Kandy, Crackers & Ceylon Tea
Sri Lanka, April 2012
There are two sides to Sri Lanka - around the island are colonial towns, white tropical beaches, coral waters and crashing surf waves; then there is the lush green interior with its muddy brown rivers, misty mountains, wildlife parks and famous religious sites. It would almost be a crime to visit Sri Lanka without seeing both but unless you have two weeks you will have settle for a sip.
only a couple of days old and not even the size of my thumb
Looking at a map, Sri Lanka appears to be a small island sitting at the bottom and almost touching the Indian continent. However, once there Sri Lanka doesn’t feel small or Indian. The first thing you will notice is that all the signs are in English and there are a lot of them as every building has its own personal billboard. The second is that distances are very deceiving and thanks to the traffic and lack of motorways you will spend long hours in the back of a car.
Wadduwa, a small fishing town two hours drive from the airport, is the perfect place to soak up the sun and a good base to explore the south western coastline. A day trip to the early sixteenth century city of Galle makes several interesting stops along the way that help to break up the two hour car journey. We had only travelled 20 minutes from our hotel when our driver and guide, Samantha, pulled in at a large temple at the side of the road and jumped out. I thought this was our first stop but just as I released my seat belt I saw him say a quick prayer and put a donation in one of the metal money boxes attached to the railings. I managed to re-secure my seat belt before he got back in the car and prayed the roads weren’t going to be that bad.
Thankfully, I only had to close my eyes a couple of times mostly due to erratic Tuk-Tuks, all of which looked brand new. We did however witness a narrow winding road transform into four lanes which was particularly scary especially as we were in one of the newly formed outside lanes.
On our journey to Galle, the railway track followed us and would occasionally intersect the road or disappear whenever we came to a town. This stretch of coastline was badly affected by the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 with over 35,000 people killed and we saw several roadside graves as well as two large memorials dedicated to the villagers who lost their lives. The most upsetting was a bronze 3D sculpture depicting the exact moment a passing train was wiped out by the wave killing everyone on board.
What we didn’t realise was that a few days later we would have first hand experience of just how frightening it must have been. Thankfully this time the tectonic plates off the coast of Indonesia moved in a different direction and the island was hit by a large, but thankfully harmless, wave although our hotel did have to be evacuated as a precaution.
The beaches on this part of the island are a popular nesting ground for sea turtles and we stopped at the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project which was started in 1988. Here we learnt from its founder that the female turtles come at night onto the beach to lay their eggs but sadly many are dug up by fisherman and sold for food. The project buys the eggs from the fishermen and then re-buries them in a hatchery - a sandy pen a few metres from the beach. Once the turtles are about two years old they are released at night back onto the beach. It was an amazing to be able to hold turtles that were only a couple of days old and not even the size of my thumb.
The project also looked after deformed turtles and our host introduced us to a turtle called Tuk-Tuk - as he had a fin missing and another with only two fins named Bicycle. I hadn’t appreciated there were so many different species or how beautiful their shells are and it was good to know that the small donation we left was going to purchase more eggs that night.
The villages we drove through specialised in different handmade products such as brooms, pottery and masks. At Ambalangoda we visited a mask factory and museum and discovered the masks are carved from wood similar to Balsa and then painted in bright colours. The most fascinating, if not slightly grotesque, were the 18 sanni or demon masks each one depicting a specific disease and used to exorcise illnesses from the body.
The bohemian Hikkaduwa beach is famous for its snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing and there certainly were a lot of dive shops along the main road. Unfortunately, on this trip we had to settle on having our photos taken on the Bounty-advert beach before enjoying a cold beer and watching the surfing dudes impress us with their skills.
When we eventually reached Galle I have to admit I was disappointed. It appeared to be a busy modern city and apart from a fortified wall I could see nothing to explain why we had driven so far. After escaping the traffic jam next to the bus station we drove along the coastline and stopped to help the local fishermen pull in their nets from the sheltered bay. After 10 minutes of taking part in a strange tug of war with the sea, we realised it was going to be another 40 minutes before we would see any fish so we headed back towards the cricket ground where, on the other side of an archway, we found the reason for our trip.
The old town of Galle sits out on a small peninsula and is surrounded by ramparts. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in Asia and an UNESCO World Heritage site. Historically, the town was a significant trading port and was visited by Marco Polo in 1299 AD. At the museum you can find out about the Dutch East India Company or if that’s not your cup of tea you can go next door and sit on the veranda of the Amangala Hotel and have a pot of the local brew.
The best way to explore the town is on foot although it’s hard to decide whether to follow the ramparts or head down one of the narrow streets lined with the villas of Dutch merchants. We started off along the top of the wall and saw dozens of jet black crows hovering around a group of school children enjoying ice-creams. It was like a scene from a Hitchcock movie but it helped to think of them as Sri Lankan seagulls. Just past the lighthouse we climbed the steps of a corner battlement now famous for its cliff diving and a teenager offered to dive in for $20. He didn’t seem amused when I told him that for $20 I would jump myself.
A few minutes later we stopped to watch kids playing cricket, in bare feet, on a narrow patch of land between the road and the fortress wall. Overlooking this strange cricket pitch were colonial mansions that appeared derelict but with a bit of TLC could be stunning. As well as the Amangala there were lots of pretty boutique hotels and restaurants with rooftop terraces and I wished we had been staying for at least one night.
walking across the suspension bridge high above a muddy river
After two days of sunbathing back in Wadduwa, we climbed into Samantha’s car once again and prepared ourselves for another epic drive - this time to the centre of the island. The five hour journey to the famous city of Kandy was thankfully broken up with cups of tea and a visit to Pinnawala elephant orphanage. I had read mixed reviews about Pinnawala so wasn’t the least bit disappointed when we pulled up outside the Millennium Elephant Foundation instead.
In the foundation’s museum we were given an extremely interesting lesson on the differences between Asian and African elephants and I was surprised there were so many. An elephant ride was also included in our entrance fee and from past experience we bought the ticket that offered the shortest ride. Being on an elephant is similar to a bucking bronco machine set at the slowest speed but the only difference is that when you get tired of clinging onto the rope, falling off isn’t an option.
After our walk we got into the chocolate brown river and washed our elephant with a piece of coconut husk. We then climbed onto his back and he gave us not one but four "elephant showers". It was an incredible experience and well worth an entire change of clothes. However, the highlight of the visit was persuading the foundation to let me buy a watercolour hanging on their wall that was painted by one of the elephants.
We reached Kandy in time for another delicious Sri Lankan curry lunch and afterwards walked it off by exploring the city. Kandy is the last capital of the ancient Kings of Sri Lanka and is surrounded by forest covered hills. The city is low rise, with splashes of colonial architecture, and was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. Despite being a picturesque town with a romantic lake the main reason people visit is to see the world’s most famous tooth.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is one of the holiest places of worship and a pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world. The legend tells how the tooth of Buddha was rescued from his funeral pyre and smuggled to Sri Lanka hidden in the hair of an Indian princess. The Temple is part of a large complex that includes the Royal Palace and the entrance lies across a moat and through gates large enough for an elephant. The shrine itself sits in a small courtyard covered by a golden canopy.
Monks perform three rituals a day but we visited just before the evening ceremony which allowed us to have a private tour without disturbing the worshippers. You certainly don’t have to be Buddhist to feel the emotion in the air and the fact the relic is hidden inside seven golden caskets covered in gemstones is totally irrelevant.
Once we had retrieved our shoes, we walked back along the lake past a floating police station that was once the Queen’s bath. The lake was created by the King in 1807 but doesn’t look man-made and in the middle is a small island. As dusk was falling we decided to head to The Pub for a cold beer and to admire the sun setting over the lake from their rooftop terrace. If it hadn’t been that we were expected back at the Theva Residence - for what turned out to be the best dinner of our trip - we would have stayed as the pub grub looked very appetising as did the selection of LP’s behind the turntables.
After a good night’s sleep we woke in the mountains above Kandy to an eerie mist covering the valley and town. As the mist moved, houses on the hill top opposite would appear and then just as quickly vanish. After a fabulous breakfast with amazing homemade jams and marmalades, we drove to the Royal Botanical Gardens for a leisurely stroll. You could easily spend hours here visiting the orchid house or walking across the suspension bridge high above a muddy river. We also saw bats flying around and hanging upside down in trees as well as a tree planted by the first man in space but the best part was seeing my first Cannonball tree. Our last stop before leaving Kandy was the university grounds where we had a quick photo with a troop of monkeys.
I would have loved to have seen the tea plantations in the Central Highlands but we just didn’t have the time and although it looked near on the map, it was in fact another two hour drive. We therefore had to settle for a stop at the Embilmeegama tea factory. After a refreshing cuppa in their tea room we learnt everything about tea production starting with the emerald green fresh leaves and finishing in the gift shop. Sri Lanka is the fourth largest producer in the world and the first tea plantation was planted by James Taylor, a Scotsman, in 1867. Despite the country changing its name in 1972 it is still known today as Ceylon tea.
The drive back to Wadduwa although long was definitely not boring. We learnt a lot about the country’s civil war and how things have changed. It wasn’t that long ago that a holiday to Sri Lanka would have been impossible due to kidnappings and bombings by the Tamil Tigers. The journey was also broken up by stops at food stalls to purchase avocados, corn on the cobs, cashew nuts and I got to try my first mangosteen, which was incredible. We also stopped to take photographs of the scenic views as well as billboards advertising Cream Crackers!
Every village and town that we passed through had at least two bright red and yellow cream cracker advertising signs above shops. It didn’t take long before I was totally brain washed and started craving them. Eventually, we had to stop at a grocery shop so that I could buy a packet and for 26p I was cured.
Driving at traffic jam speed, we eventually noticed that nobody was smoking. Samantha told us that it was against the law to smoke anywhere in public even on the streets and the only place you can smoke is in your own house. Cigarettes are not even allowed to be sold in shops and can only be purchased from an official tobacco kiosk. We watched one woman make a purchase and witnessed cigarettes being slipped under the metal grille and quickly hidden inside her handbag before she scurried away. The whole process looked so conspiratorial that you would think she was buying drugs!
I was totally brain washed and started craving them
As we had specifically asked not to be taken to tourist restaurants we stopped on our way back at a roadside café for a snack - locally known as “small eats”. Sri Lankans are very strict on hygiene and wouldn’t eat until they had washed their hands and we soon discovered the reason why. Nobody used cutlery, instead they used handfuls of rice to mop up their curries. It certainly explained why we got such gigantic platters of rice as it is not just part of the meal but also an important utensil.
The best thing about Sri Lanka curry is that if you order a chicken curry it comes with a small banquet consisting of different vegetable curries, lentil dhal and shredded pompodoms. It is far too much for one person but perfect for sharing and to the surprise of all the locals we didn’t find it too hot or spicy. In fact we loved it so much that one day we had one for breakfast.
We were fortunate to be in Sri Lanka for their New Year which surprisingly takes place in April. This of course didn’t help the traffic with everyone travelling home but definitely added to the atmosphere as the towns were buzzing with people shopping for fireworks, new clothes and cooking pots. Samantha invited us to visit his family on our way back from Kandy and we arrived with our gifts of fruit and veg and, in return, were treated to heart melting hospitality accompanied, of course, by endless cups of tea.
The next morning, the Serene Pavilions’ managers and staff re-enacted the tradition that happens in homes all over the island on New Year’s Day. It was very strange wishing everyone a Happy New Year particularly as Easter had only been a few days earlier. Dinner that evening was accompanied by fireworks and firecrackers and the cows that slept on the beach ran back and forth in mini stampedes trying to escape the noise. The next evening we had another exciting dinner as lightning lit up the sky but I much preferred the dramatic red sky sunsets that we had earlier in the week.
There are so many places I wish we could have visited in particular the 8th wonder of the world, the Sigirya Rock Fortress. I would also have loved to have seen the previously off limits North as well as spent a night in the capital city of Colombo. Then there are the wildlife parks, whale watching and white water rafting. I left Sri Lanka having not one, but a dozen reasons to go back but for now I will have to satisfy myself with memories of Kandy, eating cream crackers and sipping Ceylon Tea.