Travel diary Sri Lanka from 19/04/2013 to 01/5/2013
A little-known but extremely interesting country with a rich historical heritage, landscapes ranging from mountain tea plantations to plains with rice plantations and enchanting beaches. From historic cities to sacred sites. With 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the trip to Sri Lanka turned out to be a welcome surprise. Top five: Yala National Park, Sigiriya, the ascent of Sri Pada, Hill Country, Galle Friday 19/4/2013 Departure from Milan Malpensa at 22h30 with an Emirates flight, about 5 hours of flight to reach Dubai and then another three hours and forty-five minutes from Dubai to Colombo. Saturday 20/4/2013 Colombo - Pinnawela We reach Colombo at 13h45. There's a three-and-a-half-hour time difference with Italy. At the airport we meet the person in charge of the agency that will rent us the car. A Hyundai off-roader.
We change some euros and leave the airport, where an undisciplined flow of tuk-tuks, buses that mercilessly invade the overtaking lane, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians awaits us. All on roads no wider than 6-7 metres. Anyway, after the first few kilometres you adapt to the local way of driving and, always with great care, we begin our new adventure in Sri Lanka. Getting your bearings isn't that complicated and the main roads are fairly well signposted. In particular, all bridges and aqueducts are marked with the kilometre point of the road and a sequential number, which helps a lot with the local maps, which generally show the kilometre posts in addition to the localities. The car has a satnav, but at times it loses the signal and the good old road map proves even more practical.
The first stop of our journey is Pinnawela, home of the elephant orphanage and located about 120 km from the airport. We settle into the "Elephant Bay Hotel", a double room for 35 euros, in a lovely position overlooking the river, where tomorrow morning we should see the elephants bathing. Dinner at the hotel restaurant with the special dish "Elephant Bay Special", a plate of rice with various kinds of meat, prawns and vegetables. Not bad at all, plentiful and cheap (about 8 euros each, drinks included). In the evening, early to bed to recover from the long journey and the night spent travelling. Sunday 21/4/2013 Pinnawela - Kandy After breakfast we cover the 200 metres that separate us from the entrance of the elephant orphanage. A facility that has by now become the main tourist attraction of the area, where several dozen elephants are kept.
At 9.15 you can watch and take part in the feeding of the smallest ones. Then at 10 all the elephants are led to the river to drink, passing in a group along the little lane between the stalls. At midday they return to the orphanage. Here the schedules are strictly respected. We then set off for Kandy, the second-largest city in Sri Lanka, an ancient capital and home to one of the most famous Buddhist temples, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. A scenic tour around the artificial lake and lunch at the Bamboo Garden with a panoramic view over the city. We visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth, other small Buddhist temples nearby, and watch a performance of local dances. We then continue in search of the Kandy House, where we'll stay for the night.
Situated in a hilly park about 8 km from the centre of Kandy, this restored historic house was once the residence of a king of Kandy and of 5 different ministers. Now turned into a hotel, it offers excellent service in a fairy-tale and extremely peaceful setting. Set in the park is a large pool, so a little swim before dinner. For dinner, a traditional Sri Lankan curry. Sri Lankan curry is based on rice (white or brown) accompanied by a series of different curries. The chefs of the Kandy House prepared about ten varieties for dinner: chicken, fish, pineapple, green bananas, chickpeas, aubergines, banana flower with jackfruit seeds, beetroot, coconut and onions, salad. Simply fantastic.
Monday 22/4/2013 Kandy – Dambulla – Polonnaruwa – Sigiriya Visit to the Dambulla caves, a series of caves that hold hundreds of statues of the Buddha. We settle into the Jetwing at Sigiriya in a dreamlike landscape, with the huts built on stilts among the reeds of the marsh. A snack and we set off to visit the ruins of Polonnaruwa. We arrive a little late and most of the visit takes place at dusk and ends in total darkness. An evening storm on the way back to Sigiriya. Tuesday 23/4/2013 Sigiriya – Anuradhapura - Sigiriya We leave Sigiriya for a round trip to the historic city of Anuradhapura, which we reach in about two hours. Visit to the Sri Maha Bodhi, the sacred tree around 2000 years old, which seems to be the oldest in the world. Visit to the various pagodas, Mahavihara, Jetavanarama, Thuparama, the citadel and the monastery, with a visit to the moonstone.
Return to Sigiriya, relaxing massage and dinner at the Jetwing. Wednesday 24/4/2013 Sigiriya – Peradeniya - Hatton Wake-up at 6 for the ascent of Sigiriya rock. At the base of the rocky spur stand the ruins of the ancient city and the royal gardens. During the ascent you pass through a cave frescoed with paintings of women, probably the king's concubines. Once you reach a platform a few hundred metres from the summit, a staircase that passes between the claws of a giant lion gives access to the highest part of the rock, where the king's palace once stood. From here you enjoy a fantastic view over the whole surrounding area. We reach Kandy around 13, the time when schools let out, and we find ourselves in incredible traffic. About an hour to cross the city. We get off, return to the Jetwing for breakfast and set off again towards Hatton.
On the way, a stop at Peradeniya, just south of Kandy, where we visit the renowned botanical garden, which holds a stunning collection of orchids and trees from all over the world. Around 18h30 we reach the Mandira Bungalow, situated on a hill a few km before Hatton, an old English colonial house from the tea-plantation era, now turned into a family-run hotel. Surprising are the gigantic bamboos that tower over the front. After dinner, a couple of hours' rest before the night ascent of Adam's Peak.
Day 125 Apr 2013
Thursday 25/4/2013 Hatton - Hatton Wake-up call at one in the morning for the hike to Adams Peak. An hour and a quarter of driving to cover the 35 km between Hatton and Adams Peak. On arrival, a series of stalls and little shops open 24 hours a day. We park the car and begin the ascent to the peak that we glimpse far above us at the end of a snake-like line of lights that illuminate the entire route. The first part of the path is quite easy and leads to the entrance gate. We cross a bridge beside a waterfall and the endless series of steps leading to the summit begins. Groups of pilgrims on their way back, looking exhausted, give us an idea of what awaits us. After about 3 and a half hours we reach the top, in time to witness the spectacle of the sunrise.
The last meters of the stairway are completely occupied by pilgrims and it is almost impossible to reach the small temple that houses the sacred footprint of Buddha. When the sun appears on the horizon a cheer goes up, then the flow of people back down from the summit begins, allowing us to reach the small temples. At 6 a ritual procession takes place with the carrying of offerings accompanied by the sounds of drums and flutes. Around 7:30 we begin the descent, which will take us another 3 hours. The after-effects of this hike will be felt for a couple of days in our legs. Once we reach the car, we return to Hatton for a well-deserved rest. In Hatton, Hindu faithful are preparing for a celebration at the Hindu temple. A long line of people with offerings stretches from the main road onto the stairway that gives access to the temple.
Dinner at Mandira Bungalows, where we try curd for the first time, a sort of yogurt made with buffalo milk that is sweetened with honey. Really not bad at all. Friday 26/4/2013 Hatton - Yala Wake-up at 6:30, breakfast at Mandira Bungalow. We set off in the direction of Yala. The first part of the route winds through the hills between 1200 and 1800, immersed in tea plantations. Groups of women heading to the picking with their baskets. It takes about 2 hours to cover the first 40 km, on these Hill Country roads, barely more than 3 meters wide and with continuous curves, but the landscapes are superb. South of Pinnawala we join the A4 in the direction of Wellawaya; at Beragala the A4 becomes once again a thin track through the forest. Shortly before Wellawaya, on the left, a magnificent view of the Diyaluma falls.
We continue on the A2 to Tissamaharama and carry on toward the main entrance of Yala Natural Park. The route of about 200 km takes us about 5 and a half hours. At the entrance we find the jeep waiting for us for the two days of safari. Two elephants have positioned themselves in front of the main entrance to welcome us. We reach the tented camp where we will spend the two nights in Yala park. After lunch, afternoon safari. Encounter with a group of elephants that perform an attempted charge, one of them leans on the front of the car rocking us a bit. At the shouts of the driver, who feared for the car's headlights, they move aside a little before starting a chorus of trumpeting. We set off again and shortly after encounter the first leopard. A few minutes later a large male passes cautiously beside us. A close encounter with one of the most interesting mammals of Yala Park.
We return to camp for dinner. A potato and chicken curry with a rice pasta. For dessert, once again a delicious curd. Saturday 27/4/2013 Yala - Yala Wake-up at 5 for the dawn safari. Departure at 5:45 at the first light of dawn. First surprise encounter: a sloth bear, there are only about fifteen in the park and so it is quite rare to see. A good start to the day. Shortly afterwards a pair of mongooses attempting to mate. Buffaloes, crocodiles, deer, crested eagle, storks, pelicans, bee eaters, kingfishers, peacocks, Sri Lanka junglefowl, monkeys, squirrels, countless butterflies and as a final treat a close encounter with a leopard at the roadside. Return to camp for breakfast. We try rotti, small flatbreads cooked with onions and accompanied by a sauce of onions, garlic, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. A particular taste but very interesting.
After a bit of relaxation on the banks of the river where we are camped, among the little monkeys that spy on the kitchen trying to grab something, we have lunch with tuna curry and mixed vegetables. Around 15:30 we set off for the afternoon safari; shortly afterwards an encounter with a leopard crossing the road, then again elephants, buffaloes, deer, mongooses. A lone male elephant walking along the main road causes a bit of confusion among the various jeeps. Return to the camp and dinner with a meat grill.
Sunday 28/04/2013 Yala – Tangalla We follow the coast to reach Tangalla We settle in at Amanwella, a beach day, Ayurvedic massage. Monday 29/04/2013 Tangalla A day of relaxation, afternoon visit to Tangalle and dinner at Mangrove Cabanas on Marakolliya beach. Tuesday 30/4/2013 Tangalla – Galle – Colombo We reach Galle with its charm of an old colonial city with a hint of Holland and spices. A walk through the alleys of the old city, visits to the various craft and tea shops. After the last curry at Mama's Fort Galle roof Café, we set off again in the direction of Colombo, where we stay overnight near the airport. Wednesday 1/5/2013 Emirates flight to Milan with a stopover in Dubai.
Reflections on the train window: photographer with camera and colorful Sri Lanka sign
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