought that some of them must be giving birth. The shower however was a different matter and I was soon luxuriating under a steady stream of hot water. I felt a lot better and more equipped to handle the next 4.5 hour leg to Colombo.
Nothing really to report except that it was a relaxing flight that landed on time. I had pre-booked my visa on line and made a bee-line for the immigration counter. My only problem was that I had not filled in the arrival form. After grabbing one I rejoined the queue at the end of the line. Fortunately it wasn’t long and I was at the baggage carousel soon after. My bag was one of the first off and in no time I was in a taxi heading for my accommodation in Negombo.
My room at the Alexandra Family Villa is very reasonable considering the price. After settling in I adjourned to the courtyard and struck up a conversation with an Australian couple who are around my age. I did find out that they would be attending the cricket in Galle and I have been invited to join their group if we spot each other. The weather is very muggy and you don’t have to be out for long to work up a layer of sweat. Before dinner I went for a walk and hired a tuk tuk driver to get me to an ATM and the bottle shop. There are not many around of either and the bottle shop has more security than the ATM. I was a little tired from lack of sleep on the flights so I had an early dinner at one of the many restaurants on Beach Road. The two beers and grilled calamari were both good and reasonably priced at $11. A nice shower to remove the beads of sweat and grime from my person was the perfect end to a big couple of days.
Sunday 17th July – The Overnight Rattler
I’m in no hurry again this morning as I have nothing planned. The Sri Lankan breakfast provided by the manager’s mother was great. It consisted of string hoppers, roti, dahl and a pot of black tea. My room has been booked so I am unable to use it after midday. As a courtesy I vacated around 10:00 and stored my gear in the living room. Jude the manager will arrange the use of a shower for me later this evening.
To kill some time I decided to treat myself to a 75 minute massage. The premises were very up market and made you feel like that you were in a day spa. The male masseuse was excellent and nearly put me to sleep. Alice would be proud as my skin drank up lots of essential oils. I had more oil in and on me than my old FB Holden “The Rocket”. The cost for the massage was 2100RP ($20). After a refreshing cup of peppery herbal tea it was off to the beach. I did not stay long as the beach was not very appealing. It is monsoon season for the west coast which means that conditions are very ordinary. At Negombo this meant that the first 20metres of water was full of silt. You would have to be keen to swim in this. Also the beach was littered with plastic most likely washed up with the big tides.
After a couple of hours at the hotel catching up on the diary I returned to yesterday’s restaurant for a dozen barbeque prawns. As I was finishing up a mature woman asked if she could join me. Turned out she was from Mullumbimby and was just finishing her vacation. I excused myself as Jude will be driving me (4000rp) to Colombo Fort railway station at 7:45pm. After the promised shower we were off and travelling down the new tollway into Colombo. Prior to arrival I had booked a ticket through a British agency to travel overnight from Colombo to Trincomalee on the east coast. I was a little concerned about this arrangement as I had to show my passport and quote a booking reference at the ticket office. There were no problems and at 9:00pm the train pulled into platform 3 ready to depart at 9:30pm. I had no trouble locating my sleeperet seat and there was plenty of room for my luggage. I had visions of my seat reclining to a position where I could stretch out. Nope, the total recline was about 150mm which basically meant that I was sitting up. To make matters worse there was absolutely no wiggle room. I could have killed for a Spanish train. The only good news was that there were plenty of vacant seats which meant no one was seated next to me. Once we were underway none of this mattered as we lurched, squealed and rattled along the track towards Trincomalee. There is definitely a reason why they are called ‘rattlers”. After trying countless possible sleeping positions of which none worked I resorted to using my backpack as a pillow, laid down with my back on two seats and my legs hanging over the edge on the floor. Contortionist I am not but I did manage a couple of hours sleep.
Monday 18th July – What About a Dive
The train pulled into Trincomalee station a little after 6:00am. It was an hour late, thank goodness as I did not want to get to my hotel too early. In no time a tuk tuk driver had attached himself to me and 400rp we sped off to the Angel Inn Beach Hotel. It was only 6:30am so I banged on the reception door and woke up one of the staff who was asleep on a floor mattress. My check-in time is not until 11:00 so it looks like I will have to wait until one becomes available. I have put my spare time to good use by having breakfast, booking a scuba dive and checking out the beach. My room was ready about 10:00 so I showered and rested before heading off for my dive.
The crew was waiting for me and they soon had me set up with a full kit of gear. Some of the gear especially my fins are looking a little tired but they are functional. We headed out to Butterfly Reef which is virtually straight out from the beach. It is a shallow dive of about 12m and had plenty of tropical reef fish and soft coral. Also saw nudibranch, stonefish and a small moray eel. The visibility was not great at around 12m so only a two star rating for this 5000rp dive.
In the late afternoon I went for a long walk towards Trincomalee. It was typical Sri Lanka with all sorts of shops straddling each side of the main road. Horns were blaring with tuk tuks, buses, motorbikes, bicycles, cows and pedestrians all vying for space anywhere along the road. I found a supermarket and bought some water and snacks. On the way back I purchased some Rambutans (50rp) from a roadside vendor which were fresh and juicy. My candlelit dinner tonight was down on the beach in front of the hotel. A plate of grilled calamari with some rice and salad which was washed down with a bottle of water. It was more expensive than what I have become used to and set me back 1320rp. I have noticed that there is a 10% service charge on all food and drinks so there is no tipping required from this old fella.
Tuesday 19th July – Double Dive and a Triple Dose of Bad Luck
I arranged breakfast for 7::00 this morning as I am booked for a double dive just after 7:30. When 8:00 rolled by the dive master informed me that he had changed the time to 8:30 to accommodate some more bookings. He sincerely apologized and arranged a cup of tea for me. This is the first dose of bad luck because 9:00 came and went just as quickly. Lucky for me that it is a good view overlooking the beach. I was then informed that they were waiting for a Chinese group who were going snorkeling with us. We were eventually on our way at 9:45 and I was suitably unimpressed. More than two hours wasted just sitting around doing nothing.
Luckily for me I managed to stay calm so that I could enjoy my dive. When I hit the water at Swarmi Reef I could feel all the tension in me dissolve. This dive site gets its name as Hindu temple , Koneswaram sits on a cliff above the dive site. To the Hindus it is a sacred site and the ocean floor is littered with statues that have been cast down from the temple. There were plenty of fish and a decent swim through which made the dive more interesting. I also saw Lion Fish, two very large spotted moray eels, spotted Stingray and a very fine Pipe Eel. The dive time was around 45minutes with visibility around 15metres. My rating for this dive is three stars.
Our next dive was literally around the corner and is known as Geek Reef. This was a relaxing dive at about 12m and with around 12m of visibility. The dive took around 40 minutes with plenty of reef fish, a swim through and a large spotted Moray Eel. This dive gets another three stars. When we were finished we had to go back to the first dive site as our Sri Lankan diver had dropped his new underwater Go Pro and had not realized it until later. Boy, do I know that feeling. Fortunately one of the crew did a search and managed to retrieve it for him from the not so murky depths.
We arrived back at the dive shop just after 2:00 and you would not believe it bad luck 2 had occurred. Some slimy so and so had decided that my expensive pair of Soul thongs would suit The guy who was in charge of the shop while we were diving offered me his own thongs. Of course I took them, not as I did not have the heart to deprive him of his footwear. Lucky for me that we had an afternoon shower which meant the soles of my feet would not be burnt on the normally hot sand.
After a brief rest it is back to the main road in search of water and a new pair of thongs. I managed to find a pair that set me back 180rp ($1.60). They look good enough to last the remainder of the trip. I decided that I would like some king coconut juice and would you believe it bad luck number 3 occurred. As soon as he knocked the top off the coconut I was covered in juice. It went into my hair, face and shirt but all I could do was laugh. Maybe I should not go out for dinner tonight.
I did go out for dinner and chose the cheaper main road option. My meal was a nice piece of grilled tuna and a litre of water. It was sweet dreams tonight.
Wednesday 20th July – We Are Sailing
Prior to leaving home I had come across a trip on a large catamaran that operated out of Trimcomalee. Yesterday afternoon I managed to secure a spot on their giant loop excursion which departs at 6:30am. It is a seven hour trip and costs 7,500rp (approx$70). I awoke at 5:30 and just after six headed down to the main road to hire a tuk tuk to take me down to Koneswaram Bay. The first guy I hailed gave me a price of 100rp which is very cheap. I suspect that he did not really understand me. In fact he did not as he was taking me away from the beach. In the end we worked out and we arrived with time to spare. The crew sent in the zodiac which ferried myself and eight from the Netherlands nation to the “Pearl” which would be our home for the next seven hours. One word can describe this excursion and it is fantastic.
We were no sooner on our way when breakfast was served. It was a decent cup of coffee and a vegetable frittata. As we headed out into the murky depths I could see all the dolphin and whale watching boats cruising around. They are basically runabouts with a big motor which race all around trying to find these elusive denizens of the deep. It looked very uncomfortable as they bulldozed their way over the ocean. Meanwhile our crew knew what they were doing and we were soon treated to a spectacular show from the bottlenose dolphins who were porpoising at the bow of the catamaran. We also were lucky enough to see big pods of spinner dolphins and a lone Bryde’s Whale which was missing a dorsal fin. We had some spare time so we headed out into deeper water in search of more whales. Unfortunately that came to an end when the boat inadvertently became entangled in a fishing net. I thought that the fishermen would be angry however they were quite amicable. The skipper donned his snorkeling gear and had to cut away the net that was tangled around the propeller. After that incident we headed back to the shelter of the bay below the temple where we anchored up for the next 2.5 hours.
This gave the chance for the Inala boy to emerge and I was soon diving off the top deck into the crystal clear water. Some of the guests went snorkeling but I was more interested in the stand up paddle board. I had some good fun for 30 minutes and only managed to fall off once. It doesn’t really matter when the water is 28 degrees. There is also a kayak for those who have plenty of energy to burn. For me it was time to relax over a cold beer while I waited for lunch to be served. It was a grilled whole fish that had been purchased from the market this morning and it was delicious even accounting for those pesky bones. Desert followed and so did our return to Koneswaram Bay. It was a great day out and a fantastic way to see the dolphins and solitary whale.
www.sail-lanka-charter.com
Back on land I headed over to Fort Frederick which is currently a base for the Sri Lankan army. In olden days it was one of the biggest walled forts in Asia. It was built by the Portuguese in 1623. The famous Koneswaram temple is located inside this fort. This Hindu temple was earlier known as the temple of thousand Pillars. According to historical information the Portuguese had demolished the old Koneswaram temple and they built the fort with this. It is a decent uphill walk to the temple but there are plenty of vendors who will try and tempt you. The temple itself is very colourful with plenty of Hindu gods overlooking everything. The views from here are to say the least panoramic.
My day finished with the hiring of a tuk tuk driver and a search for an ATM that would dispense some rupees for me. Dinner tonight was back on the main road where I took a safe option of wood fired pizza.
Thursday 21st July – Moving On
My room was neat and tidy with wi-fi, cold water but funky shower, air conditioning which is a must here and a nice patio area. On the downside they could use some storage space for bags and there was an issue with small house ants. I could not complain about the price as it was 14,000rp for three nights. It is a beachfront property and about 800m from the main group of beach bungalows at Uppuveli. My taxi to Anuradhapura showed up early but for a change I was ready to go. It is about 115km journey and the fare is 8100rp which is about $73.
The drive was quite pleasant and the highway was in good condition. The landscape is so different from Spain with all the coconut trees, forest and roadside stalls. We stopped at one and my driver, Champ bought me a freshly cooked cob of sweet baby corn which they cool down in a basin of salty water. There were no holdups on our journey and it wasn’t difficult to find Secret Sanctuary, The Resort where I will spend the next two nights. The hotel is in a quiet location and my room is very pleasant. The manager also arranged for a driver to come around so I can organize my plans for the next four days. Thirty minutes later there was a knock on my door and in no time we had mapped out a rough itinerary which would start this afternoon. Basically I will have a driver and a new car to explore all the key sites in the region, two nights accommodation and a drop off at my hotel in Kandy. I have to pay for my meals and entrance fees. I did not haggle on the cost as Rs 35,000 ($315) seemed reasonable to me.
Abbi my portly Sri Lankan driver picked me up at 4:30pm and we went off to explore Mihintale (Rs 500). It involves a steep climb, so my driver recommended me to visit it at this time of the afternoon to avoid the midday heat. The Stairway is a series of flights, 1843 ancient granite slab steps lead majestically up the hillside. On the second landing I took on the services of a guide (Rs 1000), it is also where the monks’ refectory is located with huge stone troughs that the lay followers kept filled with rice for the monks. Nearby, at a place identified as the monastery’s relic house, are two inscribed stone slabs erected during the reign of King Mahinda IV. The final steep stairway, lined with frangipani trees, leads to the place where Mahinda and the king met. The Ambasthale Dagoba is built over the spot where Mahinda stood. The bodhi tree to the left of the base of the steps is said to be one of the oldest surviving ones. From here there is a fantastic view over the lakes and trees to Anuradhapura, a horizon studded with the domes and spikes of all the massive dagobas. The guide did prove valuable as he had to race back up the steps to retrieve my camera that I had left on a bench whilst putting my sandals back on. There were also plenty of resident Macquae Monkeys, Langur Monkeys and a lone giant squirrel.
There is not much nightlife close to the hotel so I decided to take a chance on their restaurant and ordered a vegetable curry for dinner. Abbi the manager even went out and purchased two beers for me. I enjoyed one of them sitting out on the hotel patio in the pleasant coolness of the early evening. When I received the call for dinner I could not believe it. There were six different bowls of curry and a mountain of red rice. I managed to eat about half of the food and I would have to say that it was the best meal I have had in Sri Lanka
Friday 22nd July – Go Buddha, Anuradhapura
I have a new driver today whose name is Sumith and he is Abbi’s brother in law. It was 8:00am and we were on our way to avoid the crowds as well as the heat. Our first stop was at the sacred temple of Maha Viharaya (admission Rs 200) which also has a Bohdi tree and a small rock temple. There is also a small museum with some great carvings especially one known simply as “The Lovers”.
There is so much to see here in Anuradhapura that it would drive me bonkers trying to describe all of it so I will try to keep it brief. The next site is supposed to be the most important temple to the Sri Lankan Buddhists and is called Sri Maha Bodhi. It is home of the sacred Bodhi tree which is central to Anuradhapura in both a spiritual and physical sense. It was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India and is said to be the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world. Mahavihara is the heart of ancient Anuradhapura and is often the scene of religious ceremonies, which draw masses of people dressed in their finest. Tomorrow is supposed to be a big day. Relics here date from the 3rd century BC to the 11th century AD.
For the sheer delight of exploring an ancient city, much of it still enveloped in tropical forest, the 2000-year-old Abhayagiri Monastery area can’t be beat. A ruined 9th-century school for monks northwest of the Abhayagiri Dagoba is notable for having the finest carved moonstone in Sri Lanka and it is also where I took a break and had a thirst quenching king coconut. A couple of more stupas, a palace and a museum and we were done for the day. It was only 12:30 so we had a quick lunch before returning to the hotel. I spent the rest of the day catching up on washing and other mundane tasks. Another superb dinner at the hotel, a chat to a Dutch couple who were cycling part of the way around Sri Lanka and I was off to bed.
Saturday 23rd July – Stone Buddha, Rock Caves and the Gathering
My account at the Secret Sanctuary came to Rs 10,037 ($90) which included breakfast, dinner and lodging for two nights as well as four large ones. The manager was great and I would definitely recommend this hotel. Sumith picked me up at 8:00 wearing a big toothy grin and soon had us on our way towards Aukana. He was right about the big festival today because as we were heading away from Anuradhapura there was bus after bus going there. Apparently the people are coming from all over the island. After a 90 minute drive we reached our destination.
According to legend, the magnificent 12m-high standing Aukana Buddha (admission Rs 750) was sculpted during the reign of Dhatusena in the 5th century, though some sources date it to the 12th or 13th century. Aukana means ‘sun-eating’, and dawn. The statue is still narrowly joined at the back to the rock face it is cut from, the lotus plinth on which it stands is a separate piece. The Buddha’s pose, ashiva mudra, signifies blessings, while the burst of fire above his head represents the power of total enlightenment. You don’t need much time for the visit but the sheer scale of the statue is worth the time and effort to get there.
Our next destination is the beautiful Royal Rock Temple complex sits about 160m above the road in the southern part of Dambulla. Sumith pointed me in the right direction but he decided to have a rest in the car rather than tackle the heights of this impressive complex. Five separate caves contain about 150 absolutely stunning Buddha statues and paintings, some of Sri Lanka’s most important and evocative religious art. Buddha images were first created here over 2000 years ago, and over the centuries subsequent kings added to and embellished the cave art. From the caves there are superb views over the surrounding countryside. Cave number two was my pick. It measures 52m from east to west and 23m from the entrance to the back wall; the highest point of the ceiling is 7m. This cave is named after the two statues of kings it contains Maharaja and Viharaya.
A spot of lunch and we were off to our rendezvous with our jeep driver so we could tour Minneriya National Park. The cost for the jeep whether it is one or four people is Rs 5000 but the real sting is in the park fees especially for foreigners. Sri Lankans pay Rs 60 whilst we outsiders have to pay Rs 2133.75 per person, plus some local taxes. Total cost of park fees was Rs 4042.34. One of Asia’s great wildlife spectacles occurs at Minneriya National Park between July and September. Known as ‘the Gathering’, 200 or more elephants gather for several weeks in one concentrated spot. On our trip we headed down to the large lake which loses a significant amount of water at this time of year. There were water buffalo, a small crocodile that looked stuffed, eagles, kingfishers, wading birds, monkeys and spotted deer. The main attraction of course is the elephants. We saw three groups which would have totaled around 150. The big surprise for me was the large number of baby elephants not more than a few weeks old. The trip was a little over two hours but was worth the cost to see so many of these magnificent pachyderms in the wild.
After the safari it was full steam ahead towards Polonnaruva and the Ariya Rest House (Rs 4000). My room was basic with a just functioning air conditioner. The downside was that the promised hot shower was only a trickle. There are also a heap of mosquitoes in the room. Dinner was thankfully excellent and once again I did not come close to finishing it.
Sunday 24th July – Happy Birthday Brother Ed
We do not have far to drive this morning so we did not hit the road until 8:30. Our first stop was the excellent museum which comprises of several rooms, each dedicated to a particular theme: the citadel, the outer city, the monastery area and Hindu monuments. The latter room contains a wonderful selection of bronzes, including some outstanding Shiva statues. It is also where you purchase your admission ticket for a very cheap Rs 3550.
With the museum visit over and my ticket in hand it was off to visit the ancient ruins of Polonnaruva. The ruins, which can be conveniently divided into five groups: the Royal Palace group; the Quadrangle; the Northern Group (spread over a wide area) and a latter two which I did not visit. It is an amazing site and I spent about four hours exploring the ruins. The highlights were:
· The Gal Pota (Stone Book) is a colossal stone representation of an ola book. It is nearly 9m long by 1.5m wide, and 40cm to 66cm thick
· Lankatilaka temple, built by Parakramabahu and later restored by Vijayabahu IV. This huge gedige has 17m-high walls, although the roof has collapsed. The cathedral-like aisle leads to a huge standing (headless) Buddha
· Gal Vihara is a group of beautiful Buddha images that probably marks the high point of Sinhalese rock carving. They are part of Parakramabahu’s northern monastery. The Gal Vihara consists of four separate images, all cut from one long slab of granite
With my visit over it was off for yet another three course buffet lunch prior to heading off to the next hotel at Sigiriya. My room (Rs 4000) at the Grand Regent Holiday Resort and Spa is twice as good as the previous night. It has a half decent hot shower, cable television and a large comfortable bedroom with coffee table and chairs. II had a good couple of hours rest before we headed off.
I think that Sigiriya is the jewel in the crown of the ancient cities and the Rs 4260 admission price reflects this. Sumith and I arrived just before 4:30pm so that we could avoid the heat. There was plenty of cloud cover which helped with the heat but it also means no visible sunset at the summit. The museum closes at 5:30 so we paid a visit prior to heading over to the gardens. There were a couple of good exhibits which make it worthwhile to take a short visit. The lowest section inside the Sigiriya complex is a beautifully landscaped area dotted with water gardens, then as you approach the rock its foothills contain boulder gardens (home to numerous Buddhist shrines) and terraced gardens. The base of Sigiriya has been landscaped to produce the terraced gardens.
Halfway up the rock there’s an open-air spiral stairway leading up from the main route to a long, sheltered gallery in the sheer rock face. There is a ticket checkpoint here and this is where I lost Sumith. Apparently he could not accompany me, a foreigner, up the rock as he is not a licensed guide. I suspect that he was secretly relieved because I did notice that his hip was playing up. In this gallery there is a series of paintings of buxom, wasp-waisted women, popularly believed to represent either apsaras (celestial nymphs) or King Kassapa’s concubines. To reach the summit you walk through the Lion’s Paws and ascend a series of steep steps. The spectacular terraced summit of the rock covers 1.6 hectares and the view over the plains is spectacular. I spent a good half hour clambering over the terraces of the old palace which was built by King Kassapa (AD 477–495).
The walk down was much quicker and towards the end I took the path which led to the foreigner’s car park. This route also takes you past the Cobra Hood Cave. When I arrived at the car park there was no sign of Sumith so I assumed he must be waiting at the original car park which is over a kilometre away. It was 6:30pm and the place was starting to empty out. Fortunately the car was there but Sumith was not. I decided to take a quick stroll to see if he was in the immediate vicinity. Just as I was about to give up I saw his beaming smile coming towards me. He had spotted me on the way down but with his bad hip he could not catch me.
Back at the hotel I freshened up before dinner. To my amazement Graham and Jill whom I had met in Negombo are also staying here. We caught up on our misadventures and they introduced me to a young Australian couple who were also going to the cricket in Kandy.
Monday 25th July – Sigiriya to Kandy
We only have a couple of small sites to visit on the way to Kandy so we did not depart until 9:00. There is not much to see on the way to Kandy apart from a couple of Hindu temples and one of the many spice gardens that are dotted along the road. I gave the gardens a miss but did stop at Nalanda Gedige which is a small South Indian Hindu temple and enjoys a wonderfully peaceful location next to a tank (artificial lake) with prolific local birdlife. The next temple was in the town of Matale and has the wonderful name of Sri Muthumariamman Thevasthanam (admission Rs 250). It is an interesting Hindu temple with colorful gods that fill every niche of this cavernous building.
As we approached Kandy the traffic was thicker and it eventually came to a standstill as two lanes merged into one. There are no rules here for this maneuver and it is every driver for themselves. We arrived at Sandamadala Inn which I have booked for six nights just after midday. I am very happy with my room as it looks fresh and modern with a large bathroom. There is a small balcony with a table and chairs that has views of the lake and mountains.
After settling in I went down to the railway station to book a ticket from Kandy to Ella next Sunday. I was surprised when I was informed that all the advance tickets had been sold. Tickets would be available for sale from 8:00am on Sunday which does not give me much time as the train departs at 8:47. I’ll just have to cross that track when I get to it. I spent the rest of the afternoon buying supplies and trolling the market.
Prior to dinner at the Garden Café I enjoyed a couple of beers on the balcony. I was going to walk down the hill to the café but a light shower of rain changed my mind. A Rs100 tuk tuk ride soon had me at the café where Alice and I dined out on our previous visit in 2012. It seems the word is out as there were plenty of tourists inside enjoying a cheap but decent meal.
Tuesday 26th July – Australia v Sri Lanka Day 1 First Cricket Test
The tuk tuk driver was downstairs waiting for me and we took off for the ground at 9:15. The stadium is at Pallekele about 18km out of Kandy and took about 35 minutes to get there. My driver will return at 5:00 to take me back to the hotel. There was a bit of a slow moving queue at the ticket office which meant that I would miss the first couple of overs. I could not believe that they had the audacity to charge Rs 200 ($1.80) for a seat in the grandstand so I bought my tickets for the first three days. At home that may get you a glass of water if you are lucky. I ended up taking my seat part way through the third over.
The ground looks a real treat with a beautiful green outfield which should be to Australia’s liking. I must have had perfect timing as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the fourth over. From then on it was a procession of wickets with them being five down at lunch. After lunch Lyon took three wickets in his first to overs to have the opposition reeling. From memory I think they were all out shortly after for a paltry 117.
Australia started badly with Sri Lanka dismissing both openers with only seven runs on the board. Khawaja and Smith consolidated the innings and Australia was 2 for 66 at tea. I was looking forward to a good last session but it never got under way as we received an afternoon shower. It wasn’t torrential rain but it was enough to end proceedings for the day. I gave the tuk tuk driver a call and he said that he would be there at 4:00. He eventually arrived in a different vehicle sporting greasy hands and apolgised for being late. I had met a young couple from Perth whilst in Sigiriya and saw them at the match. They are staying in the same area as me so we shared the tuk tuk back to Kandy. They are going again tomorrow so I will pick them up on the way.
Dinner tonight was once again at the ever reliable Garden Cafe.
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