It had been five years since my last visit, I was in college then.
This time, just as all the previous times, I found myself picturing the various locales, people and the food - oh the food! Next to the people, the food is what I miss most about Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka, has been known by many names over the years. Most recently as Ceylon (like the tea - the only remaining industry that uses it) and Serendib for millennia before that. It is the root for Serendipity.
After enduring the thirty-four hour journey from San Francisco, I found myself at Bandaranaike International Airport, just after midnight. I was due to meet-up with a college friend, Kim, who was gallivanting across South-East Asia for the past four-months. Kim was on her last leg and the timing worked out so that she could meet me in Colombo for five days before she headed back stateside.
I tried to sleep-in but the adrenalin and jet-lag meant that I was up at 8am. Kim was already adjusted seeing as that she just arrived from Kuala Lumpur. We spent the rest of the acclimatizing and spending some time with my Grandma.
The next day we were outward bound to the north-east corner of the island; our first stop stop being the Habarana in the heart of the Cultural Triangle. Habarana is the gateway to Sigiriya, a UNESCO world heritage site, and declared by the same as the 8th Wonder of the World. Sigiriya (directly translated to "Lions rock") is an ancient rock fortress having a vast network of gardens, rock structures, reservoirs and frescos. Sigiriya has an interesting history and is a relatively medium difficulty hike up to the top.
Sigiriya Rock
Kim and I started our climb just before lunch - this is the first place where we would experience the two-tiered pricing system; one for the locals and one for tourists. Fortunately, I was able to get the local price. Kim couldn't pull of the local look in time. After crossing the moat, we stopped briefly to get some sunscreen on - we let our guard down briefly before a cheeky little monkey almost made off with Kim's backpack (which had her passport). In hindsight, the image i have of her having a tug-of war with a monkey is quite amusing. After seeing this for a few seconds I stepped in and gave the monkey a gentle yet stern kick which surprised it and Kim was able to wrest control of her backpack! You can't make this stuff up. :)
Having safely navigated the monkey we were making quick work of the relatively easy hike. We encountered both tourists and locals alike. Some local women choosing to make the climb in Sari's and heels!! We made a detour through the restored frescos and The Mirror Wall and made our way to the top through the "Lion's mouth". The view from the top was breathtaking. The lush rainforests below looked like they spread as far as the horizon, only briefly interrupted by a solitary ivory white statue of a standing Buddha and distant lakes.
Frescoes along the way to the top of the Rock
After making our way down we headed to our hotel where we would relax before heading to the north-east coast town of Trincomalee the next morning. Trincomalee boasts one of the world's deepest natural harbors and unspoiled beaches. This is mainly due to the civil war that ravaged until 2009. Thankfully, that chapter of Sri Lanka's history is just that, history.
Before heading to Trinco we made a detour to Polonnaruwa- one of two ancient kingdoms in Sri Lanka's history and formerly a capital city. The ancient city is also a UNESCO World heritage site and was used by Duran Duran as the back drop to their video of "Save a Prayer". The three forms of the Buddha, Standing, Meditating and Sleeping are giant statues and are both a religious and historically relevant site for locals. The ruins are well preserved and date back to 1070A.D. The giant stupas, the intricately carved stone statutes and decorative passageways sheds light into a civilization that compares with many in the region, well worth a visit.
Ruins at Polonnaruwa
A giant Stupa (Temple)
Sleeping Buddha ( 1 of 3 giant stone Buddha structures in Polonnaruwa)
On our way back we to the road to Trinco, an Asian elephant decided to enthrall us on the road-side while almost scaring a Tuk-Tuk driver off the road, all this while a giant Standing Buddha overlooked this truly Sri Lankan of a scene.
In the past few months the rain had been unrelenting in Sri Lanka and the roads told that story being riddled with potholes. The rented car bearing the brunt of this. We were on a road that was constructed on the lip of a dam and this wear the trip turned into an adventure. Both Kim and I were admiring the view that the lip of the dam offered one minute and the next the driver was trying to trying to figure out the rattling noise that interrupted this serene view moments earlier. In minutes, on what seemed a stretch of road that was a few miles away from any town we had a mechanic that had come to the scene of the breakdown. It was quite amazing. For the moment our spirits were high, we still had about 2 liters of water and some crackers and cheese as sustenance. After performing a quick-fix on top of the dam we found a Garage in the middle of nowhere, which had no cars in sight that looked in working condition - which proved to be a rather ominous sign. It finally took five hours to get back on the road. At the end our high spirits were doused and then briefly lifted once we were on the road. All in all it took us five and a half hours to travel 34km! The hunger and the heat really starting to take it's toll, especially after we missed lunch, we were now some 9km from the hotel (Nilaveli Beach Hotel) when the car decided to breakdown once more. At this point we had to abandon it and hailed one of the many Tuk-Tuk's passing-by to take us this last stretch. We, at last, checked-in to the hotel just as dusk was giving way to the night. I was on edge the entire time, and offering many an apology to Kim who had endured through this with me. Lesson learned.
After a nice cold shower the next thing we wanted to remedy was our hunger. Thankfully the hotel's dinner buffet did not disappoint. Any assumption of a cuisine that is ubiquitous island-wide is quickly doused, as the chef at Nilaveli showcased the South-Indian influence in this region during dinner and the rest of our stay.
The following morning was glorious as it could only be in the tropics. I was as anxious as only an island-born could be when I saw the cyan blue hues of the Indian Ocean. Soon after breakfast, I was in the water - . It was as perfect as a Corona advertisement. Before long the usual late afternoon tropical shower cut the sun-basking short. My parents, sister, grandma and some family friends joined us later that afternoon.
The next morning, after breakfast we headed back to Colombo. All the while hoping that a repeat of our adventure of car breakdowns didn't continue. Fortunately, even with the rain, we made it back to Colombo without any breakdowns.
After a bit of a rest we headed out that night with some of my friends. Friends that I've knows since I was five or six years old. We headed out to a place called R&B (Rhythm & Blues). It's a smart-casual kind of spot with a dance floor - pretentiousness was non-existent, so I was quite happy here. Since we were with a large group the usual M.O. in Colombo is to order a bottle or two. Invariably it ends up being cheaper than buying individual drinks. I know this is unheard of in the US. After a raucous night Kim and I made our way back to Battaramulla, where we had been basing ourselves since our arrival. The following morning was rough - local hangover cures includes drinking King coconut juice. Which actually has been catching on in places like Australia and UK and even here in the US. The amount of electrolytes found in this miracle juice is twice as many as found in your run-of-the-mill sports drink.
After nursing the hangover, Kim and I set out to the shops. Kim wanted to pick-up some local souvenirs as she was departing Sri Lanka and heading home later on that night.
I was at a family friends' place for dinner that night and called it an early night as tomorrow another friend of mine would arrive on this island, my island, to seek serendipity.
To be continued....
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