Sri Lanka

Sunday 24th April 2016 – After much research and many emails and phone calls we finally booked a driver for 10 days to take us round Sri Lanka. Our driver was called Kandula and picked us up at 12 noon. We left the capital city of Colombo and headed south down the coast where we lunched at Mount Lavinia Hotel…a top end hotel with a pool, live music and a wonderful view of the Indian Ocean. We all danced by the poolside to the live jazz beat and with stomachs full and thirst quenched we set off for Bentota Beach. En route we stopped at our first Buddhist temple…an impressive but simple domed place of worship…the smell of incense was a marriage of relaxation and spirituality. A little further and we happened across a beautiful Buddha statue reflecting brilliantly in the surrounding water…here was also a shrine dedicated to the victims of the devastating tsunami on Boxing Day 2004, a reminder of the ultimate power and destruction of nature. Pam had researched a hotel for us to stay at…we were not disappointed when we arrived at Cassita Hotel…it was low season and we had the plush place to ourselves. After a much needed welcome drink we all jumped in the refreshing pool and played fun water games like school children…not a competitive person in sight! Later we dined at an Italian restaurant right on the beach front, lit by pretty, atmospheric fairy lights…I couldn’t resist and dipped my toes into the Indian Ocean once more…like revisiting an old friend.

Monday 25th April 2016 – After breakfast we continued our journey down the west coast of Sri Lanka. Kandula stopped at a spice garden where we were presented with a delicious cup of herbal tea with the addition of Sri Lankan vanilla for added sweetness…it was mouth-wateringly good! The owner showed us many specimens of spices and expertly explained their medicinal properties. From ginger to cinnamon to vanilla and more, it was amazing to find out the healing powers of such flora. Aaron and John later became Guinea pigs and were treated to massages and ointments for their aches and pains…amazingly both declared an improvement in their ailments. We decided to stop for lunch at Hikkaduwa and liked it so much that we all agreed to stay for a few nights. We found the perfect hotel for us all at Casalanka Hotel…Pam and John’s room with air conditioning and Aaron’s and mine with just a fan…price perfect for all of us. We wandered along the beach that kissed the Indian Ocean and dined on Sri Lankan curry, cocktails and beers all to the sound of the ocean lapping onto the shore.

Tuesday 26th April 2016 – A relaxing day. Pam and John headed to the town of Galle with our driver Kandula, to do a bit of shopping and sketching. Aaron and I walked the long beach and sunbathed to our hearts content. Later we enjoyed the coolness of Pam and John’s air conditioned room…bliss…and we napped away. Again, that night we relaxed and dined in a beach restaurant…chatting to other travellers who were journeying around Sri Lanka.

Wednesday 27th April 2016 – Today our aim was to head inland towards Sinharaja Rain Forest Reserve. After seeing the traditional stilt fishermen further down the coast we happened upon our first Hindu Temple. Normally these temples are brightly coloured but this one was still under construction and as such more beautiful for its simplicity. Passing a tea plantation Kandula informed us that only ladies pick the tea leaves…not only is it a hard, hot, tough job but dangerous too for many are bitten by venomous snakes during work hours. A tea picker is expected to pick 25 kilos of tea per day…their wages are a mere 10p a kilo! Passing Galle we sighted the fort and lighthouse. During the tsunami the town was devastated and swept away…incredibly the two Buddha statues were untouched…believer or not a believer a truly remarkable fact that the Buddha image remained intact during such a natural disaster…the thought sent shivers up my spine. We continued inland stopping on the road when Kandula spotted a Nile monitor who was camera shy and hurried away. In the same spot we saw beautiful examples of the national flower of Sri Lanka…blue water lilies…covering the pond with their spectacular star shaped petals. After visiting a few unsuitable guest houses we finally found our perfect abode…Deniyaya Rest House…clean, large rooms…friendly service and to top it all a divine view over the lush rainforest. Tomorrow we would venture into the last extensive tract of undisturbed lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka…Sinharaja, one of the island’s outstanding natural wonders and an ecological treasure box to boot…we couldn’t wait.