Hiya everyone, hope you are having a good time especially during and after the New Year. Well, I’m gonna tell you a story that happened two weeks before the new year in and around the Kingdom of Tanks or if you prefer “Wevu Bendi Rajyaya”. I’m sure you can remember the last time I was there hovering around Aukana & Ritigala amid heavy rains. It was my first serious visit to the North Central which turned out to be a great success and paved way for more future visits.

Unfortunately the heavy showers late last year had caused heavy flooding in A’Pura and Polonnaruwa destroying many acres of farmlands. Most of the farmers could only watch the heartless flow of water reducing their sweat, tears and blood into nothing but mud and uprooted plants that were way beyond their worth. All of their exhausting work was in vain and even the government did very little to compensate for those people. Those officials were far more interested in the presidential election than the fate of these innocent farmers without whose dedication, we’d have to starve.

The villages around Ritigala where my host Dayararathna lives were not exempted from the natural disaster and his paddy fields too were washed away making the lives a whole lot tougher. They didn’t get disheartened by the floods or the ignorant behavior by the relevant authorities but started to plough once again as soon as the rains eased. They were in the harvesting stage when I called him late March asking about the weather. The weather was back to normal and I decided to begin where I left last time. As we had just finished a grand tour in Knuckles and another of my Rail Hikes, I was without a partner for a journey so soon. I had a 4-day break with nothing to do. Knowing it’d only make things awkward for my family to find me home doing nothing wasn’t a sensible thing. They’d probably get the notion that I’d been given the sack. So I didn’t wanna create so much anxiety. Remembering that even last time I went on my own, I  decided to do the same once again just for the hell of it.

Last time I managed to squeeze Aukana, one of the greatest architectural marvels in the whole world, into my itinerary followed by the archeological remains of Ritigala and one of its seven peaks, Una Kanda. In fact I visited the Aukana Buddha amid heavy rains with a borrowed and battered raincoat from my tuk-tuk driver, Niroshan. So I called him and got him to drive me to the other statue that is located about 16km from Aukana, the Res Vehera. Then I called Daya just to let him know my plans and fixed the accommodation and the transport.

So with so much hopes under one arm and a light overnight bag in the other I set off to meet another sexy lady on the dawn of April Fools’ Day. A quick look at the FB showed that two of my friends had been unlucky enough to have been born on this day. I arrived at Fort station just after 5am and went into find the station was bustling with many people, mainly tourists despite this being a Tuesday.  Free Wi-Fi was introduced in fort station and few other places the day before and sure enough, everyone was looking at their phones checking this and that taking the full use.

I checked the phone too and found many portals but when tried to use, realized that you gotta register and get the password. So no free internet for me yet and I just spent the time munching on an egg bun that tasted like moulded cardboard and a roll that had probably been fried at least once before. That is the meals served by the station canteen and when I asked for bottle of water, one of them offered a bottle-shaped ice cube. The bugger must’ve thought I wanted to eat water rather than drink it.

Cursing under the breath for the shoddy canteen I occupied one of the chairs and looked on. The sexy girl I was waiting for said she would come before 6am. The KKS express train was waiting at No. 3 platform gleaming in sky blue. Around 5.30am, Podi Menike came in and many people squeezed in. Couple of night mails arrived disgorging sleep deprived passengers who walked as if under sedation. Still no sign of this girl. I was getting impatient and kept looking for a glimpse of her. Around 5.50am, she came with her usual charm as if nothing can make her quicken her pace. When I got up to go say hi, so did many others. Apparently there had been many others waiting for her. That is Udaya Devi for you.

Finding a seat was like musical chairs. There were so many empty ones and everyone kept hopping one to the other until they realized all the seats were alike. At the chime of 6.05am, she pulled out of the station and carried on towards the other end of the country, Batticaloa.

Day 01

We swayed with her getting in and out of sleep while the sun rose high above the houses and then coconut trees. I always enjoy the train journeys except the inevitable delays. Just that morning I saw a cartoon shared on FB showing a passenger sitting at a station with two notices overhead. One showed Wi-Fi with a check in front while the other showed Trains with a cross next to it. Good one to start the day after the horrible fort station canteen. We arrived at Veyangoda, the most notoriously reputed place for train delays. It’s always something or the other. Today was no exception and we found Podi Menike still parked and waiting when the speaker informed there’s only one track operation just ahead close to Pallewela but assured we’d leave in a very short time. I cursed Da Vinci for his findings on relativity coz the very short time of railway officials at Veyangoda ran past 30 mins before we were given the green light. Even the last time we got held up more than 10 mins and today this.

Tour Highlights: 

1. Res Vehera aka Sasseruwa, Meegalewa.
2. Keeriyagaswewa Village and the Tank.
3. Ancient Ruins, Ritigala.
4. Kodi Gala aka Kodi Kanda, Ritigala.

We arrived at Maho and waited for Udaya Devi to go refresh herself before continuing her journey. She always seems to take very long, well what more can you expect from a beautiful girl like her. She turned this way and that way before deciding to continue. There was a bitter taste in my mouth after that awful breakfast, if you can that godforsaken junk breakfast. Thankfully there came an old mum selling guava. Couple of them (going Rs. 10/- each, a steal) went down with plenty of chillie and salt giving a better feeling. What a contrast?

Just reached Maho

13-carriage train

A copy of the good old Canadian one by the Indians

A key point in SL Railways

There comes her to be attached on the other side

One of the first 12 engines to be donated, Point Pedro

Just got coupled

The delays made sure I arrived 45mins late at Aukana where Niroshan was waiting for me. We set off immediately and chatting about on the way.

Res Vehera

We took a short cut that met Galnewa Road around half way. Then Niroshan took some more short cuts which looked all alike to me until we came to Res Vehera. There were one or two signs to give directions. The road to the Res Vehera, especially the last 6km was terrible and had seen no sign of tar or concrete. It was a typical gravel road with plenty of pot holes and washed out sections. Niroshan said despite the popularity and the importance, no politician or government body had bothered to make this road properly.

Apparently hundreds and thousands of people both local and foreign visit this marvel throughout the year yet nothing has been done about this road. So if you are one of the people who could do something about this, please try and do whatever you can to make this a better one. Before we go any further, lemme give you the story behind this wonderful creation.

The Legend

“King Devanampiyatissa had planted a Bo tree in the premises in 237 BE (around 307 BC) (Buddhist Era). The rocky Buddha statue that is 42ft 4in in height is believed to have been carved by King Mahasen sometime in 276-303 AD. King Walagamba (89-77 BC or 104 BC) had later added two cave temples. There are 99 caves with drip edges where some 365 Arhath Monks had stayed. During Kandyan Era, the last Sinhala King, Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe had renovated the temple and the complex. The wall paintings depict the stories from the Jathaka Book such as Kakkata, Dahamsonda & Manichora. Further there’s an 11.07m long sleeping Buddha statue that is the only one of its kind in the whole world. The statue had been moulded using clay and then covered with a real cotton robe before completing the statue with colors and design.”

We arrived at the temple closer to noon. There is a board at the outside the main entrance announcing the forest around it Kahalla Pallekelle Sanctuary, a place I’d not heard before. What’s more there’s an electric fence erected to keep the elephants inside the sanctuary and protect the farmlands just outside it. I wonder how practical it is to tempt them with all those crops and hoping to keep them behind an electric fence. There was a beautiful white Stupa to the side of the temple at the edge of the small tank. The tank is about half a football ground in size. There is a large rock towering at the background at the middle of which is carved the magnificent Buddha statue. There’s a plight of stairs to it. You can see the remains of caves all around and the two cave image houses are located to the left of the stairs and below the statue. There are two separate entrances to them.

We climbed the stairs and arrived at the statue and it took my breath away. Lemme be honest and tell you that it takes a lot to take my breath away and make me speechless coz I’ve seen a quite a lot of things. This was as good as the Aukana Buddha even though it looked as if half finished. The reason being the Aukana Buddha had been carved out of the rock making it look like he’s not attached to the rock in anyway. Unlike the Aukana Buddha, Res Vehera statue is still attached to the rock by a strip of rock in the back. However, the Res Vehera Buddha is taller than the Aukana Buddha. Res Vehera is 42ft 4in whereas Aukana Buddha is 38ft 10in including the Siraspatha (the symbol on the top of the head). However we mistake the heights due to the pedestal of the Aukana Buddha which increases the height dramatically to 42ft. Still Res Vehera Buddha is taller by good 4in.

I simply looked at this gorgeous creation by our ancestors. Just imagine building something in this caliber more than 2100 years ago. What kinda modern civilization we must have had then. A lot better than our current sad situation, I’m sure. The statue was in the middle of the huge flat rocky wall towering above us and looking as serenely as ever. There were kind of holes on the rocky wall just above the statue and I’m just wondering if it’s a sign of a partial roof built to protect the statue. I can go on and on describing the extraordinary statue but it’d be a lot easier to just let you look at the pictures. I’m speechless to say any further.

We spent about 20 mins admiring the statue and came down halfway the stairs and turned to the right where the ancient Bo tree is. There was a group of old ladies sweeping and cleaning the area. Instead of a typical wall around the Bo tree, there were a couple of layers of blocks of rock placed on top one another securing it. We walked around it to the rocky cave image houses. The doors were closed as in many temples nowadays, especially the ancient ones. We saw the stone scriptures on the rock above the roof of the cave and it looked in better shape and clearly legible. Unfortunately there was no way to figure out what it says. I wish there was a board with the translation placed at places like these for the travelers’ benefit. Feeling disappointed not being able to go in and see the paintings (I love the ancient paintings on walls, rocks and wooden planks) we circled the caves and got back in the front courtyard of the temple. However we saw a few tiny pagoda shaped structures probably some tombs of the monks were buried from the look of them.

At Res Vehera

Beautiful Chaithya

Going towards the main statue

Remains of ancient structures

This is where the cave image houses are, we’ll come to it later

Oh my god!

Lemme tell you this. Seeing this on a picture is nothing compared to what you see in real. A completely different feeling. So go see it for real

Amazing details even after many centuries

Those holes might mean a former roof over the statue

Must’ve looked stunning when this was built

The feet

The Robe looks real enough, not a sign of rock

View from the image below

Very old Bo Tree with plenty of history behind it

The rocky inscription at the image house

Closer

Surrounding rocks

The path to the other image house

Signs of caves

Where the sleeping Buddha is located

The steps but the door was locked

Where the monks are buried

Heart breaking thing to go without seeing the image houses

Niroshan came to my rescue and suggested we go talk to the chief monk and ask for permission to enter the image houses. He said that he knew the monk so we went to the living quarters. One of the old people who stay at the temple said the monk was taking a nap so we decided not to bother him. However one of the ladies asked us to go talk to Ukku Banda mama who has the keys to them. Fortunately he appeared out of nowhere and and kindly offered to show the place. It was one of the best things that happened in my life. You will know why when you see the pictures and the Documentary.

He opened the first one which is the smallest out of the two. It has a sitting Buddha with a couple of other statues. The walls are painted with beautiful pictures including the uneven rocky roof. How on earth they managed to paint such subtle paintings inside those dark caves even without the help of electricity. They must have been super humans, definitely not ordinary folks. It’s a pity that most of these image houses are now wired without giving much consideration for the destruction caused by them. Sadly it is the same situation in almost all of the places.

We finished the work there and went around to the other one, the largest cave that holds the 11m statue, the one and only in the world. As soon as I entered after Ukku Banda mama what I so sent me speechless for the second time of the day. There to the right of the cave was this gigantic statue looking very much real. Ukku Banda mama showed me around. There were many statues inside the cave but nothing as glamorous as this sleeping Buddha. Unlike many other places, you can walk around the statue the full circle being able to see him all around.

We went to the back of the statue where Ukku Banda mama pointed to a place which has been peeled off the paint showing off the cotton wool of the robe. Thanks to the ignorant and stupid travelers the temple has had to erect a chain fence to protect the statue being damaged. According to Ukku Banda mama, the buggers try to pull out the cotton strings which are prominent on the waves of the robe and take them as souvenirs. The stupid devils don’t understand the gravity of it. No wonder these places are kept under lock and key from the maniacs who stop at nothing to do some damage.

To the further corner of the statue is a square shaped hole where it’s believed that a corbra stayed protecting the statue. I wish it would still stay there to chase the stupid devils away coz now is the time that the statue is under great threat. We came out of the other side to find a bed to the side near the wall. “A bed? Inside an image house?” I’m sure you’re wondering out loud. So did I when I saw it. Ukku Banda mama offered the solution before I had the time to read the notice on it. This was offered to the temple by a carpenter as a gesture of his religious beliefs and now it stays here. Ukku Banda mama says it’s probably a couple of hundred years old but nothing to back his claim unless they do a carbon dating. The weavings on the bed had been pulled out and broken taking away as souvenirs by the same idiotic people. It’s a real shame and if you’re guilty of crimes like these, be ashamed and make a vow not to do it ever again. I guess you can remember how people used to pull out the silver thread from the old 500-rupee note. Do pull out anything else if you must but invaluable pieces of our heritage. We must protect these which have been protected and passed onto us by our ancestors and make sure our future generations get to see them as well. Our current situation might be worse than a cesspit but at least they’ll know we had the best civilization ever, incomparable even to the best of the today’s standards.

After the inevitable documentary, I left Ukku Banda mama thanking him profusely and praising him for his dedication to protect this place. Niroshan had been to soothe the nerves of the monk who had got up and kept wondering who I was. All the treasure hunting has left all the monks live in fear not only for the ancient things but also for their lives. We saw a CTB bus coming to the temple carrying the board Kumbukkadawala-Galgamuwa via Res Vehera. It’ll probably give you a clue of the public transport but don’t think it’s available that often. I highly recommend Niroshan if you need a reliable and friendly fellow who is cheerful and not rob you in broad daylight. Before we go on, take a look at the mythical story about the two statues which are completely false and has no real foundation.

Image House No. 01

Got lucky

My savior, Ukku Banda Mama

Entering the first one

The locked door

Either side

Just about to open and reveal the secrets

Wood carvings

Wooden roof supported by rocky pillars

Some more

Entering, just look at the statues and the paintings

Plenty of them

Painting on the rocky ceiling

One of many

More paintings along the walls

Some more

On the uneven rocky ceiling

Main Buddha Statue

Image House No. 02

Here we got the chance

Solid locks

Just before entering, can you see the writings?

Near the door

Here’s the Gigantic Statue

Hard to get the whole statue in one frame

“Siras Patha”, similar to Aukana Buddha

Another statue by the main one

Cotton robe exposed at the back of the head

Here clear signs of it

Can you read the note?

This is where that cobra had stayed. It needs to be there now not then

Can you see the torn bits? Stupid tourists are responsible for that

Hope you can read it

One of the legs

See the length of the statue?

Many more

Here a couple more

Paintings too

Time to go

Lifeline of the villagers

The Myths of Aukana Buddha and the Res Vehera Buddha…

Let me go controversial now coz there is many legends relating these two statues. So let’s get the facts straight. How about answering a few simple questions first?

• When did they build the Res Vehere Buddha? – It’s believed this was done by King Mahasen in 276-303 AD.
• When did they build the Aukana Buddha? – Apparently in 5^th Century by King Dhathusena (which means sometime in 459-477 AD). However there are other theories as well such as it was the 6^th Century and some say this was built by King Parakrambahu the Great in the 13^th Century but this is the closest we can get I suppose.
• What’s the gap between the two building dates? – Supposing they built by Mahasen and Dhathusena respectively, approximately 180-200 years. Could be more or less.

So it’s technically impossible to have built these two statues at the same time (well it’s still possible but very unlikely considering these dates). The folklores of two brothers or the teacher and the pupil building these two statues in contest seem nothing but fairy tales. I’m not saying they’re completely bogus coz we don’t seem to have the facts at hand but from what we gather they don’t seem to amount to much more than that. After all, I too am a big fan of fairy tales but it’s crucial to have the facts right. Hopefully the archeology department will be able to iron out these issues as much as possible and make sure the correct information is given to the tourists as these places (not only Aukana and Res Vehera) are visited by hundreds and thousands of tourists both local and foreigners.

Does anyone have a better theory or can anyone give us some concrete evidence please?

Kala Wewa

We got back in the tuk-tuk and returned to the bus stop at Aukana to catch a bus to Kekirawa. Having thanked Niroshan for his help, guidance and patience I got in the bus. We went along the bund of the Kala Wewa that was looking appealing. The distance hills, thick clouds, blue skies and the still water waved at me. Fortunately the driver stopped the bus on the bund and got talking to another fellow bus driver. I got the opportunity and jumped out of the bus and took a few pictures before he went away. However it was not enough for me.

As we went further up, I could see Ritigala rising majestically into the sky. I wanted to get down and walk along the bund not missing a thing but I simply couldn’t afford it. There was more to see and I was way behind the schedule. Well, just check the pictures below and tell me if you would have felt the same way.

The bus stopped

And I jumped out

Took this

And this

Ritigala in the distance

Before getting back into the bus

I called Daya who had been waiting for me. There was a very special place to go see. It is not only very special but also very much unknown to the outside world. Even the people live in the same village so close to this are not aware of it. I’m afraid; you won’t get to read about it in this report. Now don’t groan and start complaining. As it’s really special and so valuable, I’ve decided to unveil in the next report. So if you’re reading it now, you can expect that hopefully within a week or two. So I’ll jump straight to Daya’s place where I spent the night before the big day. Remember, it was one of the best days in my life and one of the best journeys but still not better than Lakegala.

We arrived at Keeriyagaswewa when the dark was falling. One of Daya’s friends called Tissa (not the one I went to see the archeological site last time) had caught some fish in the Kaluebe tank in the next village and suggested we go pick them. He had caught them in the morning and had put them in the water attached to a string to stop them rotting. See I keep things learning every day. If you’re to preserve fish after catching them, just put them back in the water after tied to a string. However only a limited number of hours you can keep them safe, probably up to 12-18 hours. These fish strings cost around Rs. 200/- at the current rate and has 6-8 fish weighing between 1-1.5kg.

We then arrived at the house and while Daya’s wife was busy cooking,  I took a bath. Most of the paddy fields have been re-ploughed and sowed after the floods and harvested too. However there were still many fields with ripening paddy still to be harvested. I saw many tree houses where the farmers kept watch at night on their paddy fields from the elephants. The jumbos present another threat to their crops as they keep coming to destroy them. Well this is a problem in most of the country from south to the north where quickly vanishing forests make the jumbos homeless forcing them to come to the villages to find food. Can’t say I blame the poor fellows. When I’m writing this, it shows on news that many jumbos coming to the garbage dumping ground in Hingurakgoda closer to the Kaudulla National Park. There is even a tusker among them. They will either die of food poisoning or get killed by some wicked people, especially the poor tusker. Nobody seems to do anything about it and the jumbos keep chasing the garbage trucks until they dump the loads.

Despite the grievances of the farmers I felt elated at the prospect of seeing some elephants in the night. I love watching the jumbos. Even last time I was without luck and was hopeful having seen the tree houses. Daya, Chandi (another of his friends) and I went for a walk along the road with torches that were turned off looking for the elephants. On the way we talked to a couple of people staying up the tree houses keeping a close vigil. We heard couple of elephant crackers going off but most of the time farmers just light them even before seeing the elephants, probably just to give a warning if they are nearby. All of a sudden we heard the roar of them in the tank most likely having a late bath. We couldn’t get towards the tank so returned home for a sumptuous meal with tank fish.

After the meal, we stayed up for another hour or so hoping to see a jumbo but my luck was not in this time either. So we went to sleep asking to be woken if any jumbo came in the night. No jumbo appeared as if sensing my arrival. They had come regularly over the past days but today was taking a break. Chandi joked saying I should come and stay until the harvesting stage so that jumbos will stay away. I went into a dreamless sleep hoping for clear weather the following day. Now you too get some rest coz tomorrow there’s plenty to do.

Day 02

I woke up as the first rays of the morning falling on the trees and the gravel roads. I was hoping for some mist but none to be had. Fortunately the unbearable heat was not there in the night and I slept like a baby. The typical noises of the forest could be heard. There were birds chirping, wind rustling the leaves, peacocks making their unpleasant deep noises and bees humming on their way to juicy flowers. I would have loved to stay like that listening to all this but there was plenty to do with very little time. Time seems to fly when I go sightseeing. I reluctantly flexed my muscles and commanded the limbs to start cracking.

Daya’s son and daughter had already got up and were ready to go to school. Unfortunately he still hasn’t got electricity in his house and even the house is barely enough for them to live. You know what I’m hinting at, don’t you? It’d be a real noble thing to help him complete the house and obtain electricity. So if you come across any organization that is looking for some charity work, they can’t go wrong with helping them. It’d be a very worthy cause.

I got up and did the usual chores while the sun climbed up the Ritigala. We sent a message to Tissa (my partner in the last journey) to come in the morning for the day’s schedule. Till then I had sometime to explore the surrounding areas. Grabbing the opportunity, I walked along the gravel road taking in the scenery breathing the fresh air coming from Ritigala kissing the paddy fields and the tanks on the way. Some fields had already been harvested while some still were not ready. The harvested fields looked brownish yellow with dried up clay sticking to the roots. Others had the lush green in many shades. Bunches of grains were bending towards the earth feeling the weight of the ripening seeds. Water gurgled through the tiny gaps making bubbles in places. There was a motorbike left at the base of a tree house. Nevertheless the house was empty. The farmers had apparently gone home after a sleepless night.

The Ritigala mountain range looked absolutely stunning against a blue and white sky. The light green paddy fields in the foreground added the flavor while the dark green on the mountain itself blended into the setting. It wasn’t all, there were a few exposed rocky sections in the mountain giving charcoal grey, black and some shades of the peach to the picture. What more can I say? It’s really pleasing to the eye and you would never get enough of looking at this beauty. Well, I was ready to get to the highest point that day but don’t you worry coz I had all the means to achieve that. So don’t get anxious and let’s go experience what it is like to be on the top of the kingdom of tanks. But before we go, I gotta go get some breakfast in me. I heard Daya’s wife saying there was tank fish left from the last night. Now don’t be jealous and go have your meals and enjoy the pictures of my morning stroll.

Gosh, what a breakfast! All I need is a mat under the shade of the tamarind tree to digest the meal. Unfortunately I ain’t got that luxury coz I can hear you complaining. But we’re not going up yet. Lolz, I’d have loved to see your face after the last sentence. You think I’d been ranting about it all this time just for the hell of it, don’t you? Please bear with me for a little while longer and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Would you like to go see the Keeriyagaswewa tank full of water? Last time it was nearly empty and I wanted to go see the transformation after the rains. So Daya and I took the tuk-tuk and went for a drive. After a few minutes we arrived at the foot of the bund and parked the vehicle.

The area was all covered with paddy fields and on almost every tree which is there in the middle of them had a tree house for the farmers to keep watch. We climbed up to see the tank and gosh, what a difference. It was full to the brim with beautiful white lotuses rising from the water towards the sun while the leaves spread out around them on the surface. Not only that, above the water surface which was making tiny waves in the wind, Ritigala looked beautiful than ever. This was a dream of every photographer, painter and film director. I just couldn’t drag myself away despite numerous warnings by Daya about getting late. Finally I gave in and we got back in the tuk-tuk coz my destiny was calling me.

Good morning

Left most part

My target

Probably had a quarrel last night

Endless paddy fields

Nice combination

“Maduruwa” bike

Dusty roads

Beautiful range

Some harvest for the hard-working farmers

Will take some time before the harvest

This is nearly ready, two more weeks

A meeting?

Equal gap

Another watch hut

See the colors bending nicely?

Now the contrast

Hey buddy!

Salivating, ain’t it?

Kept bumping into them

Oh dear!

Ferocious

Another one

Look at the silhouette

At the Keeriyagaswewe Tank

A sight worth seeing again and again

Last time it was completely dry

Good looking

Couple with a baby to be born soon

Harvested paddy fields

Many huts all around

Ok, now let’s head to the dream

The Dream Hike

Tissa came in and we went to the archeological site some 2km away. The tree covered road was cool and it was around 9am when we arrived and started our hike after the necessary paperwork and official matters. Already there was a large group of local tourists roaming around and I was grateful for my previous visit which gave me all the freedom to take pictures without having to worry about people moving about. We went on to the target even though the journey was strenuous and tested our rather my bones and muscles. I don’t think I would ever cease to be amazed by the ingenuity of our ancestors. Especially what you would see in Ritigala. This must be categorized as one of the seven wonders. What they had built in Ritigala making that rocky mountain self-sufficient and self-reliant is beyond any imagination. I know I have already given a big chunk of my photo collection for you in the last trip but lemme give a bit more coz it’s worth seeing them again and again and again.

Well afterwards it was all about the jungle and we saw trees and plants grow in Ritigala which are unique to other environmental conditions such as Horton Plains, Sri Pada and Knuckles. That is why Ritigala was declared a Strict Nature Reserve (SNR). Only three of them exist in the country and I’ll let you find out the other two if possible. Until then without further delay I’ll let you enjoy the pictures of our laborious hike uphill. After the pictures, I’m gonna jump once again and get to the observation point little below the summit.

Ok, now we were about to get up to a place with a beautiful view. This reminded me of the Una Kanda as it too was similar to this point and gave a similar view but a little lower. I did a short documentary and we continued our way uphill. The final push brought us to a somewhat flat wooded area. There is ample room to move between the trees unlike the thick and impassable areas of Sri Pada and Knuckles. We saw a small toilet-sized cement and brick structure and a cable ran from it to a nearby pole which was a failed attempt by the officials to use it as a signal tower. The summit is a larger rock about 20ft high and closer to 50ft in diameter and a circumference of well over 100ft. Very much similar to the Saradiyel Rock or the summit of Alagalla I guess. I’m yet to visit any of those mountains. I know what you think and yeah I too feel ashamed of myself for not doing anything about it.

Archaeological office

Let’s make a move

Banda Wewa

Hallmark steps

First Stone Bridge

Many ruins like this

Hundreds of Monks had walked along these paths

Entering the footpath

Here we go

Bed and Pillow

Drainage lines made of stone

Hidden ruins

All over the forest

Almost stepped on the fellow

Still not so steep

Seeking the much needed sunlight

Just look at that

Now the difficult terrain

Tough places to go past

Circling the boulders and trees

It was very calm and serene inside

Huge one, probably attacked by the eagles

Just look at the precision making

Sambar is responsible for these

Final stretch

Very tough terrain

Look at the creeper

First observation point

Stretch into miles and miles

Not edible

Typical upcountry forest

“Balu Dan”, a plant found in Knuckles and Sri Pada

This tree is covering the rock with its roots

Wana Raja, again seen on Sri Pada mainly

Skeleton bodies

The small structure with the signal tower

There it is now abandoned

Oh, hello!

Hi cutie!

We carefully conquered the rock which is not that big a deal if it’s not wet. Arriving on the summit is an experience which will be with me forever and ever. There is a pole about 20ft high supported by rocks with a flag flying from it symbolizing the name “Kodi Kanda” or “Kodi Gala”. It gave a 360-degree view which is also a very rare thing as many summits don’t have that possibility. One major exception is the Sri Pada that gives the best 360-degree view in Sri Lanka, probably the whole world. No wonder Lord Buddha chose it to leave his sacred footprint.

Ok, let’s look around and see what we can see. Tissa is gonna help us. Here we go, there’s Habarana side over the extreme left (when looking at the range from Keeriyagaswewa) end of the range. Moving to the right now, there’s Kala Wewa in the distance. Then we’ll follow the Galenbindunuwewa-Kahatagasdigiliya road. Towards the right end of the range is the Anuradhapura area. There’s Ruwanweli Maha Seya if we’re not mistaken. To the left of her is Thuparamaya and to the right some way away is Mihintale. Ok then let’s cross the right edge of the range. There is Hurulu Wewa in the distance and closer to the mountain is Ganewelpola town. About just below us is Keeriyagaswewa tank and the wildlife office. We could see the road running from there to the base of the mountain. Then going further is Minneriya and Kaudulla.

Yeah you can see all that and much more. The sun took pity on his children and hid behind a cloud giving us the much needed shade. We spent closer to three quarters of an hour enjoying the scenery, savoring the achievement and taking dozens of pictures. Well, all good things come to an end and my journey too had to come to a conclusion. Sadly we bid farewell to this unique and beautiful lady thanking her for putting up with us. This was a dream come true and I’m gonna treasure it till the end of my life. We started our descend and made quick progress.

By 1.30pm we were on the solid ground when there was a big commotion near the office. There were a couple of busloads of school children waiting to go see the place. We were lucky to have been inside before they went in.

The final obstacle, gotta be very careful

Here’s the summit

Now the endless views

Kala Wewa in the far

Towards Habarana

Mihintale and Ruwanweliseya to the right and in the distance, don’t think you can see it

Rest of the range

The other end of the top part

No wonder the North Central is called the Kingdom of Tanks

The lone traveller

The 360-degree view

Beautiful patterns

Well, time to go

Climbing down carefully

Passing the same obstacles

Oh, hi!

Hmmm?

Looks like an alien

Climbing down with the help of a creeper

Here it is

Plenty of creepers around

Origin of a water stream. This must feed many villagers on the way

Patterns

Back on somewhat flat area

Mushy mushrooms

We saw it going up so did you

Ruins

First thought: “Rock Python”

Could be the same fella

An ancient pond now being used to pump water to the archaeological site below

Here it is

Rocky walls

Split rock

Almost finished the journey

Inside the Library

See the hole to the left?

You saw this in the last report

Another stone bridge

See the interlocking side railings?

Endless path

Many ruins

Going back

No one there

Perfectly designed

Near the Banda Wewa

Ok, time to call it a day and head home

Having arrived at Daya’s place we sat for a quick lunch. Then bidding farewell to everyone, Daya gave me a lift to the Moragoda junction where I took a bus to Kekirawa. Fortunately there was a Colombo bus but the stretch between Dambulla and Kandy road was a pain to cross. It’s still under construction and the heavy rains made going slower than walking. Ibbagamuwa, Malsiripura and other towns nearby were under more than a foot of water. After a slow and painful could of hours we reached Kandy road then Colombo along it by 9.30pm.

Well folks, are you tired after the marathon? I’m not and gonna do another right after but not today. You can join me later, another day.

Hope you enjoyed our trip together and would love to go see the secret treasure I promised earlier. Be patient coz next report is gonna be all about it.

But, before you go, there are a few Panos for you to look at.

Pano 1

Pano 2

Pano 3

Pano 4

Pano 5

Pano 6

Pano 7

Pano 8

Until then, take care and keep traveling. This is Sri signing off for now.

Ciao…

Sri,

Hello everyone! Hope you have got a couple of hours with nothing urgent coz I would like to take you to a very special archeological site which is not so popular and known. Ok, let’s get down to business straight away.

I’ll begin with a feeble question. “Do you know the Samadhi Statue?” Well I know now you’re getting worked up coz if there was a dumb question, this is it. But before you close the computer and go away seething with rage, give me a few seconds to explain myself. Another question: “Where is the Samadhi Statue you know located?”. A little better but still silly, ain’t it? You would proudly say in Anuradhapura. Well most of the ancient great statues are in Anuradhapura & Polonnaruwa so even if you didn’t know, a wild guess would have been enough. You’re right absolutely. The great Samadhi Statue that emanates so much serenity, peace and compassion is in Anuradhapura and to be more precise at Mahamevuna Uyana.

I don’t think there is another greater statue that shows the noble qualities of the greatest philosopher to have walked on this earth, the Lord Buddha. I’m sure most of you have been to this amazing creation by our great ancestors. I keep saying that they couldn’t have been ordinary human beings but super humans who could do virtually anything. Well even nowadays we have supermen but all they do is destroy the wonderful things our ancestors created. One such example is the robbery of the National Museum when one superman called Kangatta managed all alone to lift a lorry load of things from the National Museum close to a High Security Zone. His spiritual powers were such he knew exactly when the CCTV cameras would be out of order. Maybe he even managed to make them redundant with his powers. The superman we knew as kids would have committed suicide feeling ashamed of himself after our superman’s work. Ok, I admit that I’m feeling bitter about the brutal way they robbed our National Museum but who wouldn’t?

Leaving it aside for the time being (you can bet your last penny you would hear my bitterness in the future) let’s move on. The Samadhi Buddha we know or popular among the majority of the crowd is simply an artwork with impeccable precision. What would you say if I told you that there is a similar or even a twin statue in Anuradhapura but more than 50km to the northeast in a small village known as Divulwewa? There could be a few people who may have heard about this or even visited the site but majority of you wouldn’t have thought about a twin Samadhi Statue, would you? Well lemme tell you there is one and you are coming with me. I was at Aukana after visiting the Res Vehera with Niroshan. Simple click on the link will take you to that report. Then I called Daya and told him that I was leaving. The time was past 1.30pm and I had more than 50km to go see this wonderful creation.

I took a Kekirawa bus (don’t expect me to tell or show you the pics of Kala Wewa once again) and got there sooner than expected. Daya had gone home having waited for me the whole morning so I had to take another bus and meet him halfway through. Getting into a Galenbindunuwewa bus, i bought a ticket for Rs. 38/- to Moragoda Junction. Surprisingly I was given the 2-rupee balance without a mega teledrama. By the way, have you noticed the number of villages in the North Central which has “Wewa” to the end of their name? It almost acts like a suffix. You know suffixes, don’t you? If you don’t, just type the word “suffix” on Google and press enter. You’ll be in safe hands.

It’s 19km from Kekirawa to Moragoda (Rs. 2/- per km). I won’t bother describing how gorgeous Ritigala looked in the distance. Daya was waiting when I arrived with a friend of him, Tissa (not the one who went hiking with me). Even in my last visit I had told Daya about the Divulwewa Samadhi Buddha but we couldn’t do anything due to the heavy rains. Therefore I was determined to make it happen this time come rain or shine. We drove on along the Galenbindunuwewa-Hamillewa (gosh, the length of their names) B133 road. Still even Daya had no clue about what we were going to see however he knew someone working at the archeological site there. We were going to meet him and get the details. We drove past Hurulu Wewa and then Yakalla to Galenbindunuwewa (thanks for the ctrl+C option). Then continued towards Hamillewa until we arrived at that person’s place.

Daya went to check if he was there and our luck held. He was at home and we got the directions and continued but not before his stern piece of advice, “you can’t take pictures there, ok?”. I just kept quiet and looked at him passively. We passed 21st Colony and asked for directions but nobody knew about a Samadhi statue but thankfully they knew there was an archeological site in Divulwewa. Passing Punchi Halmillewa we checked the directions once again but they still didn’t know about a Samadhi statue yet informed us that there’s a typical archeological sign on the main road. Feeling depressed we kept a look out for this archeological sign as it was the only thing we had. In the distance I saw the signature black sign on the right hand bank of the road but pointing to our left and it that stated “Divulwewa Archeological Site” – 250m.

I was so happy and when we checked with a group of people having a chat at a shop, they said this was the Komarikawala Junction. This is just after the 35th km post, about 400m passing it. We turned to the left and alas, as stated we could see an archeological site within a very short distance. Well done folks for getting the distance correct. It’s 27km from Moragoda junction to Divulwewa. All in all, there’s roughly 44-46km from Kekirawa.  There are a couple of villages called Divulwewa so be careful when you travel. The most misleading on is the Aluth Divulwewa in the vicinity of Galenbindunuwewa. There are a couple more in Medawachchiya as well. There is a gate to the archeological site but was closed and my heart skipped a beat. Further down next to the site is a temple and we went into that. There was someone coming out of the temple and we told him our purpose. He turned out to be an official of the archeological office and happily agreed to show us the place. He is one of those sensible type of officials who doesn’t stick to the rules like some holy book and not ready to be flexible. I’ve met similar practical people in places such as Nalanda Gedige, Jaffna Museum, Berandi Kovil etc. Even the air force officer who was at the Piduruthalagala summit was one such guy.

The structure that houses the Samadhi Buddha was nearby and from the distance we could see the resemblance. There was another archeological officer mowing the courtyard with a hoe. I ran to the front of the building and stopped in midair when I saw this majestic thing. The most notable thing being the broken nose from the bridge towards the nostrils. Except that this resembled the Samadhi Buddha we know at Mahamewna Uyana. I forgot all about the warning that was given by the other officer not taking any pictures and started shooting away. The one cleaning the garden came and stood watching us but didn’t say a word. I then remembered the warning and looked at the officers sheepishly hoping they wouldn’t fly off the handle coz there were many incidents like that as well in the past. They didn’t utter a word, instead looked at me, rather us, surprisingly as if they couldn’t believe our presence.

Finally, when I had completed my photo taking all around the statue and did my worships, the older one said: “I’d never have allowed anyone to take pictures but the moment I saw you, I knew you were genuinely interested in this. So I kept quiet.” Well, I don’t think I could have had a better compliment. Then he asked the younger officer to show us around. The complex is more than an acre in size (well it could be more but the area we could see was something like that) with remains of  more than half a dozen prominent foundations of ancient buildings such as Preaching Hall, Meditation Chambers, Monks’ Dwellings and a well-planned Kitchen. In addition to them, one striking feature among the ruins is what is believed to have been a library on stone pillars (Tam Pita).

Well turning back to the statue, to be honest I really don’t have recollections of visiting the original Samadhi Buddha in A’Pura Mahamevuna Uyana. I’ve been there in my school days but we had other things in our minds than admiring the craftsmanship of our great grandfathers. It’s vital for a country’s survival, especially to safeguard a country’s heritage, to educate the younger generation properly. They must be taught the history, not as a subject that they have to pass in the exams, but as a part of their lives. Most kids get bored coz they think it’s an additional strain on their already overloaded subjects and hardly take a genuine interest. You gotta make it interesting and enjoyable so that they will love learning more and visiting even more. I’m sure all the parents who read me and Lakdasun will try to get their kids interested in things like this than John Cena, Ben 10 or any superficial characters. Teach them that our ancestors would have had John Cena for breakfast and Ben 10 for dessert. No ordinary folks could have built things like these so tell them that the USA or the rest of the world has only one superman but we’d had many thousands.

However from what I’ve seen and heard from the officials on site, this Samadhi Buddha is more prominent in shape than the original one. I’m referring to the A’Pura one as the original coz it’s the most popular but this one could well be the original as the age is not properly measured. That is one but a major weakness of our archeologists and the department. Not being able to do a thorough analysis and get the details like these spot on. Maybe we have too many to check but we must do them as much as possible and as soon as we can. This Samadhi Buddha looks more muscular than the original version. Other than that, this could be a bit bigger but I couldn’t be sure. The broken nose somewhat made this less appealing than the other but the noble qualities of the Lord Buddha portrayed just the same.

Click image to enlarge

Here we are

The structure reconstructed by the archaeological officers

Where the Samadhi Buddha resides

Amazing, let’s go in

What do you think?

If if wasn’t for the broken nose, almost a carbon copy of the A’Pura one

Such impeccable craftsmanship

From the side, broken nose is more prominent

Carved out of Chandrakanthi Stone

This is newly put together by those officers

Serene looking

Closer, pity the nose is broken

The structure

Other side

The Legend

Lemme tell you how this statue was located and it’s a folklore. The folklores are ok so long as they don’t contradict the real thing. As we know very little about this statue, we have to depend on things like that.

“This statue had been covered by a huge molehill when it was found by a group of people roaming the area which used to have been a thick forest. They had seen the head popping out of the top of the hill and found this after breaking the hard earth crust surrounding it. To make matters worse, there had been a Nuga Tree which the statue was leaned on. To get the statue and keep it somewhere safe they had to cut the tree.

Usually it’s believed that there are spirits or the way the villagers put it, gods living on trees like Nuga. So they decided to first ask whoever living (if there was) on the tree to leave so that they could cut it. Having done the rituals and promising to come back the following day to cut it and clear the statue, they had left. When they came prepared the following day, they had found a herd of elephants in the vicinity. They went to cut the tree after they had left and what they saw amazed them to no end.

The Nuga tree had been uprooted and thrown away by the elephants making their job easier. They had then cleaned the statue and started worshipping it.”

Well I asked how the nose was broken but the officer informed it was just like that when they came to the possession of it. It might have been broken when this was being unearthed or even after. A real pity. Ok, enough of my descriptions now go enjoy the pictures.

Rest of the Site

The Divulwewa Monastery is believed to have housed hundreds of monks within its environs during Anuradhapura period. There is a small complex of at least three structures but only the red brick foundations are visible. There were a few stone pillars in one of them. Beyond that towards the entrance was the biggest of the foundations. It is easily 40’X20′ and believed to be a preaching hall. The rest of the land is covered in many trees. However we saw another two more separate foundations further away from the Samadhi statue. They had stone steps leading up to the base and a few stone pillars as well. The officer then took us what believed to be the kitchen. The most distinguished feature is the large stone sink. There was the bottom of it was there but the cylindrical hole that lets water out was clearly visible. Not only that, the carved stone drain leading away from it sealed the fact.

It’d been unearthed by the archeological department and now preserved as best as their poor budget allows. Well this is the whole thing you can see at a glance. Our guide cum archeology officer then said that there’s a theory this statue was built somewhere else and brought here. However there is one thing that can contradict the theory. It’s nothing much but a rocky basin like thing which was believed to have been used to sharpen the tools that used to carve the statue. Well, you might remember the stone slab (Kadu Ge Gala) at Vijithapura temple that was apparently used by the King Dutugemunu’s army to sharpen their swords. It looks well worn out having used excessively. The stone basin like thing could be something like that but used to create a magnificent statue.

Archeological officers further revealed that there is a burial ground of the monks who lived here. It is located next to the monastery grounds where ashes of dead monks have been interred and covered with a stone slab. I wanted to go see it but due to the rains, it’d turned into a small tank leaving nothing much to see so we had to perish the thought. If you happen to visit during the dry season, do take a look and I’m planning to go see it if the time permits and the opportunity arises. It was getting late and we had to leave coz there were close to 30km for us to travel to reach Daya’s place. Tissa and Daya were very pleased with what we saw and kept repeating this was worth seeing again and again. They even felt a bit ashamed for being unaware of this great statue. As we were talking about protecting these kinda things from treasure hunters and vandals, our friendly officer invited us to see something heart breaking. Let’s go see what it is, shall we?

Surrounding remains of many buildings

Can see a bottom of a Pun Kalasa below

Urinal

The main complex

Very big

Many more like this

We walked around

Entering one complex

Here it is

And another

Shady paths leading to many other structures

Here we go

Tampita Viharaya

There’s another at the end

Oh here it is

Moonstone is almost gone

Full pic

Going back

Buddha housing building

Here’s the believed kitchen

The floor dug out of the earth

The zinc I told you about

This is similar to Kadu Ge Gala at Vijithapura but here it’s the tools that were sharpened which they believe used to create the statue

The main building once again

Time to go but something else to show you

Ignorance Causes Disasters

He showed us an ancient stone which had used as a flower stand. It is about 15’X4′ and had a white sticker pasted on the face which had been torn in places. Looking at closer we could see the black letters which read as “Eethalwetunuwewa Muslim School”. This Eethalwetunuwewa Muslim Village is located about 15km from the Divulwewa Monastery. How they came about this is still a mystery but initially they had carved the name on the face but apparently realizing that it was a wrong thing, had tried to cover the stone face with a sticker with their name, probably hoping to cover the stony surface. What kinda ignorant and heartless devils those buggers have been?

Thankfully but rather late, someone had run 119 and the police had found the flower stand destroyed beyond any restoration. I’m sure people like these will rot in hell.

Here the sheer stupidity and ignorance

We heard the same story when we visited Muhudu Maha Viharaya in 2011. The monk said that he was under threat by the Muslim villagers around the temple and claimed most of the land belonging to the temple had been taken over by them by force while our authorities looked the other way. He said that a few Muslim politicians had encouraged the people to take them over while using their power to keep police at bay. A very much similar thing happening in Wilpattu these days as we all know. He had received many death threats asking to leave the temple but stayed nevertheless. There was a police officer based at the temple 24/7 but nothing else had been done to reclaim the archaeological site or safeguard the ruins.

Apparently most of the rocky pillars and slabs were in the nearby houses being used for various things such as stepping stones. We in fact saw two such houses with at least four such items (one had two slabs whereas the other had two large pillars). They even had blocked the road by covering it completely with mats full of paddy and when asked the way, simply said that there was no such place in the area and asked us not to go beyond the mats. We then turned around to the town and got the directions from a cop who said that it was a common issue which they could do very little. Guess what, we went back and drove over the mats full of grains and arrived at the temple.

A similar thing has happened in Kadurugoda and the army has been posted to protect the place. Even that archaeological site had lost around half of its original landmass. How many more places like those are under threat and being destroyed as we speak. It’s a real pity that we can’t protect our heritage from extremists like these. They need to be punished regardless of the political influence, race or religion before it’s too late. Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and all the others have a duty to help protect our heritage coz they all are Sri Lankans. I guess the archaeological department needs to be given more manpower, equipment, authority and the security forces’ assistance to protect these kinda sites.

A Sincere Apology and Heartfelt Gratitude for the Dedicated Archeology Officers

Well, I admit that I had a very low opinion on the archeology department. Especially their inability to protect the archeological sites in the country. However recently, I’ve seen, met and talked to quite a few officials who are really dedicated to their duty. It’s a real sad thing to see how much they have to do with the bare minimum support. I guess it’s a miracle we have these archeological sites to go see considering how understaffed and poorly equipped they really are. So guys, I apologize to those who take their job seriously and give 100% to protect our heritage, sincerely for criticizing you. Hats off to the hard work you put in which goes unnoticed and unheard. Thanks a lot for every good thing you’ve done so far and hope you will continue the good work to the future.

Hopefully you’ll get recognized and be given substantially support, both financially and structurally, to strengthen your efforts. It’s the responsibility of the government to provide you with all you need and wonder if it ever happens though.

On our way back

Looking majestic

See the royal pose

Well, see you again

Well, folks, I know it’s turned out to be a very long article in the end and I poured my heart out.

Hope, you learned something from this and will visit this place at the first opportunity.

This is Sri signing off with a bow.

P.S. If you go there in the future, you might be able to pick up a leaflet with the details (given in the first picture) and a picture of the Samadhi Buddha from the archaeological office. I thought it’d be useful for the travelers, especially the school kids, to have something like that as a souvenir.

You’ll find the motto below printed at the bottom of the leaflet and I think we must teach children just that so that they’ll safeguard things like these which have been left by our proud ancestors.

“This is Our Heritage.

Let’s Protect it as Eyes & Cherish as Life”

Map Day 1 & 4

Map day 2

Map day 3

Places of interest

• Kanthale ancient Sorouwa
• Welgam wehera
• Thissa Hermitage – Anandakulam
• Ruins around Wilankulama lake
• Fort Frederick
• Koneshwaram kovil
• Dogs grave
• Hoods tower museum
• Boat ride in Trinco bay
• Japanese bombed oil tanks(tank farm)
• War cemetery (WW2)
• Gokanna RMV
• Kanniya hot water wells
• Marble beach
• Sampur – Foul point
• Mahaweli river delta
• Nilaweli beach
• Pigeon island
• Kuchchaweli Pichcha mal viharaya
• Tiriyaya Nagathambarani carving
• Tiriyaya Giri hadu seya
• Arisimale beach
• Kokilai lagoon
• Bakmeegama – Kivulekada Shailabimbaramaya
• Bakmeegama Shiva kovil
• Pahala gama Archeology site
• Surulumahamuniyawa RMV Tri/Medawachchiya
• Unknown site at Tri/Medawachchiya
• Gomarankadawala Ridi kanda
• Ran giri ulpotha
• Wilpalamkulama Dakshinaramaya
• Mora wewa – Gajaba lena
• Mora wewa
• Mora wewa – Kituluthuwa Shakyasinharamaya
• Wilgam wehera – Nelumgama
• Seruwawila RMV
• Pashana pabbatha RMV
• Lankapatuna
• Black beach
• Ruins at Kathiraweli
• Kathiraweli pre historic cemetery
• Verugal kovil
• Kayyankerni ancient rock bridge and ruins
• 58^th mile post Dhageba
• 40^th post Gal kanda mountain range ruins

It was Vesak holidays and i wanted to visit some temples just like i did in 2013. Though I have been to Trinco as a kid I have not properly explored this region. so after some intensive planning with the aid of online and offline literature i was all set for this 2015 Vesak expedition. We knew that this was going to be a tough one especially with the extreme heat but we were up to the task. The added advantage was that every budhdhist temple was decorated for Vesak and it was easy to locate. The disadvantage was that it was too crowded since it was a long holiday.

1 Kanthale Sorouwa

So we left early on and while on the way to Trinco we did have a stop at Kanthale to appreciate the ancient sorouwa right by the side of the road. Since this would be a long report I would stick to the basic details..

Kanthale ancient sorouwwa

Kanthale reservoir

2 Welgam wehera

To reach this historical location we had to take a short cut from A6 to A12 and proceed towards Mora wewa side and take another right hand turn. This site dates back to 2^nd century. The bo tree was once attacked by a mortar and the mortar bomb never explored.

Welgam wehera

a restored building

the statue of budhdha

guard stone

the sthupa

dancers seen on the outer wall of the sthupa

the historical tree which captured the motor bomb

3 Kanniya Hot water springs

While reaching back towards Trincomalee one could also visit Kanniya hot water wells and Archaeology reserve. For more info refer this link

4 Tissa hermitage Anandakulama

Just before reaching Trincomalee one would note a unique mountain range and this rocky range harbors some ancient caves. We took the road in front of the provincial educational office which connected to A6. This modified temple is at the end of the lake bund. There are about 3 drip ledge caves close to the current temple but finding those was a challenge.

Anandakulama mountain range

statue on the rock

Anandakulama

cave at anandakulama thissa hermitage

another cave

5 Ruins around Vilankulama

From Anandakulama we returned back to A6 and headed towards 6^th mile post where a board saying Vilankulama could be found. There was a pagoda right in front of it on the opposite side of the road and been covered by Teak trees. There was another site close to the bund of the lake and to get to it we had to cross the road side paddy field. The sight of a dug up pagoda just made us feel bad.

Vilankulama

the pagoda which is dug up at Vilankulama lake

another pagoda on the opposit side of the main road. there are few teak trees on it

6 World War 2 cemetery

Since it was lunch time we decided to head back to Trinco and have lunch. After having lunch we had to ride towards Nilaweli because there were no beach side hotels to accommodate us. On our way we noted the War cemetery right on the side of B424, few Km’s from Trinco. There were many graves belonging to different nationalities. We had to please ourselves by looking over the gate since it was locked.

War cemetery

all who lost their lives

7 Tank farm

After a struggle we did manage to find a reasonable place at Nilaweli beach. Though the surrounding area was crowded it didn’t bother us a bit. After having a small nap we took off towards Trinco. At China bay with a huge bend there was the IOC office where I got permission to visit the Japanese bombed Oil storage tanks. There are about 100 plus tanks and out of these only a hand few is been used. The ride through the forest was very interesting indeed.

Japanese bombed few oil tanks during WW2

bombed tank

inside a tank

used currently by IOC

8 Fort Frederick

We returned back to Trinco and halted our vehicle close to the beach though we could have driven in to the fort. Our main intentions were to enjoy the scenery and architecture of the fort. So the walk towards Koneshwaram was the best option. It is nice to see that many buildings are still in good condition thanks to the military. By the way people need to stay away from the Deer who live freely in its premises.

Fort Fedrick

entrance

plenty of these guys

ancient buildings

9 Dog’s grave

There are few graves close to the car park at Koneshwaram and the interesting thing is some of these belong to dogs.

Dogs grave

zoomed

10 Koneshwaram Kovil

This is thought to be built by Elara. It also has counter parts like Ketheeshwaram and Munneshwaram at the western coast. This been located on the cliff on Trincomalee has a splendid view point. Out of all lovers leap provides a greater v

Koneshwaram kovil

a huge statue

sacred

expecting blessings

the drop

lovers leap point

11 Gokanna RMV

Just before exiting the fort one could note a temple on the right side with a wonderful view towards Back Bay. This is a historically important site. There were ruins of a statue and a Asanagaraya too. For me the wooden carving of the Budhdha was the most fascinating sculpture.
After enjoying a lovely sun set we took off towards Nilaweli and on our way we came across a vegetarian restaurant close to Sri Lakshmi Narana kovil. This place was called Sri Vari Balaji restaurant. And we did pay a visit on the next two nights too. We loved the food at that place.

Gokanna RMV

statue with the asanagaraya

ruins

wooden statue

boats at fishing harbour

dusk

Day two was all about Tiriyaya – Gomarankadawala route. This was going to be along one and most of the places we visited weren’t even in our to-do list. After enjoying a lovely sun rise at Nilaweli we took off towards Kuchchaveli.

12 Pichcha mal viharaya Kuchchaveli

At Kuchchaveli close to the main road there is an interesting archeology site which everyone needs to visit. There are scattered ruins close to the police station and a small museum too. Main site is a small mountain close to the shore where a pagoda could be found on it. Right at the beginning of the stair way there is a fallen rock with a unique carving of 16 pagodas and an inscription.

room view at Nilaweli

wow

here she comes

lovely

and another beauty

on the way to Tiriyayaya

Kuchchaweli historical site

view from the temple

silent shores

the pagoda

very very unique

these were found at this site

13 Nagathambarani – Cobra head carving

Ah the number one attraction of the day. We headed towards Tiriyaya and stopped at 47/1 culvert in front of Dayananda’s house and after having a long chat we took off towards Valathamalay mountain (mountain is seen between 49km and 50km post). After a small climb we did come across the cobra carving. And it was a big wow for us. The adjoining cave had a rocky bed and a concaved carving on its roof so one could easily accommodate his head while meditating. For detailed information refer this report from NG. We left Dayanandas place after saying good bye to Him and his wife. We did promise to visit them in near future too.  (  8°53’30.35″N  80°59’52.57″E)

Valathamalay mountain

guiding us along the ancient pond

the cave and the carving

the goddess??

what a beauty… ah yes this is in the deep forest

lovely

government servants engaged in illegal sand mining at yan oya

kora kaha

Mangroves

Yan oya

14 Arisimale beach

Ah next we took off towards Pulmude and just before Pulmude we took a right turn and reached the navy camp where an archeology site could be found. After a 500m walk we reached this small bay called Arisimale where the sand looks like “samba” rice. My guess is that this unique geographical location must have caused to filter big sand particles in to this bay.

ah here it is

At Arisimale beach

just like samba rice

small bay at arisimale with unique sand

close up

15 Kokilai lagoon

From Pulmude we took the lagoon road and reached the fishing village to have a glimpse of Kokilai bird life.

Fishing village at Kokilai

bird life at Kokilai

where the lagoon opens up to the ocean

at Kokilai

16 Giri hadu seya

This Dhageba was built while Buddha was a live and his “Kesha dathu” is been preserved in this pagoda. This blessed Pagoda was done by Thapassu Balluka merchants. There were two caves, two inscriptions and yes a long rocky bridge. When we were at the summit it was close to 12pm and walking around the pagoda was more of a run. From Tiriyaya we took off towards Gomarankadawala.

Rock bridge at Giri hadu seya

lake at the rocky base

right on the top

main pagoda at giri hadu seya

framed

lovely

the meaning of the main inscription

a cave at giri hadu seya

17 Kiulekada Shailabimbaramaya

From Tiriyaya it was a ride through a forest patch where Elephants roam around in the evenings. At the end of the forest we came across a temple on the right hand side. There were monoliths here and there, a broken statue and a blasted image house by terrorist.

pagoda at Kivulekada Shailabimbaramaya

these were blasted by terrorist

ruins

18 Kiulekada Shiva Kovil

In front of the temple there is a road which will take one towards and archeology site. There is an old kovil which is been restored. Also one could find a huge Tamil inscription too.

Shiva kovil inscription Kivulekada

kovil in ruins

seems like a shiva devalaya

19 Pahalagama Archeology site

This site is also right on the side of the road and its few km’s from Kiulekada. There is a pagoda, bodhigaraya & image house which has been excavated.

Pahalagama archeolgy reserve

bodhigara at Pahalagama archeolgy reserve

a statue

image house at Pahalagama archeolgy reserve

20 Surulumahamuniyawa RMV – Trinco/Medawachchiya

Few Km’s from Pahalagama site, one would come across a board to the right. After traveling 1km one could easily reach this temple. There are few restored buildings here. Those are the Bodhi garaya, sthupa, image house and another building. The monk at the temple was kind enough to treat us as he could. This site also is a must visit place.

ruins at Surulumahamuniyawa RMV Tri-Medawachchiya

more ruins

the pagoda

21 Unknown Archaeology site Trinco/Medawachchiya

Few km’s away from Trinco/Medawachchiya there is an archaeology site on the right hand side of the road. There are no houses around this point only a forest patch. We did come across two restored buildings at this site too.

Unknown Archaeology site Trinco-Medawachchiya

restored

another building

22 Gomarankadawala Ridi kanda

One of the main archeology sites in the region. It is said that silver was mined at this point and taken to build Ruwanweli seya by King Dutugemunu. This is a huge archeology site with a museum. There are many caves scattered around the mountain range and one restored pagoda on it. The climb was a difficult one (because of the heat) but yet rewarding. There are few buildings and two pagodas at the base of it too. This is again a must visit place. To reach this place one needs to take the road behind the temple of Gomarankadawala.

Ridi kanda Archeolgy reserve

twin sthupas

image house

one of those caves

up we go

view from ridi kanda

top of ridi kanda

small museum at ridi kanda

23 Gomarankadawala Rangiri ulpotha

This is another interesting archaeology site with a hot water spring. I have been to this site previously and for further information on it please read this.

24 Wilpalamkulama Daksinaramaya

While traveling towards Mora wewa passing Gomarankadawala one would come across this temple where an ancient rock pond, lake and few ruins could be found.

Wilpalamkulama Dakshinaramaya

the lake

ruins at Wilpalamkulama Dakshinaramaya

25 Gajaba Lena – Mora wewa

Gajaba lena could be reached by taking the mora wewa lake road from the Mora wewa town. The temple is very well built but the caves are covered by tall mana bushes. So if you want to explore the caves be ready to scratch for few days.

Gajaba lena cave complex

kema

more caves at gajaba hermitage

a cave

26 Mora wewa

Mora Wewa Lake was 2km’s away from the temple and we did get permission from the Navy post to visit the lake. It’s not advisable to visit it during the evenings because there are elephants around the lake

mora wewa

the bund

birds nesting at Pan kulam

some pelicans

27 Mora wewa / Weppamkulam/ Kithuluthuwa Shakyasinharamaya

Though the name is a long one it’s a very small temple with few monoliths scattered around a bo tree and it’s found between mora wewa and Kanniya

From here we straight away headed towards Trinco and from there to Nilaweli to end one of the most hectic days in are traveling history. We did manage to visit many places but we were also dehydrated. The beach of Nilaweli was there to our rescue by washing away the tiredness of the day.

board at 162km post

ruins

28 Wilgam wehera – Nelumgama

On day 3 we headed towards Seru nuwara side. We took the Toppur route to Seru nuwara. While traveling to Seru nuwara we came across a name board directing to another Wilgam wehera. It was a 1km ride from the Seru nuwara road but it was well worth it. There was a huge pagoda with few “palu” trees on it. It was nice to see that there were few devotees observing sill for Vesak at this sit.

Sun rise at nilaweli

longest bridge – Kinniya bridge

Wilgam wehera – Nelumgama

close up

29 Seruwawila RMV

One of the most sacred sthupas in the east and worshiped by many Buddhist pilgrims, this site was crowded on that day because it was Vesak. There were many buildings which were excavated and out of them the sthupa, Bodhigaraya & Pond stranded out. Though there was a museum it was closed on that day.

Kapruka pujawa at Seruwawila

majestic

entrance

lovely piece of architecture

well carved

pond at seruwawila

bodhigaraya

a mandapaya

30 Pashana pabbatha RMV

From Seruwawila we reached A15 and from there we headed south until we came to the junction where a board directed us to the left. This road leads up to Lankapatuna and on the way we came across Pashana pabbatha temple. There were many buildings in ruins and on top of the rocky plateau with inscriptions there were remains of a sthupa. This sthupa was vandalized by terrorist and the Terrorist radio broadcasting tower which was built on it is still visible.

ruined pagoda at pashana pabbatha

view from the top

some shelter

Terrorist transmission tower

an inscription

31 Lankapatuna RMV

It is believed that Princess Hemamala and Prince Dantha landed on the shores of Lankapatuna with the sacred Sri maha Bodhi plant many years ago. Now only few ruins could be found on the rocky peak. A new pagoda is built upon the old one. To reach this temple we had to hire a boat which could accommodate 9. They charge 180/= per trip. If you wish to reach it by vehicle it is advisable to take the Thoppur road.

waiting for a boat

pond at lankapatuna

sthupa at lankapatuna

the statue at Lankapatuna

seruwawila seen from lankapatuna

the new brdige been build

32 Black beach

800m’s away from Lankapatuna and towards the north the beach is black in colour. We did have a small walk to have a look at this unique beach before heading back.

black beach

black it is

33 Verugal Kovila

This ancient kovil is located close to the Verugal aru and one could easily access this road side kovil

Verugal kovil

gods

painted part

i love this one

34 Pagoda at Kathiraweli

Close to 78/4 culvert and between Verugal and Kathiraweli there is a pagoda on a rocky range which is been blasted currently for rocks. It is sad to see and archeology site been vandalized like this. I guess this is a common practice in the east.

Kathiraweli pagoda near 78-4 culvert

vandalized

35 Pre historic grave yard at Kathiraweli

This site could be easily identified by the huge Pandol like entrance. There is isolated rock with two caves and few carved steps at this site.

Kathiraweli pre historic site

drip ledged

steps towards heaven

36 Kayankerni Ancient stone bridge

Now this is something new and was my main target for the day. Information about this mysterious bridge was first published by Maritime Archeology unit few years back and since then I was seeking for this. It is said to be built across a narrow point of Kayankerni lagoon. The locals believe that this was used by a prince and princes to reach to their school. There is a small archeology site close to it and another huge site 2kms away from it. We were lucky that we had the chance to visit all of them. We reached the Kayankerni Bridge and inquired about this from the police post but they were not aware of it so they called a local boy who was the ideal guy. He straightway asked us weather it was the kings bridge which we seeked for and yes was the answer. So with him we headed north and drove off road towards the lagoon where people catch prawns. From there he took us on a small fishing boat. 5o meters away from where we started paddling were the stone bridge. The slabs which were on it has fallen in to the lagoon and few pillars were even been covered with mangroves. We were so happy that we were able to find this historically important place. After thanking Thushan we headed back towards Trinco (  7°58’45.73″N  81°30’19.29″E)

Kayankerni lagoon

halted at the edge

Kayyankerni stone bridge

still standing tall

remaining pillars

ruin site close to the bridge

idi	ruins found 1km away

37 Fifty eight mile post dhageba(Aradhana seya)

On our way back we were treated well at few Dansals given by the forces and the police stations out of those the manyok dansal took care of our need for lunch. At the 58^th mile post we came across a pagoda with a bo tree on it. The surrounding was very well maintained. There was a beautiful moon stone just like at Anuradhapura. From this pagoda it is easy to spot Seruwawila pagoda over the paddy fields. When we looked back there were few army officers looking at us with a smile on their faces. We were told that they restored the place and opened it on this vesak day and we must have been the first two curious pilgrims to visit and worship the place.

one of those dansel

yummy

58th post dhageba

what a beauty

38 Muttur Gal kanda ruins (40^th mile post)

Close to the 40^th mile post we came across a tall mountain range and there was a lion’s mouth at its base. We were bit curious so we went there and inquired. We were told that there are ruins on top of the mountain but it would be tough to climb since it was very hot. We decided to go ahead because there was a stairway to the summit. This was one of the best outlook points in Trinco.. We could easily see for miles and the bay of Koddiyar was seen clearly too. The main attraction was the pagoda on the summit. We were told that it is been restored in few days. I recommend climbing this hill so you could enjoy the scenery it provides.

Gal kanda range as seen from A15

Muttur galkanda ruins site stairway

what a view

endless scenery

towards koddiyar bay

pagoda on the summit

39 Vesak at Trincomalee

After a small rest at Nilaweli we returned back to Trincomalee to enjoy some Vesak lanterns. There were many lanterns especially around the naval headquarters and the roads were packed with pilgrims who enjoyed the walk. This was indeed a unique Vesak night for us.

navy base lit up

vesak lantern 1

lovely isnt it?

vesak lantern 2

vesak lantern 3

lagoon of trinco on vesak day

40 Sampur – Attempt to visit foul point

On day 3 our main objective was to enjoy a sun rise at marble beach but we were told that its open only at 8am for the public. So we headed towards the fishing bay to enjoy the sun rise. After a brief stop at Mahaweli river estuary we did proceed towards Sampur. But after a difficult ride we were denied to go past one point since the road ran across a camp. So the attempt to reach foul point was not a success. But we did manage to enjoy the scenery towards the bay from the beach.

another sun rise

halted

and the owners of the cycles

where Mahaweli river reaches the ocean

Sampur beach

close to Foul point at sampur

view towards koneshwaram from sampur

Villu kulam

wow loved this one

41 Marble beach

When we reached Marble beach it was 8am and already there were 5/6 buses. We did walk around the beach just to feel the calm ocean waves and then decided to head back to Nilaweli.

marble beach entrance

very calm

loved this place

crystal clear

42 Pigeon Island

At Nilaweli we took a boat ride to Pigeon Island, though it was crowded we did manage to have a quick dip. We decided that we should come on another day to spend some time leisurely. So we returned back in half an hour.

on the way to pigeon island

pigeon island

pigeon island jr

main land

welcome

coral beach

the shore of the island

wow

calm and peaceful

marine life

43 Boat ride In Koddiyar bay

Thanks to Amila we had been granted permission to enter the naval base. For 20/= we were offered a boat ride. That boat ride was very educational and we did enjoy every second of it.

boat trip in the bay

coal ship

prima factory

Sober island

anchored

another ship

44 Hoods tower museum

After the Boat ride we headed towards the Hoods tower museum where war artifacts recovered from the terrorist could be found. There was a scenic outlook post at this point too. The tour was an educational one but we had to rush quickly by skipping some sections. They did charge 50/= pp at the entrance.

Hoods tower museum

mini subs

sinker

parts of a boat

view from the hoods tower

the bay

ancient fort

bunkers used during WW2

close up

view towards the ocean

finally a dansel to end the day

Since it was 2pm we had lunch from Trincomalee and headed towards home sweet home to end one of the best planned Vesak holidays ever in our life. Though it seemed like we did things in a rush it wasn’t. It was just our normal pace when we go on trips. I’m happy I have a partner just like me otherwise I would have missed many places I visited during this visit. Hope this would be a good guide on Trincomalee if you have any queries just inquire… Thanks

During the last few years, majority of my excursions were around the central hills where the cool climates and breathtaking scenery of the tea country made me irresistible. Having so much left to explore in the other regions of the country, especially in the northern half, I decided to break the shackles and witness the unmatched beauty of the lagoon paradise, Jaffna peninsula. It was the first day of the “extra long” first weekend of February and at 5.30 am two of us were in the car heading towards Puttalam for a 5 day tour to Jaffna, the longest so far!

While enjoying the beautiful sceneries and attractions on the way, our intention was to spend maximum possible time along causeways and lagoons to witness the beauty of the unique landscapes. Having a drive of 450km during the day, we had the breakfast stop at the beach park in Puttalam.

The lagoon of windmills

The giant of Noroccholai

After the break we continued the journey along A12 towards Anuradhapura and turned left at Nochciyagama with the intention of having a drive through Oyamaduwa and Tantirimale as I have not been to this area before, and get to A14 at Neriyakulam.

However, we skipped visiting Tantirimale temple as there are plenty to see beyond Vavuniya and a long way to make during the day.

Drying Bada Iringu on Nochchiyagama – Oyamaduwa road

A Corn field

Ready to harvest

Oyamaduwa road is so scenic

On the way

lovely

Greenary

Another Yoda lipa? This is close to Tanthirimale

Scenery

There were some bad stretches between Oyamaduwa and Neriyakulam where road has been washed away due to recent floods. But a car can cross through with careful driving.

Initially our plan was to use Neriyakulam – Vavuniya road but since it was in bad condition, we decided to take the road via Medawachchiya. Our stop for lunch was Kedella run by SL Army.

Kedella

Restaurant

Restaurant and the hut

After fairly a long drive passing Vavuniya, we stopped at Kokavil war hero monument to pay our respect. An army officer is there to explain the tragedy happened in Kokavil.

Entering Vavuniya

Omanthai, Border of former LTTE controlled area

Omantai Army barrier

Mankulam

Kokavil war hero monument

Heart breaking story – Click Image to Enlarge

A9 at Kokavil

Our next attraction of the day was Iranamadu Tank. After turning right at Iranamadu junction, driving few kms straight will end up at Iranamadu Tank. There is a car park and a jana awanhala run by SL Army, near the tank.

Iranamadu junction

Antique

Not a shrine

Water purification facility

The spill

Dam

The way of spilling water

Spill gates

History

Jana awanhala by SL Army

Then we headed towards Kilinochchi town to see the blasted water tank. Kilinochchi town is well developed and further improvements were going on. After a short stop at the war monument, we continued towards Elephant pass.

A9 in Kilinochchi town

Kilinochchi war hero monument

Blasted water tank

Inside the column

The tank

Inside the tank

Inside the tank

Souvenir gallery in the premises

The new comer

At the time we visited Corporal Gamini Kularathne Memorial, It was evening and an army parade was going on in honor of him. We too paid our respect to him, Visited his souvenir gallery and continued towards Jaffna.

At the memorial of Corp. Gamini Kularatne

The monument receiving the respect of the Army

The bull dozer destroyed by Corp. Gamini Kularatne

Jana awanhala at the monument

Brand new experience for many, Highway + Railway at Elephant Pass

It was 7.30 pm when we reached Udayan Rest. Mr. Ravi, the owner warmly welcomed us and arranged our dinner. Room facilities were very basic but Mr. Ravi’s service was exceptional.

Our plan for the next day was to visit Nagadeepa and then Karainager. Although we could have visited both Nagadeepa and Delft on the same day, we planned them for two days as we wanted to spend more time close to the lagoons and causeways to enjoy the beauty. During the next three days, our plan was to spend all mornings and evenings along Kayts/Punkudutivu, Karainagar and Sangupiddy causeways of the lagoon paradise.

Since it was the beginning of an extra long week end, expecting a huge crowd in the jetty, we decided to set off early in the morning to avoid waste of time in queues. Leaving early means we have to look for breakfast on the way, which is not a very good idea. So, we had to satisfy with some Prima Stella noodle cups which can be instantly prepared with some hot water. At 5.45 am, we were heading towards Kurikadduwan (KKD) jetty along the Kytes causeway.

Dawn at the Kayts cause way

She is up

Morning show

More

The causeway

Morning paintings

Unbelievable

Seamless

Typical Thal weta

More creative this time

Natural park

Unique landscapes

Whoa…

The causeway from Jaffna to Kytes was under construction and it was not so easy to tackle.

We were able to reach the jetty around 7.15 with amidst several stops to enjoy the morning scenery. To our surprise, there wasn’t a queue and the boat “Mani Nagaddepa” was loading passengers. Soon we got in and it was a 15 min ride to Nagadeepa jetty. There were several boats in operation and hence there were no long queues. A boat departed every 15-20 minutes from KKD jetty to Nagadeepa.

KKD Jetty. Public transport drop/collect passengers directly at the jetty. Other vehicles should be parked in the main land and passengers should walk to the jetty along the short causeway.

The boat we travelled to Nagadeepa

Halted Vada Tharakai II, the 8.30 vessel to Delft operated by RDA for free

Entrance

Serene

Image house

Paintings

Beautiful

After visiting the temple we walked towards the Kovil along the main street of Nainativu. The jetty to take the return boat is located at the kovil.

Crossing over

Entrance to kovil

Kovil

Colorful

Beautiful

A ferry moving away

Vehicles are taken back

It was around 12.00 noon when we came back to KKD jetty and it was the time to head towards Fort Hammenheil restaurant, Karainager, for lunch via Jaffna. On the way we had plenty of time to enjoy the unmatched beauty along the Kayts/Punkuduthuvu causeway.

Grassland with bushes

Amazing landscapes created by sea weeds

The Icon

Again the grassland

Fence made up of Palmyra leaf stem

Paddy in kytes with the icon in the back drop

Amazing landscapes

Isso kotu

Natural monochrome

Whistling ducks

Canopy missing in action

Brahmini kite in the wind

More landscapes

Beauty

Different

The Lagoon

Unlike the Kayts/Punkudutivu causeways, Karainager causeway was in very good condition and surrounding was more colourful.

Towards Ponnalai

Tobacco

Ponnalai – Karainager causeway

Hut in the lagoon. Similar to huts in the paddy fields of the South.

Lagoon more colourful

Closer look

Fort Hammenheil Resort and Restaurant are located inside the Navy Base “Elara” of Karainager. Restaurant is located in the main land of Karainager and the Resort is located in a small island around 200m away from the main land. Anyone can walk in to the restaurant for meals or snacks. Prices are reasonable and food is great, especially their seafood dishes.

There are seven forts in northern part of Sri Lanka. They are Jaffna, Kytes, Fort Hammenheil, Delft, Punarin,  Mannar, and Arippu. Fort Hammenheil  had been used as a prison later. SL Navy has converted Fort Hammenheil to a luxury resort and it is managed under SL Navy Resort chain, Malima Enterprises. They have not modified the main structures of the fort but converted three upper floor rooms to luxury rooms. In addition, one prison room with seven beds has been modified and if somebody wants to get a prison experience, those beds can be reserved at Rs. 7,000 per person. As we had prior arrangements through a contact, we were able to visit this magical location.

Towards the Base

SLNS Elara

Fort Hammenheil

Entrance

This means “Welcome”. Guests who stay here will receive a colorful Navy welcome too

Image showing how this fort was captured by English by destroying water tank

Corridor at the entrance

Walls made up of coral rocks

Mr. Rohana Wijeweera had been kept here. These are said to be his writings – Click Image to Enlarge

Another prison cell

Luxury Prison cell. Before, these beds were just cement blocks. They are now surrounded by wood and placed matrasses to convert them to comfortable beds. Rs. 7,000/- per bed if you want to be a prisoner here for a night full board. Seven vacancies available.

Prisoners belongings

Courtyard

From the other end

Modifications

“Heads” means toilets

Garden – This is at a higher elevation than courtyard

What a place to be

Watch hut in the rampart

The jetty with a water jet

The deck to watch Sun rise

The view

Restaurant as seen from FH

Restaurant

White sandy beach

After relaxing a bit and taking some snaps at the restaurant premises, we headed towards Casurina beach to call it a day with the sun set.

Casurina Beach

Crowded in the evening

Landscapes

Amazing sun set

Getting down slowly

Hiding behind

She is up on the other side

Pinkish lagoon along the causeway

End of the day

Our plan for the third day was the visit to Delft. I too contacted Bimalan in advance for the tour. So, we repeated the previous day morning schedule and arrived at the KKD jetty at 7.15 am. Previous day we came to know that there are two boats in operation for Delft, one at 8.30 am and the other at 9.30 am, which depart from Delft at 1.30 pm and 2.30 pm respectively. Nagadeepa tours were in operation as usual and the Delft Maid, Wada Tharaki II was halted in the jetty which was supposed to depart at 8.30 am. There were only about 5 people in the jetty for Delft and there was no queue. Gate was closed and we were advised by a Navy officer to sit and wait in the nearby building until we are called up.

After about half an hour, crowds started coming in and in a matter of minutes the surrounding was jam packed with hundreds of holiday makers who were willing to step on Delft, yet there was no queue. To our disappointment, Navy informed that Wada Tharaki II will not be in operation due to some fault. Further, they informed that 9.30 boat is there but it can take only 120 passengers and there are around 100 villagers to travel usually where only 20 others will get a chance! We were among the first ten who arrived at the jetty but as the crowd was all over without a queue, who will guarantee that we will get in?

By the time crowds have grown bigger and were restless. Then Navy offered the crowds that they will make the contacts if groups are willing to go to Delft in private boats in batches of around 150, where cost will be around 18,000 for a tour. Some groups agreed and few private boats came to the jetty. They were old fishing boats and were not powerful. Estimated time to reach Delft was one and half hours. Once you get in, it is almost like trapped in because boat has a wooden roof and only small openings are there for ventilation. Other than being jam packed, noise of the engine is a headache and sometimes exhaust gas is leaking in making it very uncomfortable to stay. On top of that, most dangerous thing was that nobody had an idea as to how many people can be loaded and although life jackets were given, if something happens in the middle of the ocean, only those who stay close to windows can escape. I felt this as our return journey from Nagadeepa previous day was in such a boat. Though some groups offered to take us, we did not want to be in the sea for one and half hours taking such a risk and decided to return to Jaffna without wasting time and commence the “Day 4” schedule.

But next challenge was to inform this to Bimalan and move the appointment to the next day. Although he could understand Sinhalese and English to some extent, He never understood my “long story” and I either could not understand what he was asking. Finally the problem was solved with the help of a seller who speak both Sinhalese and Tamil, at the turn off to the jetty.

Soon we were on the roads of the Jaffna peninsula. We drove towards Puttur road along Palali road and first visited Nilavara bottomless well and then came back to Chunnakam to visit Kadurugoda temple. We did not forget to witness the road side beauty too.

By the road

Cultivations

Prosperous

Nilavara bottomless well

Closer

Everything is there

More	Brand new setting for many

Chunnakam

Entrance to Kadurugoda temple. Navy had done a great job to develop these

The stupas

Remaining foundations

Then our intention was to have a drive along the road bordering northern coastal line. So we got to Ponnalai at the junction where Karainager causeway starts and went towards Dambakola patuna. After visiting the temple and having some Beli mal from the Army café, we went to visit Keeramale Naguleswaran temple and the pond. Then we started going forward along the coastal road and it came to an end at the gate of Thal Sevana Holiday resort and Army base. Beyond that the road is closed and it is the high security zone. So we went back to Chunnakam and crossed over to Point Pedro road.

Towards Ponnalai fro Jaffna. Paddy fields up to horizon!

Iconic

Ponnalai – Karainager causeway at the distance

Dambakola Patuna Sangamitta temple

Newly built

The replica

Beautiful Dambakola Patuna beach

The Sea

The shop

Facilities for visitors to have lunch with a rest

Dambakola Patuna Vishrama shalawa. Accomodation facilities available but forgot to collect booking details

Entrance to Naguleswaram Kovil. Premises is under renovation.

The Five main Shiva Kovils around the coastal line. Naguleshwaram lies in the northern edge. (Source: internet)

Keeramale pond

They are coloured now

They too are coloured

KKS cement factory zoomed. Passing this, our journey along that road ended at Thalsevana

From there we reached Thondamanaru to visit Selvasannadi Kovil. After spending some time in the kovil and enjoying the surrounding we went towards Point Pedro to see the northern most point of Sri Lanka and Point Pedro light house.

At the attempt to cross over to Point Pedro road. Carpeted road ended nowhere

Grapes farm

No fruits

Sign boards

Selva sannadi shrine where Kataragama pada yathra starts from

Inside

Shrine

Thondamanaru anicut

Thondamanaru meeting the sea

Valvettithurai

Halted

Coral beach

Coastal road along the northern shore

Northern tip of Sri Lanka

Point Pedro jetty

Harbour. Parents and offspring

Karawala

Base of the lighthouse. Tsunami water level marked.

The giant

Not safe to climb up

The lamp

After the light house, the road curved into the main land and it was the end of our coastal ride. Then we were in search of the Manalkadu sand dunes and the remaining of the Dutch church. After several inquiries we got to the junction where we turned left and went for another few kms to reach the sand dunes and Dutch church.

End of the show along the shore

At the junction to Manalkadu. Note the 9th Milepost at middle right hand corner

Sand dunes and Cyprus forest

Sand dunes

Endless

Ruined Manalkadu Dutch church

Inside

Made up of coral rocks

Sand art

After witnessing the sun set at Manalkadu, it was the time to call it a day. On this day we had an invitation from a good friend of mine in Jaffna for dinner and we were there around 8.30 pm. After spending few hours of enjoyable time with his family, we came back to Uthayan rest dreaming of the second phase of the Delft tour next day.

Fire ball falling down

Sun set over sand dunes

As usual, morning course of the previous two days  was repeated on the fourth day morning too and we were on the jetty at 7.00 am being the first visitors for Delft. Wada Tharaki was still not well and only 9.30 boat “Kumudini” was available. Although we had a Navy contact, previous day we tried the tour without troubling him. But today too it was clear that same process is going to be repeated and we did not want to go in those old private boats.  As we were the first Delft travelers to arrive at the jetty, ideally we must be the first to get in to 9.30 boat after the villagers. But as there was no queue, there was no guarantee that we would get that chance. Previous day too Navy officers at the jetty were trying hard to help the crowd to get to Delft where they were too busy and being just a couple we could have lost their attention easily.  I decided to call our Navy friend and requested to secure the first chance to get in to 9.30 boat after villagers, which we deserved. He arranged it over the phone and we could stay in Navy officers rest room until the boat is ready. Surprisingly at that time our friend had been participating to some religious ceremony in Nagadeepa and on his way back we could meet him too.

It was around 8.30 and we heard some Navy officers were whispering that sea is rough. We felt shocked because boats may not operate when sea is rough. Time passed by and while we were waiting, another group came to the jetty for some official visit to Delft and there were two Navy water jets ready for them. Because of our friend, Navy officers in the jetty arranged to take us too with them in a water jet. We were surprised and excited about the lifetime ride we are going to get and got into a jet.

We were advised to pack cameras and bags and keep them inside the cabin as they could be blown out or water may splash on them. While some ladies got into the cabin and some gentlemen were standing holding the iron bars around the cabin, we sat on the base of the machine gun fixed at the back and did hold the gun tight.

It was one hell of a ride! The water jet was travelling like an arrow at a speed of 30 knots and was cutting through the waves of the rough sea, splashing water all over us. Even the lips and skin of the face were blowing away. Eyes were burning due to salt water. Time to time we had spit out salt water as it has gone inside the mouth too. We could not do anything other than holding onto the gun tight. We were at the Delft jetty within just 15 minutes!

Following our call, Bimalan appeared at the jetty and we were on the way with him witnessing the beauty of Delft. The island is 8km in length and 6km in width with a population of 6000. The land is mostly made up of coral rock and huge grasslands with white corals everywhere was a unique sight. Bimalan took us around the island showing the unique attractions one by one.

Just as you step in to the island from jetty

Landscapes

Sandy roads instead of gravel roads

Biobab tree

This is native to Africa, brought here by Arabic sailors and planted where they have stationed in order to feed camels. This had been used as a medicinal plant for horses too

Huge trunk with the hole

Inside the hole

Iconic rock fences

Made up of coral rock

Land block perfectly demarcated by a rock fence

Growing stone

Growth

Pigeon holes. Dutch people had used this to house pigeons who take messages to Jaffna. Message was tied to a leg of the pigeon and it had been trained to deliver the message and return to the same hole.

70 Holes for pigeons

English court house

The symbol

Pigeon house and court house

Old Dutch hospital

Courtyard

Delft hospital. Have to go through the hospital to reach the fort

Through the hospital

Delft Dutch fort. This has two floors. There are five rooms in the ground floor and they do not have windows unlike the upper floor rooms. They had been used to keep prisoners, ammunition etc.

A room in the ground floor

Watch hut

The tank

Coral land

Picturesque

Wild horses, the signature of Delft. Portugese had bought horses here for their travelling. Dutch people had used this island to breed horses and sell them to ships. After their departure, those horses freely bred in the island giving life to a generation of wild horses.

Family?

Freedom

Anxious

Beautiful coral beach

Drinking water wells which supply water to whole island. This part of the island contains quality fresh water.

Giants’ foot print

Land is like a rough cement floor

Horse stable. Dutch had used the island to breed and sell horses to ships. This stable had been used to keep horses prepared for selling.

It is 100m long

BOC serving the remote community

CEB depot

Mahindodaya laboratory has not forgotten Delft school too

Pradeshiya sabha

Brand new DS office

Post office

Halted at Delft jetty

Illegal Tamil Nadu fishing boat seized

The Water Jets we came

There is a Navy controlled area in the island and there is a unique light house constructed during Dutch period, which we missed. A picture of this light house is available in the passage at the entrance. At the night, a fire is set inside the base of the lighthouse using firewood and the fire comes out of the chimney. After the fire, smoke comes out of the chimney during day time. That is how it has signaled the ships sailing in its vicinity. Bimalan was not willing to go to Navy controlled area and therefore this lighthouse is not in his list. So he did not take us there and did not speak a word about it either. We too did not notice it until we got to the jetty otherwise we could have given it a try.

The light house as displayed at the jetty

After two hours we could complete seeing Delft (Except the stupa which we purposely skipped due to limitation of time as we had to come in time for the return jet ride) and we were at the jetty, ready for the ride back. We could see large crowds around the jetty who have arrived in private boats and just wondering around the main street as there were no mode of transport available for them inside the island. So it is always prudent to make some prior arrangements for ground transport before visiting Delft.

Sea was even more vicious on our return journey. We too had to stand and hold on to the iron bars fixed around the cabin. Waves were so big that water was splashing even above our heads. We were totally wet just as good as a quick sea bath. It took 20 minutes for the return journey as the sea was rough.

After paying our gratitude to the Navy officers at the jetty and who operated the jets, we came to Jaffna town.

On the way we did not forget to pay a visit to the memorial of Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Maj. Gen. Wijaya Wimalaratne and other heroes at araly point.

Unbelievably beautiful and unique landscapes

Could not resist

Directions

The monument. This is not the exact place where bomb was blasted. It is around 3km away

Vehicles used to simulate the blast at the investigations to find whether bomb was in the ground or fixed to the vehicle. But evidence were not sufficient to come to a conclusion

After having a change at Uthayan rest to utilize the saved extra time to visit some places around the city close to the fort.

Then we went along Point Pedro road towards King Sankili statue. Passing it and going forward for about another 100-200m, Rajamanthri walawwa can be seen by the road to the left. Sankili arch too can be seen by the road on the opposite side.

Jaffna clock tower

Glory

Jaffna library

Hospital street, Jaffna. Parking available in the middle.

King Sankili statue

Sankili arch

Architecture

Rajamanthri walawwa, residence of the first minister of king Sankili. English rulers have done some modifications and placed a note above the entrance

Living area

Decorated with wood carvings

Artistic

Then it was time for another evening at the third causeway which is at Sangupiddy on the Mannar road via Poonaryn.

Sign of prosperity

Almost hitting the horizon

On to the causeway

Closer to Sangupiddy bridge

The bridge. Enough space for boats to cross

What a wonderful place to be

Road towards Poonaryn is under construction

Starting the show

Painted sky

Modern Sri Lanka

After having an unforgettable day, we had a nice dinner at Malayan café (Located near mini bus stand) and completed it with Rio ice cream.

Did not forget to taste

Next day, which was the final day we had to return to Colombo but some key places were still remaining including the Jaffna fort. Although meals are not prepared at Uthayan rest, they arrange meals on our request and those were very tasty. Their usual time for breakfast was 8.30 but on our request the time was advanced to 7.30. (One good thing about Uthayan rest is that the owner Mr. Ravi arranges everything we request sharp on time from the bed tea. There were no delays on his part). Yet we decided to pay a visit to fort around 6.30 and come back for breakfast.

Jaffna fort is a massive pentagon of which one side is protected facing the sea and other sides are protected by two ramparts and a moat in between. It is the second largest fort in Sri Lanka where Gall fort stands on top. Dutch rulers used forts for protection. Hence there are stores of weapons and ammunition, food stores and prisons.

The Dutch church in Jaffna fort had been in very good condition until recent past but war has reduced it to a heap of rubble. English rulers did not have that much of a security threat. So they used these forts as administrative complexes. Therefore even today, administrative buildings are still located inside such forts i.e. Galle and Matara forts. English rulers have modified existing or built new buildings to suit their purposes.

There is a Queens house too inside the fort which has had facilities of a five star hotel where former prime ministers used to stay. But it has been ruined by the war and Army is using a small undestroyed portion of it.

There is an exhibition room at the entrance. There is an officer from Dept. of Archaeology who will explain the historical factors.

Plan of the fort. It is a star shaped pentagon with five bastions at the corners. They have named bastions as 1. Friesland, 2. Utrecht, 3. Gelderland, 4. Holland and 5. Zeeland. One side facing lagoon and the other four sides protected by outer rampart, moat and inner rampart. Extent is 56 acres.

Story of the fort

Entrance

Made up of Coral rock and limestone

Crossing the moat

Through the rampart

Dutch have used even stone door frames of kovils and shrines to construct this as they wanted to destroy Hinduism

Exhibition room of the fort. Wealth of knowledge of archaeology in north

Two ramparts and moat. One side bordering lagoon

Tower on one of the five corner bastions

A store room

Stores located around the rampart

More stores

Dutch church

Prison

Queens house

Mass grave of 300 Army soldiers who lost their lives in the battle at Jaffna fort

Then we went back to Uthayan and had breakfast. Then after loading our baggages and bidding farewell to Mr. Ravi we continued the city tour. First we visited Nallur Kovil and then Jaffna railway station which looks so fantastic.

Nallur Kovil

Giant wall

Jaffna railway

Travelling never been this easy

Halted

Clean and beautiful

Active

Gifted by BOC

Then we witnessed some ancient buildings belonging to Dutch and English periods on the way. Then it was time to say good bye to Jaffna. Soon we were on the return journey with awesome memories of colorful Sri Lanka.

Unique architecture. Unfortunately I cannot recall what it is.

Burned Kachcheri building of Jaffna

Huge building destroyed

Great architecture in ruins

On the way, a brand new station

Colombo is few hours away

Highway/Bus + Railway/Train

On the way

Good bye Jaffna

The end of an awesome journey

Hi everyone! Hope you guys and gals are doing great and had a fabulous New Year. Anyway by the time you read this, it must be way past New Year, probably Vesak Festival as well. So let’s get on with the story. I guess the topic might have given you a clue as to what this is about. It all started with the holidays when I got a full week off but had nothing to do. All my traveling buddies were busy with the New Year preparations making it impossible for them to do any hikes.

This is when Ana called and asked if I would like to join him for a hike. Well, this is what you call being lucky and without so much as a second thought I jumped in. Well what would you do if it turned out to be a journey which you had done twice before within the last year? I don’t think many would have been fancy to take on that offer but not me. I don’t mind visiting the same place over and over again because everytime it’s a different experience. After all, we eat the same thing again and again, do the same boring things day after day so why not see and visit the same place every now and then, I keep asking myself.  So when he suggested to do the Kirigalpoththa Trail once again (for the third time within a year), I felt elated quite different from many others.

Day 01

So we set off on the wee hours of 11 April on our journey with plans to visit many other places. However unlike all our other journeys, we didn’t have a proper plan in place. We had three key places to visit but other than Kirigalpoththa, the rest was very sketchy. This time we had two other companions, Fritz (novice hiker), one of Ana’s friends and a naturao cum veterinary, Dr. Deepani, joining for the hike. We all got together and left for Kalugala around 4am.

Tour Highlights:

1. Laxapana Ella, Koththellena.
2. Rozella.
3. Kirigalpoththa, Horton Plains.
4. Aberdeen Ella, Kalaweldeniya.
5. Martin Air Memorial, Norton Bridge.
6. Norton Pond, Norton Bridge.
7. Castlereigh Dam & Reservoir, Norwood.
8. Sunset from Rozella.

Ok, here we go but not before we have some breakfast. Weerasiri Cafe passing Miriswatte on A4 before Avissawella is a good place to have a meal and they open by 5am.

Laxapana Ella

We reached Kalugala where the right turn will take you along B189 towards Norton and Maskeliya. However this forks once again after 1-2km at Bodhigira Junction. Check my report, Waterfall Festival, for more information and higher water levels. We took the right, rather straight road that goes via Polpitiya, Hangarapitiya and Koththellena. The condition of the road is terrible and better to stay away if you go in a car or similar vehicle. Alternatively you can take the left road (B189 – Kithulgala-Norton Bridge Road) which goes via Kehelwarawa, Morahenagama, Laxapana and Kiriwaneliya. This will circle around and then come to Koththellena.

However, the Koththellena lower road is very scenic compared to the other as it goes keeping the Seven Virgins to the right along the base. We reached Koththellena and took the cement steps to the left that lead to the base of the falls. You will also see the memorial located before Koththellena commemorating the victims of Martin Air but we didn’t bother to stop and I visited it during my previous visit.

Total Length – About 750m to the base.

Elevation Difference – 236m (877m – 641m)

GPS Location – Latitude 6.90047 // Longitude 80.50023

The cement steps are fully completed now with a hand railing making it easy. The steepness is so much and one would really appreciate it. Unfortunately the water levels were not so great but the relatively thin streak of water greatly enhanced the sheer height of her. Well, unlike last time, I could get to closer to the base. Here you go and look at the pictures.

Breath-taking…

Rugged looking Seven Virgins

Here we are

Have to go down

The top

Last time, it was fully covered with water

Long and silky

Shallow base pool

Very tall and long legged

Rocky top

The base

Very little water to speak of

Portrait

Searching for breakfast

The steps

Red

Oh, hello!

Very tasty

Rozella

We took our leave and had a quick cup of plain tea flavored with ginger before heading to our base, Ana’s Nest in Rozella. After a wash, we sat down for a sumptuous meal. You wanna know what we had, don’t you? Well, here we go. See if you would like to have a similar meal.

Couldn’t have asked for more

We all were dog tired, especially Ana, having driven all the way since the early hours. So, a bellyful meal was followed by a short nap. It was a treat to have been able to get away from the blood boiling heat of Colombo. It’s like being roasted on a spit over a never-ending fire.

After a dreamless sleep, a hot coffee was in order. Then it was time for some exercises for the lazy muscles. So we hit the estate road which is ideal for an afternoon stroll. The lush green tea plants smiled with us while a couple of birds sang to us. Most important of all, the Most Sacred Mountain looked upon us over the hills giving the blessings. About 100m into the walk, we came across a scary thing. Can you guess what it is? Probably Tony guessed it correct. It’s the terrifying sight of leopard pooh, grrrrrr. Just imagine having to witness leopard pooh so close to our home. We were thrilled and sacred at the same time.

The circular trail is closer to 1.5km and we took our time to enjoy the scenery and take in the mountain air to our tired and poisoned lungs. I guess it’s time you saw the pictures without me keeping you waiting from this awesome sight. Go on, enjoy them folks!

Our home

Where I slept

Many of them

Oh, where did it spring from?

Ana taking a pic of leopard poo. This was only about 100m from our home

Dark clouds threatening us

Typical estate work

Not a healthy looking tea estate

There’s Sri Pada

What a lovely picture it makes

Hey!	Posing for the pic

The night slowly befell upon us bringing the dark from all over with a chilly wind forcing us indoors. There was a necklace of pearls glittering in the dark. I was worried somebody might steal it but I shouldn’t have for it was the lights flickering along the Hatton route to the pointed summit of Sri Pada. Would you like to see what it is like? Don’t let me stop you, go savor it.

The necklace of pearls

Closer

The dinner tasted even better. A warm and a comfortable bed was waiting for me for which I duly obliged. Through the window I could see the diamond necklace hanging in the air. The sleep slowly took over my body and took it away to a faraway land for the night.

Nutritious

Day 02

Getting up at 3am out of a comfy and warm bed needs a lot of persuasion. The sleeping angels flatly refused to let me go but there was an even better girl summoning me. So I pushed the blanket out of the way and found Ana already up and about. A strong black coffee with a punchy sugar boost got me out of my trance and we got busy preparing for the big journey. Fritz had never been to the Kirigalpoththa before so this was a big moment for him. Dr. Deepani had been there a long time ago so this was as good as going for the first time.

Chick Peas was boiling in the pot and we were waiting for the eggs to make sandwiches. It was like an anthill everyone busily chipping in. Finally we got everything nice and tidy before leaving our home around 4.30am, a good half hour later than we liked. However we didn’t know at the time that it would cost us dearly and cause some uncomfort at the end. Driving in the early morning feeling the chill in our bones is not a healthy experience so we kept the windows up and close.

Kirigalpoththa Trail

It was around 6.30am when we arrived at the ticket counter to find the parking area is full of vehicles. Every one of them had foreigners except us. We were the only local group and thanks to Dr. D’s prompt action, we managed to get the tickets soon. On the way to the main car park, we saw a little Sambar was being fed by its mother but the little fella was right under the mother Sambar’s tummy making it impossible to get a clear picture.

At 6.58am, we arrived at the car park and got down to work on the boiled and tempered Chick Peas. Having made a big dent in the portion, we got ready to begin the hike. Having shown our permit and the bags to the checking counter, we hit the trail just before 7.30am, still that half hour late. Just remember to inform the checking counter of your destination as it’d make things easier should you happen to come across any misfortune. Also, it’s imperative you inform them after the journey of your safe return. So, enough of all that, let’s make a move. Oh, forgot to tell you that this was my 20th visit to the Horton Plains since 2000. Well, little did I know that I’d get to celebrate it in an unprecedented way.

Windmills in Ambewela

Zoomed

Sun struggling to come out

Finally out on the cotton wool sky

We were waiting for the tickets

Do you see the Sri Pada?

If you look closer, there’s the cub underneath feeding

And they ran away

Good Morning!

Beautiful landscapes

Breakfast

Climbing Uphill

It’d been raining heavily over the past few days, especially in the evenings. The grassy bit of trail was like a sponge cake as a result. The invasive Eulex plants seemed to have grown further. About a 100m-stretch of the trail is now nearly blocked by them making the hikers to take a detour around them. This is worse than a cancer. I can remember in the past there were projects carried out by schools, environmental groups, etc. to remove them and their efforts paid dividends. Apparently it’s the time once again somebody did something to combat this problem. Well, here is something the Lakdasun can do for our next project similar to the one we did at Muthurajawela. This is gonna be even more important.

The Sambars kept roaming around us but keeping their distance. Agra Bopath looked greener than ever while the rest of the plains were colored with many shades of green, yellow, brownish red and the blue sky with cotton wool sky completed the show. We encountered our first and only leopard pooh passing through the first forest patch. “Tony would have loved it”, said Ana. The path was soggy in many places and we got our shoes muddy. We then came to the big stream that flows across the path and rested for a while.

Crossing it presented many problems as she had more water than my previous visits. After maneuvering a bit, we crossed over to the other side and started the walk along the path bordered by the tiny bamboo plants. Now the sun was fully up and had started lighting up the open terrain. However he failed to bring about the freshness of the real Horton Plains due to the continuous rains. That gloominess hung in the air so thick you could have leaned on it. The forest paths were soggy and darker than my previous two visits. Nearly all of the Nelu trees were gone with their colorful flowers. Nevertheless, the odd ones still kept trying to defy the nature.

Ok, Ana found it was easy to practice his triple jumps this time as there were plenty of muddy patches to cross. Fritz, the novice hiker, kept motivating us when it should have been the other way around. Dr. D had no problem at all to encounter the difficulties and looking back, I feel it was me who found it tougher despite having been here twice before. We arrived at the base of the Kirigalpoththa around 10am, having made very good ground. We were feeling mighty hungry and decided to work on the egg sandwiches before the final push. Until we do that, you enjoy the pictures up to now. It’d been nice had we more sandwiches to share with you but we have about 16 of them (barely enough for us). So it’s better you find something to eat before coming for the last bit.

The Farr Inn

We’re on the way

Eulex covered with dew

See the color combination

A group of them far away

This is some medicinal plant, I’ve forgotten the name

Here our path, Agra Bopath to the right

Red

Dead tree arts

With the half moon

One and only leopard poo we saw

Reflection

Can you read the insignia? It’s Fly Dubai

The popular stream

Well?

Here shooting away

One of my favorite things to photograph

Crossed the stream

Pinky

Miles of open terrain

Saw something similar during Maliboda Trail

Butter Cup – Another invasive plant despite the sweet look

Triple jump champion getting warmed up

Orchids

Wow	Plenty of little bamboo

Path through them

Not Gotukola

Spiky, this actually helped us fasten a torn sleeve

There goes Ana, the first jump

I guess I told you that I like them

Agra Bopath

Some more

Different one

The usual Bovitiya

He was too fast for the camera

Jumped

Pair of them

Some more

Mushroom tree

Looks like jelly, ain’t it?

Before the steep part

“Alright, let’s make a move”, said Fritz and make a move was we did. The lime flavored drink gave us a liquid boost after a hearty meal. We started the climb. The path was overgrown but not impassable. Now that we were in the steep stretch, going was very slow with continuous breaks. The higher we climbed, the better the view became making us yearn to get to the top. Finally we arrived at the first observation point about 150-200m before the summit. Remember, here is in fact the best view point. The summit doesn’t have much of a view of the surroundings. We stopped for some water and a few massaging minutes for our feet.

Dozens of pictures were taken but as I said earlier, the views were not top of the range yet enough for the casual observer. Thick grey clouds loomed in the distance obscuring the sun and the view. We decided to make it to the summit without wasting much time. We chose as usual the path along the forest, not the risky one along the rocky ledge.

It took us about 15 mins to get to the top. The summit covered with tiny guava trees doesn’t offer much view but you won’t be disappointed, lemme assure you. Fritz and Dr. D were over the moon while Ana looked on as if this is sometimes he does every other day. We all sat around the summit for a group picture. The gong of the Dayagama Factory could be heard and we all decided not to be late to get down. So after the photographic session, we decided to call it a day and head down.

Up we go

View getting clearer

Lovely

I simply love this too

This fellow was very tiny, smaller than a 25-cent coin (if you remember that coin)

“Sudu Binara” endemic plant

The path goes around

Slab Rock Falls can be seen if you look closer to the right

Waiting for us

Our destination

Closer

Here we are at the first viewing point

Dark clouds somewhat ruined the beauty

Here’s the rocky slope

Those guavas are very tasty if you happen to find a ripe one

Once again

To the peak

Looking back

Here comes

Here we are

View all around

The team at the summit, look at Fritz who kept imitating Usain Bolt. Pic by. Ana

We met another group of people coming up as we were climbing down. There must have been a dozen or so guys laboring up. The clouds kept getting thicker and darker warning about the imminent rains. We decided to step up the pace because if rained, those soggy and muddy stretches will be even more difficult to cross. We came up to the main stream without a problem and stopped for about 10 mins to get our breath. This break too cost us some vital time. About a little over half km, without any more rumbling, it started to rain.

We had no choice but to keep going. Dr. D produced an umbrella (don’t know how she managed that) and Fritz had his jacket which was waterproof. I too had flimsy remains of a disposable raincoat which I borrowed from Amila during Eli Hatha. It kept the upper body away from the rains but Ana got wet as he had no protection. The rain kept up until we reached the safety of Farr Inn around 2.20pm. It was that half hour delay that cost us and made us wet. So it’s really important on days like these to start and finish as early as possible. I went and informed the checking counter about our return before heading to our vehicle. There was a homeless Sambar (probably chased away from the house by his wife) begging for something but we didn’t comply for his disappointment. Showing his back to us, the fella went away trying the rest of the tourists.

Bunch of them

Going down from the first view point

Got lucky to find him

We were there

Rain is imminent and we hurried on

Ready for another jump

Here goes

Kept looking for a Rhino Horned Lizard but none to be found

Bamboo

Back near the stream, it started rain after another 15mins or so