We had a late morning start at the temple on Karainagar island, our ancestral homeland. There was a festival at the temple, a precursor to the consecration of the temple following some renovations. We were annointing oils on the deities and this was the only time we were allowed to enter the inner chamber of the temple. Following this we had lunch at the temple.
In the afternoon we decided to explore Jaffna town, slighter further from our hotel. The first stop was Nallur Kandasamy Temple, the most famous temple in Jaffna. The original temple was built between 1450 to 1467. It was levelled to the ground by the Portuguese in 1620. The present temple was built during the Dutch period, around 1807. It was not rebuilt on the original site. The original site is occupied by St James Church.
Main entrance to Nallur TempleEast Gopuram (tower) of templeStreet scene outside the temple
The next stop was Mandri Manai (Ministers House). It was built in the fifteenth century. It is deserted now but in has cellars and underground rooms where the inhabitants stored their valuables.
Front of Mandri ManaiLooking out of front entrance of Mandri ManaiLooking into one of the rooms of Mandri Manai
We then visited one of the largest church in Jaffna, St Patricks Catholic Church.
St Patricks Catholic ChurchA round of cricket in the church yard. Most of the boys are also alter boys and live around the churchSt James Church – purported location of the original Nallur TempleOld Jaffna Prison
We finished with a visit to Rio Ice Creams, the most famous ice cream parlour in Jaffna. Despite it’s popularity, the system within the parlour is chaotic. We took some take-away to have it in the van. The ice cream is very sweet and has inconsistent texture. We enjoyed it though. That evening Susie, Shantini and I had dinner at Susie’s uncle’s place. He was an interesting man and kept us most amused with his stories.
The day started with an early morning walk with my cousin Sangaran and Charles. We walked to Jaffna Fort. It was built by the Portuguese first and then fortified by the Dutch. The date on the entry way is 1690. It was heavily damaged during the war but is slowly being repaired. Not much has progressed since my last visit.
Then a group of us decided we will visit North Jaffna. We were going to Keerimalai Springs and then to Point Pedro, the northern most point in Sri Lanka. I have been to these places before but it will be good for a return visit.
Ruins of old Keerimalai Temple
Our first stop was the Keerimalai Springs. The Hindu temple besides it dates back from the BC era. It was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1620. It was rebuilt in 1894. However, the civil war caused extensive damage to the temple. Bullet holes and mortar damage was visible on my last visit. A new temple was built.
Main entrance way of old templeInside Old TempleNew temple with old in foregroundInside ruins of old temple
Some of us had a swim in the Keerimalai Springs. It is meant to have some medicinal properties. It was refreshing after the swim and a good relief from the heat. After Keerimalai Springs, we headed down the road to Dambakola. When Buddhism was came to Sri Lanka from India, it was reputed to have come through Dambakola.
Dambakola Buddhist Shrine
After Dambakola, we headed for Niravalai deep well. It has a deep aquamarine colour and the depth of the well has never been determined. Legend has it that this is where Rama from the Hindu epic Ramayana stopped to rest.
Stairs leading to wellNiravalai Deep Well
After a brief stop at Niravalai well, we headed for Point Pedro, the northern most point in Sri Lanka. The 2004 Tsunami hit this place too and caused massive destruction. A lot of the buildings here have not been repaired or replaced.
Distance marker at Point PedroPoint Pedro fishing communityPoint Pedro JettyLooking up the coast in Point PedroBuilding at Point Pedro jetty probably built in colonial era, damaged by TsunamiLighthouse at Point Pedro
After Point Pedro, we had lunch at a local shop and headed back to Jaffna. There were some temple festivities later on our home island Karainagar.
I got up at 6am to do an early morning walk and also to take in the morning sights of Jaffna town. Jaffna is a different picture in the morning without the mad traffic.
Jaffna Clock Tower – built to commemorate the visit to Ceylon by the Prince of Wales in 1875
A main road in Jaffna in the morning
After a shower and breakfast, we were ready for a trip to Mannar. We were going to a well known Hindu temple, Ketheeswaram temple and Catholic church, Our Lady of Madhu Shrine Catholic church. We also later decided to go to Talaimannar which is the closest point from Sri Lanka to India. There is a series of islands and sand dunes called Adam’s Bridge or Rama’s Bridge. Jeeva organised another van via the hotel. It was a 10 seater, new and tidy. Ria the driver was proud of his vehicle and his service was impeccable.
Ave Maria Travels and Tours
The Gulf of Mannar was well known for valuable pearls. This attracted the Portuguese and other Europeans. Trade was foremost in the minds of the Portuguese however subsequently they were active in trying to convert the local population to Catholicism. It can be said that Catholicism (or Christianity) established it’s beachhead on Sri Lanka in Mannar. St Francis Xavier was active in Mannar around 1543.
Route to Mannar
Our first stop was Ketheeswaram temple. This temple dates back from 300 BC and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. In 1505 along with many Hindu and Buddhist temples around the island, this temple was destroyed by the Portuguese in their quest to spread Christianity. Later, the temple stones were used to build Manner Fort, a church and Hammershield Fort at Kayts. The temple was rebuilt in 1903 following the unearthing of original deities in 1894 at the original site of the temple.
Front view of Ketheeswaram TempleTemple Gopuram (tower)Ketheeswaram temple surrounds
Our second stop was the Our Lady of Madhu Shrine Catholic Church. This church dates back 400 years and is thought to be the holiest Catholic place on the island. During the civil war, the shrine housed more than 10,000 refugees. The area around the shrine was considered a ‘demilitarised zone’. Unfortunately the area was shelled in late 1999, killing 44 refugees.
Main entrance to shrineView down the aisle inside churchLooking out into the courtyard from within the churchMain shrine in churchFront of churchNoticeboard on siteMailbox on church site dating from the reign of King George VI
We had lunch at the church canteen and then decided to head for Talaimannar, the eastern most part of Mannar and the closest point to India. Before the civil war, trade flowed freely between Sri Lanka and India for centuries. We were also keen to see Adam’s Bridge, a collection of island and outcrops connecting Sri Lanka to India. This area is heavily patrolled by the navy. The point Adam’s Bridge starts on the Sri Lankan side is now a naval base. We were directed by the guard to hire a fishing board to take as to Adam’s Bridge. I was approached by a fisherman and was told the cost of the trip was LKR5000. I checked that he had life jackets. Then he realised we were not Sri Lankans and therefore could not take us. Apparently only Sri Lankan citizens could hire a boat to take them to Adam’s Bridge. This was later confirmed by a navy personnel who came over to investigate our presence. The reason given was that the Sri Lankan Government did not want to be held responsible for the safety of foreigners. This was a real disappointment. Having come this far and this close and not being able to make the trip. We spent some time on the beach and then boarded the van to head back to Jaffna.
Fishing boats on TalaimannarFishing boats lined up in TalaimannarWaters off TalaimannarOur group wading at waters edgeAdam’s Bridge seen from a distanceBeach at TalaimannarLooking back inland from Talaimannar
We got up at some insane hour to catch the 5:35am train to Jaffna. Transport was organised to take us to Colombo Station. The hotel made breakfast boxes for us to take on the trip. We were ready and waiting for our transport in the hotel lobby. The morning outside the hotel was eerily quiet. The hotel is in a very busy part of Colombo during the day.
Front of Grand Oriental Hotel in the early morningSide street beside the hotel in the early morningColombo Port Administration Building (opposite the hotel)
Transport came on time and we were at the station a little after 5am. We booked first class seats for our trip to Jaffna. This means we got slightly more comfortable seats and an air-conditioned carriage. The heat can be oppressive at times. After a 30 minute wait, the train arrived. There were others we knew who were going to be on the train to Jaffna. It was scramble, though not a mad one, to get onboard. Our seats were close to the exit doors and so this made it easier to move our bags into position. Most of the bags were place behind the first row of seats. There was enough room to stack up the large ones. The smaller ones were placed on the overhead rack. We settled back on the train to have a bit of a breather. Before long, the train was on its way. Charles walked through the carriage into the next one and managed to tracked down Jeeva and Shanta. Jeeva had organised transport at the Jaffna end to take us to the our hotel. We will be staying at the same hotel as our 2013 trip. The Pillaiyar Inn is not salubrious but adequate and in a convenient location in Jaffna.
The trip out of Colombo was a rocky one. The tracks were in good need of a realignment. The carriages were rocking from left to right and back again. Looking down the carriage into the next carriage through the separating glass door, we could see the extend of the tilt from left to right in the next carriage. The rocking was therapeutic I must say. My back got a good massage. However, if you needed to answer the call of nature, it could be tricky and quite ugly.
Nearer Jaffna, the ride was smoother. The tracks were newly laid here after the war. The project was sponsored by the Indian Government and the start of services to Jaffna was celebrated with huge fanfare. The train arrived in Jaffna at midday and on time. We waited for short while for our transport to arrive. The van was not quite what Jeeva was expecting. It was smaller and could not accomodate all of us. Therefore, 2 trips were organised. All of us got the hotel without much issues for lunch and a good rest. The rooms were all meant to be of the same standard but they all had variable quality. Some were granite tiled whereas others had old carpet. The most important thing is that the air-conditioning worked and we had place to rest. The hotel was reasonably clean the ‘butler’ attached to us is very helpful. The same guys were here when I came 3 years ago. It was nice to see familiar faces. Sangaran, Charles and I were in one 5 person room, Susie and Shantini were in one 3 person room and Logan and Vasantha were in a double room.
We woke up at a leisurely time and had a relaxed breakfast at our hotel in Mirissa. The food here is reasonable but we were spoilt at other places. We were visited by some cute puppies that decided to sleep at our feet as we had breakfast.
After breakfast we packed up and were on the road again for a short trip to Galle. I have been here before in 2013. It was still interesting to visit this place again. It is rich in history.
Clock Tower at Galle FortRampart at Galle FortWall of fort towards the oceanOutside perimeter of fortZwart BastionLighthouse at Point Utrecht BastionTunnel underneath rampart
After Galle, we had lunch as a restaurant that was off the main road to Colombo and by the ocean. It was a popular place and the food was good. Following lunch, we dropped off two in the group to Bawa House, the residence of the late Geoffrey Bawa who was the most influential architect on the island. His house is like a museum with long flowing gardens. The rest of us went to Bentota Beach to relax and take in the views. This beach has pristine white sands.
Hotel at Bentota BeachBentota BeachBentota Beach looking towards ColomboAnother view of hotel at Bentota Beach
We arrived in Colombo in the early part of the evening and checked into the Grand Oriental Hotel. Our guide Jagath booked this hotel as it was close to the Colombo Railway Station. Our train to Jaffna the next morning departs Colombo at 5:35am. The hotel was once the residence of the Dutch Governor and also became military barracks. It became a hotel in 1870. That evening Susie and I met her friend whom we had missed in Batticaloa. He ran the orphanage there. We retired early as we had an even earlier start the next day.
We woke up in the morning at Tissa to the sounds of peacocks and other animals in the background. The place we were staying at Tissa seemed like it was in the middle of the jungle. It was a beautiful setting.
View from balcony outside roomView from hotel
After breakfast, we packed and were ready for our short trip to Kataragama. Kataragama is a remote religious town that is sacred to the Buddhists,Hindus and Muslims. Pilgrims come from all over Sri Lanka and beyond. The shrines are dedicated to the god Kataragama.
Pilgrims on the way to the temple washing themselves in the river nearbyMain entrance into religious precinctThe monkeys in the area seem quite at home
The monkeys in the precinct area are quite tame and fed by the pilgrims. We go past a mosque and a Shiva shrine. A short distance later we come to the Maha Devale, the main shrine for Kataragama.
Maha DevalePriest entering the Maha Devale for morning Pooja
Beyond Maha Devale, about 500m down the road is the Buddhist shrine, Kiri Vihara.
On the way to Kiri ViharaKiri Vihara
There were elephants with the mahouts along the roadway leading up to Kiri Vihara. The pilgrims seek blessing from the elephants.
Elephant with her mahoutMajestic male elephant
Looking down the roadway filled with pilgrims from Kiri ViharaPilgrim going underneath elephant to seek blessingThe classic pose
After about 3 hours or so at Kataragama, we were back in our van on our way to our next overnight stop in Mirissa. Mirissa is on the south coast of Sri Lanka and the area is unspoilt.
Beach outside hotel in MirissaView from front courtyard of hotelView from balcony outside room
We lazed around for much of the afternoon. Some of us went for a refreshing swim.
We got up early today to check out the lively scene on the beach. Fisherman had been fishing all night and have been gathering here to sell their fish on the beach. There was an auction market on the beach for the day’s catch. Fish here is quite cheap.
Dawn at Arugam BayLooking down the beach at Arugam BayFishermen at Arugam BayDawn waves crashing at Arugam BayTraditional fishing boatWaiting for sunrise at Arugam BaySunrise at Arugam Bay
Fisherman gathering their daily catch for auctionNot what you normally see
After breakfast we were on the road again to Tissamaharama or Tissa for short. After a 2.5 hour drive we arrived at Tissa. We checked into a lodge set in the middle of what seemed like a forest. It was a very peaceful setting with sounds of animals in the background. We had lunch and were booked to go on a safari to Yala National Park.
We were all in a 9 seater 4WD. The trip to Yala from the lodge was about an hours drive. We did not expect to see elephants here but among the other varied wildlife, a leopard sighting is prized.
Monkey on approach to Yala (Tufted gray langur)Birds at a wetland (Gray Heron and Black Headed Ibis)Lesser Adjutant?Crocodile on the banks of a pond
We are having a late start today from Batticaloa. It was a late finish last night. Therefore the morning was more relaxed. Charles needed to see a doctor as he had swollen feet. He was taken to see one after breakfast. The rest of us just lazed around until about 11:30am. We all had a big breakfast and therefore decided to drive straight to Arugam Bay and skip lunch.
Batticaloa hosts the Eastern University. The town is made up mainly Tamil speaking people of Hindu and Muslim background. The Sinhalese were here at some stage but they left probably during the war years. Batticaloa is set back from the sea by a lagoon. I would not say the town is pretty. It has plenty of small shops.
Sunrise in Batticaloa
Batticaloa to Arugam Bay is about a 2 hour drive along the coastal. It should be picturesque. We got to our hotel at Arugam Bay about 3pm. The view from our hotel was spectacular. We all had ground floor rooms. The rooms were smaller but adequate.
View down the coast at Arugam Bay
Arugam Bay was badly affected by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. It almost in a direct line of sight to Aceh in Indonesia where the Tsunami orginated. 15 to 20m waves hit the coast and reportedly travelled up to 3km inland. Apparently, at first the waters receded towards the ocean and then the waves hit. This happened multiple times. The 3rd instalment was the biggest and most damaging. The owner of the hotel next door said he ran for his life after the sea receded the first time. He felt it was eerily unusual and that he should not hang around. The sad part is that none of the aid money or government money filtered here. The owner of the hotel next door had to take out a bank loan to repair his hotel.
That evening we went to a ‘speakeasy’ to have a few beers. Today is Sri Lanka’s National Day. Shops are not meant to serve alcohol. We then went down the road to a restaurant by the road. It was a basic restaurant and floor was just beach sand. Logan took control and ordered items that were not listed on the menu. The owner aimed to please us and put on quite a good spread.
Today we are making our way to Sigiriya Rock and Polannaruwa. Sigiriya Rock used to be a palace and I visited this place the last time I was in Sri Lanka in 2013. Polannaruwa is an ancient capital city that was abandoned in the 13th century. It was variously ruled by Sinhalese dynasty and also by the Colas from South India who invaded much of the northern part of Sri Lanka.
We arrived at Sigiriya Rock at 9am. There were already plenty of tourists there. It is a public holiday in Sri Lanka today (Sri Lankan National Day) and also with Chinese New Year around the corner, there were plenty of Chinese tourists. The crowds here unfortunately does not allow you to fully appreciate this place. When I came here 3 years ago, there were hardly any tourists and therefore Charles and I had an enjoyable and leisurely experience. We took great pictures (Visit to Sigiriya Rock in 2013).
Sigiriya Rock
Only 4 of us were doing the climb today, Vasantha, Shantini, Susie and myself. I am acting as the proxy guide. Being a hot and humid day, we all carried our water bottles. Climbing up the rock was a tricky affair. There was pushing and shoving with Chinese tourists which does not make the experience pleasurable. We made plenty of stops to take in the site. The path to the middle section was a slow journey. At the fresco wall, no photography was allowed. I suppose it is because of the crowd. I managed to get some non-flash pictures the last time.
We reached the top in about 90 minutes. We examined the area on top, which was the winter palace area. The summer palace area was at the foot of the rock.
Susie, Vasantha & Shantini on top of Sigiriya Rock
We made it down from the top in 30 minutes. We were feeling the heat and humidity by now. We were picked up again by the rest of the group and headed for lunch.
After lunch we made our way to the ancient city of Polannaruwa. It is the second most ancient city and was an ancient capital (1070AD). This site is quite extensive and sits besides a huge man-made reservoir. The reservoir resembles a lake and there are several of them in central Sri Lanka. The ancient kings valued agriculture and therefore made sure the country’s farmland is sufficiently irrigated. The amazing thing is that these ancient reservoirs and irrigation channels are still being used today.
We visited the site museum to fully appreciate this ancient site. We were then taken to a place called the Citadel. This is where the palace and central administration area of the kingdom was.
Palace at the CitadelFront view of palace at the CitadelInside wall of palaceInner corridor of palaceThe palaceCouncil ChamberWall carving on Council ChamberMore wall carving on Council ChamberCloseup of elephant wall carvingSteps leading up to Council ChamberCarved pillars once supported a roof structure in Council ChamberCarvings on side of main stairs to Council ChamberRuins from the sacred QuadrangleHatadage – with Buddha statueCarving inside HatadageView into chamber in Hatadage from outside windowThe VatadageBuddha inside The Vatadage – there are 4 Buddhas facing in the 4 directionsSitting Buddha from Gal ViharaStanding Buddha from Gal ViharaSleeping Buddha from Gal ViharaThe local wildlifeMore of the monkeys outside Gal Vihara
Our final stopover was a Boy’s Home in Batticaloa. Most of the boys have lost their parents for various reasons. There are about 30 boys ranging from 6 to 19. The town of Batticaloa had some bad luck ranging from the war to tsunami. Most of the boys are the casualties of some more recent calamity. There is a sad story in every corner of this town.
Shantini performing for an eager audience at the Boys HomeThere was a varied audience
It’s going to be a long day on the road today. We were picked up at 7:30am so that we could miss the traffic. Not sure if it helped. It is mayhem here with tuk-tuks, buses, trucks and cars moving around. We got to an eating place out of town for breakfast. It was a surprisingly good place with a good selection of food.
Our first stop was the spice gardens. Various spices and herbs are grown at this place. Sri Lanka is well known for their spices and it is one of the reasons why over several hundred years there was a procession of European powers who invaded the country. The main business at the Spice Garden is to produce Ayuvedic medicinal products. We were shown the vanilla creeper and how they produce vanilla essence, cinnamon tree (apparently the lighter coloured cinnamon bark is the good stuff), nutmeg tree (intake of a reasonable quantity could prove fatal), cocoa tree and others I fail to remember now.
Spice Gardens
I bought some Ayuvedic products. Some tablets that are meant to reduce cholesterol for myself and an oil product for arthritis which Dianne might find helpful. They are not cheap but they are all natural products.
Next stop is the Minneriya Elephant Sanctuary. We picked up our 4WD and driver just outside the park. Four of us were in one vehicle and 3 in the other. Off we went on our elephant safari.
Lone elephant in the clearing greeted usIt was feeding time
Most elephants were feeding in family groups. They are noisy eaters. They seem to move from area to area on an eating spree. Occasionally we saw some baby elephants including one that was 5 days old. It was well protected by the family and hence we did not get a good view.
The sanctuary is made up of 3 connecting parks. The elephants often cross the main highway to go from one park to the other. We were taken to another park.
Charles, Vasantha and Logan in their 4WD with their guide Driver and guide intently looking at the elephant herd.
Driver and guide intently looking at the elephant herd. Some judgement and decision making is required here not to spook or disturb the elephants.
Pair of elephants walking through the grassKanahila on the warpathKanahila heading for our 4WD
We came across a female elephant called Kanahila who was not pleased with our presence. Truth be told, there were a lot of noisy 4WDs in their domain with tourists. It must be annoying for them. This elephant came charging straight for us but seemed like she singled me out to take the fall.
The guide made noises and threw water at it to calm it down. Kanihila in the local language means ‘torn ear’. All the guides and rangers knew her and her behaviour well.
Kanhila on the charge.Kanahila not happy and holding her ground.
Later Kanahila charged our other 4WD and had it pinned against a tree. There was no way for the 4WD to move. It finally relented and an escape was capitalised.
The herd moved and blocked our exit from the park. There were several 4WDs. A park ranger came onto our vehicle and managed to clear a path for us to leave the park. He was very experienced and knew how to handle the elephants. He later told us that Kanahila lost her alf in a vehicle accident about 10 years ago. This accounted for her aggressive behaviour. Apparently the females are the more aggressive ones. I could have told them that without visiting an elephant sanctuary.
Our standoff with the elephant herd took a while. It was getting dark. One of the other 4WD vehicles had a flat tyre. Apparently the custom is that all 4WDs must stop and help and make sure that no one is left behind. It is good to see them work together even though they come from different companies.
Dusk at the park
We checked into a motel type accomodation called Asnara Hotel. It is a comfortable place with a very green setting. The food was good.
