The Trip Resumes............
19th February,2015.
After our trip back to Oz over Xmas to catch up with family and friends, (and cure a bout of Lyn's homesickness), we are finally back on the road, sort of. With the bikes still in Barcelona, and us missing out on Sri Lanka and India on the way over to Europe last year, we thought we would have a look at them on the way back to Spain to pick up the bikes. We flew into Colombo from Brisbane via KL yesterday, and found some accommodation on line through Air BNB, staying in a room not far from the city. The driving here reminds me of Bangkok, on a mild dose of steroids..... Not sure how we are going to cope without the bikes, I feel a bit lost, and the bags we have are designed for bikes and not very walker friendly, so we may have to leave some stuff somewhere while we have a look around.
After our trip back to Oz over Xmas to catch up with family and friends, (and cure a bout of Lyn's homesickness), we are finally back on the road, sort of. With the bikes still in Barcelona, and us missing out on Sri Lanka and India on the way over to Europe last year, we thought we would have a look at them on the way back to Spain to pick up the bikes. We flew into Colombo from Brisbane via KL yesterday, and found some accommodation on line through Air BNB, staying in a room not far from the city. The driving here reminds me of Bangkok, on a mild dose of steroids..... Not sure how we are going to cope without the bikes, I feel a bit lost, and the bags we have are designed for bikes and not very walker friendly, so we may have to leave some stuff somewhere while we have a look around.
Colombo's insane traffic, view from a Tuk Tuk.
20th Feb
The guest house was great, Thisanthi was a really good host, would highly recommend her, found her through Air bnb. She was also kind enough to let us leave some gear there while we travel around Sri Lanka. We caught another tuk tuk into the city, and ended up booking a train/car tour through an agent at the station where we went to book train tickets to Kandy, Sri Lankas 2nd largest city. From there to a hotel we had booked for the night, as Thisanthi was already booked tonight. When we finally found the place, it was a disaster! Room had no hot water, no sheets, no basin, walls didn't make it to the ceiling, so very noisy, and no kitchen area as advertised on the net. It did have a bed and
The guest house was great, Thisanthi was a really good host, would highly recommend her, found her through Air bnb. She was also kind enough to let us leave some gear there while we travel around Sri Lanka. We caught another tuk tuk into the city, and ended up booking a train/car tour through an agent at the station where we went to book train tickets to Kandy, Sri Lankas 2nd largest city. From there to a hotel we had booked for the night, as Thisanthi was already booked tonight. When we finally found the place, it was a disaster! Room had no hot water, no sheets, no basin, walls didn't make it to the ceiling, so very noisy, and no kitchen area as advertised on the net. It did have a bed and
Colombo's Esplanade, near the port
wifi though. We went for a walk through the city down to the esplanade, and grabbed a snack on the way through. The city is busy, traffic was full on, so another tuk tuk ride back home. These guys are nuts, they fit through gaps you couldn't walk through, and are the quickest way around, and fairly cheap too, although you sometimes get taken the long way round, as we found out. We also learnt to only take ones with meters, (only some have them). The heat and walking had tired us out, (34 deg C), so we had an early night, we needed to be at the station early in the morning for the trip to Kandy.
Colombo Fort Railway Station
21st Feb
Early breakfast, (Corn Flakes eaten from the bag, with room temperature milk, as there were no bowls in the non existent kitchen), and a tuk tuk ride to the station to catch the train. While we were waiting, we watched the busses outside. It seems each bus has a tout, directing people onto their bus instead of there oppositions? Amazing watching people jump on and off moving busses in the middle of the roads, and no one got hit (while we were watching). On the train we travelled second class, which was pretty good, allocated seats with plenty of leg room, no air con, but we could open the windows. Good views out the right side of the train going through the mountains, (we were on the left!), but still not a bad trip. We were met at the station and taken to the guest house for the night, a major improvement over last nights accommodation. The afternoon was ours to lounge around and catch up on the blog etc. We got some diet coke for Lyn to mix with scotch, worked out at $2.40AUD a can, while normal coke was $0.65, hence no one drinks diet here!!!
Early breakfast, (Corn Flakes eaten from the bag, with room temperature milk, as there were no bowls in the non existent kitchen), and a tuk tuk ride to the station to catch the train. While we were waiting, we watched the busses outside. It seems each bus has a tout, directing people onto their bus instead of there oppositions? Amazing watching people jump on and off moving busses in the middle of the roads, and no one got hit (while we were watching). On the train we travelled second class, which was pretty good, allocated seats with plenty of leg room, no air con, but we could open the windows. Good views out the right side of the train going through the mountains, (we were on the left!), but still not a bad trip. We were met at the station and taken to the guest house for the night, a major improvement over last nights accommodation. The afternoon was ours to lounge around and catch up on the blog etc. We got some diet coke for Lyn to mix with scotch, worked out at $2.40AUD a can, while normal coke was $0.65, hence no one drinks diet here!!!
View from our balcony, Kandy
Monkey near our room, Kandy
22nd Feb
Woke up this morning to the 5.30 call to prayer, normally this goes for about 5 minutes, this morning we got the full half hour version, followed by the church bells ringing not long after. Multiculturalism is not conducive to sleeping in! Between them and the noise of monkeys running across the roof, we had no hope! A great breakfast, then into our car for the trip up to Sigiriya, via the temples at Matale, Nalanda, and Dambulla. The last one was the best, but at $15AUD each to go in, we didn't bother. Lunch was at a roadside cafe frequented by locals, I don't think they had ever seen a tourist before by the looks we were getting, but the food was good, though
Woke up this morning to the 5.30 call to prayer, normally this goes for about 5 minutes, this morning we got the full half hour version, followed by the church bells ringing not long after. Multiculturalism is not conducive to sleeping in! Between them and the noise of monkeys running across the roof, we had no hope! A great breakfast, then into our car for the trip up to Sigiriya, via the temples at Matale, Nalanda, and Dambulla. The last one was the best, but at $15AUD each to go in, we didn't bother. Lunch was at a roadside cafe frequented by locals, I don't think they had ever seen a tourist before by the looks we were getting, but the food was good, though
Lyn at Lion Rock
spicy, and a bargain at about $2.50AUD to feed us both, with drinks. From there, we head to Lion Rock, which had a temple built on the top of it, but over the years it had decayed and only the ruins were left. The plan was we would climb it, but at $40AUD each, and us being short of cash, we gave it a miss. Tourist attractions like this and the temples are so expensive here, it turns a lot of people off visiting them. From there, Tis, our driver, took us to our guest house room for the night, and very nice it was too. A good day, easy drive, and no stress, what more could you ask for?
Breakfast time at the guest house
23rd Feb
A leisurely breakfast, then into the car heading to Habarana, through elephant country. We travelled through some back roads that Tis (our driver) said no one would use at night, as they were narrow, and if you came across an elephant you couldn't turn around and get away from it. There are quite a few rice farmers in the area, and they sleep in tree houses they build near the crops when it is getting close to harvest time, so they can scare away the elephants before they destroy the crop. The farmers generally use fire crackers to frighten them off. As we were passing through Kantale, there were a heap of
A leisurely breakfast, then into the car heading to Habarana, through elephant country. We travelled through some back roads that Tis (our driver) said no one would use at night, as they were narrow, and if you came across an elephant you couldn't turn around and get away from it. There are quite a few rice farmers in the area, and they sleep in tree houses they build near the crops when it is getting close to harvest time, so they can scare away the elephants before they destroy the crop. The farmers generally use fire crackers to frighten them off. As we were passing through Kantale, there were a heap of
Farmers treehouse used to guard the rice crop.
soldiers and police everywhere, and then the new president went past with his entourage. Apparently there was a funeral in town, so security was everywhere, and the road we needed was blocked, so we had to take the long way round. While passing a shopping area, we got out to get a water heater I had been trying to buy, and an adapter to allow us plug into the local power points. The water heaters have been banned in most countries, but you can still get them here, great for a cup of tea in the mornings, because there are no facilities in the rooms. Just plug it in, and drop it in your cup till it boils, only takes a couple of minutes. Not good for plastic cups!!!!
Electric water heater
As it was raining fairly hard, we continued on to Trincomalee, then Niaveli, where we were staying in a guest house on the beach for the next couple of days.
24th Feb
Nice relaxing day at the beach, the surf was small, but it was cooling, and good fun. Spent some time talking to Tiz, the driver, about the civil war here, I didn't realise it went for 30 years, and split the country. It only ended about 4 years ago, when the Government forces finished off the leader of the Tamil Tigers, and the place has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since then. For once it seems it wasn't about religion, but land and money. The main religions here are Buddhism, and Hinduism, with a smattering of muslims and christians, and they all seem to get along OK. A pity the rest of the world isn't like that!
24th Feb
Nice relaxing day at the beach, the surf was small, but it was cooling, and good fun. Spent some time talking to Tiz, the driver, about the civil war here, I didn't realise it went for 30 years, and split the country. It only ended about 4 years ago, when the Government forces finished off the leader of the Tamil Tigers, and the place has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since then. For once it seems it wasn't about religion, but land and money. The main religions here are Buddhism, and Hinduism, with a smattering of muslims and christians, and they all seem to get along OK. A pity the rest of the world isn't like that!
Pushbikes carrying firewood
25th Feb,
After a late start, as we were watching the fishermen pull in their nets on the beach, we headed south towards Kalkudah. A short stop to clean the battery terminals at a mechanic shop on the way through so I didn't have to hold a screwdriver to start the car, and we were on our way. We were pulled over by the police for a license and insurance check on the way, but no problems there. As we were still in the north of the country, there were a lot of defence force bases
After a late start, as we were watching the fishermen pull in their nets on the beach, we headed south towards Kalkudah. A short stop to clean the battery terminals at a mechanic shop on the way through so I didn't have to hold a screwdriver to start the car, and we were on our way. We were pulled over by the police for a license and insurance check on the way, but no problems there. As we were still in the north of the country, there were a lot of defence force bases
Protesters blocking the road
along the way, courtesy of the civil war. We reached Kalkudah, and booked into another guest house, room was good, but hopeless wifi again, so nothing on the blog happened.
26th Feb
Today we headed west back to Kandy, mainly flat country, where we came across protesters sitting on the road not letting cars through. Apparently the government was closing down a local office, and the people weren't happy. We couldn't get through, so
26th Feb
Today we headed west back to Kandy, mainly flat country, where we came across protesters sitting on the road not letting cars through. Apparently the government was closing down a local office, and the people weren't happy. We couldn't get through, so
Off road parking
took a bypass track. Not far up the road from there, there was a truck that didn't make a corner, then about an hour later we were stopped by the army and police. As passengers, we had to get out and walk to a checkpoint, while they searched under the car for bombs. No pics allowed. Normally foreigners aren't stopped, but they made an exception for us..... Back at Kandy, we visited the Temple of the Tooth, site of a bombing during the war, but it was packed with people, and we couldn't see anything, so that was
On the river
a waste of time and $20.
27th Feb
A good nights sleep, and we changed cars to something a bit better, then headed off to Kitulgala for some white water rafting. There hadn't been a lot of rain, so the river was down a bit, nothing harder than grade 3. The section we went down was also where the movie "The bridge over the river Kwai" was shot. We followed a nice twisty road through the mountains, and a light rain started falling.
27th Feb
A good nights sleep, and we changed cars to something a bit better, then headed off to Kitulgala for some white water rafting. There hadn't been a lot of rain, so the river was down a bit, nothing harder than grade 3. The section we went down was also where the movie "The bridge over the river Kwai" was shot. We followed a nice twisty road through the mountains, and a light rain started falling.
Translation to english loses a bit.......
Our destination that night was Adam's Peak, which we would climb in the morning, so an early night, as we would be up at 1.30 am to get to the top by sunrise. As a warm up, our room at the guest house was right at the top of seven flights of steps........
28th Feb
A nice early start, (on the track by 2.15am), and passing all the shops open for the walkers. I couldn't believe there was so many people doing it! They come from all over Sri Lanka by the bus load, from little kids to grandparents.
28th Feb
A nice early start, (on the track by 2.15am), and passing all the shops open for the walkers. I couldn't believe there was so many people doing it! They come from all over Sri Lanka by the bus load, from little kids to grandparents.
View from the top of Adam's Peak
Crowds lined up to make it to the top.
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Yep, thats how far we climbed.....
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Devon Falls, just under 300ft high.
It took us 3 1/2 hours to get to the top, and 4 hours to get down, it is about 8 kms walk each way, and up about 5,000 steps. A lot of it was fighting the crowds, all to be there to get a picture of the sunrise, which was not all that spectacular. The legs were not functioning well when we got back, (nor for the next 4 days!!). After a shower we had an easy drive to Nuwara Eliya, stopping at Devon Falls, and St Clair falls on the way. There were lots of tea plantations here, (including the Dilmah ones). The Lipton plantations were not far away, over the other side of a mountain range. We were still high in the mountains near the centre of the country, and there was a bit of drizzle about. The air is much cooler here, compared to the flatter land nearer the coast. Just the opposite to back in Australia. Passing through a small town, there was a procession going on, where they have the "Hanging Man". Basically they have this dude with a heap of big fishhooks through his heels, legs, lower back, and shoulders, suspended under a pole that sticks out the front of a trailer being towed down the street by a tractor, while a heap of people trail along behind singing and chanting, and playing loud music on drums and things. There were a couple of other dudes hanging from crosses as well, but we came across them so quickly we didn't get any photos. We spent the night in a guest house in Nuwara Eliya, where there is a lot of english style vege gardens, as this area was where the english came in summer to escape the heat lower down near the coast.
The hanging man in the procession
The tea plantation tour we did
1st March
After a much cooler night, the next stop was a visit to the Pedro Estate tea plantation nearby. An interesting tour, it is all pretty low tech, the tea is picked, partially dried, cut up to different sizes, then heated and packed. This company wholesales only, other companies buy it, blend it, and pack it for resale under their own name. I did learn that the smaller it is chopped up, the stronger it is.
From there to the station at Nuwara Eliya, for the two and a half hour scenic train trip through the mountains to
After a much cooler night, the next stop was a visit to the Pedro Estate tea plantation nearby. An interesting tour, it is all pretty low tech, the tea is picked, partially dried, cut up to different sizes, then heated and packed. This company wholesales only, other companies buy it, blend it, and pack it for resale under their own name. I did learn that the smaller it is chopped up, the stronger it is.
From there to the station at Nuwara Eliya, for the two and a half hour scenic train trip through the mountains to
View from the train window
Ella, except that as it was a weekend, the train was packed, and I had to stand up the whole way. Just what I needed after climbing Adam's Peak! We met a chinese family on the trip, travelling with two children, and swapped cards, you never know when we might get to China. On arrival at Ella, we hunted down a laundry, and dropped off some washing for us to pick up in the morning, it was now a necessity! Pizza was on the menu for dinner, we were getting tired of rice and curry. Arriving at the guest house, it was cloudy and raining,
Sunrise
and almost dark, but we were assured there were great views when the weather cleared. We lost power about 3 times that night, and the internet was useless, so we had an early night.
2nd March
We left the curtains open, and were rewarded with a fantastic sunrise the next morning, before we left for Tissamaharama, (Tissa for short). It is the town nearest Yala National Park, where we were heading for a safari tour. A stop at Rawana waterfall on the way, and another
2nd March
We left the curtains open, and were rewarded with a fantastic sunrise the next morning, before we left for Tissamaharama, (Tissa for short). It is the town nearest Yala National Park, where we were heading for a safari tour. A stop at Rawana waterfall on the way, and another
Figures carved into the rock at Buduruwagala Temple
at the temple at Buduruwagala, where there were some massive figures carved into the rock face, gave us a nice break from travelling. We stopped for lunch in some little touristy town, where we had more curry and rice. I ordered seafood with mine, while Lyn ordered the chicken, but they both came out the same, sort of. I am not sure what sort animal had bones like the ones I got out of mine, but they didn't belong to any chicken I had seen before. It sort of tasted like chicken, but then everything does, doesn't it. All good though, there were no ill effects.
Continuing on to Tissa, we booked into our guest house, and got ready for the safari "jeep" to pick us up for our safari into the park. No matter what brand of 4X4 it is, they are all called "jeeps" here. Ours turned up, and was a Mahindra Bolero, but still a "jeep". We headed off for the |
Rawana Waterfall
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Jeeps waiting to enter park
Spotted deer
There is a leopard there somewhere
Our Jeep and driver
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Wild Buffalo
Elephants
Wild pigs
park, and on arrival there must have been 40 or 50 jeeps there to go in. I could't believe how many they let in. After I paid for park entry, (about $60 AUD), we headed in in a convoy, and I was disappointed with the procession like manner it happened at the start, but then we all split up and went separate ways, so it got a lot better. The jeeps aren't allowed to leave the tracks, so we just drove to the waterholes and took pot luck on what we found. We were lucky enough to see a leopard though, some people don't.
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Lyn and I with Tiz, our driver
3rd March
Today was the last day with Tiz, our driver, and the tour, so we headed from Tissa to try to find somewhere on the coast to veg for a bit, we tried 3 different guest houses in 3 different towns, but they were not what we wanted, so eventually found a compromise in Mirissa, a town on the coast, with a view over the sea.The plan was to stay a couple of days, but it turned out too expensive. We had a late lunch/dinner, and cocktails on the beach, and an early night.
Today was the last day with Tiz, our driver, and the tour, so we headed from Tissa to try to find somewhere on the coast to veg for a bit, we tried 3 different guest houses in 3 different towns, but they were not what we wanted, so eventually found a compromise in Mirissa, a town on the coast, with a view over the sea.The plan was to stay a couple of days, but it turned out too expensive. We had a late lunch/dinner, and cocktails on the beach, and an early night.
On the bus to Unawatuna
4-5th March
After a good breakfast, but unfortunately an argument over the bill, we left the hotel and headed north to Unawatutuna on a local bus. These things are the kings of the road, and everybody gets out of their way, even oncoming cars when they are overtaking. As we were standing up the front, Lyn turned around and asked everyone to smile for the camera, we got a couple of takers. We had booked into an Air bnb on line, and were looking forward to relaxing for a couple of days.
After a good breakfast, but unfortunately an argument over the bill, we left the hotel and headed north to Unawatutuna on a local bus. These things are the kings of the road, and everybody gets out of their way, even oncoming cars when they are overtaking. As we were standing up the front, Lyn turned around and asked everyone to smile for the camera, we got a couple of takers. We had booked into an Air bnb on line, and were looking forward to relaxing for a couple of days.
The break on the rocks offshore
We arrived after struggling to find the address, and settled down for some swimming, but could not find a local beach where we could get to the waves. There was surf, but it was always a rock / reef break, and where there was sandy beaches, there was no waves, so we had to settle for quiet swims in the sandy areas.
6-7th March
Our couple of days were up, so after a late start, (not like us), we caught a tuk-tuk to Galle, where we had a look around the fort, then caught another bus to Hikkadua.
6-7th March
Our couple of days were up, so after a late start, (not like us), we caught a tuk-tuk to Galle, where we had a look around the fort, then caught another bus to Hikkadua.
Lyn at the fort in Galle
We found a cheap room for a couple of days, but it had good wifi, so we organised train tickets back to Colombo, and sorted our visas for India. We had a response back the next day, which was good, it can take up to 3 days. We could now arrange flights to India, which we did after trying to work out where we should go and what we should see. We walked around the beaches in the area, and found a spot where there was a great beach break, on a sandy bottom, right out in front of a lot of hostels / hotels /restaurants, so when we weren't swimming, we could sit and have a drink, perfect. Lyn hired a board for the day, while I just body surfed. The weather was good, and we both got sunburnt, but had a good time. We also
Lyn having a "beach break"
took a tuk-tuk to the nearby Tsunami Photo Museum, just a couple of run down huts housing some photos from the tsunami that struck on Boxing day morning, 2004. I didn't realise how much it affected Sri Lanka, with about 80% of the country's coastline flooded. It was a very sobering visit, with some of the photos very graphic, there was nothing held back. Apparently there were two waves, the first one smaller, but still doing some damage, and then a few minutes later, the second wave, about 10 metres high came in. Seeing how low lying the area around the coast is, I could see how it took so many lives and caused such devastation. 1500 people died on one train alone, the worlds largest rail disaster.
Tsunami Photo Museum
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The numbers say it all........
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Tsunami Memorial, Hikkadua
8-9th March
We really enjoyed our couple of days at Hikkadua, it is probably the best area we stayed at on our trip here. We were heading back to Colombo this afternoon, Lyn had a swim before we left, but I was too sunburnt, so sat in the shade. After packing up, off to the station where we had organised first class tickets for the train to Colombo, and back to the first air bnb we stayed at, and definitely the best. It was like coming home when we arrived, a good feeling.
We really enjoyed our couple of days at Hikkadua, it is probably the best area we stayed at on our trip here. We were heading back to Colombo this afternoon, Lyn had a swim before we left, but I was too sunburnt, so sat in the shade. After packing up, off to the station where we had organised first class tickets for the train to Colombo, and back to the first air bnb we stayed at, and definitely the best. It was like coming home when we arrived, a good feeling.
10th March
Our last day in Sri Lanka, our flight left at around 2 o'clock, so a cab to the airport, and check in to the flight. That's when Sri Lankan Airlines told us they could not let us board the plane unless we had an onward ticket from Cochin. We still didn't know where we were going from there, so had nothing planned. They wouldn't accept this, so they refused to check us in, Indian rules they said. All we could do was go and buy a refundable return ticket we were never going to use, and cancel it when we arrived. This we did, asking 3 times what the penalty to cancel it would be, and told each time it would be about 10-15%. Apparently this happens a bit. With the ticket, we were checked in, and then got a final boarding call for our flight an hour before it was due to fly, and the plane hadn't arrived at the airport yet! Hungry, as we had had no lunch, and with the time lost getting the ticket we didn't need, we now had no time to get something to eat, as we had to go through security to board the plane that wasn't there yet. We were not impressed with Sri Lankan Airlines so far. When we finally boarded the plane, (late), things where OK, and the flight to Cochin was smooth enough, but the fiasco at the airport just left a bad taste, because of some peoples inefficiencies. Would I go back to Sri Lanka, probably not. The people are friendly enough, but it is expensive for a country that is not as developed as I thought it would be, I put it just a little behind Vietnam. The driving is just as insane, and they have a couple of funny rules, the weirdest is the right hand indicator rule. This indicator is used not because you want to turn right, in fact people with the right indicator on rarely turn right, it basically means don't pass me, I'm busy running someone else off the road. The other odd one is giving way to people when you are already on a roundabout, depending how pushy they are. It is a bit like playing chicken, who dares, wins, but the majority of drivers just go onto the roundabout even if others are on it, and they just get let in. Strange place.........
Our last day in Sri Lanka, our flight left at around 2 o'clock, so a cab to the airport, and check in to the flight. That's when Sri Lankan Airlines told us they could not let us board the plane unless we had an onward ticket from Cochin. We still didn't know where we were going from there, so had nothing planned. They wouldn't accept this, so they refused to check us in, Indian rules they said. All we could do was go and buy a refundable return ticket we were never going to use, and cancel it when we arrived. This we did, asking 3 times what the penalty to cancel it would be, and told each time it would be about 10-15%. Apparently this happens a bit. With the ticket, we were checked in, and then got a final boarding call for our flight an hour before it was due to fly, and the plane hadn't arrived at the airport yet! Hungry, as we had had no lunch, and with the time lost getting the ticket we didn't need, we now had no time to get something to eat, as we had to go through security to board the plane that wasn't there yet. We were not impressed with Sri Lankan Airlines so far. When we finally boarded the plane, (late), things where OK, and the flight to Cochin was smooth enough, but the fiasco at the airport just left a bad taste, because of some peoples inefficiencies. Would I go back to Sri Lanka, probably not. The people are friendly enough, but it is expensive for a country that is not as developed as I thought it would be, I put it just a little behind Vietnam. The driving is just as insane, and they have a couple of funny rules, the weirdest is the right hand indicator rule. This indicator is used not because you want to turn right, in fact people with the right indicator on rarely turn right, it basically means don't pass me, I'm busy running someone else off the road. The other odd one is giving way to people when you are already on a roundabout, depending how pushy they are. It is a bit like playing chicken, who dares, wins, but the majority of drivers just go onto the roundabout even if others are on it, and they just get let in. Strange place.........
