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Sri Lanka

December 2006

 – 

January 2007

Sri Lanka - formerly known as Ceylon. Sri Lanka is a multinational state, home to diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities. Sri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of prehistoric human settlements dating back at least 125,000 years. The huge impact of the December 2004 tsunami was still very visible and palpable when we were there. Many roads not repaired properly yet, making it a slow and uncomfortable journey across the island in our rented sedan - with driver.

Outline of our 2 week trip. Total driving distance about 1500 km. Average speed: less than 35 km/h because of the terrible state of many roads.
Day 1 - After our landing on Bandanaraike International Airport and check-in in the hotel, we get a first impression of the city of Colombo. A bustling town with over 3 million inhabitants.
The Singalese language has its own script which is based on old Indian scriptures and is related to the Myanmar script.
The little noisy buggers on three wheels are called Tuk-Tuks.
Singalese and English are happily mingled everywhere you look.
Tuk-Tuks can hold complete families since most SriLankans are not very tall.
Sometimes it takes years before a half finished building is truly finished. But very often it never gets finished. The country is in great need of capital.
Mount Lavinia Hotel guard. This guy looks smaller than he really is. The funny costume plays tricks with the eyes...
The Mount Lavinia Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Colombo
On the beach
Walking along the railroad tracks
Boeddha right next to the street
Colombo Conference Center
Temple detail
Hindu temple
Hindu temple detail
Hindu temple detail
The famous Cargills & Millers complex in downtown Colombo is protected by a special government law from demolition.
Cargills & Millers
The lobby of TransAsia, our Colombo hotel
View from our bedroom
Day 2 - On our way to Sigiriya, a lorry in front of us can't hold its load anymore...
... gravity is an awesome force.
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Kegalla
Entrance to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Deserted or wounded elephants are raised and trained in the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to be employed as future working elephants.
Bathing time is a very special spectacle.
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Monk with sun screen
Rice fields
Lunch on the road
Pleasant lakeside lunch location
Modern boeddha statue on a hill
Singalese crow
Train station of Muttettugala
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Friendly people on the train
Sigiriya Water Garden
On the top of the Sigiriya Rock are the ruins of an ancient palace complex, built during the reign of King Kasyapa (477 – 495 AD). It is one of the seven World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka.
This was a monastery complex up to about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. The ruins were discovered in 1907 by British Explorer John Still.
Sigiriya Rock
The mirror wall and its frescoes
The paintings would have covered most of the western face of the rock, covering an area 140 meters long and 40 meters high.
Some frescoes can still be seen, though unfortunately now much faded.
Halfway the many steps towards the top of the rock, the views are already stunning...
Just before sunset we've reached the top. Yeeaahh!
The palace garden on the top
View from the top garden
We stay two nights in the elegant Elephant Corridor Hotel. The hotel staff prepare the bed like this for the night
We didn't just have a hotel room, no, it was more like a midsized apartment!
Dinner at the Elephant Corridor
Refreshing morning bath with a magnificent view.
Day 3 - Polonnaruwa. The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I.
In 1982 the Ancient city of Polonnaruwa was inscribed on the World Heritage list of Unesco.
Today the ancient city of Polonnaruwa remains one of the best planned Archeological relic sites in the country.
The ruins of king Parakramabahu's royal palace (Vejayanta Pasada).
Polonnaruwa
Monkey business
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I scream for an ice cream!
Unilever eat your heart out...
Kumara Pokuna (the Royal Bath)
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
This temple ruin is slowly sinking, probably because other rooms are still underneath this part of the temple.
Hatadage, the Shrine of Sixty Relics
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
Entrance of the Vatadage, the oldest building of the whole complex.
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
Giant Dagoba
Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
Lankathilake
Lankathilake
The Gal Viharaya in Polonnaruwa has all three postures of the Buddha carved out of a single rock.
Gal Viharaya
Gal Viharaya
Rice and curry lunch
Back in Elephant Corridor. The main building frames the Sigiriya Rock in the distance.
Elephant Corridor
The second night, our bed got decorated again, this time with a special theme design...
Day 4 - The entrance building of the Dambulla Cave Temple on the base of the hill is a magnificent example of singalese kitsch...
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Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla Cave Temple
Dambulla mountain view
Wood carving workshop
Matale
Roland was our dedicated and designated driver for the whole two weeks. We couldn't have done it without him!
Day 5 - In 1592, Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining independent kingdom in Sri Lanka after the coastal regions had been conquered by the Portuguese.
As the capital, Kandy had become home to the relic of the tooth of the Buddha which symbolises a 4th-century tradition that used to be linked to royalty since the protector of the relic was seen fit to rule the land.
Kandy preserved its independence until it finally fell to the British in 1815 due to a Radala chieftains' conspiracy with the British.
In our hotel in Kandy, a wedding party dropped by...
Kandy wedding
Kandy local market
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Kandy local market
Kandy local market
Kandy local market
Kandy local market
Kandy local market
Kandy local market
Kandy local market
The Queens Hotel in Kandy
Poolside reading
Mahaweli Reach Hotel in Kandy
Day 6 - We start the day with a visit to a gem store to see and maybe buy some nice stones. This is a 300.000 dollar piece of jewellery... in the end we settle with two pair of earrings and two sets of cufflinks.
Part of a mountain came crashing down sometime in the past. It's too expensive to clear it away, so it just sits there. No signs, no detours. Happy cruisin'!
Nuwara Eliya District
Nuwara Eliya District
Roadworkers in their den
Work in progress
The old road
Most of the roads in this part of Sri Lanka are in a terrible condition. It will take at least another 5 to10 years to repair them all.
Freshwater bathing
Freshwater bathing
Mountain scenery
The slow-growing tea bushes of the Nuwara Eliya highland region produce some of the world's finest Orange Pekoe tea.
Tea Factory
Tea plantation
Tea plantation
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Tea plantation
Tea plantation
Nuwara Eliya countryside
Along the road
Nuwara Eliya was founded by Samuel Baker as a hill retreat for the British in the colonial era, with typically English pastimes including hunting, polo and cricket.
Nuwara Eliya
Vegetable field
Vegetable field
Nuwara Eliya
This was the stunning view from our next overnight stop: the Ella Gap.
Ella Gap
Ella Gap
Ella Rest House
Day 7 - Another long driving day; we've spend more than 6 hours on the road! Fresh bread in the morning is brought to the local people in the back of this peculiar van.
Pensive lady
Plucking the tea
Plucking the tea
Singalese infographics
A Dutch brand seems very out of place here.
Singalese forest
Beautiful truck
Workforce no 1
Rainforest Edge Resort
After such a long, winding and bumpy drive, it's a great relief to find such a paradise spot. On top of a hill overlooking the surrounding Sinharaja Rainforest.
Rainforest Edge Resort
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Rainforest Edge Resort
Rainforest Edge Resort
Coca Cola logo ripoff
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
The reserve is only 21 km from east to west, and 7 km from north to south, but it is a treasure trove of endemic species, including trees, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Because of the dense vegetation, wildlife is not as easily seen as at dry-zone national parks such as Yala. There are no elephants, and the 15 or so leopards are rarely seen.
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve
Dinner funtime
Dinner funtime
We met a young singalese couple on their honeymoon: Ruwan and Nilu. This is Ruwan who explained the Sri Lankan marriage rituals to us, illustrated with many photos of their own marriage on his laptop.
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Day 9 - Yala National Park, in Ruhuna is an important national park on the south east coast of Sri Lanka. The reserve covers 979 km², although only the original 141 km² are open to the public.
Yala Villaga Hotel
Vie on the beach
Yala National Park
Much of the reserve is parkland, but it also contains jungle, beaches, freshwater lakes and rivers and scrubland.
There are good numbers of Asian Elephants, crocodile, Wild Boar, Water Buffalo and Grey langurs amongst other large animals.
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Yala National Park
The park was badly damaged by the tsunami of 26th December 2004, with the destruction of the wildlife centre and tourist lodge.
Many tourists, including a party of 22 Japanese, died in the disaster, as did several of the national park and lodge employees.
Sandwashing bird
Sandwashing bird
Yala National Park
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Yala National Park
Yala National Park
Day 10 - We leave the Yala Village Hotel for another long drive along the southern coastline to Bentota.
The buffalo happily graze among the bungalows.
Day 11 - A lazy reading and resting day, partly at the beach, partly at the side of the Taru Villa pool. What a lovely boutique hotel again!
Bentota beach
Between the luscious hotel garden and the beach runs a single track railway line... every day, several diesel trains pass by.
Taru Villas
Taru Villas
Taru Villas
Taru Villas
Taru Villas
Taru Villas
Day 12 - Day trip to Galle where the Galle Fort is our main attraction.
Galle had been a prominent seaport long before western rule in the country. The 'modern' history of Galle starts in 1505, when the Portuguese take it by force.
Galle Fort. In 1640, the Portuguese had to surrender to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) who in their turn surrendered the island to the English in 1796.
Founded in 1755 by the then Dutch Governor of Galle, Capar de Jong, it's well worth visiting for the ancient Dutch gravestones, both in the churchyard and within the nave.
After the British took over the country from the Dutch in the year 1796, they preserved the Fort unchanged, and used it as the administrative centre of Galle.
During the Dutch period in Ceylon, the Dutch bought labourers from Indonesia and Mozambique to build this massive fort.
There are many Muslim families who live inside this fort along with Dutch, English, Portuguese and Germans.
Galle Fort administration
Tuk tuk
CSI Galle
Mosque in Galle Fort
Galle Fort
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Montessori School in Galle Fort
Afternoon tea with Roland
Afternoon tea with Roland
Street vendor selling fresh fruit
Local grocery store
Watch out, Tamil Tiger at 6 o'clock!!
Typical bus interior
Bus art
All over Sri Lanka you see Indian Tata lorry trucks with open cabins and wooden panelling all around the backside. This fine example has a very special interior...
Bus art
Bus art
Bus art
Tsunami damage still visible
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
Taru Villas at night
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by @just-edo in Spain