Anuradhapura

The plan: to visit the ancient cities on our way to an adventure trip to Jaffna at the top of the island, through what was until recently a war zone.

We managed the first bit - but will have to save the second bit for another visit to Sri Lanka.

The ancient cities represent the empire that existed here between the fourth and eleventh century. It's know where near as grand as Angkor Wat in Cambodia - but in it's own way - it's rather impressive.

Anuradhapura represents the first major capital, and one of the most stable and durable empires in South East Asia - it's was (and still is) considered a sacred Buddhist site. It was decided during the eleventh century to move the capital for security reasons to Polunaruwa - more on which later.

It costs $50USD to buy a ticket for the main historic sites in this part of Sri Lanka...which is ridiculously expensive given that you could very very easily live for four or more days in Sri Lanka for the same amount of money.

But there's no other way of seeing the sites - so we dug deep into our pockets and paid out the cash. We also decided to rent a tuk tuk for the day to cut the walking, and got a pretty good deal...we'd already gone through the Lonely Planet so knew what we really wanted to see and concentrated on the main bits.

So we started with the Jetavanarama Dagoba:



This pictures doesn't really do it justice. It was a huge shrine said to have been built in the 4th century AD, and represented the real power and might of this ancient kingdom. When it was built it stood at over 100 meters, and would have been at that time the third highest structure in the world.

Today - it stands at 70 meters as a piece dropped off the top and they've decided not to replace it.

It's still a place of worship, although significant restoration work has been completed. One fascinating feature are the numbers hand painted on each piece of the huge mosaic floor that surrounds the Dagoba - like the world's most complicated jigsaw puzzle:



While we were looking around, there was a weird effect with the sun, which looked like this:



The site contains some ornate carvings which have weathered the passage of time:



From there we headed to see the large twin pools used for ceremonial washing:





And then on to one of the most revered and finest carvings in Sri Lanka - the delicate Samadhi Buddha carved around 400AD:



One of the many monkey's keeping an eye on things:



From there we set off to see the famous moonstones - incredibly intricate carvings used as thresholds into the most important buildings.



It's amazing to think that something so intricate was carved so that it could be walked on - and it's even more amazing how well preserved the moonstones are given the passage of feet and time...

Brock taking a picture...



...of me...



...taking a picture of him...

From there it was a short walk to the keeper stone - perhaps one of the finest pieces of carving in Sri Lanka:



While we were there, we spotted this scorpion - which unfortunately was dead:



Just down the road is the giant Elephant Pool. It's the size of six Olympic swimming pools...it's usually full of water, but there's been a drought and it's gotten fairly empty:



And then it was off to see the Bodhi Tree shrine - which is a cutting from the original tree in Bhod Gaya in India under which Buddha meditated to achieve enlightenment. It's an impressive site - but even more so was the huge Dagoba near by:



Paintings at one of the many shrines here:



And one of the smaller Dagoba's housing ancient relics:



...and finally - one of the many large lizards in Sri Lanka (click the picture to view the video):

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Just for anyone whose thinking of visiting - give the Royal Palace a miss - the Planet bigs it up - but it's nothing more than a pile of bricks - hardly worth the necessary detour to see it.

One Week In Colombo

Christine had to leave for the airport the next morning, and because Brock was finding it hard to walk, we made it as far as the bus stand which is just around the corner from the YMCA.

We decided to stay in Colombo until Brock's foot was better, and then head off to the north of Sri Lanka. We ended up spending a week hanging out...and it went something like this:

Get up, head down stairs and across the road for a fried egg and spicy onion relish sanger. A bit of reading, or a chat while drinking Elephant Ginger Beer, followed by a trip to McDonalds for coffee and free Wifi. Lunch at "The Corrner Cafe" by the YMCA for egg fried rice and sambol (a super spicy but amazingly tasty chili relish). A trip down Galle Face Green, maybe a coffee or a beer at the hotel, or egg Kotu or fried rice for diner from the station, or a beer and a film (Fight Club was a definite winner)...

One really amazing thing about Sri Lanka is the food. It's like no other food in the world - and even though I'm not that great a fan of plates of rice - I ended up craving the egg fried rice and sambol...or the deep fried roti with vege or fish filling, or dhal and rice, or egg roti with dhal for breakfast, or deep fried fish, or every other combination of tasty food available on the streets...forget Thai, forget Vietnamese, forget Sushi - Sri Lankan is where it's at...

It's easy to pass time here in Colombo - although there were some other notable events that kept us entertained, like:

• A trip to the visa office to get a visa extension...
• Telling the Tuk Tuk drivers we lived in Colombo so we could get cheap rides to save walking...
• Buying a set of crutches...
• Finally getting Brock's new Ipod...Spending the whole day at the Apple store successfully recovering all the deleted files off the old Ipod and putting them on the new...it was like doing a full days work - we even had out own desk :-)
• Drinking way too much coffee...
• Freezing to death in Mcdonals - and finding amusing ways to complain:

But in the end - we started getting itchy feet (metaphorically of course), and when I woke up one morning looking like this:



...we decided it was time to get out of Colombo...

Break Dancing: Colombo

It was Christine's last night in Sri Lanka - so we decided to have a big night out.

It was so big - it was going to result in us having to stay in Colombo for a whole week, and would shape the rest of both Brock and my time in Sri Lanka...for not entirely good reasons...although thankfully everything worked out in the end.

After arriving in town and finding a room, we headed out to the Galle Face Hotel and had a few drinks while we watched the sun set into the ocean.

Christine, Brock, and myself, enjoying the view and fine surroundings of the Galle Face Hotel:



The Lonely Planet doesn't really rate Colombo - but I'd have to say - it's one of my favorite cities, and having spent a lot of time here, it's really grown on me. It almost feels like home - and I'm pretty sure I could live here for a while.

One of the great things about Colombo is there's a very strong ex-pat community, which means there's usually something going on...and luckily for us it was Oktoberfest at the Hilton.

It was a really great night out - as expected there were plenty of different beers to try, and it was reasonably priced. Music was provided by a German band who were really entertaining, and the dance floor soon filled up as the evening rolled on.

We ended up leaving well after midnight, although sadly I wasn't allowed to keep the souvenir beer glass that had somehow found it's way into my pocket. Shame...

Given that we had planned on a big night out, we decided to try out one of Colombo's nightclubs. It was a rather bizarre experience: imagine forty men, all standing around watching five men treating five women like possessions at best and objects at worse. Very, very strange...and as bizarre as it sounds.

There's something a bit odd about Sri Lankan society. While Sri Lankan men are under the impression that all western woman want to have sex with any Sri Lankan man at the drop of a hat, Sri Lankan women are heavily chaperoned and it's almost impossible for a western man to talk to a Sri Lankan woman.

We've not only observed this - but we've been told it first hand by Sri Lankan men...

Even very innocent conversations are viewed with suspicion, and even hostility, by the (usually male) chaperons. Like when we asked one of the woman at the nightclub if the chairs at the table next to there's was free - out of know where a man was there standing watching what was happening. At one point, one of the woman was dragged from the nightclub by a guy just as the result of a very innocent and rather funny comment made at the bar while we were ordering drinks.

...but at least the music was good...which required dancing...which required getting onto the dance floor...via the rather large flight of stairs. Definitely a health and safety risk and probably illegal in the UK...particularly as it was big enough to allow people to launch themselves from the top of the stairs and hit the dance floor running.

Which we did...Quite a lot...

Except at one point Brock jumped off ahead of me and had what can only be described as a freak accident. Given that we'd already done this quite a few times, the chances of injury were very very slim. But on this one occasion, something happened, and Brock ended up landing awkwardly...the next thing I saw was him hoping his way back to where we were sitting.

It looked painful, and as his dancing abilities were reduced to zero in one painful moment, we decided to call it a night, and hobble back to the YMCA.

There was a rather amusing and good natured incident involving several police officers, and a traffic cone being worn as a hat, which really entertained the locals...but the less said about that incident the better...

But despite the freak injury - it was a really great night out...

Unawatuna

Sri Lanka's South West coast is known for it's beaches, and as I'd not seen it, Brock suggested that we head down the coast to a small place called Unawatuna. Jo had told me how good it was - and that I should definitely go there as I would love it...so I was really looking forward to leaving Negombo and heading out that way..

We caught the bus back to Colombo - and then the train to Unawatuna. The journey itself is worth doing, as the train runs down the coast often close to the sea and the views are amazing.

Here's a pic of me hanging out of the train door on the way to Unawatuna:



Christine and Brock on the train:



The train stops in Galle, from where it's a ten minute Tuk Tuk or bus ride to Unawatuna. It's an amazing place - and Jo was right - I loved it...

Unawatuna beach:



We spent about a week here, and most days went something like this:

A late start, followed by breakfast, followed by a swim in the sea, followed by coffee, and then some lunch, followed by some reading, or maybe another swim in the sea, followed by dinner...such hard work - but someone has to do it...

It was good to really relax, enjoy the good weather, the beautiful warm water of the bay, and the great company...perfect days :-)

On one of the days, the three of us decided to head to Galle to have a look around. It was colonized by a whole load of people (Portuguese, Dutch, and British), and the influences are obvious.

Brock and Christine on the walls at Galle Fort:



And enjoying the sun:



Brock being interviewed by a school class on tourism in Sri Lanka:



And the buildings of the old town - including the lighthouse:



The sign says it all - and highlights the importance this port once had in international trade:



The old town is full of old churches - each reflecting the various traditions of the colonizers that built them. The Dutch church is famous for it's floor, which is made entirely of gravestones:



"God and my right": the crest of the British Empire - identical to the one at the entrance to Skipton Castle:



Sadly - it was time for Christine to leave Sri Lanka on her way back to India and then home - and as we had to collect Brock's Ipod, we decided to head back to Colombo for a few days, and caught the train back to the capital...it was going to be a very eventful few days that were going to change the course of our trip...

Negombo

We were told that we would have to wait three days for Brock's Ipod to arrive - and because we were craving some beach time - Brock and I decided to catch the train to Negombo so we could easily get back into Colombo before setting off to explore the rest of Sri Lanka.

Negombo is one of the main beach resorts - not only because of it's proximity to the airport, but because it's entirely set up for foreign tourists...it's not a bad place to spend a few days, although to be fair, there are better (and cheaper) places on the South West coast. It's main clientèle are rich Europeans who don't mind paying for a bit of exclusivity...although with a bit of bartering and some hunting around, it's possible to do Negombo on a budget.

Access way to the beach in Negombo:



Christine, who we'd traveled with in Diu and who was also in Sri Lanka, decided to head down to Negombo to meet us...so the three of us spent a few days enjoying the sun.

Despite repeated phone calls, the Apple retailer still hadn't bothered to order Brock's replacement Ipod, and as he was now saying it was going to take a week to arrive, we decided it was time for a change of scenery...

Colombo - Part 2

Brock and I got back to Colombo from the airport at about 8am, and decided to stay up rather than get any sleep...and it turned into the world's longest day...

After breakfast and twelve hours of hanging around, it was still only 10am, so we headed out to get some fresh Coconut, and make our way to the best free wifi spot in town: McDonalds.

Coconuts in Colombo:



Brock's Ipod had broken, and as it was under warranty he headed to the Apple dealer to try and get a replacement. Which isn't as easy as it would at first appear...mainly because the dealer couldn't say when it would arrive...because they couldn't decide when they'd be able to get around to ordering it...

So we headed to the Galle Face Hotel for drinks while the sun set, and were very happily entertained by a couple of squirrels who seemed as keen on the Bombay mix as we were. One even played it up for the camera - click the pictures to view the videos:





After some food at Fort we headed back to the YMCA to watch a film and called it a night...

Colombo - Part 1

It was Jo's last day, as she was heading to Bangkok for a few days before heading home...sadly - all good things must come to an end...

We had a monster plan for all the things we were going to do that day - but ended up doing very little at all...no surprise really...

After breakfast we walked down Galle Face Green to enjoy the sea view and ended up having coffee and lunch in McDonalds. That evening - Jo and Brock had a surprise lined up, and an hour before sunset we set off to walk back up to the Galle Face Hotel:

Enjoying the sea view on Galle Face Green:



Thanks to Jo for this pic...

The Galle Face Hotel is the hotel in town. It's got an impressive position right on the sea front, with the waves crashing against the sea wall. The sunsets are amazing because the sun sets into the ocean, and there's a large seating area where you can enjoy the view.

So we did...

Jo and Brock - enjoying a few drinks and the view at the Galle Face Hotel:



Holding the sun:



Sunset - and an excellent bottle of Montana Reserve Chardonnay:







Enjoying a final beer and cigars before the trip to the airport:



Thanks to Jo for this picture...

Sadly we ran out of time - and so headed off to the Airport to see Jo off. Only passengers are allowed into the airport - although they do allow you to go in if you purchase a really expensive airport visitors ticket. So to save a bit of cash we faked some airline e-tickets and managed to get in without any problems.

And then we did what we'd been doing a lot of in the last two months - hung around waiting for Jo :-). But then Jo's flight was called, and after final goodbyes, we waved her goodbye, and set off to catch the bus back into Colombo.

Dalhousie

The plan had been to get an early night, and then get up at 3am to climb Adam's Peak - the third highest mountain in Sri Lanka. It's a famous pilgrimage site - as there's what is claimed to be a footprint in the rock at the summit - and all the major religions here claim that it was made by some one connected with their religion.

So instead of going to bed early as we'd planned we ended up enjoying a bottle of wine and a few beers. There may have also been a nasty incident with some packing tape, and we said we'd never mention the permanent marker again. Hang on - did I just mention the permanent marker?

Er...it all went downhill from here :-)



Thanks to Jo for this rather amazing action photo...

After a ridiculously short time trying to sleep and totally failing, the alarm went off and it was time to get up. Except it was chucking it down - and when we looked outside none of us could be bothered getting up and walking up a mountain in the pouring rain. Especially as there was no guarantee that we'd be able to see the view when we got there.

My only disappointment was that I missed the chance to get a photo with a leech stuck on me - as we were told there were plenty on the path when it's raining - I even had some salt ready to remove them after the photo...oh well...maybe next time...

So we went back to bed and got some sleep...

The next morning we got up, and had a rather pleasant breakfast sitting on the balcony of the place we were staying. And then it was time to pack our bags, wait an hour or two for Jo :-), and then head out to catch the bus to Colombo...

Here's the view of the balcony where we had breakfast:



The bus journey went through the hill country and was really picturesque. Here's a picture on the road back to Colombo:



And here's one of some of the amazing trees in full bloom:



Unfortunately for Brock, the little lad who was sat behind him decided to be sick and puked all over Brock's back - not nice...

But finally...we arrived in Colombo, got a room at the YMCA, had some food, and called it a night...tomorrow would be Jo's last day in Sri Lanka...

The Road To Dalhousie

While in Mumbai I'd been thinking of heading to Rajasthan after my trip to Chennai, and then catch my flight back home. Which was way different from my original plan which had been to go to Nepal and then head back to Delhi.

But in the end I decided to head to Sri Lanka instead - and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made...

India can be hard work and there's a lot of hassle. Yes - it's an amazing place to visit and there are some great things to see - but still - it can be very draining. Which was really the last thing I wanted before heading back to the UK.

And on reflection - I wasn't really ready to call it a day.

The other reason for going to Sri Lanka was to meet up with Jo and Brock. Jo was going to be there for three days before heading back home, and then Brock and I were going to travel for the rest of my trip.

One thing I've found a bit frustrating about travelling is the constant goodbyes - particularly when I've met people I've really hit it off with. Travelling alone has it's advantages - but it also has it's disadvantages - and the chance to travel with someone else for a while was very appealing.

So I booked a Kingfisher flight from Chennai to Colombo in Sri Lanka. Luckily for me - I got a free upgrade to first class...I was really wishing the flight could have lasted a bit longer :-)

Sri Lanka feels very different to India. It's clearly more developed, and is a lot easier to travel around. At the airport - there are so few of the hassles associated with arriving in a major city in India. And the other good thing: it's cheaper than India...

Jo and Brock were in the hill country and I'd arranged to meet them at Dalhousie so we could climb Adam's Peak. It took an hour on the bus to get into Colombo and I headed to the train station to see what the options were. I'd had no sleep on the train the night before, and the only train to Hatton left in the middle of the night.

So I headed to the bus station and found a bus that would make the five hour trip to Hatton from where another bus would take me to Dalhousie.

But while we were waiting to set off, smoke started to fill the bus and everybody raced off it in case it was on fire. So I decided that the best thing would be to find the YMCA (which has the cheapest rooms in town), get some sleep, and catch the morning train.

The next morning I jumped on the train to Hatton where I met Jo and Brock...I must say - it was great to see them again...after coffee and cakes, and a quick catch up, we caught the bus to Dalhousie...

Tanuku

After a few days in Tanali we spent a day travelling north to a small town called Tanuku. There's not that much to see in the center of the town - but it's surrounded by beautiful countryside - mainly sugarcane plantations. It's also one of the main places where Eare are working.

On the road to Tanuku:



On the way we stopped at a Leprosy mission run by Eare that cares for over forty people - many of whom are now disabled as a result of Leprosy. As Swine Flu is sweeping through India at the moment, a number of the people from the center had been taken to hospital. But we were still able to introduce ourselves to the rest of the people at the center and hand out supplies.

Handing out eggs and water:



Ruth distributing bananas:



Sudheer had managed to get us rooms in a pretty good hotel - it even had air con, TV, and most surprising of all: actual hot water coming out of the shower...it was going to be our base from which we would visit the outlying villages.

The one experience that really sticks in my mind from Tanuku is the evening we went to visit the untouchables. India has a strong caste system, which segregates society and dictates the type of life a child is going to live. For those at the top of the pile - a life of luxury and privileged. For those at the bottom of the pile - poverty and hardship.

The untouchables are at the bottom. It's considered by many a terrible thing to touch an untouchable - hence the name.

It took an hour to reach the village - a collection of over two hundred wood and banana leaf shacks on a piece of scrub land owned by the government. For many - the only income is made from digging through garbage dumps looking for materials that can be sold for recycling.

It's a hard existence - but these are real people - with real hopes and dreams.

As we pulled up in the van the children ran along side laughing and joking with each other. All of them wanted to shake our hands and ask our names. They might have very little - but there's a happiness and joy in the most simple things of life that you don't see most other places...

The untouchables:



A church service was held in the village for those who wanted to attend, followed by the distribution of food. Sudheer's team have already built bore wells here so that the people have access to safe drinking water, and a free medical service is in the pipeline.

It was an amazing and humbling experience to walk through this village as the sun sank from the sky and the night became dark. It feels strange to find so many smiles in a place that should be bereft of hope - but it's here - and it feels real...

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We did a lot of other things during our time here: visited several old peoples homes, a medical center providing free health care, visited some churches connected with the relief efforts, and held a number of services in outlying villages. And that doesn't really cover everything Eare are doing in India.

It's an amazing organisation, run for Indians by Indians - and every cent invested in it goes directly to the point of need.

It was really an amazing time...not only because of the things we did and saw - but also because of the team spirit that quickly developed. We laughed - a lot...

Time really flew and soon it was time for me to leave. I'd booked my plane ticket a day earlier than I should, having got the dates wrong in my calendar, and so had to say goodbye to everyone and catch the overnight train to Chennai to make my flight.

Here's me with Sudheer, his children, and Sunni at the station:

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Thanks to John Prosser for allowing us to go with him to India, and especially to Lindon and Sam for organizing everything. And a big thank you to Sudheer, his family, and the team at Eare who really looked after us...and to Sunni for the French Fries and Indian "Croissants" :-)