Arugum Bay to Passikudah, Batticaloa

Leaving lazy Arugum Bay at 9am we began our drive northwards up the East Coast  heading for Passikudah where we would have another beach stay.

Arugum Bay to Passikedah, Batticaloa

The road has been totally rebuilt after the tsunami of 2004, evidence of which we saw with some abandoned houses, few bushes or big trees and also some tsunami houses built by foreign NGOs. Many of those houses were also abandoned including a line of them built like igloos. How unsuitably hot they would have been, with a couple of tiny windows and too low set to catch a cooling breeze. At several places along this stretch of the A4 I also noted rows of evenly spaced small brick houses, each one with a bold letter spelling out the name of the NGO that had built them. I guess that it was deemed necessary by these organisations to announce in a cannot- be- missed way to all passersby for the next few decades that they had been generous but I thought it just too much.

near Komari

These three photos were taken from the moving car but give an idea of the flat, dry, almost unpopulated area.

Tsunami wrecked houses are still to be seen however many are now being claimed by the vegetation. It is easy to see how, when the ancient cities and temples were abandoned for whatever reason, they became entombed in the jungles.

During pre tsunami times travellers along this road needed to take a ferry/ barge across the several lagoons along the way. Now there are well built bridges that many other places in the country must envy. I noticed that all these bridges had been built with the assistance of foreign countries.

Despite the good road conditions we travelled quite slowly stopping  several times when we spotted a Brahminy kite riding a thermal above a lagoon. What beautiful birds they are with their distinctive red wings against their white chest and head and outstretched wing feathers. We were lucky enough to see quite a few of them along this coast and also a little further inland where they circled above a wewa - a water reservoir.

Brahminy Kite - photo Wikipedia

Fishing is a primary industry along the East Coast and the many lagoons provided an easy to reach catch. Each throw produced at least a few fish which were then transferred to a gunny sack and submerged in the water to keep them fresh. As we sat on the bridge and watched the fishermen, a line of buyers arrived on their custom built bikes, ready to do a deal and take the catch to town.

Fishing, Paddiruppu Causeway,  East Coast Sri Lanka

The East Coast area has a high Muslim population along the coast line as well as a significant Hindu one a little further inland. The villages and towns we passed through- Komari, Tirrukkovil, Akkaraipattu Karavita and Kalmuni all looked prosperous when compared with those in some other parts of the country. Shops were bright, with plenty of stock, people seemed relaxed and well dressed. The feature that astounded us was the number of temples, especially Hindu ones but also Buddhist and Mosques. It seemed that there was at least one of each kind every 500 metres, less at times. All were freshly painted, many had either undergone renovation or were in the process of being renovated and extended. A lot of money is being spent by the people for this!

Hindu shrine in front of the temple

 It is very common in Sri Lanka to see small shrines right on the roadside in front of Buddhist and Hindu temples and also Catholic churches. We have had some drivers and family members who simply cannot pass by without stopping to make a small donation and a prayer for a safe journey.

Hindu Temple

Hindu Temple

Hindu Temple, East Coast, Sri Lanka

Each temple is dedicated to a particular deity. Ganesha I have learned to recognise because of the elephant head.

Ganesh

While I was looking at the temple, having abandoned the idea of going inside after the searing heat from the sand at the front proved too hot for my soft feet, this happy chap stopped by for a very pleasant chat. As is often the case, his son was overseas studying in the United Kingdom and he had high hopes for him to obtain a big job on his return. He had many questions for me about what life was like in Australia and I got the feeling that he was trying to picture his son in a western country as he had never left Sri Lanka himself.

Some seventeen kilometres before Batticaloa, we were surprised to suddenly come across this hotel in what looked like the middle of nowhere! Of course we took the opportunity of taking a tea break and I got a tour of the rooms and amenities, new swimming pool included. The tariff quoted was very reasonable, the rooms especially spacious and well equipped and, actually, it is not far from the sea so could be a quiet budget place to stay. The trouble is that it has no presence on the world wide web so I'm not sure how anyone could access information about it.

New hotel near Batticaloa, at Kirankulam

After our refreshments we resumed our journey only to have Sam excitedly ask Lucky to stop the van. He had spotted a small papaya tree laden with fat fruit! The excitement was that he had not previously seen this new type of tree.

Dwarf Papaya trees ,near Kirankulam

Soon we came to the Batticaloa harbour and crossed the long bridge into the town, stopping for lunch at a bakery. 

Batticaloa Harbour

After crossing the bridge into the town we stopped under a Thelambu tree to take some photos.

Thelambu Tree - sterculia foetida

The trees in the sterculiacae family are sometimes known as the tropical chestnut trees and sterculia foetida as a wild almond tree. Its flowers are known for a not so nice perfume however its timber can be used for furniture making.  

I love these bakeries where you can buy the local "short eats"as well as cakes! What a change from the 1960s when the only place to have a snack was at one of the Rest Houses or perhaps a tea shop in one of the big name tea factories. The Rest Houses were a British Colonial mini hotel, set up all over the country to provide accommodation for them as they travelled around conducting business or holidaying.

Sunshine Bakery, Batticaloa

While Sue and I opted for short eats, fish rolls, samosas, egg buns and the like, Sam enjoyed Buriyani and Lucky went with the traditional lunch time meal of rice and curry. Yes! I did succumb to the charms of the tempting cakes!

Passikudah Beach, Batticaloa

Our destination, Amethyst Hotel was a further thirty kilometres north of Batticaloa. Since the tsunami several new hotels have already been built here with many more, some of which we were told are owned by powerful politicians, under construction. Our accommodation was in concrete cabanas, very spacious with all the modern fittings and amenities. Dinners were an especial delight with European style dishes beautifully plated and pleasing to the taste buds! The best in Sri Lanka, ever!

One thing that must be mentioned to prepare potential guests is the multiple tiered tariff system which is the norm all over Sri Lanka. Formerly I thought that it was simply a two tiered system, a normal rate for the local people and a much higher one for the overseas guests who should, of course, pay a lot more. On check out at Amethyst, I learned that the tourist tariff is actually multi tiered, depending on which passport the foreign visitor holds. We were charged an extra USD20 per room per night above the quoted Australian rate because one of our party checked in on her British passport. This rather soured the whole impression of the hotel and I would not stay there or recommend it to others for this reason.

Amethyst Resort, Passikudah,Sri Lanka