Arugum Bay, Sri Lanka

After leaving Ella at 8am we followed the hill hugging windy road we had seen from the top of Little Adam's Peak and in a surprisingly short time we were down on flat land in a dry zone. Our route took us through Buttala however we did not stop until we arrived at busy Monaragala.

Monaragala is an important town for those tourists who choose to travel by bus as you can take one  from the South coast - Kataragama, Tissamaharama and Hambantota - and then change here to go to Arugum Bay nd further north up the East Coast. If travelling to Ella and then on to Kandy and the Cultural Triangle the change can often be made at Buttala.

For us, Monaragala was our morning tea stop at the Victory Inn. It was an attractive town, the green hills adding interest to the landscape, clean and quite prosperous looking.

Arugum Bay

Then it was onwards to Pottuvil and across the bridge to Arugum Bay. Arugum Bay is a popular tourist destination with a focus on surfing and is therefore geared to people younger than ourselves, especially when it comes to accommodation which is predominantly back packer Sri Lankan style, guesthouses.

Arrival at Tsunami Hotel, Arugum Bay

The process of booking accommodation and getting what you think you have booked has always been problematic in Sri Lanka and our experience on this trip has me thinking the situation is even worse than previously. Knowing the difficulties for foreign tourists, I had asked Lucky to book accommodation for this tour for us. I learned that he, too, has the same problems of agreements not being honoured and tricks being played out to extract more money from the unlucky tourist. I had researched all the accommodation available, noting reviews of places that were constantly reported as seriously unclean, things added to the bill and upcharging above the agreed tariff on checkout. Lucky and I finally agreed that Tsunami Hotel seemed to be the best we could do and he booked two double rooms, each with air con, hot water and breakfast daily with his accommodation and food included.

Tsunami Hotel, Arugum Bay

The setting, right on the beach, looked idyillic. As long as there wasn't another tsunami! The hotel, a guest house really, was actually named prior to the 2004 tsunami and was partially destroyed at that time. It now comprises of double chalets around a central garden area. The nearness of the sea, hammocks in the trees invite indolence and inactivity - a holiday!

Double chalet, Tsunami Hotel, Arugum Bay

The trouble was, we were informed that there was only one room with air con. Sue said that as long as she had a fan and mossie net she was happy so she was escorted to her room while we started to unpack a couple of immediate items in our air con room. No hot water though, I noted. Lucky then came over and told us that the Manager had raised the charge for our air con by RS3000 per night and that there was no accommodation for him although he could go to another place which was also owned by the Tsunami owner.  Although this type of thing happens almost always in Sri Lanka and I am used to it, I was seriously annoyed. We moved to a non air con room to find that the bed was built out of concrete and, although it was a double, it had only a narrow single size thin foam pad for a mattress. After a protracted discussion a wider, thin foam pad eventually arrived. Much later still a second one to add to the thickness came, along with comments about how difficult to please I was.

Double room, Tsunami Hotel, Arugum Bay

Photos of tsunami damage, 2004

Fortunately we were able to deal with the breakfast omelette with humour! Below, Sue is holding her one egg breakfast omelette which she ordered for interest sake after being denied the usual omelette with onions, mushrooms, chillies and so on. This was not available at breakfast as it was only on the lunch menu. Breakfast omelette was one egg, beaten and fried and named omelette. [Not even extra money would get you two eggs.] 

After the scam with the rooms there was no way we were going to eat lunch at the Tsunami so we went off down the road to satisfy our growing hunger.

Mani road, Arugum Bay

 As it was the very end of the surfing season many business were already closed for the season and others in the process of doing so. We found a small shop, just three tables outside in the sand and one man making rotti at the front.

Roti shop, Arugum Bay

Toes in the sand, cold drinks in our hands, we waited happily for our rottis to be ready.

Making rotti, Arugum Bay

Our rotti arrived at our table accompanied by dhal [ lentil] curry and coconut sambal. Sue's vegetable and cheese rotti was so nice that we came again the next day. Bananas made a great dessert too.

pink bananas

Arugum Bay had a strangeness about it and it was some time before I realised that what was bothering me was the sameness and newness of the houses. Many had solar hot water and were connected to electricity. They did not look at all like the usual Sri Lankan village houses and the roads were all new, quite wide and often straight with none of the big holes and bends as they avoided dwellings built practically on the road itself. All that was washed away that fateful morning in 2004.

Post tsunami houses, Arugum Bay

Apart from the tourist season, fishing is the prime source of work in this area. Boats donated by Rotary Belguim were pulled up here and there on one stretch of the beach.

Fishing boat, Arugum Bay

Sue was an early riser and she would sit on her patio watching the slow procession of boats returning to shore after a night out on the ocean.

Fishing boats, Arugum Bay

Most tourists come to Arugum Bay for surfing yet I did not see any really good surf while we were there.

Beach cricket, Arugum Bay

During the mornings we explored the ancient ruins in the area.  Afternoons were for snoozing, reading and writing and a walk along the beach at dusk followed by a cool pre dinner drink at beach side candle lit tables.

Diving into a boiling surf

At first the sound of the sea was quite spooky, with a suspense laden silence followed by a rising angry growl, then back to silence, then growl, silence, growl until its rhythm dropped us into sleep.

Ella and Little Adam's Peak

Ella is a small sleepy village on the southern hills of the Upcountry. With lush tea plantations on the hills, forests on the peaks and vegetable gardens in the valleys it is a beautiful area to spend a relaxing time. The famous train disgorges tourists from all countries on a daily basis while regular buses bring budget tourists from the South Coast to spend a couple of days on their way to Kandy and beyond. There are two main activities that most people do, climbing Ella Rock and taking a leisurely stroll up Little Adam's Peak.

Ella Rock

Climbing Ella Rock is not for everyone, especially anyone plus aged, however people told me that it is a really great experience and that only the last part was a bit difficult. It's a great walk, I was told, about 1.5km along the railway line, watching out for trains, through tea plantations and taking about two hours each way. That was too much for us so we opted for the amble up Little Adam's Peak.

Climbing Little Adam's Peak

The real Adam's Peak is a physical challenge of great proportions for most people with sometimes menacing steps winding around and around it's conical shape until you think that they will never end. Little Adam's Peak, however, is an easy walk of only forty five minutes from Ella village and it is possible to go up without climbing any steps.

On a beautiful day we made an early morning start, taking a slow walk through the tea plantations where a few women were picking tea and men were weeding. We soon came to a a gate just beyond which was a young woman selling necklaces and bracelets all made of hand painted seeds. Naturally we stopped to look and chat and although we knew we could not bring these back into Australia, something she knew herself, we ended up buying a couple on our return from the top.

There are now two ways to get to the top of Little Adam's Peak - up some flights of stairs or around the original track to the left of the stairs. We took the track and were rewarded with breathtaking views far into the distant plains beyond. I was once again having problems with my Canon G12 - I have now given up on it and looking for a replacement - so I didn't have enough zoom on my little handbag camera to capture the real beauty before me.

Taking the side path up Little Adam's Peak

We took time to stop and enjoy the vistas as well as the abundant bird life around us and, again, my camera wasn't up to the task of snapping these lovely creatures.

Tea Factory, Ella

There was a path to this tea factory with a sign inviting visitors to take a tour. The view from it would be spectacular as it is right in the Gap.

Resort 98 acres, Ella

Take the side track up Little Adam's Peak for this view

We arrived at the top to see a terrified young man pleading with his partner not to go down to the edge of the mountain for a photo. Wise, she was not.

Unwise tourist.

On top of Little Adam's Peak

It was an almost breathless day on the top and the views were quite clear.

From Little Adam's Peak, Ella

From Little Adam's Peak, Ella

Looking down to Ella village we could see the roof of our guest house, Rawana Heights. It's the red one in the centre of the picture.

Ella village from Little Adam's Peak

We could also see the distant Rawana Waterfall on the opposite side of the Gap. Look hard in the centre bottom of the photo below!

Distant Rawana Falls

 The photo below of these famous falls was taken was taken from the road.

Rawana Falls, near Ella

Coming down the steps was quicker but hotter and the views not so inspiring as the track route. We passed a steady stream of people climbing up, many of whom were neither carrying water nor wearing hats.

Rest and recovery from the now blazing sun

We had spotted an outdoor restaurant at the car park so we ordered a refreshing cup of tea with an ice cold drink to follow.  This restaurant was really restful with lovely views of Ella Rock and a small plant nursery and bird aviaries add to the attractiveness of the place. With a new guesthouse Ella Flower Garden Resort, being almost completed it would be an ideal place to stay. Later, we enjoyed an excellent lunch there.

Ella Flower Garden Resort

As we sat there chatting and planing the rest of our day, we were so comfortable that we decided to pre order lunch. In the meantime we would go for a walk around the village and then Sue and I would have a massage. This we did at Suwamedura, which advertises itself as an Ayurvedic Health and Beauty Spa. The hour long neck, shoulders and back massage was excellent however Sue's masseuse spoiled the effect by immediately asking for a tip before Sue was ready to even leave the treatment room.

The Ice cream man at Ella

All around Sri lanka creative mobile vehicles ply the streets blaring out either It's a Small World After All or Greensleeves and selling ice cream, bread and fish. This converted tuk tuk was really cute!

The rest of our time in Ella was devoted to just relaxing on our balcony chatting, reading, in holiday mode. We were reminded just how climate at that altitude can change when bright sunlight suddenly gave way to a clammy mist followed by heavy rain. Fortunately it stopped and the sun returned before we needed to descend the fifty six steps on the outside of the building to dinner at the restaurant at road level!

Tomorrow we leave for the East Coast at Pottuvil. It will be the first time we have been to that part of the country so we are quite excited!

The First part of our Sri Lankan Tour - Olu Ella Inn to Ella ,with a train trip Nanu Oya to Ella

Not only Sue rose at dawn today! Bags were packed last night as we needed to make an early start so that we could meet the train at Nawalapitiya, destination for the day being Ella. After a quick breakfast we were soon driving down the mountain, enjoying the sight of peaks obscured by early morning mist. With little traffic on the road we had a pleasant drive and made such good time to Nawalapitiya that there would have been a long wait for the train. 

The train journey from Nanu Oya is rated as the best in the country so it is always problematic to get a seat, hence our idea to board it at an earlier stop. Nawalapitiya is a busy commercial town with little to offer passing tourists, not even a clean toilet, however we found a small bakery where we were able to top up our breakfast. We then decided to continue to Nanu Oya and take our chances on the seat issue.

First two stages of our tour- Part two coming up soon

A short time later we came to Pussellawa where, thankfully, there was a clean bathroom courtesy of our driver's car insurance company. Apparently this company, a popular one, has built such conveniences in various places so if you are in Sri Lanka and in such need, ask your driver about his insurance company - you may find relief!

From Pussellawa the road gradually climbs higher until U bends are many and views excellent.

Ramboda Falls, Sri Lanka

 Here's a long distance shot so that you can see the surrounding hills . . .

Ramboda Falls, Sri Lanka

. . . and a close up to get an idea of the force of the water. After this point the road climbed very steeply to Nuwara Eliya.

Ramboda Falls area, Sri Lanka

When we fly over the country we see all these lakes and reservoirs and try to pin point their locations. This one is the Kotmale Reservoir.

Tea Estate

Many centuries ago Sri Lanka was famous for its spices, especially cinnamon, cardamon, cloves. As a small child, I remember reading about the Arab spice trade routes and how spices were used to preserve food prior to refrigeration and canning. Sri Lanka became known as Pearl of the East partly due to its spice trade, if my memory of childhood reading is correct. Nowadays it is famous for its tea. 

Tea, however, was introduced to Sri Lanka from China early in the nineteenth century but as a specimen in the Botanical Gardens. At that time, Sri Lanka had a thriving coffee economy however a deadly fungus wiped out the crop and so, tea became a cash crop instead.  With an early coffee history it is strange that until recently it was impossible to get a drinkable cup of coffee anywhere on the island with a strong, bitter brew, thick with grains served to those who hadn't yet learned to choose tea.

Tea Leaves, just plucked

Tea is a type of camellia - camellia sinensis - and I think of that when trying to encourage my camellias to grow in our burning summers. In Sri Lanka tea estates take up about 4% of the land. There are the famous estates and brands and there are also smaller tea plantations where the picked tea from the tea is collected and taken to a local tea factory for processing.

Tea flower, camellia sinensis

Tea growing needs high humidity, a cool climate and high rainfall and the difference in these conditions has a lot to do with the taste, aroma and strength of the product. The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka have ideal conditions and this is where the most estates are located. There are three main types of tea grown - the black variety with its citrus evoking aroma, the more pungent, richer flavoured green tea and the expensive and harder to get white tea. White tea is more labour intensive as the leaves are hand rolled and sun dried.

Tea growing

Tea growing in Sri Lanka has always been labour intensive and, as the Sinhalese people were reluctant to do such menial work, the British planters brought Tamil women from India. The women start work early, picking two leaves and a bud off and tossing them into a basket or bag tied on their heads behind them. The tea bushes are kept to waist height and are grown on contours on hills to allow for access and drainage.

Picking tea

We stopped to buy some tea for friends at Glenloch Tea Factory near Katukithula and took advantage of the invitation to down a bowl of potato soup that is provided for the many drivers who bring clients such as ourselves. Very nice it was too!

Lucky was offered some jaggery one of the staff had made for sale and he quickly accepted the offer. Jaggery is unrefined sugar made from the sap of the kitul palm without the separation of the molasses and crystals. This piece was especially pleasing - like a soft light fudge that melted effortlessly the minute it made it to your mouth.

After this pleasant break we continued to Nuwaru Eliya where I ran into a bakery to stock up on short eats for the three hour train ride from Nanu Oya to Ella. The six km from Nuwaru Eliya were covered slowly as the road had been ripped up with a new construction about to be started so time needs to be allowed for this if you plan to catch the train. I guess it may be ready in a year or two.

After purchasing our tickets - about Rs 200 each for Second Class, we joined the other waiting passengers - mostly tourists - on the platform.

Nanu Oya Station

Soon the train arrived and that was when the fun began!

Ever mindful of how to survive when boarding public transport in Sri Lanka, I positioned myself ready to haul myself up into the train assertively yet as politely as possible. The trouble was that there were very many people exiting at this station and one poor, young mother holding a baby less than a year old almost fell when trying to turn to get a foot hold on the narrow steps hidden under the side of the carriage. I released my hold on the hand rail and caught , yes caught the baby and she managed to get down. As this was happening I was being pushed and shoved from behind as Sri Lankan people sought to get on  and grab the seats. At the same time, the small foyer area was blocked with a group of happy young Sri Lankan men playing drums while singing and swaying as they crooned the local hit songs. 

Happy Days, I thought as I too, moved assertively scanning for vacant seats on the right side of the coach, found one and sank down hurrying Sue in beside me. I then looked for Sam to see how he was faring in the seat scrum. He was looking confused but then I spotted a seat behind me on the other side of the train and pushed him, like the musical chair game into it. Just in time! We were then confronted by a young Sri Lankan mother, perhaps in her thirties and her eight year old son, furious that Sam had taken her son's seat and demanding that he stand up. With some encouragement from me, Sam held his seat while she berated him in Sinhalese for making her son stand. Whereupon Sam offered to move slightly so that her son could perch between the two of them and, as she kept up her tirade he gave her a lecture on her lack of respect for his age - wrong side of seventy. Eventually she was silenced, only to leave the train two stops later.

Train between Nanu Oya and Ella

The journey between Nanu Oya and Ella takes three hours. During the first half the best views are from the right hand side and they are glorious views, tinged with a full range of green shades, into blues and purples.

From the Nanu Oya to Ella train

There are a lot of tunnels and, as it was a weekend the train was full of families with children so every time we went through a tunnel they screamed. I was waiting for that thrill to wear off but no such luck!

Food crops

One of the waterfalls from the train

Near Diyatalawa

There were seats aplenty when the train arrived at Ella. Many of the stations along the way had lovely gardens and flower pots on the platforms. This was the area the British in colonial times liked to escape the heat to and this is still reflected in the station buildings, especially at Diyatalawa.

Lucky was at the station to meet us and take us to our guesthouse, Rawana Heights. Well named, as we found out! Our rooms were on the top floor giving a lovely view  - after we had slowly climbed the fifty six steps to reach them!

Sharing our Lanka with a friend

We returned from our latest trip to Sri Lanka two weeks ago so it's about time I updated my blog. It was an especially busy one with many things planned for the brief three weeks we had to spare for a holiday. As a long time retired couple we technically have plenty of time however that's not the way things go! We miss our family here and know that we are also missed. On the other hand, family in Sri Lanka say that we don't stay long enough there. A month away from home is as long as we can last so three weeks in Sri Lanka and another one elsewhere and we are ready to return home.

This time we had the pleasure or a friend's company for the Sri Lankan part so we met up with her in Kuala Lumpur at the KLIA  departure gate.  What a change in the terminal since we were last there, about seven years ago! It's now very modern, comfortable and has currently one satellite terminal connected by a computer driven train. A second new terminal, LCCT, [the Low Cost Carrier Terminal] is to be added next year. At the moment LCCT, although in the same airport, is a 20 minute taxi ride away at a cost of about MYR35.  [ MYR70 between 12 midnight and 6am.]

As we had more than four hours between flights we idled some time in a restaurant before wandering to the gate to find that we were the first arrivals. We found some full length lounger chairs around a quiet corner and the next thing we knew we were being called to board our plane immediately as it was waiting to take off! This was the first time for ten years that we didn't have a day or two stop over en route and it will be the last!

As usual, when we arrive at our Sri Lankan home, Olu Ella Inn, we open the cupboards and set up our tea, coffee and toast station and then sit back on the balcony and enjoy the view while the word gets out that we have arrived. Family members then trickle in and out to catch up on what's been happening since our last visit.

Our balcony

This trip was to be a busy one and we had just a few days at home before we were to depart on a twelve day tour through the Hill Country to the East Coast. We would then follow the coastline north as far as Trincomalee before heading inland and South, spending a few days in the Cultural triangle then returning home.

Click  image to see our plan

Before leaving we had a very personal and important ritual to attend to.

Sue's husband had passed away exactly one year ago and she had arranged with her children and their families to light a candle to honour him and mark his passing, each one in their own place and time on the day. She herself wanted to do so in a Buddhist Temple so we went by tuk tuk to the temple at Yatiyantota. Our family quietly obtained some white and pink lotuses for her as an offering and on the way down the hill we stopped to buy the packet of candle wicks needed for lighting the temple candles.

Stupa at Yatiyantota Temple

There was nobody else inside the temple when we arrived so we were able to go privately to the Buddha statue at the back, taking time to stand in front of it and make our own personal reflections. Sue then placed her flowers in front of the Buddha and said her personal prayer. It was a moving moment for me, one which will not be forgotten.

In Buddhist temples you are not able to light candles inside because the smoke and oil residue would damage the paintings that usually adorn the walls and often the ceilings so we moved outside to the designated spot where first Sue, and then ourselves lit candles for our families.

Lighting the candles

There were many candles to light. The candle tree frame here had many little pots on the end of each "branch" and you fill each one with oil and add a wick. These wicks proved a challenge to light but Sue was determined to get each one going. We also lit incense sticks as well as camphor balls - a lovely aroma.

Incense sticks with blazing camphor balls

The temple grounds were filled with the sound of chanting devotions as a group women sat in a building behind the Bo tree. These sounds mingled with the laughter and squeals of children at the Montesorri school next door, the burning candles, incense and camphor and so created a lovely atmosphere.

Bo Tree

Finally all the candles were burning brightly, their flames wavering in a gentle breeze.

Sue was happy. 

Post Scriptum: Sue was able to honour her husband in her own way in a totally different cultural and religious setting to her own. The local people observed that and were unobtrusively supportive, wishing her well. 

In Sri Lanka the twelve month anniversary of a family member's passing is marked by the extended family and friends gathering for a big Dana. Several monks are brought to the home where they offer prayers for the departed one and advice for the family in the form of the chants including that of Reflection on the Loss which is a reminder that all life ends in death and that possessions and ego are left behind and that meritorius deeds leave something positive behind. The family then offers the monks their daily food which, as it is paying respect to the Sangha and adds to the merit bank for the departed family member's future life.

Another Sewing day and a young boy 's holiday activities too

This morning Grace studied the pattern we thought would work best with the red floral fabric and she then cut out the required pieces prior to tracing the correct size onto tracing paper. She was very thoughtful as she did this so I guessed that all was not well with this choice. Sure enough, she draped the fabric around her waist trying to swish and swirl with limited success. The three pleats front and back were not going to give the desired effect with the fabric also being too heavy. So, on one hand we have the desired slim line bodice and a "wrong" skirt while on the other hand we have the perfect skirt and "wrong" bodice.

I tried without success to see if it was possible for me to marry the two patterns. We took a break while I racked my brain trying to solve the problem. Eventually I suggested driving to another sewing shop to see if we could get the perfect pattern.

 Of course there was no perfect pattern! Grace, however, spotted this lovely fabric and, after discussion a compromise was agreed. We would use pattern number two with the perfect skirt but not so perfect bodice. With this third lot of fabric, plus bodice lining purchased we returned home. Enough sewing for the day.

While all this was going on Isaac and Artha were fully occupied on a project of their own, the building of a Bird House. They had been working on it for two days and today the building and painting was to be finished. They didn't have design issues such as we were having and work noises of nails being hammered in and conversations about cutting the perch and screwing on the floor came through the wide open door. Work was suspended for an hour during high tide when the went to the park next door to see how many bream were swimming upstream and was it worth getting out the fishing rods.

When it became too hot - 33C early in Spring - a lunch break was taken followed by the two of them watching TV in two different rooms with the elder one falling asleep and the younger one struggling to stay awake.

Reading familiar books

After our return from the shop Grace talked to her ipod for ages, facetime is her explanation, while I made myself a desperately needed coffee. Of course, as soon as the young man realised it might be possible to get my attention he brought out his reading books for a reading lesson! How could I put him off? 

"New" book read without help

While Isaac read some familiar books I drank my coffee and placed some "new" books in front of him ready for some teaching. My teaching was not needed as he simply picked up the next one, and the next one, reading them successfully for himself. He is now accepting the idea that he does not need to "know" every word and can work tricky ones out making links to words or parts of words he knows. He is in a system where a Prep student learns lists of "sight" words for a year before reading books. He comes from a family of real readers and has extensive book knowledge, preferring to have "Chapter" books with complicated plots as his bedtime story but has been affected by the "You're too young to learn to read" attitude held by some educators in this State. The introduction of competitive NAPLAN has at least nibbled away at that attitude.

After reading nine books Isaac asked me to teach him to play the piano! Out came the Learn to Play book, numbers on three fingers of each hand and he was soon happily playing the first four lessons.

He often plays his own gentle tunes and I have made overtures to him about teaching him to play however he really has not had enough motivation to have lessons until this year. Unfortunately we haven't been able to find a suitable teacher at a suitable time slot so far. Note to self: Contact Music teacher again tomorrow.

Satisfied with his day, Isaac had a shower and waited for his parents to come home to dinner while I looked at the ironing baskets overflowing and decided to leave them or another day. 

A glass of wine was looking good.