Travelogue: Hello Ceylon! Hey Lanka!

Why was Sri Lanka? It was a question I asked myself hundreds of times. I knew nothing about it when I booked the flights to Sri Lanka. I didn't even have an idea that would September be a nice season to go. Hmm, kind of like an adventure of the unknown, wasn't it? I think it was the perfect reason to make me go. It could be a trip with a surprise in a good way, or, it could be in a bad way! And it turned out to be one of the best decisions that I have ever made. It was not a perfect trip in fact due to the weather and something unexpected, but I spent a happy and wonderful week there!

Negombo

Our flight arrived at midnight, so Negombo, the closest city to Bandaranaike International Airport, was a perfect first stop to stay overnight before starting the trip.

Taking a morning walk was a very good way to say Hi to this lovely seaside town. Good morning and nice to meet you, Negombo! It was how it looked when we first met it - clean, neat, shy, and friendly.

Negombo Beach

Negombo Beach might not be too attractive, but we quite enjoyed our roaming here. Perhaps because there were very few people and we felt very free.

Sigiriya

Sigiriya Lion Rock Fortress is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and is almost the landmark of Sri Lanka. It seems that there is always a sad story behind every manmade wonder, from China's Great Wall to India's Taj Mahal, and so is the Lion Rock Fortress. In 477 CE, Prince Kasyapa killed his Father King Dhatusena and took over the throne. Fearing the revenge of the rightful heir and also his brother, Moggallana, Kasyapa moved the capital and his residence to Sigiriya, spending 8 years building a complex city on a giant rock, which was Asia's oldest surviving landscape garden. But the King Kasyapa came to a sticky end deservedly. In 495 CE, his brother Moggallana came to Sigiriya with an army and killed Kasyapa. Sigiriya's halcyon days ended with Kasyapa's death. 

Lion Rock

Getting to the top of the Rock requires climbing 1,200 steps. It was not an easy climb for me such a girl who lack of exercise. Only 15 minutes of climbing made me out of breath. At this moment, the stairs brought us to the cave where we saw a series of colorful 5th Century frescos. There were 20 naked multi-ethnic women with warm smiles painted on the wall, which are fascinating and marvelous. Sadly some of them were destroyed by the conservative monks according to our guide's description.

A giant pair of lion paws is the only remnant of a huge loin body whose open mouth served as the gateway to the royal palace on the top. The ruins of various chambers, stairways and pools can be seen at the top.

The Top of Lion Rock

What amazed me the most was the panorama of the Sigiriya with sunset clouds overlooked from the top. What a shame that words and pictures couldn't show 10% of its true beauty. I was curious how did Kasyapa think 1500 years ago when he overlooked this kingdom that he seized? Satisfied? Proud? Fears or regret? Now all the conspiracy, hatred, and desires have passed away with time, leaving only the ruined palace to tell the story.

Kandy

Kandy was the place I wanted to skip, but our guide suggested we should keep it, or else it would be a long drive from Sigiriya to Nuwara Eliya. Luckily we kept it, but pity that we had only one night in Kandy. If only I could stay one more day, just one more day! Kandy used to be the last capital of Sri Lanka's King era, but I can't tell any political complexion. If "khaki" is the color of Sigiriya, then Kandy must be "Green". It is surrounded by green hills, valleys, tea plantations and rivers. We booked a guesthouse which is situated on the lush green hills. Seen from its gorgeous patio, it is a lovely lush green view.

Sacred Tooth Relic

It became a little cooler when arriving in Kandy but the sun came out! The most famous site of Kandy is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist relic- a tooth of the Buddha. We visited the shrine at dinner time around 7 p.m. The tooth was housed in a heavily guarded room, where we met many worshippers and tourists. We didn't actually see the tooth but only a small gold stupa that contained the tooth at the doorway. We had no regrets, as meeting the people here was a far more interesting thing.

Nuwara Eliya

The closer we got to Nuwara Eliya, the more layers we put on. There came a sudden rain en route. However, the fresh mountain air and the aroma of tea grew strong. The mist and dark cloud over the mountain made us in a fairy tale world. Not for a while, the sky was clear and the sun came up! Nuwara Eliya enjoys a unique landscape and climate, which makes it home to world-famous black tea.

Downtown of Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is also called "Little England", not only because of the similar weather but also because the houses, the old brick post office, the 18-hole golf course, the race course, and hunting pictures- all make it a typical England-style village.

Taking a tuk-tuk was fun. It costs only 1 dollar to get to the town. The downtown is small but I found the postcards and yogurt! The night was cold and it was like winter. There is no heater or air conditioner in hotels, but fortunately, we have a fireplace in our room! We felt excited because we'd never tried such a way to stay warm. Can you imagine it was summer at that time?

On the Way to Galle

There are lots of beautiful beaches along the way to Galle. Mirrisa, Bangalle Bay, etc. We also met the well-known stilt fisherman in Kaogolle. Well, it is not the traditional fishing way anymore in Sri Lanka but more like a show for travelers' gratuities. Do you want to take the photos of them? You need to negotiate the price with them first. After you get the deal, the fishermen will stand on the stilt and "perform" how they fish for you. We paid Rs 40 and we got 4 fishermen. Quite reasonable. The only problem was the weather. It would be excellent If only it was sunny.

Galle

Nuwara Eliya is England village style, while Galle is no doubt "Netherlands" style. Around 125-150 AD, Galle was a busy port and foreign traders from Greece, Arab, China, etc. came all the way here for trade. By reason of its important geographic location, it became the colony of Portuguese, Netherlander, and British from 15 CE to 17 CE. They built and reinforced the rampart and bastions for military defense purposes, but the walls of the fort and the building inside were built by the Dutch, and some of the street names inside the Fort still bear Dutch words. That is the reason why it is called Galle Dutch Fort. Too bad that I didn't have more than one day in Galle, it is my favorite Sri Lankan city. I would stay for one week if I came to Galle next time.

Galle Fort

The Coastal Train from Galle to Colombo

The other most popular train ride in Sri Lanka is for the sector between Galle and Colombo. This route is part of the coastline and passengers can enjoy beautiful sea views along the way. We had missed the train in Kandy and we would never miss this one in Galle! The tickets were not allowed to be bought in advance, so we had to go to the railway station to buy the ticket on the day we left. It takes only 2 hours if by express train or car, but we opted for the 4-hour low-speed train to take clear photos of the view.

Coastal Train from Galle to Colombo

Most of the passengers on this train are locals, and only 10% - 15% are foreign travelers. The facility is basic but comfortable. We even did "stunts" which looked dangerous.

Even though we left with regrets: didn't see the leopard, didn't see the end of the world in Hoton Plain, missed the train in Kandy, didn't come across the good weather, didn't have more time in Galle, all in all, it was a fantastic trip! Thank you Ceylon, and thank you, Lanka, for being a perfect host and giving us a wonderful holiday and memory! It's been a year since I came back but I am always ready to get back! See you next time!