Passikudah to Trincomalee

From my diary, Thursday 5th September

"Today's drive from Passikudah to Trincomalee took us through rather sad looking country. Flat, dry coastal land, tsunami affected like the southern part of the same coastline, the overall impression was one of people struggling to survive. Unlike those villages we had passed through earlier, these presented a very poor picture with dilapidated houses instead of newly built or brightly repainted ones. The demeanor of the people was also different, not so energetic or busy, clothes more worn. We passed many little huts, roofed with cadjanz - no solar water panels along here. Ï am reminded of a similar area we saw last year from Vauvuniya to Kilinochchi in the Northern Province. No landmines along the main road here though."

Flat, dry land of the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

There were a few clusters of more robust housing. Unlike those we saw earlier, these were often clustered more like a village community and not in straight single file lines.

Free Range Cows

The wide, open, dry spaces sometimes surprised us when we came upon  herd of cows feeding free range, their ribs protruding on bony skeletons. Once we saw a herd of buffalo submerged in a small pond, noses and horn tips only showing. In the small villages a common sight was a bullock cart trotting along the road, sometimes loaded with firewood - a reminder that cooking for the family is no easy task.

Oddamavadi Bridge

It is sad that such a catastrophic event that the 2004 tsunami was, had to happen before the area got an excellent road and sturdy bridges to replace the several ferries that were formerly needed to cross the many inlets and lagoons. A lot of foreign aid has been channeled into this with this bridge possible because of assistance from the Kingdom of Spain. Now that this part of the infrastructure has been improved hopefully it will bring economic advantages to the villagers along the way.

Sun dried fish, Kathiraveli

The economic focus for the people who live on the Easy Coast is, of course, fishing. Sri Lankan people eat a lot of fish which, when pounded pounded to a coarse powder, is a key ingredient in many traditional dishes. At first, forty five years ago, this was something that I had to acquire a taste for however I now consider it an essential ingredient in many good curries.

Fishing village, Kathiraveli

Fishing boats resting for the night's work

Dried fish for sale

Squid, anyone?

A few kilometres south of the Trincomalee harbour we made a detour to visit Seruwila Temple before crossing the Kallady bridge and entering the city. It was a lovely place so I will post about it separately.

Kallady Bridge

Below this famous bridge another fishing venture was doing well!

For the people along this coast another tsunami is still on their minds.

Tsunami sign in Trincomalee

The streets of Trincomalee were a maze of narrow alleys and lanes, often with some devilish electricity lines tangled messily above.

Messy electrical engineering in Trincomalee

The construction of the A4 from Pottuvil to Trincomalee with its beautiful bridges is now complete. Next job - replacing the power lines?

Trincomalee

Mother and three children scooter home from school

Transport to and from school is always a problem and its great to see women taking up scooters to give themselves freedom to get around. It looks like a friend has hitched a ride as one girl is not wearing a safety helmet.

In the easy comfort of our own personal transport we continued the  four kilometres to our final beach destination, Chaaya Blu at  Uppuvali.