If you’ve read some of my earlier journals you’ll know that I can’t resist popping in to any local church that I pass on my travels, and Galle gave me the opportunity to check out two that were very close to each other, were linked…Read More

If you’ve read some of my earlier journals you’ll know that I can’t resist popping in to any local church that I pass on my travels, and Galle gave me the opportunity to check out two that were very close to each other, were linked through worship and at the same time very different.

The Dutch Reformed Church looks classically Dutch with the telltale eaves design sitting precariously on top of the basic shell of a building. It’s flanked by what would have started off as a bright and impressive white wall, but nowadays the boundary is showing significant signs of neglect. A coat of paint would certainly restore it to its former glory. We enter the church through the front door and are interested to note that there’s not a single window on this side of the church. Indeed inside there are very few windows which means that the splash of light and colour from the two stained glass windows is sensationally dominant.

The plans for the building of the Dutch Reformed Church started in 1682, but work stalled for almost seventy years before the foundation stone was built upon and the resulting building was a straightforward and unassuming building. Two utilitarian pillars to the rear of the church do their job of supporting an impressive beam and the simplicity continues with a neatly beamed ceiling and slabbed floor.

An original narrow staircase leads up to the organ and a simple balcony and I speculate that the rush carpeting is how it would have been on the consecration of the church. Certainly some of the simple seating is original and I guess would have been commissioned by the wealthier families for their own use.

There are some historical floor plaques around the church and I was interested to note that the church hatchments were intricately carved and were not the traditional diamond shape that we see back in the UK.

An interesting and informative wall plaque indicated that the first seven Methodist missionaries set out from England on 30th December 1813 and of the group one died en route, another remained in Bombay and the remaining five reached Galle on 29th June 1814. That makes our 12 hour plane journey from England seem very short!
So it was the Methodist Reverend T. Squance who established the foundation for a "British Congregation" in Galle although it took several years for a church to be founded in the town. lndeed All Saints was not founded until 1868, but the pre-existing congregation continued to worship at the Dutch Reformed Church for over 50 years and was ministered by a colonial chaplain.

The second Bishop of Colombo, Rev Claughton, had proposed that an Anglican Church should be built when he visited Galle on 16th December 1862 and nine years later Bishop Claughton consecrated the church in front of 525 people. Interestingly the information plaque in the church tells us that the total collection made at that service was 105 pounds 10 shillings and four pence (£105.53 in current value). The church has an interesting external design with three white arched entrances at the front, topped with an orange arch and a dominant balcony. The windows mirror the same design (without the orange) and a large rose window looks onto the balcony. Although a dominant building it does not standout as a church although a large square tower to the rear emphasises the building’s importance.

The inside was somewhat of a surprise as it was much more of a conventional design than I’d assumed. Striking pillars joined together by sweeping arches led our attention to the altar. The starkness of the white walls and pillars contrasted with the darkness of the pews, floor and oak ceiling. The stained glass in the pulpit area reflected through the church and gave a touch of grandeur and extravagance that is not evident elsewhere in this church. It had a real touch of simple serenity about the place and I could imagine the satisfaction that the early congregation must have felt as they moved out of the Dutch Reformed Church into their own house of worship.

An interesting couple of churches that are well worth "poking your head into",

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The old Citadel town of Galle is well worth investigating and this was our first visits as we got off the train. Having explored the ramparts (see separate review) we climbed down the steps next to the lighthouse and headed off up the narrow streets…Read More

The old Citadel town of Galle is well worth investigating and this was our first visits as we got off the train. Having explored the ramparts (see separate review) we climbed down the steps next to the lighthouse and headed off up the narrow streets of the town. A suitable landmark was the large Muslim centre – a grand white building with pan tiled roof looking directly towards the sea. We turned off the main road which runs around the outside of the town parallel to the ramparts and felt confident that we’d manage to get around the town fairly easily. You see the streets are worked on a grid basis so three lefts should always get us back to the start! Well that’s the theory.

There are loads of colonial houses in the town in varying state of repair. One unusual looking place was a first floor wooden shack built on the side of a very grand quarter circular corner house. Both were operating as small shops but the juxtaposition perhaps said it all. Galle is a town of contrasts.

At one point we took a left and ended up next to a huge factory-like building that had been turned into a school. Indeed the whole street was main up of numerous schools from kindergarten to secondary.

Parked on the roadside was an original Morris Minor car. Fantastic with its split windscreen, indicators cut in to the bodywork and leather upholstery. It was in great condition for its age and had a number plate that my friend would have loved to have owned. It bore his initials!

We passed the local library that had been established back in 1832 and a Dutch warehouse that carried the date stamp of 1670. The latter was now a marine museum and we had a quick look around. It was opened in 2010, with help from the Dutch government, after the original museum was destroyed in the tsunami. The warehouse is interesting in its own right being in the classic Dutch design and inside there are numerous marine artefacts, maps and most interesting, as far as I was concerned, a scale model of the fort and the waters around the town of Galle. This confirmed who well the fort reinforced the town’s protection from invading forces.

Somehow are careful plan to investigate the town had run into problems because we ended up right back at the entrance to the fort and despite our best thoughts we couldn’t suss out how we’d got there. So a new strategy was employed. We’d just walk down streets that looked interesting. Well it was a plan of sorts!!

We strolled back down the main peripheral road until we reached the temple that we’d seen from the ramparts. The children and their teachers were still engaged with keep fit, drums and megaphones and we went to check out the temple on the green. This temple was "surrounded" by carved elephants and the centre piece inside the temple was a "shrine table" that had been given in memory of Guenter Karl Steinberg, a local dignitary. Just across from this temple were a stupa and a Buddhist Monastery. We poked our head into the attached church which was surprising plain and uncluttered.

Walking into the town we pass a small mobile market stall ladened with colourful fresh vegetables and as we continue down the narrow street we’re surprised that all the houses have significant patio areas at the front. Indeed we’re even more surprised when we look into one of the houses and see a large internal courtyard, garden and a house that seems to go on forever. It seems that these houses are deceptively large and must have been grand residences in their heyday.

There’s a magnificent residence that must have been recently restored with magnificent external plasterwork, fine pillars and wrought iron window frames. Indeed we were impressed to see that the majority of the towns’ street lights were original oil lamps converted to electricity. There’s a great "historical mansion museum" that’s well worth spending time at. It’s free admission and will give a good idea as to how the wealthy families lived here in Galle. I particularly liked its rear courtyard and delightful garden. But make sure you pay good attention to the internal architecture of the place – it doesn’t look like they skimped on detail anywhere in this grand mansion.

Galle has a great mixture of design with the gentle curves of art nouveau house, the impressiveness of the colonial mansions, properties with impressively carved outside staircases, fine pillars, brightly painted walls and then..

Despite all the grandeur (and some shabby chic) there are pockets of clear deprivation with tatty accommodation and signs of multiple-occupancy.

We stumbled across a magnificent square somewhere close to the centre of town and it turned out to be Galle’s judicial area with solicitors’ offices all over the place. The court buildings were fairly unassuming and within this area were the family law, magistrates and crown courts for the region. "Nosing" as subtly as we could (because there was a high police presence in this area) we spotted a group of shackled prisoners being led across a courtyard. It’s strange because we’d actually assumed that crime was quite light on the island, but this area seemed to give a different message. We hastened away making sure that our cameras were kept well to our side. We assumed that people would take offence if we started "snapping" in this area of town

Galle’s wall city has been around since the early sixteenth century and it truly reflects the architecture of Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial times. It’s now an Archaeological Reserve and has been identified as a World Heritage site. What a great visit.
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Having wandered the majority of streets in the old walled town we decided to head out for the harbour and, if we still had time, part of the town of Galle. Straight ahead we saw Galle’s cricket ground. This seemed to be in a prime…Read More

Having wandered the majority of streets in the old walled town we decided to head out for the harbour and, if we still had time, part of the town of Galle. Straight ahead we saw Galle’s cricket ground. This seemed to be in a prime position and probably highlights the importance of the game on the island. There was a game in progress at the time and we were aware that the original ground had in fact been devastated by the 2004 tsunami. From the ground we could see the Indian ocean was visible on two sides of the ground and the towering above the ground was the fort’s clock-tower. I gather that England’s Ian Botham was instrumental in getting the ground back into decent condition after the tsunami and we speculated that the match in progress was a pre-curser to the imminent World Cup.

Anyway we continue our walk toward the ocean and suddenly we’re overseeing a group of fishermen attempting to move their heavy fishing boat back in to the water. Probably a dozen had their backs against the structure and they were attempting to slide it down the sand into the water. I reckon in the time we were watching them it probably moved a couple of feet, so to get it into the sea would by my calculations have taken them well over the hour. Close by a couple of fishermen were preparing their catch for market as they de-headed and gutted the fish. Close to hand birds lay in wait for the pick of the left-overs and a few metres away four guys were busy making repairs to their fishing nets. They seemed very casual as they worked industriously to sort out the damage.

We head off back round the cricket ground past a statue of a man on horseback and then seeing a stupa on the other side of the road we risk life and limb to get close to it. This turned out to be a good move as it was going to lead us in the direction of the train station through a small market area. Here we see stalls selling only hair bands. Not just one but probably three or four all selling identical goods. How on earth do they survive?

Old carriages seem to be converted for stall holders to push their goods around town and several of these are selling snacks. I see a short alleyway that is reminiscent of the entrance to a souk so I head off down to investigate. My friend is less convinced but with some gentle persuasion he accompanies me. This area is full of craftsmen – some tailors, leather ware "manufacturers" and two stalls which are working on repairing what looked like irreparable shoes. The latter seems to be one of the most favoured small businesses that we see around Galle.

At the end of the alleyway there are loads of cages full of small birds. Not sure if they being sold as a delicacy, for religious ceremonies (I seem to recall that the release of caged birds is a feature of some Buddhist ceremonies), or as household pets. Guess I’ll never really know for sure!

Having reached the end of the alley we saunter back down to the main road. No-one has been bothered by our presence and we did not feel in the least bit imtimidated, With hindsight I’m not sure that I’d have risked investigating this alley if I’d have been on my own.

Time is now marching on and we realise that we’re not absolutely sure where we are in relation to the train station. We pause to get our bearings and then spot the bus terminal, which we both recall was near the train station. With renewed confidence we stride out and our instinct and recall was correct – there in front of us was the main railway station and with 20 minutes left to buy our tickets and board the train we both reckon that our timing is impeccable.

We just have time for a quick look around the station before heading to the train. We’ve successfully viewed Galle and now we’ve bagged a comfortable seat next to the window for our return journey. What a great day out.
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After we’d looked round the temple in Kalataru we decided to have a wander and check out the main town.This bustling community is still refreshingly village like in its appearance and it looked very like most of the communities that we’d passed through on our…Read More

After we’d looked round the temple in Kalataru we decided to have a wander and check out the main town.

This bustling community is still refreshingly village like in its appearance and it looked very like most of the communities that we’d passed through on our brief tour of the island. But here we were walking amongst it. Just metres away from the temple we saw St John’s Church – an unpretentious church in the shadow of the temple and the bright yellow clock tower. Still this shabby looking building has an unassuming presence, with its standalone bell tower and a tatty notice board proclaiming "worship every Sunday – 10am. ". I can’t be sure that the place is still in use but I’d certainly like to think it was the centre of the crowds each Sunday.

As we continued on our way a Tuk-Tuk "roared" past us with its passenger seats crammed full with coconuts and we cautiously crossed over the road near to the clock tower with its very busy intersection. Shops are real interesting here as most are specialist and seem to sell both new and second hand items alongside each other.

Some are decked out as you’d expect 1930’s shops to have been with their dark stained glass fronted storage cabinets taking care of the goods. Indeed products of a bygone age. The was a fascinating window display of bread loaves stacked on shelves - charmingly unsophisticated, but at least you didn’t to think too hard about what they were selling,

Although the streets have griminess about them there’s no shortage of colour with the Tuk-Tuks seemingly competing with each other for the best decorated and most colourful award and women walking and looking immaculate in their bright saris. Scratch card vendors excitedly announce over local tannoy systems.. . Well I’m not sure what they announce, but it seems to ensure that they have a steady flow of business although I only saw money being passed to the vendor, so I guess there weren’t any spot winners.
What was disturbingly fascinating was the crude and "Heath Robinson" looking electrics. To say that they were in the open air and serving the local community they seemed to be somewhat makeshift. We just had to wonder about how often they failed to "deliver the goods".

No one seemed to be hassling us and despite one guy inviting us to follow him for "the best photo opportunity in town" we could almost have been part of the furniture. My wife and I negotiated the purchase of some spices and shopping on the "high street" in a non-tourist shop just confirmed how silly we’d been buying some spices from the spice garden on our "road trip". I recognised the specialist shop selling natural means for cleaning the teeth and sorting out bad breath and although it looked better than what we’d seen in Nuwara Eliya I still wasn’t tempted!

We turned into a small market area on route to the train station. It was full of fresh vegetable and fruit stall. The area of town was colourful and busy and everyone seemed so good natured. Around the back was the bus depot and I could have spent much longer watching people cram onto the buses and then hang on as the bus lurched off on its journey. Not one bus left without being crammed full.

We headed back past the temple and over the river to check out the view and a gold Buddha that we’d seen on our tuk-tuk journey into town. Passing by several small stalls we decided that the walk to another market further down the road was much further than we’d thought and so turned to check out the availability of a tuk-tuk. They’re never far away and within seconds they were queuing up for our business. Deal secured (always agree a price before getting in the vehicle) we shot off down the road back to our hotel for a beer or two before our evening meal.

What a delightful excursion that had cost us less than £3 for our transport and given us a real insight into how a local town works.
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Sri Lanka is about the size of West Virginia, but it proudly owns seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These places have emerged as the hub for tourists from across the globe fascinating them at the very first glimpse of their beauty and mystery. I have…Read More

Sri Lanka is about the size of West Virginia, but it proudly owns seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These places have emerged as the hub for tourists from across the globe fascinating them at the very first glimpse of their beauty and mystery. I have to admit that when I decided to visit the country I was drawn by the raw beauty of Sigiriya, an ancient rock fortress and palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka.

Bandaranaike International Airport is 22 miles north of Colombo. It cost $20 for a taxi to the city. Or you can take a free bus transfer to the bus station where tuk tuks are plenty. It cost me 1,000 rupee (about $9) on a tuk tuk to my hostel, which is a private accommodation located at Colombo 10 (the city is divided into 15 numbered areas). After checking in, I decided to go to Pettah market, which is famous for its open air bazaars and markets. If you like shopping, this is the place to go to when in Colombo. It seems that each street has its own speciality; it kind of reminds me of the French Quarter in Hanoi.

Private buses or the regular ones to Dambulla are available at the Central Bus Station. I chose the private bus (cost 280 rupee or $2.50) the next morning. Surprisingly, the condition of the bus was better than I thought; velvet red seats with a cool air-conditioner that worked. It took three and a half hours to reach Dambulla. I had a meal of Sri Lankan rice and curry at Benthota Bake House, which serves realIy good local food. After my meal, I head to The Rock Temple, one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. I purchased the ticket from a lady sitting in a tiny room with minimal lighting and bare furnishing. The walk up to the temple can be slippery when wet (it had rained earlier) with occasional steps in certain places and sloping rock face.

Shoes are not allowed in as you enter the temple, and I was asked to leave them to an attendant for a 25 rupee fee. "I can put the shoes in my bag" I said. But no, it's disrespectful to bring the shoes in with you. I don't think so! Nevertheless, the caves are gorgeous with endless paintings from wall to wall, and the ceiling as well. History suggests that the place was used as a place of worship when KIng Valagamba was driven out of Anuradhapura, and he carved the place into rock temples after he regained his throne. It started to rain again as I began to walk back down. I rode the tuk tuk to Sigiriya Holiday Inn, which is about 20 minutes ride from downtown Dambulla (cost 700 rupee).

The next morning started with the rain. Luckily it stopped before my tuk tuk arrived. An entire day with petrol cost me 2,800 rupee ($27). Sigiriya takes about 45 minutes from the hostel. The road to the site was still wet and muddy from the rain as I approached the entrance, but I could see the ancient rock fortress standing majestically from afar. I was mesmerized as I walked toward the rock. It took me an hour to reach the Lion's Paw, a reminder to devotees ascending the rock that Buddha was Sakya-Simba and his spoken words were as powerful as the sound of a lion's roar. Reaching the top means clambering up across a series of grooves cut into the rock with the handrail as an assistance.

What's left today is just a foundation, and as I gazed across the surrounding jungle, it's just a reminder of the Buddhist monks probably did over 1,500 years ago.

As I began to enjoy myself on the way to Polonnawura, it rained again. "Climate change" said the driver. "So much rain since last week!", he said with frustration. Tell me about it! Luckily, it stopped when I got to Polonnawura after two and half hours ride. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned Archeological relic sites in the country, standing testimony to the discipline and greatness of the Kingdom's first rulers. You need to spend at least 5 to 6 hours in Polonnawura. Unfortunately, this is not the case for me, and with the rain coming and going, I had to practically run in and out from one site to another. The Royal Palace, Watadage, Alahana Pirivena Complex, Rankot Vihara, and Lankatilaka are just some of the sights worth spending your time there. Soon the heavy downpour and night sky had made it impossible for me to stay any longer in Polonnawura. I was lucky that I had a wonderful driver who knew where he was going.

I woke up the next morning with the bathroom filled with bugs! It was then I decided to leave a day early back to Colombo. I spent my last day in Colombo walking around Pettah. This time I had more time to surround myself with the hustling and bustling of the heartbeat of the city.

I came to Sri Lanka because I had wanted to see Sigiriya. Now I leave the country not just remembering Sigiriya, but also Dambulla, Polonnawura, Colombo, and especially the friendly people. The country is definitely a place worth visiting again and again. Hopefully, next time I am able to visit Anuradhapura without the rain.Close

I decided to enjoy a massage on my penultimate day in Kalutaru. I’ve only had two previous massages and the one I most enjoyed was an Ayervedic massage when we stayed in Kerala. As this was one of the options I was happy to sign…Read More

I decided to enjoy a massage on my penultimate day in Kalutaru. I’ve only had two previous massages and the one I most enjoyed was an Ayervedic massage when we stayed in Kerala. As this was one of the options I was happy to sign up for the "treatment".

There were several options to choose from. I’d seen a treatment centre and spice garden just off the main street close to the hotel and popped my head round to check it out. In truth I’d just made the small detour of the street when I was accosted by the treatment centre’s "representative" or tout. He ushered me towards a small room where the doctor was sitting and within seconds I was sat down while he explained the options to me. At 3500 rupees he was offering a two hour programme of massage and steam bath and although it sounded very professional I wanted to check out where the treatment would be administered. He pointed to a small alcove and then pulled back the curtain. In this tiny cupboard sized room was a massage bench and a small table. It was dowdy and uninviting and didn’t really attract as a place with the type of ambiance that made for a relaxing and therapeutic massage. I decided to give this one a miss!

The following day when my wife and I were strolling down the beach we once again saw that there were numerous massage centres along the way. Bizarrely they seemed to be twinned with restaurants or craft shops. The centres’ representative lined the beach trying to cajole us to check out their restaurant or shop and to try a massage at the same time. Somehow that didn’t ring true with me and I wondered how professional a service I would be signing up to. That sounds like it was high pressure sales but in reality the "pitch" was fairly low key and when I indicated that I wasn’t interested they just smiled and said "perhaps another day".

The safest bet seemed to be the services that were offered on site at the hotel. Here the ambiance was set the moment you walked into the massage centre’s reception – gentle running water and a smart setting. I checked out the massage rooms and the receptionist led me over a short bridge, through the trees to a modern block where there were modern, clean, bright and spacious massage rooms. This was my preference and so I booked for an hour’s Panchakarma Ayuvedic Treat. It was actually called Sambahana with Vaspasweda. None the wiser? Well it was actually a full body massage with medicated oils followed by a steam bath.

I arrived a little early for my treatment but was almost immediately taken to the centre where I needed to give a brief description of my medical conditions (although I’m not convinced that the masseur had read them) before I was escorted upstairs to the massage room.

I clambered onto the "operation couch" face down in a non too dignified fashion and soon the process of dripping oils onto my back commenced. I’m thankful that the massage wasn’t too "hard" and I was soon relaxing as the guy set about his work. Given a little longer I reckon I’d have been in the land of nod but his request for me to turn over interrupted me. Having "flipped" the oil was again applied and I suspect I was now almost "oven ready". A few "knots" were found and as I groaned he remarked "pain". "uh huh" was my response and although I had anticipated that he’d let up a bit he seemed to concentrate more on that very spot. No use complaining, I thought, it must be doing me some good. Didn’t feel that way at the time but I have to confess that the following day I did feel "much easier".

Of course the head massage was superb, despite having oils poured onto my head and that was not far short of putting me to sleep.

But that was soon over and I had to patter downstairs to the steam room for the last part of the treatment. Now I’ve never endured a steam bath like this before. It looked more like a wooden MRI scanner and I gingerly climbed onto the slatted wooden bed which was covered in leaves, before the coffin like top was lowered down. My neck was covered over in towels and the steam turned on. "Just shout" he said, if it gets too hot for you. I felt like James Bond in Thunderball as the temperature increased and the masseur was nowhere to be seen. Not that it mattered because when he got back I was ready for it to be turned up a notch.

The final part of the treatment was a warm shower to release the oils and then a gentle meander back to my room for an early evening siesta before dinner.

A most enjoyable experience.
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We took a tuk-tuk from just outside the hotel and headed off for Kalutara South Train Station. We’d checked with the hotel what the approximate cost was likely to be and when the driver said it would be 300 rupees we were quite happy. The…Read More

We took a tuk-tuk from just outside the hotel and headed off for Kalutara South Train Station. We’d checked with the hotel what the approximate cost was likely to be and when the driver said it would be 300 rupees we were quite happy. The hotel had suggested that it was between 300 and 500 rupees!

It was an exciting 10 minute drive from the hotel to the station although I reckon we tested the vehicle’s suspension (if indeed they have any) as we found almost every bump and crack on the road’s surface. Anyway we arrived in good time and in one piece at the station and then sorted out our train ticket. There’s a choice of 2nd or 3rd class so we push the boat out and opt for 2nd class as we reckon that should ensure us a seat. It only costs 120 rupees for the single journey which will take us almost 2 hours, so it’s actually cheaper than our short Tuk-Tuk ride to the station!

Having bought our ticket when have to present it to a station attendant sat at a large table with a significantly sized ledger. He solemnly checks out the number on each of our tickets and carefully enters some details into the ledger. We are ushered on to the station having checked out that we need platform 2. Indeed the majority of the passengers are standing on platform 2 (this is immediately inside the entrance) with only a handful waiting across the rails on platform 1).

We check on the electronic information board for details of the trains but struggle, despite the fact that’s it’s displaying in English, to make much sense of it. However, we soon ascertain from which direction it will arrive as the Galle- Colombo train arrives on Platform 1. Suddenly waiting passengers from our platform jump down on the rails and rush across to board the train from the rails. The clamber up the steps and as there are no doors on the carriages it seems that prime seats are to be found in the on the stairs of the carriage entrances. Although boarding seems frantic it, on reflection if really quite ordered in a chaotic way!!

About 10 minutes later our train arrives and predictably we’re at the wrong end of the platform for second class, but we have plenty of time to get to a carriage and we’re pleasantly surprised when we find there are seats available - seats that look and indeed are comfortable with plenty of leg room. We struggle to open a window but finally manage it and then settle down to enjoy the Sri Lankan countryside from the train.
On the 90 minute journey from Kalutara to Galle we pass through many small villages, but as we’re on the "express train" we only stop at four of them. One was particularly memorable because we were welcomed by a small group of goats that walked right alongside the carriages and then stood at the open doors. I guess they are used to getting discards of food from the passengers. The train was only a couple of minutes late and we were reasonably impressed with the comfort and efficiency of the journey. We’d enjoyed the track changes into sidings so the up-train could pass through, the numerous views of temples, the village activity and the superb views of rivers and the sea as we sped southwards to Galle.

At the end of our day in Galle I guess we confidently returned to the station. The trip down had passed without hitch and having purchased our tickets for the return journey we settled down in the carriage. My friend remarked that we were travelling much slower and I had to confess that they journey was seemingly far less smooth. Still we were making good process and I settled down near to the window with my camera ready.
Half an hour into the trip the train stopped – in the middle of nowhere. No there are no real communications on board so we sat and waited and after 10 minutes or so we started up again and managed to limp into a station. Perhaps the lights had been at red and perhaps our increasing pessimism about the reliability of this train was ill-founded. . But then the fan stopped whirring and the engine juddered to a full halt. Yes, the engine had died on us and we found out that it would be a couple of hours before they could get a replacement engine to us.

Apparently the Colombo-Galle train had to uncouple with the engine returning up-line to hitch up with us. Some people on the train headed off to catch a bus or hire a tuk-tuk, but we decided to bide our time and "enjoy" the experience. We were soon to get to know Hikkaduwa station quite well and were pleased to be able to get into conversations with both locals and fellow passengers. Apparently engine failure isn’t uncommon on this route and I reckon the English speaking locals seized the opportunity to come up to the station for a chat with the tourists.

Time passed remarkably quickly and we were soon back on track (well 90 minutes after the breakdown occurred) and with the clickety-click on the rails we watched nightfall and had yet another experience on the rails.

A little tip. I’d suggest that you avoid using the toilets on board the train. They were absolutely rank and.... No I won’t say more, but leave it to your own imagination. Indeed whatever you’re imagining is probably right!!

Despite the delay we both thoroughly enjoyed our day trip to Galle and am pleased that we opted to travel independently and enjoy the journey for its own sake. A great day out for minimal expenditure.
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Our guide had recognised that I was interested in wild life and so offered to take me for an early morning bird watching walk. Apparently he set off every morning following his love of nature, at around 5.00am, but suggested that 7.00am would be earlier…Read More

Our guide had recognised that I was interested in wild life and so offered to take me for an early morning bird watching walk. Apparently he set off every morning following his love of nature, at around 5.00am, but suggested that 7.00am would be earlier enough for me to see some of the local bird life. I readily agreed and our rendez-vous was fixed for 7.00 in the main reception area.

I, somewhat bleary eyed, made it at the appointed time and our guide, looking as if he’d been awake for hours, was waiting for me. Soon we were outside the hotel, in an early morning misty rain and within minutes I’m looking into a small bush in which two long billed sun birds are attempting to feed on the bright flowers. They’re hard to focus in on, but I can’t blame my camera more likely that my eyes are still not "fully awake"!

I make a comment about the "drizzle" (mist like rain) and my guide explains that it wouldn’t be morning in Nurawa Eliya if there wasn’t the mist. "It’s usual most days, just like England" he smiled. Next we creep down some slippery stone steps to watch a white bellied drongo and his mate, before they were disturbed by the arrival of an egret. My guide explained to me that the pond and cattle egrets were slightly different in appearance with the pond egret having black legs and the cattle egret yellow legs. It’s all to do with the conditions that they’re hunting in and good old Darwin’s theory of evolution.
As we pass by the side of the house I was pleased to see a bird before my guide. "It’s the Pheasant Tailed Jacana", he whispered "and it’s rare to see because it’s such a shy bird". I stood by in awe as I tried to get a decent view of the bird. I’ve never seen one, or indeed heard the name before so I tried to creep nearer to get an un-obscured view. Not the best thing to do if you’re half asleep and as cack-handed as me. I managed to make it just to close as the bird scuttled off through the hedgerows and onto the golf course. In the blink of an eye it was gone. Unfortunately it disappeared before I could get my photographic evidence of a sighting, but now I’m aware of the bird I’ll be keeping an eye out for it when I’m in Asia.

Other than a "bucket load of crows" the rest of our exploration of the grounds was a bit thin and so we headed off down a track at the back of the hotel towards the town.

Although there weren’t any birds it was an interesting part of town and we passed the original golf club house and a few other "English" cottages before making it back to the main street. It was here that I saw a single Asian Koel in the company of a large group of Ravens, standing out distinctively with his yellow beak. My guide was surprised but confirmed my sighting. A gentle walk through the town and past a cinchona tree which my guide tells me is a source of quinine and was important for the treatment of malaria.
Next we head back to the hotel where we pick up the mini bus and drive a few minutes out of the centre of Nurawa Eliya to the nearby forest in Gallwaysland National Park.

Despite a lot of twittering we didn’t see one bird, but there were a number of monkeys swinging through the canopy of trees above us. The lack of birds really didn’t matter, because I saw a small temple, the local houses (up close), and villagers heading off to work in Nurawa Eliya. It was a good start to the day and I ended up seeing parts of the town that are not normally frequented by tourists.
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Before we stopped off at the Grand Hotel our guide took us for a brief tour of Nurawa Eliya. It’s honestly not a stunning place but we were assured it’s about to become a World Heritage Site. Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the…Read More

Before we stopped off at the Grand Hotel our guide took us for a brief tour of Nurawa Eliya. It’s honestly not a stunning place but we were assured it’s about to become a World Heritage Site.

Nuwara Eliya is only 180 Km from the hot and humid Colombo but it is said to be "blessed with a salubrious climate". In reality that means it’s a lot chillier here and there was certainly no need to Air Conditioning in the bedrooms!! It’s a very green and lush area and Nuwara Eliya (meaning the City of Lights) is also known as 'Little' England'. It’s not difficult to imagine why it appealed to the British and it soon became their favourite hill station. Just looking around you can see how they tried to create the town into a typical English Village.

There are some interesting 19th Century houses around the town some of which have been built with stone from England. The story goes that goods were exported from Ceylon, as the British called it (the island has been variously called Taprobane by the Ancient Greeks, Serendib by the Arabs, Ceilao by the Portuguese), but there was nothing that was really required to import back to the island. Not wanting to return with an empty ship the English loaded it up with building stone and then incorporated it into the design of the more prestigious buildings in Nurawa Eliya. These prestigious building were built as "proper mansions" some in the style of English houses and others adopting the classic colonial properties of India.

There’s the old brick Post office, country houses and gentlemen’s club, an 18 hole golf course (although my friend who’s a keen golfer didn’t think that the course was up to much) and even a race course. It must have been like home from home for the wealthy and influential British folk that moved her or visited the region.

As a contrast to these grand houses our guide took us to the local food market and educated us on some of the more exotic fruit unique to this part of the world. He seemed well known by the market traders and they were quite happy for us to take photographs of their stalls. We were looking at fruit and vegetables that we’ve never seen before and all looked fresh and colourful. Most of it looked quite tasty but the odd one – well, I’m still not sure. Our guide then stood near a small stall of items that seemed most unappetising. He explained that the "wrap of natural products" were for mouth hygiene and he then started to demonstrate by crunching on some stone like items and then opening a leaf (the contents of which are best left un-described) and chewing on them.

He explained that after a time the saliva would turn red. We stood like children at a magic show and then as sure as I’m typing this into my computer he showed us what he meant. My children would have said "gross" and indeed it was!

Next he led further in to the market to check out the dried fish. I have to say that was marginally less attractive than to "teeth cleaning concoction" and reminiscent of some of the horrendous food items that I remember seeing in the markets of Beijing. The fresh fish looked more appetising, if not a little "ripe" in aroma, but just at the end of the market were a couple of butchers shops selling beef and lamb respectively. I’m not squeamish, but I passed on by!

Beyond the food market we passed by a load of small shops selling all manner of goods. A real insight into the trading life of a town in Sri Lanka – complete with the smells and noise that is generated my market traders and their customers. Well worth checking out.
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We left the grandeur of The Grand behind us and set off for the final stage of our holiday at the beach of Kalutaru. It was going to take us a full day of travelling time to weave our way down from the hills to…Read More

We left the grandeur of The Grand behind us and set off for the final stage of our holiday at the beach of Kalutaru. It was going to take us a full day of travelling time to weave our way down from the hills to the western coast and the relaxation of our Beach Resort. Despite the length of the journey our guide was not in a rush and was happy to leave it until 9.00 am before we hit the road.

We soon discovered why he happily left it until 9.00 because he set off "at a right belt" as we careered down the windy hills through the tea plantations. At some points in the journey the trees were almost a blur as the minibus hurtled down the straights before a severe breaking on the corner and then foot down on the accelerator yet again. I reckon our driver had transformed over night into a budding Formula One racer!

Suddenly he stood on his breaks as we arrived at a photo point and before we had time to get out of the bus we seemed to be surrounded by local children. Quite where they’d come from is anyone’s guess! Our guide cleared the way for us and despite my concerns that they would be plaguing us with hands held outstretched for cash it seemed that they were more curious than anything. They peered at us from the side of the bus and then gave broad grins before retreating for cover.

Back in the bus and we seem to have settled for a more sedate pace. Perhaps our guide had heard my no so gentle cursing as we’d hit another bump in the road or he’d veered quickly around another bend throwing me across my seat. There are loads of small produce stalls on route and up here many of the small two roomed dwellings are constructed out of timber and mud. You can quite understand the devastation that resulted from the recent heavy rains hitting these constructions with their total lack of anchorage by way of foundations. In a torrent they’ll act like rafts on a river!

We pass through a variety of tea estates and despite it being a weekend there are a few pickers out working. We’d seen them earlier in the day trudging along the road with bags on their back, spotted a few in the plantation snipping at the tea leaf tips, and finally taking their offerings to the roadside collection points for quality checking, weighing before logging the amount earned for their efforts. What surprises me is how colourful they all look as they turn out for this tedious employment, just to keep the world in a good supply of tea.

We pass small temples with golden Buddhas at their entrance and decided that Sunday (the day of our travel) must be washing day on the island. Why? Well the grassy banks at the side of the road are layered with clothes drying out in the heat of the day (despite the lack of blue sky) and at one point we stopped by the river bank to intrude on the washing antics of a few mothers and their children. Despite our frantic camera activity these good natured families smiled up at us with cheerful waves. The children initially bashful soon became brave when they realised that these white strangers in a minibus were prepared to smile and wave back

Having left the tea plantations behind us we’re now moving into much flatter land and rice fields become the predominant form of agriculture and at one point we stop next to a large plantation of rubber trees. It was evident that they are still being "bled" for their sap and we couldn’t resist a "nose around". Mind you we didn’t tarry too long when we saw the size of the ants that were trekking up and down the trees!

We saw a variety of birds on route including the Long Necked Grey Egret, Long Billed Sunbird, Indian Pond Heron, Sri Lankan Jungle Fowl, Asian Koel and the white bellied drongo to name but a few.

It was a long but interesting drive from the tea plantations to the beach resort and although we enjoyed the trip we were pleased to have reached the resort hotel in one piece. No we wopuld unwind and relax for the rest of our stay on the island of Sri Lanka.
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