So being in between jobs I decided to take a trip to the south & east, where the future of our planet seems in many ways to me to lie. I wanted to feel the drive and optimism that has characterised many of my trips to that part of the world and in parts of sub Saharan Africa. So this time Asia was my destination. A flight to Colombo via Dubai, from the January London cold, arriving in the hot and bustling capital city some 24 hours later. An afternoon rickety train journey out east to Kandy, through tea plant covered hills & lush vegetation, was a delight.

Kandy was bigger than I'd expected, a busy working town also catering to pilgrims and visitors. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth complex and the World Buddhism Museum, giving me things to learn & think about. A stop at the Anglican Church next door, somewhat incongruous. Many of the stories of the parishioners are on their tombstones in the nearby British Garrison Cemetry, few living beyond their 30s at the time, dying from tropical diseases at the time of colonisation.
There was great coffee at a local shop, using local beans, as they try to redevelop an industry & export that had declined since the British switched the country's crop to tea.

After a couple of days it was time for another rickety train, and standing room only, to the hill town Ella. Amazing views of more tea plants & vegetation, & rice paddies & those, always interesting, fellow traveller chats. The train station there is frozen in time, England 100 yrs ago with the furnishings taking you back. Ella is a laid back travellers town and the guesthouse had amazing views of Ella Gap, Ella Rock & Little Adam's Peak, best enjoyed from a rooftop hammock.
The next day was time for a walk up the Peak, which seemed so faraway and high from the terrace, but was very doable. The afternoon brought a visit to a local tea factory, nearly 100 yrs old, but still going strong. Respect in particular for the pickers, then great insight to the manufacturing process from the enthusiastic deputy manager. The destination for the leaves - the auction at Colombo, then eventually to our cuppa which I'll always now remember.

The next move was south east, destination Galle. The minibus wound around the base of the peaks, past Rawema (water)Falls, and some 5 hours later you could see the ocean. The stop in Galle was in a beautiful old house, on different levels and out to the rear, with a lovely family hosting and living there. It was a guesthouse stop so basic. One unwelcome aspect was the huge cockroach and spider. It's the tropics, I know...

Galle is a fortified town, first through the Portuguese, but mainly it was the Dutch who built the ramparts which withstood the tsunami. Fort life was fascinating & standing on the bastions looking out over the Indian Ocean as the sun set, it felt like an exotic and tropical place.

Time to move on, and taking the 15.35 Galle to Colombo train, 1 hour earlier and 45 years later to Paul Theroux in the chapter of the same name in his book the Great Railway Bazaar. The observation carriage was at the front, well-placed for the acrid smoke from the pulling engine, relieved by stints in the open-doored guard's van, and doorway hanging. On the way glimpses of life by the tracks, people huddled around TVs in shacks, a grandma bringing a little girl to wave at the, the fish stall trading well. The train rolled through the huge trees and hugged the ocean, the sun setting, til it arrived back in Colombo in wet big warm rain.

Time to say goodbye to my traveling companion for a week travelling solo and north to the central province and 'cultural triangle'. Next morning it was a very early start for the train and I left just as it was getting light. A walk in the warm pre-dawn, as the city which didn't seem to have slept, was waking. A quarter moon hung 'upside down' & the wet pavements were drying out. The station was bustling & I ordered a unknown roll thing from the cafe to take away. This was the best train carriage yet, an observation one but at the rear, so smoke-free. The train pulled out & the rising sun bathed the slowly disappearing station and platform standers, in a rosy glow. The train rolled for hours, through padi fields & tree lined small settlements. This time I was the only westerner in the carriage, and again everyone so helpful. The guard came and scrutinised the tickets with much ensuing discussion and moving as most people seemed to be in the wrong seat. Most of the journey was in conversation with a young Sri Lankan woman, Piyumee, doing a Masters in civil engineering, and we talked of life in Sri Lanka, family, her future, with her parents smiling at us in the front seat. They were off to the Sacred Tree to worship, catching the pre midnight train home. She talked of the changing landscape & the miles of padi fields feeding the country. I really appreciate these chance discissions with local people, for me it's one of the points of travel.

A comfortable hotel was nice for the next 2 nights, and a full day exploring the ancient capital of Arunhadapurna. It's a huge area and happily done by bike. Some 2 thousand years ago it was the seat of rule, for the ensuing thousand years. The ancient and huge stupas were at one time nearly the size of Egypt's pyramids. The monastery area sprawls with partially excavated remains, and a similar story with the old citadel. Monk's quarters, a refectory, the royal residence, all made for fascinating wandering, overgrown, with wandering monkeys and dogs. One striking feature too is how expert the peoples were at that time, with water management, the 'tanks' to collect it, the channels to irrigate, the variety of urinals on show in the museum, and the sophisticated waste and fresh water management.
A short bike ride away was the sacred tree, believed to be from a sapling from the tree where the Buddha gained enlightenment. Like the dagobas it was very busy with worshippers with a handful of white westerners observing. So most places that were for me a fascinating insight into history, are current as well as ancient popular pilgrim destinations.
That night I got chatting to a young German couple about our travels, the state of Europe, and planned to meet at the airport as coincidently we were on the same returning flight to Dubai.

All my travel so far in Sri Lanka had been by train, so time for a public bus and a 3 hour trip to Polonnaruwa. A tour group was part of the passenger list, with the rest being locals, and regular pickups & drop offs. The buses are fast & swaying, and it can seem hairy, but they drive well and it somehow works. A local soap opera played on the screen as I spotted the eternal story lines of love, friendship, family, work, being played out. From the window, glimpses of life, farming, children gathered outside schools, Main Streets at the towns.

The succeeding ancient capital is Polonnaruwa. It's nearly a 1000 years old and mainly a monument & heritage site with very little current worship. More compact than Anuradhapura but still worth doing on a bike. I found many of the ruins to be a real wow: the Palace area; the fascinating Quadrangle of ruins; a few Hindu shrines from the South Indian invasion in the 10thC; and the giant Buddhas carved into the rock walls & huge sculptures.
A great day exploring followed by a night in a simple guesthouse with a home cooked feast for the guests.

I moved on to Habarana via local bus for my final sights to see. It's well placed for transport and it was easy to get to the great rocks of Siguria & lesser known Pidurangala, and the cave paintings in Danullah. Accomodation here was set back from the road & felt like being in a plantation. I met another German couple there and we shared meals & talks about our day and lives back home.

Damullah is another busy town, with visitors to the sites. The Royal Rock Temple there contains 5 caves with paintings onto the rock, started over 2000 years ago, with additions by subsequent kings. The cave rooves are covered with geometric patterns, buddhas, & varying characters, an achievement in the doing & in the still-surviving.
From the site high above the road there are great views of the surrounding countryside.

A bold monkey jumped on my pack to pull at a coloured bag I'd left showing. A day before one had jumped to grab a banana out of my hand. Interesting to watch but I'd also gotten wary.

My following 'rock day' started with the rightly famous Sigurua rock, along with huge numbers of others. There's an iron staircase of 1000 odd steps to the summit, which was likely a centre of worship as well as some Royal quarters. It's a bit like Machu Picu and the remains sit on the flat rock top high above the plain. Surrounding the rock at the bottom are half excavated gardens & palaces, with the superior irrigation methods very clear in some of the oldest gardens in Asia.

Across from Siguria is Pidurangala rock: smaller and far less climbed. It's a bit of a boulder scramble at the top but the views, including of Siguria, are tremendous.
I took the wrong way down almost straightaway and found myself unwelcomingly lost in the woods, finding my way to the road not a moment too soon to stem the fear of snakes & spiders.

With the trip coming to an end it was time to head back to Colombo for the flight home, and I took the train. 6 hours for 200km with the usual train rhythm sounds, the warm air wafting through the open windows, and lush vegetation in every direction. When the train stops at the station sellers board with water, tasty fried & baked snacks, lottery tickets, and flasks of coffee.
I met an analyst from a crisis monitoring NGO and had an interesting conversation about Sri Lanka's politics, economy, religion and nationalism. One of the problems I think with being in a place for just a few weeks is that I'm desperate to understand more of what I'm seeing and know how it works and what life is really like there, so it was good to listen to an informed source.

My last night in Sri Lanka and time to walk along the front in Colombo to watch the sunset with locals & visitors, and have the last briny snacks.
Bit of a grim hotel that night amd spent my final day trying to get more of a sense of the city. I had my last kottu dish in a very local spot, trying to meld into the background as the only white & female person in the place. Then it was time for the airport bus and a chat with a young fellow traveller, from LA, working in Saudia Arabia. At the airport I heard my name shouted out and it was the young German couple I'd met in Anuradhapura and time for the last traveller chat.

So, a great trip: memories of a varied country, albeit small: beautiful coasts & sunsets, tea-growing hills, ancient civilisations, modern Buddhism, and a kind and gentle people.

(lots of...) photos here:
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B17GQDYhLGMEOOz