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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Jan 24, 2015 08:00 PM Sri Lanka end to end..
Public buses here are cheap and frequent but do not expect any published timetable. Locals will tell you where is the bus stop for your destination and you have to stay there until the bus will come... Do not expect a/c luxury - they are all the same: sticky seats, open wide windows and doors. I was lucky today to wait only 10 minutes for the bus Tissamaharama - Dendra. 3,5 hours ride cost me 140 rs. Dendra, located on the southern coast has nice Buddhist Temple in the center. But the real attraction of the little town is elegant, white lighthouse located on the rocky coast and surrounded by high palms. This is the highest lighthouse (50 m) in Sri Lanka. It was built on the southernmost point of the island. So now, after my trip from Point Pedro in the north to Dendra in the south I can say that I travelled Sri Lanka end to end! :). Sweet lighthouse keeper offered me climbing to the top gallery. For 500 rs, without any ticket, of course. It seems that he established profitable private business in the state lighthouse. I refused because I do not support the corruption.
From Dendra I took another bus to big city of Matara, it has nice coastal promenade and little Dutch fort, before sunset I reached Mirissa, famous for the lovely beach... It was 35 deg. Celsius...
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Jan 23, 2015 08:00 PM Yala National Park
No reason to look for safari organizers. They will find you - already on the bus! Touts offer three version of safari - from 4 via 7 to 12 hours. Let you know that you will spent 1+1 h to approach the park gate. So I decided that 7- hours expedition makes the sense. Bargaining is the must - otherwise you will loose. Different entry fees (almost 4000 rs) and breakfast plus water were included in the total amount of 7000 rs in my case. Now I know that paid too much...
They pick you up from the hotel at 5 am. You go in the dark to the park gate via bumpy road. There they pay the entry fees while you wait. Then you enter to enjoy the sunrise. There were 4-6 comfy, soft seats in each jeep. But that was end of the comfort. The roads in the park are badly maintained - take care of your head and backbone. Crawling the park we saw elephants, buffalos, crocs, deers, mangustas, iguanas and a lot of birds. Yala NP has the highest density of leopards (they say), but we were not lucky to see one... Our young driver spoke very poor English - no animal comments at all. So now I know and advice you: Want you see animals? If you have a choice - better go to Africa. But Sri Lanka has the other highlights and people are more friendly here... Just one more experience...
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Jan 22, 2015 08:00 PM Great waterfalls of Sri Lanka
Badulla has nothing to offer except the Buddhist temple in the center and colonial church of St Mark. I came here to see third waterfall of Sri Lanka - Dunhinda Fall located 8 kms out of the town. It was early morning when I boarded red junk bus going north (20 rs). Locals told me whe to get off for the fall entrance. Then there was 20 min hiking through the path on the slope - bring at least strong sandals to get through - it is stony. At the end of the path there is nice terrace to enjoy the beauty of the upper fall - 63 m high. The load of tge water thumbling down was huge. What a view! You know I am waterfalls fan... There is also lower fall (some 20 m) but you can see it only from the distance - just after the entrance. Bach in Badulla I took a train to Ella - nice mountain settlement with great views of the green mountains. The nicest is Little Adam's Peak (nicer then proper Adam's Peak I climbed 20 years ago). From Ella a windy road goes down the picturesque Ella Gap (deep valley) and after 5 ?ms I saw there another nice fall - Ravana Ella Fall. It has only 25 m drop, but below tge drop there are white cascades - giving toogether more then 100m of the nicely falling water.
Then by hitchhiking and public bus I reached Tissamaharama - the gateway to Yala NP. I hope to see elephants and crocodiles tomorrow!
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Jan 21, 2015 08:00 PM 7,5 hours in the mountain train
Kandy is a cultural capital of Sri Lanka, but I know it from my first visit. This year I decided to jump on the famous train going through the mountains to Badulla. In the evening they said that reserved 2nd class seats are not available. I was today at 6.15 at the station and I got the ticket. It cost now 600 rs for 7,5 hours journey. It wonderful trip to the level of 1890 m through the tea plantations, bridges, tunnels and wondeful landscapes. The only problem is that the single track is very bumpy, so you cannot write on the way... Bring the food and plenty od water - there are stops on the tiny stations but they are very short and no supply. Great day and not too hot because the high level above the sea...
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Jan 20, 2015 08:00 PM Take the shirt off before you enter! Why not ladies?
Kovil is the Sri Lankan name of the Hindu temple. Since so many Tamils live in Jaffna you can see there few nice kovils. Nallur Kandaswamy kovil is the must for the traveller visiting Jaffna. Its yellow-and-orange gopura (gate) you will see from the distance. At the entrance few priests were waiting. -If you want to go inside take off your shoes and your shirt! Wow! In my travellers career I visited thousands of different temples. Very often they asked me to take off the shoes (one my pair was even stolen) but top-less was never required! Well, I did and entered just to recognize that this requirement does not apply to the ladies... So bad! We are discriminated here, gentelmen! They do not allow to take pictures inside. There are rows of ormate columns and chapels, where they put offerings. Intresting!
I saw also Jaffna fort - quite huge and picturesque stronghold built during colonial period. I did not see fort pictures in the net so far so we will have one more premiere on Gs.
In the afternoon I took a tranin back to Anuradapura (3 h, 500 rs) and crowded bus onward to Kandy (4h -190 rs) It was already dark when we reached Kandy...
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Jan 19, 2015 08:00 PM The only tourist in Point Pedro?
Sri Lanka has some 500 km north to south. The northernmost point is called Point Pedro. They say there is the second large settlement on Jaffna Peninsula but if fact it is little remote township. It took me almost 2 hours on the junk bus (75 rupees) to get there from Jaffna. The bus is nneaking and making many detours to the little
villages, so it is a chance to see day-to- day life of tge local Tamils. I like that! But the heat! In Point Pedro the life goes much slower. More then a hundered little fishing boat has here a natural shelter behind the reef - on the white beaches. There are colonial churches and Dutch toll gate to see. And of course the lighthouse built on the northern tip of the territory. Can you see it in the background on the picture?. 31m high, it does not work any more - just nearby they built the new radio navigation tower. What I liked most in Point Pedro? The people: returning smiles and greetings, talking to the stranger... Maybe because I was the only tourist in Point Pedro today?
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Jan 18, 2015 08:00 PM Sri Lanka by rail
Do you remember Tamil Tigers? I am going to Jaffna Province on the northern tip of the island. During 30 years of civil war Jaffna was closed for foreigners. Even yesterday in the main Tourist Info office on Colombo's Galle road the girl told me that I need approval from Ministry of Defence to go there. Stupid. In the heat of 32 deg I was walking first to the Ministry, then to another army office opposite Secretariat just to hear finally that I do not need any papers except the train ticket. Do not trust tourist info - this is third word!... they are not reliable.
In the Colombo Fort station on the left side of the building there is crampy booking office. Every window sells different destination. OK - my line was not long so soon I got 2nd class seat for 11.50 am train to Jaffna..
Only 800 rupees for 400 kms ride!
Today I came to Lavinia station early - and it was good becuse local train to Fort departed 10 minutes before the scheduled time! They say it is normal...
In Fort station I boarded my "intercity" car running with open wide doors and windows... Funny... It took us 6 rours to come to the Elephant Pass - narrow causeway connecting Jaffna Peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka. One hour later we reached Jaffna City. Since it was already dark I took a tuk-tuk - the threewheeler to my guesthouse. Welcome to peaceful Jaffna!
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Jan 17, 2015 08:00 PM Colombo- 20 years later...
In the morning I was attending a Sunday mass in Sinhalese in Mt Lavinia. Church was full of the children - all in white and they were singing in their national language. What a experience!
Then I took a 50 rs bus to central Colombo trying to find the places I saw 20 years ago. In the Fort quarter they try to restore old, colonial buildings. This part of the city has now a highest concentration of money changers. They are open also on Sundays. Do not care what is written in the window - bargain! ... and you will get 2 rs more for the dollar, or even more... depending on your skills. :)
I saw again temples and churches, the Secretatiat building - a pride of Colombo, built on the waterfront. Galle Rd with high buildings is a new face of Colombo.
Is the Sri Lanka's capital safe for the foreigner? In general - it is. The only danger in the daylight is pickpocketing. If you are alone and the street is empty - you are in danger. Nobody takes care of you! They are approaching you saying hallo and asking where are you from and else. Let you know - this is not friendliness or courtesy! They are watching your pockets, your bag and your belongings. If you are concentrated on taking pictures and filming the will quickly saarch your bag or pockets... So keep them away or just escape... But I still think, that Colombo is safer then eg New Delhi...
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Jan 16, 2015 08:00 PM Mount Lavinia beach
During colonial period wealthy gentelmen from England - Sir Thomas Maitland built his grand residence on the little peninsula south of Colombo. He named the residence after his love - Lovinia. She was half Portugeese, half Sinhalese dancer. Now in the former residence is the expensive, colonial hotel. And the are is called Mount Lavinia. That is where I stay. "Mount" is just a little hill covered by houses, but this suburb of Colombo has a nice beach. Due to the strong sun and heat few people come here during the day. But before sunset you can see there a crowd of locals and foreign tourists, Little restaurants along the beach offer cold beer (250 for big bottle) and seafood. I was in Sri Lanka 20 years ago - can you belive? And I am coming to the conclusion that it is now much more expensive. Just to give you the idea: now the kilo of bread costs 200 rs and kilo of bananas - 150. Only the railway tickets are still cheap: 15 rs (like 10 cents) for the ride from Lavinia to Colombo main station called "the Fort"...
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Jan 15, 2015 08:00 PM Landed in Colombo...
It was already morning (with +4,5 hours time change to Europe) when we landed in Colombo airport. Sun, heat, high humidity... I arranged and paid my visa (30$) via internet so the formalities took me only a quarter.
I did not see any customs here... Out of the arrival hall there are info desks and money changers - all off them offer same rate: 129,7 rupees for a dollar. Then the backpacker have to say - no, thank you- to the crowd of the taxi drivers. Out of the building turn left and opposite the parking you will see blue excursion a/c bus with no number - it will take you for just 120 rs (less than a dollar) to the main bus stand in the center of Colombo - it is almost 30 kms! Alternatively city junk bus 187 goes from the main road.
Traffic congestions of the huge Asian city. Colombo is still decorated by flags after the visit of Holy Father.
In the center I changed a bus to public no.100 to get for 50 rupees to the beach suburb of Mt Lavinia. I found nice hostel: Lavinia Beach Hostel (do not be confused by the overpriced Colombo Beach Hostel just 100 m away) My hostel stands in the nice garden and has excellent wi-fi internet. Single fan room with bath costs 1750 and twin - 3900. Ladies running this family bussines are very friendly. Recommended! Now it is time for agood rest!
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