After much planning and anticipation we finally arrived at our second home, Olu Ella Inn, Dombepola where the time has already flown by ! Our family here was surprised to see Melanie as they had no idea of who the person coming with us was.
We were picked up from the airport by "Lucky" Lakshman with whom I had arranged a tour to the "Cultural Triangle" and this has proven to be an excellent decision - more to follow about this in a later post.
We had an easy exit from the airport, bypassing the clamour of taxi and tour men on the outside. In doing this I realised that I missed the "buzz" I usually get on arrival but we were soon on our way and I could enjoy the feelings arriving in Sri Lanka evoke in me - a comfortable happy feeling and also one of excitement.
My excitement and anticipation of an imminent arrival increased when we passed the Halgolle tea factory at Malalpola. When we arrived at Olu Ella, Sam was out of the van and straight down to inspect the work that had been done on our car park since our departure last June.
Melanie and I spent the first day settling in and organising our things and it was not until the next morning when we set out together to explore the area and for Melanie to recover memories and re familiarise herself with the village and surrounds. This proved to be quite exhausting as we walked at least 6km daily and not on the flat either. Good for our health and lots of fun anyway !
On the second day, we planned to take a stroll to the Vihare at Malalpola so off we went at 10am. The approximately 3km walk was very pleasant in the morning conditions with only a few hilly bits to tax our fitness and the temperature quite comfortable. Walking as opposed to tuktuk or other vehicular transport has great advantages when it comes to actually seeing things around the area such as people picking tea, making concrete on the road surface, selling icecreams from the back of a motorbike .. . . .
So, we stopped frequently to enjoy the experience. We climbed up steps through a tea estate to see how the women picked the leaves, took photos of the beautiful mountains, waterfalls, dripping rocks. Chatted to the bemused locals in my pathetic Sinhala – but at least I could make myself understood with basic information to satisfy their curiosity as to where we were going, where we had come from and why we were walking when we could have taken a tuk tuk.
At Malalpola, we set off up the steps up to the temple [ vihare] and before we had got far looked back to see that an audience had appeared from nowhere and was peering up at us. At the top of the steps was the sacred Bo tree with shrine where a young boy monk was placing a tray of flowers.
As luck would have it, we had arrived at the time when the daily offering of food was being made to the four monks. We were able to sit in the porch with the local worshippers and heard the chanting by we think the young monk – he had a beautiful voice. After this we scrambled to stand up, taking our lead from the other people and stood back as the monks left the temple. At this point we were able to go inside the little temple to take photos of the three Buddhas – sitting, standing and lying positions.
At this point a procession was formed, led by 2 men beating drums, one man carrying on his head the ceremonial mini Buddha statue surrounded by a platter of flowers. This was shielded from the sun and other possible elements by a big yellow umbrella held overhead by another man. The four monks and a couple of men followed behind - the women having raced ahead presumably to ready the dana food at home.
I asked if they were going to the man’s home for dana – the traditional
feeding of the monks that must be completed before 12 noon. He confirmed
this in simple Sinhala - realising my language limitations - and
motioned for Melanie and me to follow the procession and join the dana
offering. This was a kind and generous offer so Melanie and I became the
end part of that drum beating procession.
. . . .and walked for about ten minutes along the road until the procession then left the road and began to climb up some steps alongside a hillside stream through the trees. The dana giver indicated that we should follow to his house the share in the ritual and I would have really enjoyed to do that, however we realized that if we were too late getting back to Olu Ella then people would be anxious and send out a search party [ They were getting ready to do just that when we eventually arrived back anyway.]So, I explained as best I could in Sinhala and with miming gestures pointing to my watch that time was short however my Sinhala did not enable to me explain the reason. Regretfully, we turned and retraced our steps.
By now it was close to midday and the sun was decidedly hotter so we sought the shady side of the road wherever possible. It was a pleasant walk with local people greeting us and saying a few words and I was happy to at least be able to manage a few sentences to respond to their enquiries. Usually Sam is with me and all conversation is directed at him with speed so I have a hard time keeping up with what is being said and find it hard to get the right words to respond. Today showed me that I can manage when solo.
The ice cream seller on his bike caught up with us after his many stops to provide a treat for the children along the way. He was amused that we were walking so far in the heat.
We had decided to detour on the way back to see the mini hydro station about 500 metres before Olu Ella Inn. This involved crossing the river at a newish vehicular bridge, visiting the station and then returning to Olu Ella Inn via the village road and then descending the U bend slopes to our pathway. So when I spotted some steps going down from the road, I thought that was a short cut for pedestrians to the bridge and we headed down them only to come to the swing bridge that had once been the only way for villagers to cross the foaming river. I should have remembered that Sri Lankans will always walk on a road, even if a pavement is there ! Anyway, I have crossed this way many times in the 1960s and 70s and as recently as a year ago, so why not ? Once I remember dressed in a flowing sari on my way to a wedding. I remember stepping carefully on the coconut plank surface steadfastly ignoring the raging white water and huge boulders below. Today there were no coconut planks but after waiting for two local men to exit the bridge and for the swing to subside I checked with a squeaking Melanie to see if she was actually agreeable to going over – she sort of was, well said OK – I started out.
Two things then became clear. One, the bridge must have been condemned because the there were many cross struts missing others crumbled beneath my weight. Two, it was better to keep going than to turn myself around and get Melanie turned around to return to safety. So, better keep going. Every time I spoke to Melanie to see if she was OK I got the clenched teeth reply “Just KEEP GOING” so I/we did. Wrong decision. Seriously scary, the far half of the bridge was much worse than the first half with missing struts requiring almost impossibly long strides across gaps displaying the white water below. I’m lucky that I don’t panic in an emergency so I was able to find a way across for Melanie to follow.
I was so happy when she joined me on the rock solid section at the end that it was some time before I noticed the old man who had come out of his house beside the bridge to watch us and clapped loudly to applaud our nerve? Courage? Stupidity? Lack of local knowledge? Survival ? Several women carrying children were having a giggle and laugh. What could we do but laugh it off and say “See you later!”as nonchalently as possible.
After another ten minute walk including some more uphill work, and a few stops to watch monkeys swinging and dropping from tree to tree, squirrels running along branches, birds flying in and out of the trees and taking photos of grazing bullocks, we arrived at Olu Ella Inn to hear that a tuk tuk was about to be dispatched to find us. Lunch and then a swim in the river was waiting.
