Dec 17, 2011 - A 'Lucky' Escape

Local tourist driver Lakshme 'Lucky' picks us up the next morning and it's a slicker operation than I was expecting. Brand new van, with an i-phone and blue-tooth earpiece, he's a professional of the circuit. With 25 years experience he's worn the tarmac back to dirt and seen it built back up again all over the country. We hit the road, heading north off toward the central region of the country and the ruins of the ancient cities. The bustle and main strip buildings soon give way to smaller, basic houses, big gardens and endless rice...

Jan 9, 2011 - Land unter

Der Tag heute sollte zum schlimmsten werden ..... Morgens ist der Wassertank ueber die Ufer getreten und die Zimmer im Erdgeschoss sind zum Teil mit Wasser vollgelaufen. Wir schlemmen am Fruehstuecksbuffet und machen uns dann auf den Weg nach Kandy. Zum Teil sind die Strassen ueberflutet, Reisfelder stehen unter Wasser, kleine beschauliche Baeche werden zu riesigen reissenden Fluessen, Menschen stehen verzweifelt neben ihren unter Wasser stehenden Haeusern, Kuehe sterben..... Seit 100 Jahren sei es nie mehr so schlimm gewesen. Wegen...

Jan 21, 2010 - Sri Lankan Wedding

@@@@@@@ By sheer luck I had happened to see a young couple and their attendants having their wedding photos taken near the lake in Kandy one day. I quickly asked Anil to wait for me and I went down to ask if they minded if I took a few photos alongside the official photographer. They seemed delighted that a foreigner would be interested in their special day and were all smiles. I admired their traditional outfits, especially the clothing worn by the groom. There are not many cultures where the wedding attire for the man outshines the bridal...

Jan 20, 2010 - Polonnaruwa

@@@@@@@ We had called ahead and booked a room at the Hotel Sudu Aralyia (White Frangipani), despite the fact that our guidebook described it thus, ‘it would be the best place in town if it weren’t for the bland rooms and the old furnishings’. It didn’t sound too wonderful, but the descriptions for the other mid-range hotels were even worse. We were getting closer and closer to the eastern coast, one of the major areas of unrest during the long civil war, and I don’t imagine that there have been a lot of foreign tourists coming to visit. It...

Jan 20, 2010 - A Thief In The Night

@@@@@@@ As I mentioned in my previous journal entry, we were awakened just after 4:00am by a man sneaking into our room through the balcony door. I really should say; Anil was awakened because I heard or saw nothing, just a flash of a figure dashing out the door when Anil shouted in his deepest ‘Principal’s’ voice. That deep growl has been honed over the years to scare the daylights out of even the bravest soul. Anil leaped out of bed and chased after him, but the thief quickly hopped from the first floor balcony, to the neighbouring...

Dec 20, 2008 - Polonnaruwa

The LP was wrong, the buses to Polonnaruwa do NOT go every hr, only when jam packed full and no AC! We went to old bus station and got an AC to Dambulla where we picked up a regular state bus to Polonnaruwa...each a 1 1/2 hr ride arr. at 5:30. Checked out 3 ON possibilities but the one Bon had called earlier - Samudra Guest House was best bet for $$$, & very nice laddy, cooked food - veg rice/ boiled veg & tea, yum! We debated the bicycle vs tuk tuk since we need the exercise. We'll see in am if nec. (800 r.) 12-21 Hired a tuk tuk to tour...

Feb 17, 2008 - Polonnaruwa

My next stop was another of Sri Lanka'a old capitals Polonnaruwa, which was the main city on the island about 1000 years ago, to visit its old ruins. Polonnaruwa's ruins are famous for having the best preserved Buddha images on the island, and posters of the images are found everywhere throughout Sri Lanka. I hire a bicycle and spend 5 hours or so cycling between ruins and taking the obligatory photos. The ruins are deserted again, with the only other sightseers being a Russian tour group and a handful of Sri Lankan's, and to complete the...

Feb 26, 2006 - Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla

Polonnaruwa became capital after Anaradhapura. It is a World Heritage Site. Sigiriya is a small town with a huge gneiss outcrop on which a king once built a palace, believeing it to be impregnable. Dambulla is famed for its rock paintings. There is archaeological evidence that prehistoric man occupied the caves and they were later used for pre-Buddhist religious worship. In their current form they largely date back to Vattagamani Abhaya who reigned 103 BC and 89-77 BC. Tamil invaders took his throne and he was forced into hiding for 14...