Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 3

Polonnaruwa, Kandalama, Sigyria and Minneria

Polonnaruwa was created in the 12th century and whilst substantial building relics remain, much has still to be uncovered.  There was an archaeological team hard at work during our visit.

Massive brickwork structures

Remains of ornate plasterwork over bricks

Stonework - No gaps between individual pieces

Carved temple remains

Archaeologists at work

Also in the area was the Gal Viharaya rock temple.  Huge Buddhas were carved from solid rock in the 12th century, the biggest being some 15 metres long.  Incredible work considering the rudimentary tools in use.  In the photos which follow, the various rock seams can be seen to run through both the surrounding rock and the statues.

Note the rock seams

Vertical and prone carvings

We were booked in at the Heritance Kandalama on the shores of the man-made Lake Kandalama.  This accommodation was designed by the previously mentioned late architect Geoffrey Bawa to blend in with the rocky cliff and escarpment it was built round. It was certainly an impressive structure but maybe avant garde architects don't offer the most practical solutions. (A personal and biased opinion of course)!

Heritance Kandalama (file photo)

According to the statistics, the hotel is approximately 1km from end to end.  In the heat and humidity, we felt every metre trudging from the central amenities area to our room which took a good 10 minutes through walkways open to the surrounding countryside. Hard work when well fed and watered!  It was also easy to get lost with elevators seemingly placed at random throughout the structure and at all sorts of odd angles. More than once, we ended up not knowing where the heck we were.

Despite the tongue in cheek tilt at the architecture and layout, the fine dining experience in a cave immediately behind the hotel was quite something.  The multiple courses were divine, as were the wines, accompanied by a flautist sitting on a rock.

Waiting for the first course

A pretty substantial cave

The cave floor was completely natural with relatively uneven ground.  The cave itself was connected via a narrow wooden walkway to the hotel with subdued lighting.  I idly wondered whether any inattentive or inebriated guests had ever plunged into the darkness as I noted the firm grip which the dining area personnel had on guests arms as they transitioned the walkway back to the hotel.

The trip to Sigiriya Rock Fortress (Lion Rock) involved driving across a spillway of Lake Kandalama.  Irrigation water was sluicing across the road in some quantity but I suppose it was perfectly safe.  Certainly interesting though.

Water coming over the spillway

Lion Rock is some 200 metres taller than the surrounding countryside and takes some 1200 steps at a very steep angle to reach the top.  As the temperature was in the mid-30's C with high humidity, we decided to chicken out of climbing to the top and explored the ancient gardens in the lower reaches instead.

Aerial view of Lion Rock

Photo taken before abandoning the climb

Elephant rock art on the lower reaches, thought to be several hundred years old

Fig tree roots on a rock face

The afternoon activity was a game drive in Minneriya National Park.  Stopped for lunch at a restaurant with the most beautiful architecture.  The photo below shows the entrance.  Everywhere we went, there were beautiful places to eat.

 

Stunning restaurant entrance

A delightful scene in the adjoining village - someone giving an elephant a scrub behind the ears!

A ride-in elephant wash

Driving to the game park, I managed to capture some unusual scenes.  There was a field planted with tobacco, followed by leaves drying on racks.  Apparently, it's principally for chewing with betel nut and lime by the older generation and carries some significant health risks.

Tobacco crop

Tobacco leaves drying in the sun

The next photo is scarcely believable and I wonder how the authorities would react in the western world.  A case of being highly innovative!  I initially thought that we had encountered roadworks but  no, it was a local farmer drying and bagging his rice crop!  The dark road surface in full sun is the perfect medium for drying the crop before bagging - absolutely brilliant!

Not a sight you see every day

During the game drive, we saw lots of birds, much the same as the previous park  but we were privileged to see elephants with a mother and baby close up.  They were unconcerned with our presence and continued to feed.

 

What a great sight

Before heading back to our accommodation, we had to make a small excursion to rescue one of the other 4x4's which had become bogged in some soft ground.  With the aid of a winch, it popped out easily and it was back to the hotel for a well-earned beer.

....and out she pops

Part 4 to come....

Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 2

 Wilpattu National Park and Anuradhapura

En route from Colombo to Anuradhapura, we were scheduled for an afternoon game drive in Wilpattu National Park.  There were plenty of interesting things to see along the main highway, including endless huge queues at gas stations thanks to the middle east conflict.  Interestingly, the atmosphere looked pretty relaxed everywhere although police/military were in attendance in the subsequent days. It seemed that they were mainly there to assist with an orderly throughput, rather than to control any potential civil disturbances.

Huge queues for petrol

Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Bandarawatta

Scooter-riding families leaving a church function

Ibises feeding in a rice paddy field

Arriving at the national park, we transferred to open 4x4's for the game drive.  There was wildlife everywhere, especially bird life and spotted deer.

Wilpattu National Park entrance

Indian Pond Heron

Crested Serpent Eagle

Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot

Green bee-eaters

Look closely in the water - a freshwater Mugger Crocodile stalking the egret.  According to the ranger, crocodiles were everywhere but you don't always see them until it's too late!

The egret knows it's being watched

One of the many primates

After the game drive, we checked in at Uga Ulagalla resort, where we were due to spend a couple of nights and what a surprise it was!  Our accommodation was a cabin on poles with its own private pool and the interior was jaw-droppingly luxurious. It was far enough away from the 150 year old mansion which doubled as a dining and administrative area that golf carts were sent to fetch us for meals!

Our cabin in a massive amount of private land

Cabin lounge area - elegant luxury

Yep, a 4 poster bed!!

A private pool on our deck

Sri Lankan hospitality was outstanding.  Superb accommodation and wonderful food, but it was the Sri Lankans themselves which made the trip.  Warm-hearted, totally natural and good-humoured. It felt like you were with treasured friends.  This pretty much sums up Sri Lanka wherever you go.

An outdoor dinner eating traditional dishes in perfect conditions couldn't have been a more perfect end to the day.  For beer lovers, special mention of Sri Lankan beer.  Excellent drinking, including the discovery of Lion brand stout at 8.8% alcohol content.  Wonder if it's exported to NZ?

Puts hairs on your chest!

Preparing spices from scratch

Cooking dishes the traditional way

Sunset at Uga Ulagalla

A big thunderhead boiling up

The visit to nearby Anuradhapura involved going back in time to when it was the country's first capital from the 5th century BC to the 11th century AD.  It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.  The gigantic stupas are a feature of the landscape and are hemispheres which are purported to contain relics or remains of Buddha or saints, or enshrining sacred texts or objects.  They were constructed between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD - a seriously impressive bit of civil engineering.

Impressive or what?

Another massive stupa

Another impressive feat of civil engineering are the artificial lakes and water tanks.  These are millennia old and are used to capture monsoon rain for use in the drier parts of the year.  Totally appropriate in terms of today's climate threats.  It is believed that up to 30,000 of these water storage systems still exist in Sri Lanka, from relatively small brick reservoirs such as in the photo below, through to massive man-made lakes.

Part of an ancient water storage system

The sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura is reputed to be the oldest living human-planted tree in the world at approximately 2300 years old.  There's apparently both historical and scientific provenance to support its age and it receives millions of pilgrims every year.  This area had been a real eye-opener in terms of the advanced culture of Sri Lanka going back way before Europe.

The heavily protected Bodhi Tree

Part 3 to follow......

Kiwis, Curries, and Coconut Palms: NZ to Sri Lanka - part 1

I'm beginning to think that the Travel Gods enjoy throwing a few curved balls at our bucket list plans, even though we seem to get through them ok in the end.  It all adds to the memories!  In 2019, we spent some time in China, arriving in Wuhan just before all hell broke loose with Covid.  This time, it's Trump and Netanyahu who have to carry the can for starting a war and stuffing our travel plans about.

Jennie has been keen to visit Sri Lanka for some time and late last year, we started planning the trip. The original intent was to travel via the middle east which we all know has been seriously disrupted. Our most excellent travel agent sprang into action and at pretty much the last minute, managed to organise business class seats via another route with another airline when very few options remained.  It was necessary to change the beginning and end dates of the trip to meet the actual dates of the limited numbers tour but that was fine with us.  However, it did lead to unintended consequences on the return leg which will be mentioned later.

Sri Lanka is roughly one quarter the area of NZ, but with a population of around 21 million compared with 5.3 million in NZ.  Sri Lanka's history spans around 2500 years and has been occupied by the Portuguese, Dutch and British before gaining independence in 1948.

The tour was with APT Travel as we'd used them previously and they have a great reputation.  There were both Australians and Kiwis on the trip to see both the cultural and natural world aspects of the country. It mainly consisted of a couple of nights in one place before moving to the next region to explore.

Colombo region

With time to kill before joining the organised tour, we hired a tuk-tuk and driver for a few hours to show us round the city.  The first few minutes were a nightmare with death or serious injury thought to be a distinct possibility due huge traffic volumes and bugger-all space between vehicles travelling at a fair velocity. I mouthed a well-known 4 letter word at Jennie during one close encounter with a large truck and it was pretty clear that she was thinking along the same lines.

The ubiquitous tuk tuk

We needn't have worried though as most local drivers have superb situational awareness and road rage appears to be non-existent. A quick toot on the horn to advise other drivers that you're there and the apparently chaotic system actually works well although it wouldn't translate successfully to the western world due to lower tolerance levels.  It didn't take long to feel completely relaxed with our driver.  Sri Lankan main roads in town and the countryside are a match for any in the major nations in terms of quality although the smaller country lanes are pretty narrow.

Typical traffic light grand prix

Our driver was a really nice guy and a 5 hour tour was negotiated for about NZ$70.  As well as seeing tourist landmarks, we also dived down little alleyways to get a better feel for the city. We also stretched our legs at various landmarks as the following photos show.

Railway station with massive platforms - where is everyone?

The Lotus Tower is apparently south Asia's tallest structure at 356 metres and gives fantastic views over the city.

Top of the Lotus Tower

The photo below was taken looking towards the port from the top of the tower.  Colombo has a good mix of pre-European, early European and modern buildings with what seems like a good conservation plan for the older buildings.  The port construction work in the rear of the photo is a Sri Lankan/Chinese joint venture of the type seen throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Chinese influence is really noticeable in this part of the hemisphere.

View in one direction from the Lotus Tower

The bottom of the tower had graphics projected onto inner walls which the viewer could interact with and become part of the scene - great fun!

Jennie becoming an active part of the jungle scene

Massive banyan tree in central Colombo

I might also mention in passing that a stop was made at a manufacturing jeweller during the ride and a ring was purchased to match the sapphire and diamond bracelet which Jennie wears on appropriate bling occasions. Difficult, err..... impossible to argue against it with the number of expensive toys I've bought over the years! The price of love....

  That sinking feeling.......        

Seriously nice bling

 

The following day, we met with Sunil, the Tour Director and other members of the tour party. A visit to the house of the late Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa was planned, plus a walking tour of the central city, the main market and dinner at a curry house.

What a fascinating visit to the Bawa residence, located in a narrow residential lane. The style could probably be described as minimalist and the predominantly white colours were perfect for Sri Lanka temperatures and humidity. Here are a few photos.

Garage, with 1930's Rolls Royce

Passage connecting garage to main living area

Simple, elegant bedroom

Part of the main living area

Internal water feature

Owl sculpture attached to the passage wall

The afternoon walk in the central city was with a local photographer with a strong interest in preserving the architectural heritage of countries which contributed to Sri Lanka's history.  He had an encyclopedic knowledge and a great sense of humour.  I suspect that he had been a real thorn in the side of the authorities to ensure that the old buildings were properly restored and maintained.  Apparently, the Military had a major role in building restoration following civil conflict (1983-2009) and the need to give military personnel peacetime skills.  The following photos give a sense of the various styles and high quality restoration.

Chandelier stretching for several floor levels - magnificent

Lighthouse/clock tower and ornate plasterwork

The British Cargills building, circa 1903

Covered walkway, Cargill building

One building had been restored and repurposed as a technology hub for young entrepreneurs.  During restoration, many original items of furniture etc were discovered in an abandoned basement and were put to good use to decorate the rooms as per the example below. 

Restored original early gramophone

During post-civil war restoration work of the Dutch colonial period hospital which started in the 1680's, old paint was removed and when the shuttered windows were taken back to bare wood, it was discovered that they were made from solid mahogany. Well worth the effort!

Original woodwork at the Dutch Hospital

Prior to dinner, there was a visit to the main market.  It was delightfully chaotic with huge crowds mixing with traffic but again, the system, if you can call it that; seemed to work perfectly.

Products of all kinds spilling onto the road

Seething humanity

Buses bringing people to the market were highly ornamental and added to the colour and noise of the occasion.

Chaos everywhere

Magnificent Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque in the market area

After the noise and bustle of the market, it was off to dinner at a local curry house for traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. The food was delightful but almost without exception, the main courses were far too hot for western palates and coughing, sneezing and runny noses were much in evidence.  Mrs J chose spiced chicken skewers, accompanied by naan bread. When they arrived, they were suspended on what amounted to a hot charcoal mini BBQ.  I don't suppose I helped her appetite by suggesting that they looked like small rodents which had met an untimely end.  Despite this gaffe, it was a really fun evening and we all trooped back to the hotel to begin the tour proper the following day.

Mrs J's main course gently sizzling away

Outside the restaurant

Part 2 to come.......