{"id":191,"date":"2012-08-31T10:36:45","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T10:36:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/?p=191"},"modified":"2018-12-08T22:43:22","modified_gmt":"2018-12-08T22:43:22","slug":"2012-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/2012\/08\/31\/2012-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"2012 Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\" data-footer=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/161278951@N05\/albums\/72157699103916452\" title=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Cultural Triangle\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1919\/45216076432_14cee08ef3_z.jpg\" alt=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Cultural Triangle\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2>Part 1: Getting There<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>31st October&nbsp; &#8211; 1st November 2014 <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bangkok<\/strong><br><br>\nOur Sri Lankan holiday started in Bangkok \u2013 where I returned from a \nvisit to the UK met up with Megan flying out directly from Sydney. Our \nchosen meet-up was the Silom Serene hotel which we both knew from \nprevious visits to Thailand. What was new for us both was the smart \n\u2018new\u2019 Bangkok airport, and approaching the city in a taxi from a \ncompletely different direction. As always the pool behind the boutique \nhotel was a major attraction. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe ate in the evening at a very Thai restaurant close by down a side \nstreet. The food was excitingly different from Sydney Thai fare, the \nchilies were applied at local strength, and the mango and sticky rice \npudding was to die for.<br>\nThat night we both slept quite well which was surprising since we were \nnursing contrary jetlags. As always under these circumstances, having \nseparate beds (an accident at check-in) helped.  After breakfast we \nstarted on the mammoth task of merging and repacking our luggage ready \nfor the holiday. After re-arranging the contents of the bags, it all \nfitted in well.  So we rewarded ourselves with some free time in the \npool and fitness centre. We checked out at 2 having both had showers and\n worked up an appetite for lunch which was a couple of stuffed crepes \nwashed down with delicious mint drinks. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hotel efficiently arranged for a taxi to whisk us to the airport at a bargain \u2018fixed price\u2019 and we were in the check-in queue well before our 7pm flight to Colombo.<br><br>Then disaster struck as I realised that I didn&#8217;t have my wallet. The taxi had been paid with the last of our Baht and somewhere in the short walk to the check in it had fallen out of my bum bag. The empty wallet only contained two credit cards \u2013 and one had already been stopped by the HSBC in an act of unwarranted but fortuitous diligence. Airport lost property had not had it handed in, but took our details. There was little more we could do so we went through passport control. Whilst waiting for our flight to be called we tried to contact the St George bank to cancel our Visa card. But phoning was impossible as the lines were busy and it was too expensive to hold, and the airport free Wi-Fi was too slow to load anything.<br><br>Frustrated we went to the gate for our flight and then in a brief moment of internet bandwidth, managed to recharge the phone and find out that Visa cards could be cancelled on the bank web site. Then the Wi-Fi worm hole closed and we boarded a packed Sri Lankan Airlines A340.<br>Never again will we fly Sri Lankan. For a start the plane had strange faults that eroded one\u2019s confidence that it could be airworthy. My seat back screen only worked if the seat in front was reclined! Light switches turned on the wrong lights \u2013 a great way to break the ice and meet your fellow travellers! The meal service was chaotic. And to top it all \u2013 the cabin pressurisation was faulty and I developed a nose bleed that took a day to clear up (due to taking aspirin before the flight).<br><br><strong> Colombo<\/strong><br>Colombo airport is new, smart and large. But we soon had an introduction to the way things happen in Sri Lanka \u2013 as the immigration queue we joined closed without notice and we were shunted off into a different area to get our passports stamped! The arrivals duty-free area was unusual with lots of white goods &#8211; as Sri Lankans returning from working abroad get a special allowance. Luckily our bags made it through as well, and our driver Ananda was waiting for us.<br><br><strong> Negombo<\/strong><br>We arrived much later than we had originally planned (thanks to a Sri Lankan Airlines flight change) but luckily it was a short ride in the dark to Ayubowan Guest House down a back lane in Negombo. The guest house was run by an English couple and was spotless and nicely furnished. Using their Wi-Fi I managed to cancel the lost credit card on-line and was then able to rest and enjoy a comfortable night\u2019s sleep. <br><br>Breakfast in the morning was a relaxed and pleasant affair \u2013 and a chance to talk with the owners about life in Sri Lanka before the front gate opened and our driver arrived to whisk us away to the Cultural Triangle.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Facebook Review<br>\nWe had a brief but pleasant start to our recent holiday in Sri Lanka \nstaying with Ron &amp; Brenda in their delightful home.  We arrived much\n later than planned thanks to Sri Lankan Airlines and had to leave the \nnext morning for the Cultural Triangle. But in the few hours in between \nwe were able to enjoy a comfortable room, a delicious breakfast, and the\n company of Ron &amp; Brenda. We cannot fault our experience of this \naccommodation \u2013 the only fault was with us for not arranging to stay in \nNegombo longer. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"text-align:center\">Part 2 &#8211; The Cultural Triangle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>2nd Nov \u2013 Yapahuwa, Sigiriya Village<br>3rd Nov \u2013 Sigiriya Rock, Ritigala<br>4th Nov \u2013 Balloon Flight, Pidurangala, Dambulla<br>5th Nov \u2013 Polonnaruwa, Kaudulla National Park<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"204\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CulturalTriangleRoute.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-193\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CulturalTriangleRoute.jpg 400w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/CulturalTriangleRoute-300x153.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Yapahuwa <\/strong><br>We said goodbye to Negombo and drove off inland through a non-descript sprawl. Our route cross-country to the ancient city of Yapahuwa soon took us out into the countryside. After passing through an area where there were many tile factories, the scenery became more agricultural with paddy fields and pineapple plantations.<br>It was an early introduction to how slow road travel is in Sri Lanka, and also how interesting it can be, particularly with a well-informed guide as driver. Ananda was a keen amateur bird watcher and amazed us by his ability to spot interesting wild life whilst apparently concentrating on driving the car down difficult roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So it was long drive through Maho junction to reach the ancient city of Yapahuwa where, not unsurprisingly, we were the only tourists. After recent heavy rain (it was supposed to be the dry season) the rivers were rushing brown torrents and the paths on the archaeological site were small streams. Three flights of steep steps led up the mountainside to an impressive entrance gate guarded by two Singa Lions (looking vaguely oriental). Behind the entrance was a flat terrace with the foundations of a temple that once housed the tooth relic (Buddha\u2019s Tooth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back at the foot of the mountain we were shown into a small cave temple with some well-preserved paintings on the roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we returned to the car the locals were having their lunch of rice &amp; curry in the shade. It was hot and we were also hungry, but it was to be a lot longer till we ate. We took a long and winding road heading on average south-east that took us through Madagalla and Rambe but there were no restaurants in this rural area. It was after 2 when we got to the busy and congested A6 with a succession of tempting signs advertising \u201clunch\u201d. We stopped at a new roadside restaurant on the main road where we were the only customers but they managed to serve rice with 5 or so tasty curries. We thought the meal was overpriced and Ananda confirmed it was \u2013 it turned out to be the most expensive lunch of the entire trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sigiriya Village Hotel <\/strong><br>With a full stomach the trip seemed to go quicker! It was an easy drive on better roads through Dambulla to our hotel in the shadow of Sigiriya rock. The Sigiriya Village hotel was a well-designed collection of cottages in a delightful garden setting with an open sided restaurant\/bar by the pool. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOur room was spacious with an attractive canopy over the bed and a very \nuseful clothes rack (why don\u2019t all hotels have one instead of the always\n inadequate suitcase stand?).<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nMeals were served in the evening in the main building. Though buffets \nwere frequently prepared for groups staying at the hotel, we were always\n able to order a la carte, and on most occasions we eat what we wanted. \nThe buffet breakfast had a few local dishes including some surprisingly \nspicy curries, and also included a pot of herbal porridge which I \nenjoyed each morning.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Sigiriya Rock <\/strong><br>The next morning we took the short trip to the entrance to Sigiriya rock. The logistics of parking hadn\u2019t quite been thought through in a typically Sri Lankan way. The access road approaches the rock from the South, but the entrance and museum (but no parking) is on the West side. So to buy tickets everyone had to drive on the potholed track round the defensive moat, park temporarily, buy the tickets, then drive back to park on the South side. I\u2019m not sure what you would do if you didn\u2019t have a driver to relocate the car. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe misty bulk of the rock towered over the gardens as the cool of the early morning gave way to the hot tropical sun.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAs the ground rose, we entered the \u2018Boulder Garden&#8217; with fewer man made \nfeatures other than winding paths.  Any buildings or pavilions that were\n on the rocks have disappeared leaving only cut-outs for their footings.\n  Many of the caves under the boulders showed traces of being used as \ntemples, some dating back to the 5th century BC.  Drip ledges above the \ncave entrances  indicated where to look for traces of old paintings in \nthe plaster.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThen the steps started &#8211; green mossy bricks with slippery marble steps \nheading up to the foot of the sheer rock face.  At one point the steps \npassed between two large boulders making a sort of archway. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAt the top of the first ascent the path made a horizontal traverse \nacross the rock face \u2013 this is the not so shiny \u201cmirror wall\u201d with \ngraffiti left by visitors from the 6th century onwards. We both skipped \nthe vertiginous rusty circular staircase that climbed above the pathway \nas we had enjoyed the more accessible reconstruction of the famous \nfrescos in the museum.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nMegan terminated her ascent at the Lion&#8217;s Paw terrace where the pathway \nupwards used to rise between the jaws of a lion. All now remains are the\n lion\u2019s feet and a new iron staircase rising steeply up the rock face. \nThe sheds used earlier in the year to provide protective clothing for \nvisitors against wasp attacks were now empty, and we were able to \ncontinue the ascent without the impediment of stifling outer wear.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nI made the final ascent to the flattened summit with Ananda. The top was\n covered with the foundations of buildings &#8211; the most impressive was a \nlarge rainwater filled pool.<br>\nThere is some discussion about whether the buildings at the top of the \nrock were a temple or a palace \u2013 the difference between the two is \nsomewhat small. However Ananda was of the firm opinion that it was a \npalace as the large bathing pool had no steps for ritual cleansing. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe view from the top was stunning and the wind refreshing. But I \nwouldn\u2019t have liked being up there when the afternoon thunderstorms roll\n in. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe descended by a different route that led us to the audience hall built\n on a shattered boulder and some more temple caves dating back to the \n2nd century BC.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Ritigala <\/strong><br>We headed up the road to Habarana for lunch. We were a bit skeptical about the lunch rice and curry buffet after our experiences the previous day, but the restaurant turned out to have one spicy curry and was a much more reasonable price. <br><br>From Habarana we headed west on the Gunnawalpule road to Ritigala. This was one of the many places on our itinerary that Ananda had not visited recently. At first, the turning off the main road to the nature reserve was surfaced and we were soon introduced to an unexpected delight of Sri Lanka \u2013 wild peacocks. But the final few kilometres were badly rutted and flooded from the recent rain. It was quite a challenge to get the car with its low ground clearance up to the archaeological site \u2013 in fact we got stuck once and subsequently elected to walk past the tricky sections to give the car a better chance. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIt was hardly surprising that when we got to the car park there were no \ntickets available to be sold to foreigners &#8211; although there were a \ncouple of local coaches in the car park.  Visiting Ritigala was a real \nadventure, as nothing was labelled and the path that gradually climbed \nup the hillside passed many more unexcavated ruins in the surrounding \njungle.  Although some small areas had been cleaned up, there was a real\n feeling of what it is like to discover a new and hidden archaeological \nsite.  <br><br>\nThe path started by skirting the ruinous remains of the tank, forded a \nrushing stream, and then climbed up a beautifully constructed pavement. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe stone work throughout was excellent, with walls being made of \nvarying sized slabs, fitted together without gaps.  At the top of the \npath we came to the foundations of \u201ctwo story\u201d raised platforms. The \nmonastery was devoted to extreme austerity, but in this area are to be \nfound the only carvings &#8211; decorated urinal stones.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Hot air balloon<\/strong><br>We don\u2019t believe in early starts on holiday \u2013 after all, it stops one having a relaxed graze through the breakfast buffet. But on two occasions it was necessary to get up before dawn, once to walk to World\u2019s End and also to go hot air ballooning. When I say we, on this occasion it would be more truthful to say that Megan got up at 4:40am and I gave a muted groan and went back to sleep again. <br><br>A balloon ride over the paddy fields and jungle towards Sigriya Rock was a pre-birthday treat for Megan. She was picked up before dawn by a 4WD \u2013 with Ananda who came along to make the numbers up (\u201cballast\u201d). After about 40 minutes driving down rough tracks in the dark, and a couple of wrong turnings, they reached the launch site, a large cleared field surrounded by dense jungle.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe truck with the balloon had already arrived and was being unpacked.  \nThe three paying passengers watched as the balloon was inflated using a \nteam of about 10 boys.  They were then given brief instructions on how \nto survive landing then climbed (with difficulty) into the large high \nsided basket.  In total 8 people took off. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAs the sky started to become light, the balloon ascended and the sun \nrose over distant hills. With a soft early morning glow the countryside \nwas misty and beautiful.   <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nLooking down on jungle and rice paddy fields was interesting. The \nballoon flew over large flocks of birds including peacocks in the top of\n trees. It was extraordinary to look down on flying peacocks.  At one \npoint, looking down on a paddy field, Megan could see a trail of \nfootprints left by a herd of wild elephants.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nSigiriya rock appeared in the distance but the balloon wasn\u2019t allowed \nnear it because of thermals. The 50 minutes went very quickly and soon \nthey were bouncing along a fallow onion field and were back on the \nground.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe locals came out and pretended to help as the crew packed up the \nballoon. After glasses of juice for the passengers it was a quick trip \nback to the hotel nearby.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Pidurangala <\/strong><br>Whilst Megan soared over the tree tops I snored in bed. When I did get up I found the breakfast was better than usual with several tour groups propping up the numbers. Herbal porridge &#8211; rice hoppers &#8211; sour fish curry &#8211; tempered dhal &#8211; fruit salad with curd! I was still eating when Megan got back from her flight!<br><br>So leaving Megan to her breakfast and to catch up on sleep I hired a bicycle from the hotel. The staff were surprised I wanted to leave the bike unattended, but eventually came up with a piece of chain which together with the padlock from our case discharged the obligation to \u201clook after the bike\u201d. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nI then cycled round the outer moat of Sigiriya leaving the cars and \nbusses behind at the West gate.  It was a pleasant level cycle ride away\n from all the tourists round to the North gate and down the lane to the \nsister rock at Pidurangala.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAfter chaining the bike to a post supporting a branch of the temple \nBodhi tree, I set off up the hill following steps by the modern temple. \nThere was only one sign but the steps kept leading upwards and I kept \nfollowing them.  There was also no indication of how much further there \nwas to climb but eventually the steps opened out onto a narrow platform \nin front of a long line of caves. These had been used as temples, with \nthe ruins of walls enclosing the caves. In the final alcove there was a \nlarge sleeping Buddha.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nI found no clear path above the cave temple, but broken vegetation lead \nto a pile of large boulders. Climbing up between the rocks I was able to\n clamber onto the top of Pidurangala, with its stunning view across to \nSigiriya. There I was surprised to find a solitary Sri Lankan tourist \nwho provided a sense of scale to my photographs.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAfter retracing the steps (literally) and cycling back, I got retunred to the hotel within two hours.<br>\nWe spent the morning relaxing round the pool with its view of Sigiriya rock.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Dambulla <\/strong><br>For lunch that day we road tested another new restaurant for Ananda \u2013 one that was owned by a friend of his. We were concerned that the buffet in the stainless steel serving cabinets would be the usual bland and \u2018tourist acceptable\u2019 fare. So I asked, and was assured that there was nothing spicy on offer. When I indicated that this was exactly what I didn\u2019t want, I was directed with smiles to a set of clay pots in the corner from which the drivers were taking their lunch. The food from the alternative buffet was very tasty, so we gave Ananda good feedback on the restaurant. <br><br>In the afternoon we drove on to Dambulla to see the cave temple complex. The caves are some distance up a rocky hillside. At the bottom there is a very kitsch modern temple in the overdecorated office building style, surmounted by an enormous and gross golden Buddha! <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe parked in the small car park, with its exhortation \u2013 \u201cDecent Drivers \nwill park their vehicles only the specified cage\u201d and walked up the wide\n stairway. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe row of cave temples was entered through a smart white painted \nportico. The rock on the other side was uncomfortably hot without shoes.\n Although the cave temples were used from the first century BC, most of \nthe rock paintings and statues we saw date from the 18th century.  \nDambulla is billed as the \u201clargest and best preserved temple complex in \nSri Lanka\u201d but it was somewhat over-visited and lacked in spiritual \nqualities.  Our later visits to Ridi Viahara and Mulgirigala were more \ninteresting.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nBecause of its location on a major road junction, Dambulla is the centre\n of vegetable distribution in the country. We braved the frenetic \nactivity under the three arches of the  wholesale vegetable market to  \nwatch the process of loading trucks for distribution to Colombo and \nother major centres. It was hard to stay out of the way of the men \ncarrying sacks of onions, and even harder to walk round. The vehicle \nlanes seemed to be in perpetual gridlock. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were heavy thunderstorms that night which made all the white ducks in the hotel pond muddy. We also had a lot of coach parties staying overnight \u2013 and as a result had the most average service and food of our stay in Sigiriya. <br><br><strong> Polonnaruwa <\/strong><br>The drive to Polonnaruwa took us through Habarana and Girtale and skirted the top of Minneriya lake. During the trip we debated whether to explore the World Heritage 12th century city by bicycle. In the end, after inspecting some bicycles at the entrance, we decided to select and hire three. <br><br>But first we took the car to the museum to buy our entrance tickets. The Archaeological Museum was well designed as a linear series of rooms each exploring one part of the old city. The best part was probably the model reconstructions of some of the buildings. Whilst we were close to the Polonnaruwa Rest House (closed for refurbishment) we took a brief look at the ruins of Nissanka Malla\u2019s palace (1187-96). Close by was one of the original sluice gates for the tank which was constructed entirely of stone. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe then collected our bikes, left the car parked in the shade, and \nheaded south to the Royal Palace group of buildings.  It was the first \ntime Megan had cycled for a long time, but she soon got the hang of it \nand enjoyed herself.  Parakramabahu\u2019s Royal Palace was distinguished by \nthe height of the remaining walls, with holes for floor beams supporting\n 2 higher levels.  The bathing pool with crocodile mouth spouts was \ninviting in the hot sun and a snake basking in the sunshine on the steps\n of the heavily carved audience hall gave us a bit of a fright! <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWithin walking distance was the Polonnaruwa Quadrangle \u2013 a compact group\n of buildings in a raised, walled-off area.  Of particular interest \nwere: <br>\nthe Latha-Mandapaya dagoba with stone pillars carved like lotus flowers, <br>\nthe two tooth-relic temples (the later one with a frieze of carved ducks), and <br>\nthe stepped pyramid Satmahal Prasada that reminded us of temples in Thailand and Cambodia. <br>\nWe walked round the outside of the round Vatadage temple as there were throngs of sightseers clambering through the interior. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nBack on our bikes we wobbled north to see the Rankot Vihara \u2013 a large \ndagoba or solid dome.  We found a more interesting perspective on this \n54m tall structure by wandering round to the south entrance.  Cycling \nwas thirsty work so we stopped for drinks nearby. There were three \nvendors, and Ananda suggested we should each order a drink from a \ndifferent vendor. Although this was fair it added confusion to the \nprocess of paying and returning the empties. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nA short ride further on was the delightfully named Lankatilaka  next to \nthe white dagoba of Kiri Vihara.  The Lankatilaka  temple had \ncathedral-like 17m high walls leading to a huge headless Buddha. The \nsteps leading up to the now vanished upper story were narrow so that \nworshippers couldn\u2019t ascend with their back to Buddha. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe finished our exploration of Polonnaruwa looking at Gal Vihara \u2013 a \ncollection of huge and varied stone images all cut from one slab of \nnatural granite. Then, after paying the very trusting owner of the \nbikes, we cycled back down the surfaced road to where we had left the \ncar.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kaudulla National Park <\/strong><br>Heading back to Habarana, we phoned ahead for sandwiches so that we could have a quick lunch and maximise the time available for a safari. We had not decided on where to have a safari in advance, and left the decision on where to go with Ananda. Each day he would report back on how many elephants had been seen in Kaudulla, and so we decided to go there. He made all the arrangements for us.<br><br>We picked up the jeep in the same restaurant in Habarana where we had previously eaten, and where were having our sandwiches. Our jeep had seen better times \u2013 but that added to the sense of adventure. It was fun to stand up looking over the canvas top of the driver\u2019s cab. In a moment of inspiration Megan had packed our boating binoculars and these turned out to be invaluable in maximising what we saw on safari. <br><br>After a slow grind up the main road north out of Habarana, we turned down a lane to the National Park. To reach the park entrance the track went between two lakes. We were introduced to the splendid variety of wildlife with a close up sighting of a Brahminy Kite and a Serpent Eagle. Because Ananda was a qualified guide we did not have to pick up a guide from the park office. After crossing the sluice gates we headed out towards the lush grasslands surrounding the Kaudulla Tank. There we were enjoyed looking at the elegant Painted Storks, and soon afterwards met our first group of solitary male elephants. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe females and young were nearby in a herd the locals estimated to be \n200+ strong \u2013 it appears we were lucky enough to catch the end of the \nannual \u201cGathering\u201d. The herd was relentlessly on the move feeding and \nignoring all the jeeps.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thunderstorms were forming overhead and the light fading. After what seemed like an eternity parked amongst the grazing elephants we turned back. But with Ananda\u2019s keen eyes there was always some bird life to watch \u2013 including birds fishing in the evening sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\" data-footer=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/161278951@N05\/albums\/72157702331222215\" title=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Kandy\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1952\/43451733730_fb312f5ab5_z.jpg\" alt=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Kandy\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2>Part 3 &#8211; Kandy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>6th Nov \u2013 Nalanda Gedige, Ridi Vihara, Kandy Queens Hotel<br>7th Nov \u2013 The Tea Museum, Commonwealth war cemetery, National Museum, British Garrison Churchyard<br>8th Nov &#8211; Temple of the Sacred Tooth, Kandy Lake, Ragahala Kandyan Dance<br>9th Nov &#8211; Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, Embekka Devale, Lankatilake, Gadaladeniya<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"321\" height=\"400\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/KandyRoute.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-196\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/KandyRoute.jpg 321w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/KandyRoute-241x300.jpg 241w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 321px) 100vw, 321px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Facebook Review \u2013 Sigiriya Village<br>My wife and I stayed 4 nights in the Sigiriya Village hotel and had plenty of time to explore both the hotel and the surrounding countryside. We had a Superior Room in the Temple Area which was very comfortable and spacious. We particularly liked the provision of a wooden clothes rack to air and dry clothes, and the attractive fabric bed head. <br><br>The pool is large enough to exercise in, and has a very attentive pool boy providing towels. <br>Meals taken in the open sided main building were both tasty and interesting. The range of the buffet meals varied depending on how many groups were staying in the hotel. At their best they were exciting with several dishes being prepared on the spot. When we didn\u2019t want to eat the dinner buffet we were offered a limited but adequate a la carte menu. <br><br>One morning I hired a bicycle and cycled to Pidurangala. The hotel staff seemed surprised that I would want to leave the bike unattended whilst climbing the rock \u2013 but eventually the came up with a short chain I could use. <br><br>Our only disappointment with the hotel was that we were told on arrival that there was not the advertised free Wi-Fi \u2013 due to there not being enough bandwidth. <br><br>Helpful Hint \u2013 Take an umbrella! It can be a long wet walk from your room to the main area in a thunderstorm. Whilst there are umbrellas to borrow at reception, that doesn\u2019t help if you are in your room hanging out for a drink and dinner!<br><\/em><br><strong>Nalanda Gedige <\/strong><br>On our final morning in Sigiriya we had a nice relaxed start, giving plenty of time to repack the cases. Then we said goodbye to the lovely gardens and the ducks, bumped down the rough driveway, and retraced our route back to Dambulla. We passed once again the hideous golden Buddha by the cave temple and were then on an unfamiliar road. As it headed south, our route started to get close to the Knuckles Range of mountains. <br><br>When we reached Nalanda we turned down a side lane through the village which lead to the delightful 8th \u2013 10th century temple of Nalanda Gedige.<br>The main temple was in a characteristically South Indian style (Hindu) but had a Buddha image inside. Much of the exterior carvings had eroded but there were some well-preserved faces peering out from one frieze.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Ridi Vihara <\/strong><br>Ananda had trouble finding the cross country road we needed to take to Kurunegala \u2013 we ended up driving past the road we should have taken and had an unplanned visit to Matale. By asking tuk-tuk drivers we eventually located the narrow road climbing up the side of the valley. It didn\u2019t look particularly promising but everyone we asked said it went towards Ridi Vihara. <br><br>The road shown on the maps hardly gave a clue that our \u201cshort-cut\u201dbetween the two temples was a scenic trip over a mountain range. And \u201cscenic\u201d means \u201cslow\u201d on Sri Lankan roads. We passed through rural villages where buffalo were still being used to plough the paddy fields, and we waited at road works where rocks were being broken up with scant regard for OH&amp;S. Then, as we crossed the ridge, we entered into an area of operational lime kilns perched on the hillside. These kilns had a traditional rural design and used coconut palm as fuel. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIt started to rain very heavily as we worked our way down to the valley \nfloor, and when we got to Ridi Vihara it was tipping down in a \ntorrential thunderstorm.  Not being fair weather travellers, we got \nthree golf umbrellas from the back of the car, rolled up our trousers \nand waded our way up to the temple entrance (to the amusement of locals \nwho were more wisely sheltering). The civil defence guards (demobbed \nsoldiers from the civil war) were persuaded to get wet and open up the \ntemple caves for us. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIn the first cave there was a golden statue, but we were more interested\n in the tiles in front of the large reclining Buddha. This was a set of \n18th century Dutch tiles portraying the life of Christ, which had been \nplaced without regard or understanding of their meaning or sequence. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe second cave had a fascinating mixture of Hindu and Buddhist images. \n The statue of Vishnu was screened off (presumably to avoid distracting \nworshipers of the Buddha). This happy co-existence of Hindu and Buddhist\n images was a feature of many Sri Lankan temples.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAbove the entrance to the third cave was a clever wall painting of an elephant made up from 9 maidens.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe rain eased and we ordered lunch in a hotel restaurant on the shores \nof Kurunegala tank (all Sri Lanka\u2019s lakes are man made). <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAfter the meal we headed up into the hills on a busy main road towards \nKandy. Just as we reached the outskirts of Kandy there was a loud bang \nfrom the nearside rear tyre, and it was apparent sitting in the back \nthat we had a puncture. Whilst Ananda demonstrated his proficiency at \nchanging tyres, we walked up and down the street attracting the gaze of \nsome very surprised locals. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nEven with that delay it was only mid-afternoon when we stepped into the \ngrand foyer of the Queen\u2019s Hotel by the lake in Kandy.  We were \nallocated a room with balcony looking directly out over the Temple of \nthe Tooth. Once again we had four nights in one hotel, so we unpacked \neverything and found a place for it all in the room. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe room had a faded elegance with some unusual solid wood furniture, \nhigh ceilings, and a lovely polished wood floor.  Because we were \ndirectly above the main foyer we were lucky enough to have free Wi-Fi \u2013 \nthough one had to hold the phone down low to get good bandwidth! The \nshower bizarrely contained the switch board and fuses for the room \n(luckily quite high up), and also had a shower door that could only be \nclosed from the outside.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAfter exploring our room, we started  our orientation of the hotel \n(finding the good sized pool in the back garden), and the nearby streets\n (matching restaurant names with places we had read about on Trip \nAdvisor). Then it started to rain heavily so we headed back to the \nhotel.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nFor dinner that night, after reviewing a number of alternatives, we \nended up in Devon \u2013 a cafeteria style restaurant dominated by a couple \nof large TV screens showing cricket. Our meal was inexpensive (compared \nto resort prices) but we had to rush as the restaurant closed at 8pm; we\n were the last out!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> The Tea Museum <\/strong><br>Early the next morning we drove out of town to the south west to visit the tea museum. This is not a working tea factory (once you have seen one of those you have seen them all), but rather a well presented collection of old equipment and artefacts in an old factory building. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOn arrival we were shown round by a guide \u2013 barely necessary as all the exhibits were well labelled. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe wanted to stop and look at things, and were relieved when the guide \ntold us we could go back after the tour and look at anything we wanted. \n The ground floor was dedicated to machinery, above that there was a \nwithering floor, and then a floor with lots of memorabilia from the \nearly plantations. On the top floor there was a viewing gallery and a \nfree freshly brewed cup of tea.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Commonwealth war cemetery<\/strong><br>Our second visit of the day was to the Commonwealth war cemetery by the rushing water of the Mahaweli River. It was reached from the centre of Kandy through an old road tunnel. The graves and gardens were beautifully maintained.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National Museum<\/strong><br>After dropping off the car at hotel we walked to the National Museum where Ananda paid for our admission then left us. The museum building was interesting as it was once the royal harem. But the museum contents were just an eclectic dusty collection with few labels. Probably the most interesting part of a bad lot was the collection of old books, inscribed on bamboo sheets tied together.<br><br><strong>British Garrison Churchyard<\/strong><br>Up the hillside, behind the museum, was the British Garrison churchyard. We were shown round by the enthusiastic caretaker. He pointed out the short and difficult lives of the early settlers. <br>If malaria and cholera didn\u2019t take its toll then sunstroke, elephants, or collapsing houses did. The average age of those buried there was below 30, including many infants.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe had been advised that it was best to eat a traditional Sri Lankan \nrice and curry at lunch time, because what was available in the evening \nhad been kept warm all day. Our advice was also that the best place in \ntown for a rice and curry was the Whitehouse Restaurant.  The place was \npacked at lunch time, with a bakery counter at the front and a hot food \ncounter at the back, and there wasn\u2019t much room for tables. But a \nmanager saw us looking disappointed, and encouraged some locals who were\n chatting to leave so we could have a table and order.  The food and \ndrinks were good!<br><br>\nOnce again the day finished with heavy thunderstorms. We had a splash \nround the narrow shopping streets and looked into the local food market.\n As a contrast we also wandered round the big new shopping centre with \nits expensive shops \u2013 the air-conditioning was welcome, but there were \nno seats one could sit on to enjoy it!  The government craft shop beside\n the lake had nothing that appealed to us. We went back to the hotel so \nMegan could have a pre-dinner swim in the fading light. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe downstairs restaurant in the hotel was only offering a fixed menu \n(for group tours) but I noticed that there was a small Chinese \nrestaurant on our floor looking out over the lake. We were the only \ncustomers there, and the waiter was very inexperienced, but the food was\n good. It had the advantage that we could see our meals being freshly \nprepared by a chef in a kitchen at the end of the restaurant.  The soups\n were particularly good. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic <\/strong><br><br>\nVisiting the \u201cTooth Temple, where Buddha\u2019s tooth was supposedly kept,  \nwas particularly easy from the Queen\u2019s Hotel \u2013 all we had to do was walk\n out the front door and cross the road!  After the Tamil Tigers bomb \nattack in 1998 security and access to the temple was tightened up \nsomewhat. Ladies going through the check point had greater scrutiny as \ntheir bags needed to be examined.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe waited downstairs outside the silver door whilst all the tour groups \nwere ushered upstairs to wait in a line for a glimpse of the gold \ncasket. At 9:30 the door was unlocked and priests entered to clean the \ntemple. Then drums started playing and the queue started to move \nupstairs past the viewing window. Following Ananda\u2019s instructions we \ndidn\u2019t join the main queue, instead we stood a bit further away from the\n window. We probably saw just as much with much less time wasted and \nless pushing. The outside gold casket looked somewhat over-the top as a \ncontainer for one tooth!  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe advantage of visiting during puja (prayers) is that two other rooms \nare opened to the public &#8211; one, the octagon, contained many ancient \nbooks \u2013 but the crush prevented one stopping for long to look.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nI found the whole experience unmoving compared to many of the other \ntemples we had visited. The worshiping of an alleged relic seems out of \nkeeping with the values of Buddhism \u2013 and the feeling was more of a \ncommercial institution than a religious one. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nTo the rear of the relic chamber there is a modern image house with an \ninteresting collection of Buddhas from Thailand, and a series of \npictures showing (incompletely) the alleged history of the tooth relic. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Kandy Lake <\/strong><br>As the sun was still shining, and there were no signs of an afternoon thunderstorm developing, we walked round Kandy Lake. From the Temple we went anti-clockwise so that we started with the noisy stretch along the west side of the lake where the footpath runs next to a busy road. <br>We were surprised how much wild life we saw on the walk \u2013 fish, monkeys, ducks, turtles, lizards, bats and lots of birds.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nNear the Swiss Hotel we ran into another of the types of touts Ananda \nhad warned us about. We had already had the \u201cdoorman at your hotel\u201d \ntout, and the \u201chotel chef\u201d tout; now we encountered the \u201cdancing \nteacher\u201d. A wizened old man claimed he was a \u2018dancing teacher\u2019 and had \nspecial tickets to this evening\u2019s dance show where the president would \nbe attending!!!  We refrained from asking him to do some dancing and \nmoved on.<br><br>\nWith keen appetites from walking we headed to the Bake House restaurant \nfor lunch, and ordered far too much food! Megan did however have a \nvanilla milk shake that was to die for \u2013 presumably because it had real \nvanilla in it. We went back later in the holiday to sample the milk \nshakes again but were disappointed to find they were \u201cnot available\u201d. <br><br>\nAfter lunch we looked inside the old Garrison Church of St Pauls (1843) \nwhich was a little piece of England in a foreign land. But its position \nright next to the Kandyan devales (temples to Hindu Gods protecting \nKandy) showed the religious tolerance of the Sri Lankans and the \ncolonialists. We saw girls watering the Bodhi tree in a ceremony that is\n believed to confer fertility. Finally the long expected afternoon rain \narrived and we headed back to the hotel. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ragahala Kandyan Dance<\/strong><br>\nWhen the rain stopped we walked with Ananda past the Temple of the Tooth\n to a large building sporting no identification other than a large Red \nCross sign.  Inside it was a cross between a country cinema and a \nvillage hall, with rows of seats in front of a stage.  We watched \nvarious dance and music acts, some more polished than others, all \naccompanied by incessant loud drumming and &#8216;flute&#8217; playing. Ananda had \nwarned us not to sit at the front and that saved us our hearing!  At the\n end the audience was invited up on the stage to watch \u201cwalking on fire\u201d\n but we walked out the door \u2013 we had had enough!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Peradeniya Botanical Gardens <\/strong><br>Our departure to see the botanical gardens west of Kandy was delayed because the car was trapped in the hotel car park by the garbage truck which was in the narrow access lane. We changed the last of our Euros into Rupees whilst waiting.<br><br>I had expected the trip to the botanical gardens to go out into the countryside but it was urban sprawl all the way to Peradeniya. We arranged to have three hours to look round; it was hot and humid so we took our time.<br>The highlights were the palm avenues, orchid house, mature spice trees and generally the size of the trees. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAmusingly, it was hard to find anywhere to sit as all the park benches \nwere occupied by courting couples.  At one point we were driven to \nresting inside the Herbarium where there were soft chairs but an \noverwhelming smell of camphor.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe met up with our driver just after midday but there was some \nmisunderstanding as to whether we had had lunch in the gardens. As a \nresult we set off to see the three 14th century temples nearby without \neating.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe first temple was Embekka Devale &#8211; a rock temple. We paid our dues to\n the quietly spoken custodian, and joined with another couple who \nactively ignored our presence on \u2018their\u2019 tour. We were shown round the \noldest temple in the group which had an impressive door and lock. There \nwas significant water damage inside. We declined to look through the \ncustodian&#8217;s collection of paintings (presumably for sale) and hobbled \nback over the rough ground to the car and our shoes.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe second temple was Lankatilake \u2013 a brick temple. This was in a \nparticularly scenic location on a low hill surrounded by paddy fields.  \nOnce again, the caretaker unlocked and showed us round.  The niches \ncontained an interesting mixture of Hindu and Buddhist statues.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe final temple, Gadaladeniya had a timber audience hall with carved \ncolumns. This was very similar to wood carvings we had seen in other \nAsian countries. There was also a 14th century tithe paddy barn still in\n use.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nBy this point we were positively starving, so Ananda dropped us off in town for a very late lunch of pastries.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On our final night in Kandy we returned to the Chinese restaurant in the hotel for a tasty dinner. We both had a spicy hot &amp; sour soup, followed by Szechuan chicken, beans with cashews, and a chocolate mousse for desert. The bill was more than we would normally expect (2700R = $A25) but we felt it was worth it.<br><br>As a treat that night we managed to get an internet connection to Annabel who was in Florence, and we chatted over Skype. <br><br><em>Facebook Review \u2013 Queen\u2019s Hotel<br>The big advantage of staying in the Queen\u2019s Hotel is its location. Staying right next door to the main tourist attractions and restaurants allows you to maximise your time in Kandy. It comes with the downside of traffic noise, and the many idiosyncrasies of a slightly run down old hotel. One \u2018feature\u2019 is that the rooms appear to be very different, which probably accounts for the range of reviews received. We booked our room a long time in advance through Red Dot Tours and got a room on the 2nd floor directly above the main entrance. This had a number of advantages including the view over the Temple of the Tooth and the strong Wi-Fi signal that leaked up through the floor from reception. The room had unusual solid furniture that you would never find in a Holiday Inn &#8211; but the most unusual feature was the shower door which we could only close from the outside! The included breakfast buffet was pretty average but the swimming pool was above average. In summary we enjoyed our four night stay in the Queens.<br><br>We ate twice in the Chinese restaurant on the second floor looking out over the lake. The food here was excellent, and freshly cooked. The service was a bit inexperienced \u2013 but the chef, working in a glass kitchen at the end, seemed to know how to cook. I recommend eating at this restaurant even if you are staying elsewhere in Kandy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\" data-footer=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/161278951@N05\/albums\/72157674403505498\" title=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Highlands\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1963\/30327085167_4d2d5470f9_z.jpg\" alt=\"2012 Sri Lanka - Highlands\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2>Part 4 &#8211; The Hill Country<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\n10th Nov \u2013 Train from Kandy to Ella<br>\n11th Nov \u2013 Ella<br>\n12th Nov \u2013 Horton Plains<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"376\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteHighlands.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-197\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteHighlands.jpg 400w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteHighlands-300x282.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Train from Kandy to Ella <\/strong><br>On our final morning in Kandy we had a relaxed start, because our tickets were for the later second express train to Ella. After packing cases there was time to go to the Bake House for a final drink, and to pick up some pastries to eat on the train.<br><br>The train to Ella left from Peradeniya junction; we drove there rather than taking the connecting shuttle service from Kandy. The junction had a tiny car park but two large platforms lined with people waiting for trains to Colomdo, Kandy, and Badulla. The railway tracks were all single line and there was an original Tyer&#8217;s train tablet apparatus from the 1800\u2019s still being used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our train, arriving from Colombo, backed into the station and we found our numbered seats in the 1st class observation carriage. Far from being the air-conditioned cocoon from reality that the 1st class observation car implied, all the windows were open and most of the seats were taken by locals coming up to the hills for the long Diwale (Devali ) weekend. They had a bongo to play and sang with gusto for much of the trip (when they weren&#8217;t eating).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The train set off down the valley at a spirited pace lurching from side to side, and with a deafening roar through the open windows. But it couldn\u2019t keep up the pace for long. Soon the long and relentless climb into the hills started and we slowed down. The train crossed numerous canyons and rushing waterfalls before climbing high up on the valley side; all very scenic. From a ledge we looked down onto tidy tea plantations and Victorian factories. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Passing through Nanu Oya (the station for Nuwara-Ellya) we climbed above the tea plantations and entered the high altitude forest spilling down from Horton Plains. Soon after we went into cloud and crossed the summit at 1891m in rain. <br>On the other side of the summit tunnel the light faded rapidly, and we passed through Haputale and Bandarawela in the dark. Finding Ella station was tricky and in fact one English couple nearly got off too soon, and wouldn&#8217;t have realised if I hadn&#8217;t told them. To add to the confusion, the train pulled into Ella on the loop line with no platform, and we had to climb down the ladder and scramble up onto the station.<br><br>Although long and noisy, the train trip greatly exceeded our expectations, due to the ever changing scenery and spectacular views. It was a high point of the holiday.<br><br>Ananda met us at the station and drove us the short distance to the Zion View guest house, up a very steep track above the village. It was past 7 o\u2019clock so we dumped our things in our room and joined the other guests outside the kitchen for a candle-lit meal of home cooked vegetarian rice and curry.<br><br>Our room was comfortable &#8211; though the bed was a bit hard and the bedding somewhat inappropriate. We missed not having a TV to preview pictures from our camera each day, and not having brought any games to while away the time after dinner.  The free Wi-Fi in the guest house was very unreliable but sitting outside I found my phone could connect to another unsecured network! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Ella <\/strong><br>We woke the next morning to a stunning view from our room, through the Ella gap with Ella rock on the right and Little Adams Peak on the left. Breakfast on the terrace was a simple affair in a stunning location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As our agreed itinerary was deliberately sparse, and the order of activities not determined in advance, we started each segment of the holiday with a discussion with Ananda.  When we had mapped out our stay in Ella, we walked down to the village with him. Our guest house did not have any accommodation for drivers so he was staying in the next door guest house with one of his many friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br>Leaving Ananda, we took the Passara road to the 1km post and then joined the procession of backpackers and tourists along the track to Little Adams Peak. The route climbed gently through a tea plantation to the foot of the peak which was climbed on well-made concrete steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Little Adams Peak sits like Ella Rock on the very edge of the highlands and there was a stunning 360\u00b0 view from the top. The sunshine had started to be obscured by the gathering clouds \u2013 this was a walk to be done early in the morning. On the way back we once again ignored the &#8216;blind&#8217; old lady beggar who we had observed behaving in a very un-blind way when no tourists were near-by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We were spoilt for choice where to eat in Ella. We had drinks in one cafe followed by rotti in another. The koththe rotti that I ordered was particularly nice. It started to rain quite steadily. With just one umbrella between us we walked up to the station, as I had been told that the Demodara Nine Arch Bridge could be reached by walking down the railway track. I left Megan sheltering in the station building and set off walking. I didn\u2019t find a bridge, nor did I find any trains. In fact the only clue that I was on the right track was a large group of tourists walking up the track. It started raining quite heavily so I returned an hour later with nothing to show for my effort but wet shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I put on the emergency \u2018plastico\u2019 (poncho) so Megan could use the umbrella on the short walk back to our guest house. I filled in the rest of the afternoon doing the washing and reading.  On our first night we had wondered why the balcony outside our room was so dark at night.  Well, the mystery was answered on the second night when new arrivals next door turned on the lamps at dusk.  The light attracted a swam of moths! When the light was turned off the moths were then attracted to the lights in the rooms, and made their way under the glass doors in a scene reminiscent of a Hitchcock movie.  I turned off all our lights, except one in the bathroom, and when the moths flew in there I stunned them with a wet washer!  Needless to say we didn\u2019t turn the lights back on again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with the distraction of the moth invasion, it was a long evening waiting for dinner at 7:30, as it got dark at 6pm. It was also cold eating in the open, sheltered from the rain but not the wind. We splurged on adding an extra spicy chicken dish, to our rice and curry buffet \u2013 to give us an energy boost for walking the next day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Horton Plains <\/strong><br>Our second early start of the holiday and we were up before dawn to drive up to Horton Plains National Park. At 5am there was a lady waiting in the small guest house kitchen who had prepared two breakfast packs for us.<br>We drove in the dark to Haputale, then, as the sky brightened we enjoyed views down the valley where mist was hanging looking just like lakes in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turning off the main road to Colombo we wound down a narrow road through tea plantations to Boralanda and then up again to cross the railway at Ohiya.  A thunderstorm had passed through the previous night bringing down trees and dropping power cables over the road. Luckily we weren\u2019t the first vehicle to push past the debris, but Ananda had to drive very carefully. <br><br>The gates were still closed at the national park entrance, as most tourists approach from Nuwara-Ellya. There was a marked change of scenery as we passed through into a flat, high latitude marshland with deer grazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We started the walk to Worlds End at the visitor centre where the civil defence guards ensured that there were no plastic seals on our water bottles, or plastic wrapping.  There was a well formed path at the start leading to the map sign at the trail head. But then it rapidly degenerated to being little better than an eroded stream bed. Neither of us had the right shoes for navigating mud and uneven surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The path\/stream descended to the first view point, Little World\u2019s End, with an (unprotected) viewing platform looking down into the valley over 800m below. The early morning mists had burnt off, but the tropical low cloud had not yet had time to form, so the views were perfect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A short walk further on we came to the second lookout, World\u2019s End, with an even more impressive cliff. The rhododendrons were in flower which added to the attractiveness of the view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We sat and ate our breakfast and then watched in amazement as the clouds started to roll in. Before long there was no view at all as in less than 10 minutes the cloud forest returned to its usual state \u2013 in cloud.  At least we were left in no doubt that the early start was necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The return walk back to the visitor centre was much harder going. It generally followed a creek uphill past lakes and waterfalls. Once again the track was heavily eroded and was very steep in sections. There were a few boggy stream crossings but the scenery justified the considerable effort. It was the most strenuous walk either of us had done in a long time and when we got back to the guard check point Megan collapsed exhausted.  She recovered somewhat after a banana or two!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAs we drove back down to Haputale the views were not as good &#8211; all the \nlow lands were now obscured by cloud. We had lunch in a very Indian \nhotel \u2013 with water dripping from the ceiling, half-finished cornices, \nand chair legs still wrapped in plastic. The hotel terrace, looking down\n the escarpment towards Colombo was completely obscured by cloud, but \nMegan found a seat in the sun and recovered rapidly as we waited for our\n food.<br><br>\nThis was our first day in the highlands without afternoon rain. After \nour early start we just relaxed in our room and veranda outside (where I\n made good use of the hammock).<br><br>\nOnce again we rang the changes for dinner by starting with soup (very \ntasty) but the buffet vegetable curries were unchanged and starting to \nlose their attraction. If we had stayed another night we would have been\n driven to make the trek down the dark, steep track to the village for \nfood. <br><br>\nAfter dinner we started repacking in readiness to move on in the morning, and then crashed into a well-earned sleep.<br><br><em>Facebook Review \u2013 Zion View<br>\n<br>\nWe stayed in Zion View for 3 nights. Our room was comfortable and spacious.<br>\nWe appreciated being able to use the guest house laundry and washing \nlines, and the hammock outside our room was a great way to relax after a\n day\u2019s walking. The guest house was very helpful providing us with a \npicnic breakfast the morning we had to leave at 5am to go to Norton \nPlains. <br>\n<br>\nAlthough access involves a steep climb from Ella and a lot of steps \ndown, it isn\u2019t a big issue by day. But at night in the rain it is more \nof an obstacle (we are both over 50). So we found ourselves very much \nstranded in our room. In this context, whilst the vegetable curry served\n each night is well cooked (if not spicy) there is little variation from\n day to day. And after 3 nights we were looking forward to eating \nsomething different at night. <br>\n<br>\nThe Wi-Fi \u2013 though free was very touch &amp; go (we were on the lower level) \u2013 it couldn\u2019t be relied on.<br>\n<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" data-header=\"true\" data-footer=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/161278951@N05\/albums\/72157702134015754\" title=\"2012 Sri Lanka - The South\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/farm2.staticflickr.com\/1973\/44354153835_16f2f5892f_z.jpg\" alt=\"2012 Sri Lanka - The South\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/a><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2>Part 5 &#8211; The South<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>13th Nov \u2013 Tissamaharama<br>14th Nov \u2013 Safari to Yala National Park<br>15th Nov \u2013 Mulkirigala Rock Temple, Unawatuna<br>16th Nov \u2013 Galle<br>17th Nov \u2013 Unawatuna Beach, Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum<br>18th Nov &#8211; Colombo and heading home<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"400\" height=\"230\" src=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteSouth.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199\" srcset=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteSouth.jpg 400w, http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/RouteSouth-300x173.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tissamaharama <\/strong><br>We enjoyed our last breakfast sitting outside in the sunshine looking out through Ella Gap.<br>After settling our bill for three evening meals we returned to our room to finish packing.<br><br>Our route south took us down from Ella on the main road passing through the gap at the foot of Ella Rock. We stopped to look at Rawana Ella falls which were still flowing fast after the recent rains.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAfter that brief diversion, the rest of the trip to Tissamaharama \n(Tissa) was uneventful. It was also very quick, as it was the public \nholiday for Diwaldi and so there were few trucks on the road.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOur travel agent, Red Dot, had substituted our hotel in Tissa as The \nSafari was undergoing renovations.  As compensation, we had also been \noffered half-board for our 2 night stay .  Even though we had to wait an\n hour for our room to be ready (we were very early to check-in), our \nfirst impressions of the Priyankara hotel were good. It backed onto \npaddy fields with a large pool, and a duck pond.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe had a free afternoon, and although rain settled in it wasn\u2019t heavy enough to stop Megan testing out the pool.<br><br>\nJust before sunset Ananda picked us up, and we set out to Kataragama to \nsee the evening puja at the Hindu and Buddhist temples. As we approached\n the town it stopped raining and the streets were dry &#8211; clearly the Gods\n were happy!  The stalls in the commercial area were selling baskets of \nfruit and flowers (fruit for Hindu and flowers for Buddhists); it all \nlooked a bit like an amusement arcade with the coloured flashing lights.\n We joined the many people heading to the temples with their gifts.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nTo get to the Buddhist stupa we had to walk through the Hindu temple. I \ngot a painful sting in my foot whilst walking bare foot &#8211; but luckily \nMegan was able to pull it out by torch light. Although a Buddhist temple\n on the site dates back to 1st century BC all that remains from that \ntime are a few weathered stone columns. We completed a rounding then \nreturned to the Hindu compound where the evening\u2019s celebrations were in \nfull swing.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe watched the queue of worshipers make their way into the main temple. \nThey would leave after their fruit had been blessed and then often sit \nin groups and eat it. Several groups had hired a band to play as they \nentered &#8211; and others hired someone to carry their fruit for them! Ananda\n was sceptical about the religious value of such a commercial operation \u2013\n and we tended to agree!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nGoing back to our hotel (and to the rain) we sampled  our included \nbuffet dinner. Though little of the food was Sri Lankan the variety and \nquality of dishes was good. Our room had a flat screen LCD TV so we \nwasted no time in plugging in the camera and reviewing the last few \ndays\u2019 pictures. <br><br><strong> Safari to Yala National Park<\/strong><br><br>\nAfter discussing various alternatives with Ananda, we decided to take a \nsafari to Yala National Park. But we didn\u2019t want to go early or late, \nwhen the park is jammed with jeeps chasing elephants or leopards \u2013 in \nfact we had seen more than our fill of elephants already in Kaudulla. So\n we bucked the trend by setting out from Tissa at 8am in a &#8216;luxury&#8217; 4WD \nwith high up front facing seats. It took about 45 minutes to get to the \npark entrance on increasingly rough roads.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nYalla Park stretches east along the coast and consists of a number of \nlagoons and lakes with dense shrub growth in between. Once again Ananda \nexcelled as a guide spotting things for us, and our driver was sensitive\n and kept us away from other jeeps as far as possible.  Because of the \nslight risk of attack by leopards we were only allowed off the jeep once\n to wander around and stretch our legs. This was by a beach in an area \nwhere clearly an entire village had been washed away in the tsunami. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe tried to keep a log of everything we saw &#8211; though it was impossible \nto keep track of all the birds! At the end of the safari the list read \nas follows:<br>\nPeacock, Mongoose, Wild boar, Painted stork, Crocodile, Spotted deer  \n&amp; sambur, Crested hawk, Hornbill, Leopard, Bee eaters (all 3 types),\n Langur monkey, Elephant, and Land monitor lizards.<br>\nOur conclusion    &#8211; the park was literally teeming with wildlife if you know where to look. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We returned to the hotel for a late lunch feeling thoroughly shaken up after 5 hours bouncing along the rough tracks. We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool.<br><br><em>Facebook Review \u2013 Priyankara Hotel<br>We stayed two nights in the Priyankara Hotel when our booking for The Safari could not be honoured due to their ongoing renovations. Far from being disappointed by this change in our itinerary, we found our stay at Priyankara exceeded our requirements and expectations. <br><br>Firstly the design and setting of the hotel is very good \u2013 the view over the paddy fields from the rooms could not be bettered. The pool is above average, though perhaps a bit more shade when drying off would have been nice. <br><br>The room we had was relatively new, with high quality furnishings, plenty of space to store and sit down. We ate in the restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner and enjoyed the quality and variety of the food offered. This was particularly the case in the evening where the buffet contained both representative examples of Sri Lankan cooking and also some very well prepared European dishes. <br><br>Service in general was attentive and competent.<br><br>The only thing I can think of that would have improved our stay would have been a slightly less petty\/frugal attitude to Wi-Fi. There is no free Wi-Fi in the communal areas, and if you pay to have access that only lasts a day. <br><\/em><br><br><strong> Mulkirigala Rock Temple <\/strong><br>A relaxed breakfast was followed by the now routine suitcase pack. Heading west, we had an uneventful trip down to the coast. The effects of the tsunami 8 years ago were very obvious in this area, with destroyed houses and cemeteries beside the road. There was also a lot of heavy construction activity not altogether unrelated to the fact that it is the current President\u2019s home constituency. <br><br>The journey became more interesting when we turned inland to go cross-country to the Mulkirigala rock temple. There was a smart new car park at the temple complete with a \u201cno parking\u201d sign to stop it getting cluttered with vehicles!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe caves were reached up many steps, and were similar inside to \nDambulla. The temples on the first level were well maintained but those \non the next two levels had leaking roofs. Ananda was quite angry that \nthe authorities were spending money on new buildings for monks but \ncouldn\u2019t spend on preserving the temples.  The cave paintings were from \n17th, 18th, and 19th century in distinctively different styles.  \nMulkirigala was famous for having a valuable collection of manuscripts \nbut these are no longer kept in the temples.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAbove the third terrace the path became very steep with steps cut out of\n the rock and handrails. I climbed up to the Bodhi tree and stupa at the\n top but it was too hazy for good views.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nBack on the coast road we passed through Matara which, although it had \nthe remains of a Dutch fort, appeared to be a busy and undistinguished \nplace.<br><br>\nWe stopped shortly afterwards for lunch, at a beach resort in Mirissa. \nThis was our first encounter with the European \u201csun holiday\u201d set so we \nfelt slightly over-dressed. Surprisingly the food we ordered was \nreasonably priced and good. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong> Unawatuna<\/strong><br>We drove further on along the coast to Unawatuna, where we were to stay our last three nights in Sri Lanka. <br><br>Part of Unawatuna beach backs onto the busy south coast main road, but the nice part of the village, where we stayed, stretches out in a chaotic unplanned way either side of a narrow lane. On one side of the lane were restaurants and bars backing onto the beach. Thambapanni Retreat was itself down a side lane on higher ground and the rooms were built into a very steep hillside. From the reception area it was 92 steps up to our room! It would have had a stunning view if it wasn\u2019t for all the jungle trees around. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOur room was spacious with a four poster bed, coat rack, spare bed and a\n veranda outside.  Once again there was a kettle in the room so we could\n make coffee and tea. Surprisingly none of the hotel web sites had \nmentioned there being tea making facilities, and if we had known we \nwould have brought some of our own supplies.  <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bathroom, in contrast, was strange. The layout seemed more accidental than planned, and the bath was blue painted concrete! <br><br>Down at \u201cground level\u201d there was a small swimming pool \u2013 but what it lacked in length it made up for in depth. There was also a restaurant in the guest house, but we didn\u2019t enjoy eating there. The staff would pressure us to eat whenever they saw us, and we found the waiters unfriendly and incompetent. After the first night we walked into the village to eat and enjoyed the wider choice to be had there.<br><br><strong> Galle<\/strong><br>Adjusting to the tropical humidity we had a very leisurely start the next day; it was mid-morning when we set out to explore Galle. After an air-conditioned orientation by car round the old fort we hit the heat on foot.<br><br>Our walk round the walls started at the clock tower which gave access to the north (land side) fortifications. The Star bastion had a view towards the new post-tsunami bus station. There were two cricket fields in the foreground, one an international pitch and the other a patch of dirt with a more informal game being played.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAt the East corner the view from the walls was over fishing boats, with \nthe morning catch being sold by the roadside. Nearby was the pre-British\n Old gate which punches through a solid block of restored Dutch \nwarehouses.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAlso dating from the Dutch occupation was the elegant but tropically \nmouldy Reformed Dutch Church. There were a lot of deeply carved \ntombstones dating back to the 1700&#8217;s &#8211; but no translations. The \ncaretaker was a pain &#8211; loudly greeting every visitor just to point out \nthat a donation was expected to take photos inside.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe stopped to watch the proceedings in the busy magistrate courts as, \nwith feint regard for security, the courts were open to the street \nthrough windows and doors.<br><br>\nWalking again along the walls we came to the 19th century British \nlighthouse. The waters washing against the rocks were crystal clear and \ninviting.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWe finished our rounding of the fort at Neptune bastion. From there \nsearch for cool drinks took us down Pedlar Street, and we ended up in \nthe Heritage cafe having iced coffee. Refreshed from both the drink and \nthe ceiling fans we explored more roads and laneways of the old fort. \nWhen it was time for lunch we sought out a Facebook recommendation \u2013 \nCrep-ology, but it was not where it was shown on the Facebook map and \nconsequently took some finding. Megan shunned the scattered open air \ncushion seating in favour of the more sparsely furnished air-conditioned\n lounge. We ordered a very tasty tuna crepe and chicken salad.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plunging back into the heat, our final stop was the maritime museum in the Dutch warehouses.<br>Unbeknown to us there were two museums &#8211; upstairs the Maritime archaeology museum and downstairs the Maritime Museum. We chose the latter, paid our admission then discovered it was an unexciting collection of shells. Upstairs we had to pay another admission to see the exhibits we wanted.<br><br>Ananda picked us up as arranged by the new gate at 3pm. After stopping in the town to change money we headed back to our guest house.<br><br>That night we explored another Facebook recommendation &#8211; dinner at Jina&#8217;s. This was a small family run vegetarian restaurant some way down the lane towards the main road. Eating was a fairly chaotic affair with food taking a very long time to appear. But the Indian thali we ordered was tasty and well cooked.<br><br><strong> Unawatuna Beach<\/strong><br>When you come to a place like Unawatamola you have to actually spend some time on the beach \u2013 it is certainly a first class arc of sand. So, before it got too hot, we headed down the potholed lane to explore. We were early enough to score a free beach umbrella and loungers outside the Thaproban restaurant. And so the next few hours passed pleasantly; in the water, watching the activity on the beach, and sipping cold drinks. One of the things we observed was how many Russians seemed to be staying in Unawatuna \u2013 I was expecting more western Europeans. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAs lunch time drew close we went back to our room and freshened up. Then\n Ananda arrived to take us on our afternoon activities. We asked him to \ntake us somewhere for lunch (as his choice of restaurants was always \ngood) and he suggested a place run by one of his \u2018friends\u2019. So imagine \nour surprise when we ended up back at the Thaproban restaurant again \u2013 \nthis time approaching from the road and not the beach. The Italian food \n(that we had earlier noted on their menu) was very tasty.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum<\/strong><br>We had had to drop our planned excursion to Brief Garden on the way to Colombo as it didn\u2019t fit in with the timing for our final day. So Ananda had suggested we visit the former family home of Sri Lankan author Martin Wickramasinghe. This was something we had pencilled in on our planning maps but dismissed in the \u2018too hard\u2019 basket. That afternoon we headed back east to Koggala to visit the well-reviewed Folk Museum. <br><br>The museum was housed in a well-designed modern building, whilst nearby in the tranquil grounds you could walk through Martin Wickramasinghe\u2019s ancestral home. The works of the author were unfamiliar to us, but the collection of artefacts from the traditional Sri Lankan lifestyle was interesting. It was a valuable snapshot of a way of living that is fast disappearing. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We ate that evening in the Nautilus restaurant, and had undoubtedly the best rice and curry of our entire trip. We finished the meal off with ice cream, pineapple fritters and ginger tea. It was a perfect \u2018final\u2019 meal for our stay. <br><br><strong>Colombo and heading home<\/strong><br>Our final day in Sri Lanka started with the big repack, juggling things round so that the carry-on bags were not overweight. With everything ready to go, it was time for some exercise (other than the 90+ steps to our room). Walking to the far end of the beach, furthest from the main road, we found the local day trippers. There were women in hijab walking on the water\u2019s edge, and groups gathered on the beach singing and dancing. It was altogether more colourful than the \u201cEuropean\u201d part of the beach. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOur plans to climb up to the Dagoba for its view back over the beach \nwere thwarted by construction work and blasting that closed the access \nroad. So we took the road up the marshy valley towards Jungle Beach.  \nThere was some confusion where the beach was, as Google\u2019s map didn\u2019t \nmatch the instructions we received from a passer-by.  It appears that \nJungle Beach hotel was nowhere near Jungle Beach \u2013 in fact the beach was\n far further away than we wanted to walk on a sticky tropical day! So we\n just cut through the houses to the coast and looked at the wild-life in\n rock pools instead. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nBack at our hotel we checked-out, put our bags in store, and headed into\n the village for lunch. After the morning exertions in the heat it was \nnice to sit in a beach-side caf\u00e9 having a leisurely light meal. <br>\nThe rest of the afternoon was spent on a sun lounge in the shade by, and\n in, the hotel pool. There was a nice shower we could use to freshen up,\n but we kept our light clothes on as our overnight plane outfits would \nhave been unbearably warm. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nAnanda picked us up for the trip to Colombo well before sun-set and we \nwere able to appreciate the rural views from the new expressway as we \nsped north. It was however dark by the time we reached the end of the \nnew road and we ground to a halt in the heavy city traffic.  Ananda \nshowed us the main sights of Colombo with some pride, as apparently a \nlot has been done since the end of the civil war, to tidy things up. It \nis hard to judge a city by night \u2013 but it certainly appeared to have \nsome charm. <br><br>\nWe passed the gracious old colonial building of Galle Face Hotel \u2013 one \nof the top places to stay. And were very surprised when, with a big \nsmile, Ananda dropped us at the grand portico saying \u201cWhy not have your \nfinal meal here\u201d! Why not indeed!  When we recovered from the shock of \nbeing dumped in a classy hotel in what was essentially beach clothes we \nset about choosing where to eat. The buffet at the Sea Spray restaurant \nsurprisingly seemed to be within our price range, and after a trip to \nthe bathrooms we felt slightly more presentable.  We sat at a table \ncovered in white linen, and enjoyed a top notch buffet; it was lucky we \nhad eaten only a light lunch as there was so much choice. The location \nitself was stunning \u2013 with blue floodlights lighting up the sea right in\n front, and the old buildings lit up behind us. <br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it came to time to settle the bill it came out virtually the same as the cash we had left in Sri Lankan Rupees \u2013 an outcome helped by the fact that for the first time in our holiday there was not an extra 10% service charge added. After a stroll round the hotel, we were picked up for our final short trip to the airport.<br><br>Check-in for our 1am flight did not open till 10pm so we had to wait for a short time in the departure area. Then we relocated to the business class lounge to get changed. The lounge was very poor \u2013 described accurately elsewhere as little better than a low-end hotel foyer. But it provided plenty to drink, and space to lie down and relax. <br><br>After our buffet dinner it was no hardship to skip the meals on the 3 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur and grab some sleep instead. Even though the business class seats had only a normal recline, I was able to get some quality rest. <br><br>The flagship business class lounge at KL airport was, by contrast, a lovely place. We had a light breakfast and relaxed before boarding the flight to Sydney at 9am local time. Our final flight was very comfortable with nice Malaysian food and plenty of space. We arrived in Sydney refreshed, but also ready to catch-up on sleep in our own comfortable bed.<br><br><em>Facebook Review \u2013 Thambapanni Retreat<br><br>If you don\u2019t mind steps then this hotel is a good alternative to staying on the noisy beachfront. All the restaurants are a short walk away, but you can escape the party scene and get a good night\u2019s rest. Our a\/c deluxe room was up 92 steps (we counted them) and was spacious \u2013 with a 4 poster bed, a spare bed, fridge, kettle, TV, wardrobe and coat stand (good for drying clothes on under the ceiling fan). Our private veranda outside had comfortable seating, but surprisingly in view of all those steps, just a view out into the tops of jungle trees \u2013 it was great for watching the monkeys! <br><br>The bathroom was a big disappointment, and was not up to the standard of the rest of the accommodation. The layout was cramped, and the bath was rough and unattractive \u2013 it appeared to be painted concrete. Like others, we observed that some of the towels we were supplied were stiff and virtually useless. <br><br>The irregular steps, whilst only a minor inconvenience by day, were quite dangerous by night as the lighting points upwards rather than on the steps, and is blinding. A simple adjustment of the lights would make this much safer.<br><br>The reception area and pool is very attractive. Much has been said about the size of the pool \u2013 but it should be noted that this means it was rarely used, and it was also very deep. We enjoyed cooling off in the water and sitting on the sun lounges. <br><br>I cannot recommend the restaurant \u2013 we ate there one night and had breakfast. We found the staff intrusive and incompetent. There was shouting between the staff, and frequently after confirming several times what we wanted, something different would arrive. But the most significant reason we didn\u2019t eat more often in the hotel was the fact that during the day we would repeatedly be asked if we were going to dine that night. We found this most uncomfortable \u2013 though in all other respects the general hotel staff were pleasant and efficient.<br><br>Finally, we were disturbed to be told by our driver that the accommodation the hotel provided for him was well below an acceptable standard. <br><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><br><strong>The Highlights of Sri Lanka<\/strong><br><br>In no particular order, we would rate the highlights of our holiday as follows:<br>Wildlife \u2013 in particular seeing peacocks in the wild, herds of elephants, and so many tropical birds.<br>Dramatic rock formations with caves and temples<br>Smiling dark faces with white teeth<br>Hot air balloon \u2013 looking down on paddy fields, lakes, and flocks of birds in flight<br>Tasty food \u2013 particularly devilled curries<br>Dining at the Galle Fort Hotel in Colombo by moonlight<br>The Sigiriya Village Hotel with its park landscaping and duck pond<br>Lightly visited temples and ruins \u2013 often more interesting than the tourist highlights<br>Cycling round the ancient ruined city of Polonnaruwa<br>Touring in a stress-free way.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part 1: Getting There 31st October&nbsp; &#8211; 1st November 2014 Bangkok Our Sri Lankan holiday started in Bangkok \u2013 where I returned from a visit to the UK met up with Megan flying out directly from Sydney. Our chosen meet-up&#8230; <a class=\"tbreadmore\" href=\"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/2012\/08\/31\/2012-sri-lanka\/\"> Continue Reading&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191\/revisions\/205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/21carter.cammeray.info\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}