Colombo: airport site though not really
Red-eye flights are difficult especially when you are sick. We landed and I found my backpack missing its rain cover. Of course, it wasn't found and SpiceJet, the airline, did not offer any compensation. Life is such that when you do not have something, you need it the most. It certainly was pouring the first few days I was in Sri Lanka (Colombo to Anhadrapurna) but luckily the island is known to have varying weather in each cardinal direction. I befriended the tourist counter agent and one of the mobile company agents as I waited in the airport for the bus to begin running. From the first, I learned that Colombo was still over 30 kilometers away. All international airports require a large city location, therefore it became referred to as Colombo airport. The latter escorted me to the city, helped me find a guesthouse and gave me a mini tour later that day. The Buddhist atmosphere was refreshing after the intensity of India's Hinduism. The people came off less rushed and carried a peaceful friendliness. Plus the food! Their main diet is still rice and curry but the difference lied in the variety of curries. It resembled a South Indian thali but it used more vegetables, coconut milk and red rice. The traditional way of cooking involved earthen pots, which I found on my first meal. After a night of harsh rain, I woke up to the melody of "It's a small world after all" and found out it was the bread cart. This bread cart was a tuk tuk transformed into a bakery driving around until someone hails it for breakfast or a snack. I miss these cart and its chili fish buns for about 30 cents. It was a short visit but an enjoyable one compared to India's cities.
Red-eye flights are difficult especially when you are sick. We landed and I found my backpack missing its rain cover. Of course, it wasn't found and SpiceJet, the airline, did not offer any compensation. Life is such that when you do not have something, you need it the most. It certainly was pouring the first few days I was in Sri Lanka (Colombo to Anhadrapurna) but luckily the island is known to have varying weather in each cardinal direction. I befriended the tourist counter agent and one of the mobile company agents as I waited in the airport for the bus to begin running. From the first, I learned that Colombo was still over 30 kilometers away. All international airports require a large city location, therefore it became referred to as Colombo airport. The latter escorted me to the city, helped me find a guesthouse and gave me a mini tour later that day. The Buddhist atmosphere was refreshing after the intensity of India's Hinduism. The people came off less rushed and carried a peaceful friendliness. Plus the food! Their main diet is still rice and curry but the difference lied in the variety of curries. It resembled a South Indian thali but it used more vegetables, coconut milk and red rice. The traditional way of cooking involved earthen pots, which I found on my first meal. After a night of harsh rain, I woke up to the melody of "It's a small world after all" and found out it was the bread cart. This bread cart was a tuk tuk transformed into a bakery driving around until someone hails it for breakfast or a snack. I miss these cart and its chili fish buns for about 30 cents. It was a short visit but an enjoyable one compared to India's cities.
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| My first meal in Sri Lanka, cooked in the earthen pots. |
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| Rush hour traffic. |
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| Praying earnestly in the Gangaramaya Temple. |
Anuradhapura: an ancient capital
When I arrived at my guest house, the owner suggested that I visit the sites that didn't require an entrance fee. This ended up being a grand idea since I got stuck in the rain at the first monastery I stopped at, Sri Saranada Viharaya. They were celebrating the full moon so there were a lot of pilgrims resting here. It rained both days but biking in the rain is not always bad. Then a quick stop to Mihintale before heading off to the beach!
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| Weaving coconut leaves to make an altar for Buddha. |
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| The room for monks to recite scripture later in the evening. |
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| The pilgrims praying and sleeping area. |
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| Walking around the next day and found butterfly paradise. |
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| The finished alter. |
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| The Buddha statue in Mihintale. Quick snaps before the downpour. |
Trincomalee: eastern beach and Swami rock
Why did I come here? Well, I told you how I had befriended the tourist information agent. In the free tourist guide, I noticed a picture of the Swami rock, lying in beautiful blue water. I decided to go and see it for myself then. The beach in Trincomalee stung me when I tried to swim (a lot of jellyfish), so I would not go here for the beach scene. The drunk locals tend to get a bit carried away as well, so girls beware.
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| The Swami rock in the alluring blue ocean. |
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| The temple area is also a sanctuary for spotted deer. |
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| A children's park that the US helped to build. I didn't even know there was a US Aid till now. |
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| The local volleyball. You can only hit the ball once to return it to the other side. Painful! |
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| The beach at sunrise. I woke up and walked out the back door of my guest house to catch this picture. |
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| The welcome wall at the guest house. I added the last one :). |
Sigiriya: eighth wonder of the world?
I was so shocked when I learned that the entrance fee for this ancient kingdom on a rock was 30 USD. How does the eighth wonder of the world cost more than the Taj Mahal, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World? I was slowly starting to realize that Sri Lanka was not a backpacker friendly country with their tourist prices constantly on the rise. You should travel here before they get more out of control! After Sri Lanka and Maldives (the post to come after Sri Lanka), I was praying for the tourist prices in India again.
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| I decided to admire the Lion's Rock from afar. This view was from the Pidurangala Rock, a nearly 20 times cheaper option. |
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| The cave temple before reaching the top of Pidurangala Rock |
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| A view of the two rocks from a pond. Many of the bodies of water in Sri Lanka are man-made. |
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| The post office agent eagerly showing me his collection of old monetary notes. |
Polonnaruwa: another ancient capital
Yes, there are many of them but this one and Anuradhapura are the most well known and recognized as UNESCO heritage sites. Nothing free here and the admission was 25 USD. Tourism is a very lucrative market in this country and it still has plenty of business potential for anyone that's interested.
Yes, there are many of them but this one and Anuradhapura are the most well known and recognized as UNESCO heritage sites. Nothing free here and the admission was 25 USD. Tourism is a very lucrative market in this country and it still has plenty of business potential for anyone that's interested.
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| Starting to feel like I'm in Rome again. |
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| I've passed so many stupas that I have to say, I can't remember which one this was. |
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| I loved the natural pattern the rock created over the reclining Buddha statue at the Gal Vihara. |
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| The remains of a fresco in the walls of a temple. |
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| People had left this once royal palace but it seemed another king had arrived. |
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