Sri Lanka 4 - Haputale to Kataragama to Galle to Colombo

View from the train

20 July Haputale
Today is the day of the big train ride - six hours up into tea country. We go early to the station in case of ticket issues, but all is in order, so it's quite a wait for a train that usually arrives late. It's almost 3 hours before we are finally chugging out of the station, but it is as good a place as any to relax and be amused by passers-by. The train ride is in first class, with non-opening windows, but the ride is good, and I think I manage to grab a few decent shots of the landscape through the glass. It's certainly comfortable compared to the bus! As we head further into the hills, the views are really stupendous, and descending at Haputale is like ascending into heaven. We get to check in to Leisure Mount View by 6pm and just in time for sunset drink on our amazing balcony. We have ordered dinner - just a chicken curry, which comes with accompaniments, and I find quite fine, although Chris is unimpressed. Too many snacks on the train? After dinner I fall into bed, exhausted. Why is travelling, just sitting all day, so tiring?

View from our room

21 July Haputale
It's beautifully cool up here. After a pretty nice buffet breakfast I organise a tour to Dambatenne Tea Factory, about 30 minutes away, then Adisham Monastery, 10 minutes in the other direction. It's not a demanding schedule, luckily because I'm still not feeling great, that bug still bugging me. Chris has decided to stay home and listen to football again, so I am the 'only tourist in the village' at the tea factory, and the old-timer (he may be a couple of years older than me!) seems to take a fancy - takes my hand and asks if I want his number - hilarious! But it's an interesting place and story, and his English is pretty good. I buy some tea and tell him my husband is waiting back at the hotel.

My Dambatenne boyfriend

Then to Adisham Monastery, which was once an English tea planter's house, where few of the rooms are preserved as if still early 19th C. It's absolutely packed with family groups on the sunny Sunday, many of them Muslim. I battle my way in to see a dusty old-English-style living room and library (no photos), then out to the rather pretty garden and inevitable gift shop. Is that all? Not sure what the fuss is about ...

Heading home, I fall into bed and stay there for the afternoon. Had hoped to go for a sunset walk for dinner, but no energy so we stay at the hotel and have kotthu (again!). Spend a bit of time parleying with the host about car hire - we had hoped to get an Uber to Kataragama, as public transport is limited, but he says it's hard here, too remote - so we book a taxi for 25,000 LKR ($125)!

22 July Kataragama
Up early after an unsettled night and upset tum. But actually feeling better and manage a good buffet breakfast (it's nice and fresh, but pretty western oriented). The hotel manager who is angling for a good review gives us free breakfasts and that is a nice way to end the stay. The staff here are kind and considerate, and it really is a gorgeous and comfortable stay.

Kataragama - bathing at the ghat

The drive to Kataragama is actually quite delightful. The taxi driver is a nice fellow and excellent driver and the roads are remarkably good. Kataragama is a major pilgrimage destination, and it's a fascinating site as there are major Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist temples, interspersed with minor shrines. Originally, I planned to be in K. for the Esala Poya, a major religious festival, but our dates got rearranged and it ended yesterday, so when we arrive it is to scenes of disarray and rubbish as everything is dismantled. Seeing the apparent scale of the event we think maybe it was better to miss it, it would have been SO crowded! 

Music at the temple

Everyone is checking out of the hotel as we check in, swimming against the tide. Livinya Holiday Resort is a large-ish, once flash resort hotel with a pool, but now a little shabby. I don't think they have many western tourists. We book dinner there as there seems nowhere good to eat nearby, and head over to the  Sacred City a few minutes walk away. 

Buddha blingarama

There's still plenty of activity, bathing in the ghats on the river, and musicians and dancers in the temple forecourt. Drummers, dancers and a steady stream of pilgrims offer puja at the main Hindu Temple There is copious bling and flashing lights, not only at the usual bling-loving Hindu shrines, but also psychedelic Buddhist displays - it feels like a fairground.It's all a bit random and chaotic, and can only imagine what it was like during the festival. A woman offers me fruit from her puja platter, I take it and we head back home.

A more tasteful shrine ...

It's a decent room, but the attached balcony out the back is not attractive, so we sit in the much more pleasant shared terrace at the front for a drink. Heading down to dinner ('special fried rice with seafood'), we find a huge plate of rice that would feed six, studded with chewy lumps of deep fried seafood -  disappointing, and quite expensive ☹

On the bus ...

23 July Galle
It's a brief stay in Kataragama, and today we take the bus to Galle. Breakfast at the hotel is also very uninspiring, but I do manage to pack some toast, cheese and ham for our bus ride. A short walk to the bus station where we are hoping to get at least a 'semi-luxury'. But the only bus at the Galle bus stop is a red clunker, still there when finally another arrives. It's still 3rd class, but a little cleaner. We climb aboard, find seats, and after 30 minutes when the bus is packed to the rafters are finally on our way to the tune of deafening Indo-pop. It's a relatively speedy ride around the picturesque coast road, passing through South coast beach towns and ocean-front roads, arriving in Galle in less than 4 hours. At 2pm, we check in to Galle Heritage Villa, in the old Fort area, which is a gorgeous old immaculately renovated Dutch villa, with spacious living areas and just four bedrooms. No food services are provided, but there's tea making in the room, and a full equipped kitchen downstairs. After siesta and shopping we walk along the waterfront, just one minute walk away. It's breezy and pleasant, so after going back to the house to pick up a beer, we head back to find a sunset spot. Damn, seems that sunset is a real thing here and the crowds have gathered! But we find a spot, pour a beer, and watch the sunset, as we have done million times at home with no crowds!

Our lovely villa in Galle

Now to find dinner. There is no shortage of upmarket international restaurants here, and the prices are accordingly high. Finally we settle on Mango House, in a lovely garden a bit off the main drag, and have a very lovely crab curry, in the lighter style that Chris prefers, and the price is not bad (6000LKR - $30 inc beer). We are both happy! Then back to our lovely balcony for a night cap.

24 July Galle
Out early for city walk, as the weather is again very warm and humid. We’re following the Lonely Planet recommended walk around the ramparts with a few detours. The complicated colonial history in Sri Lanka with Portuguese, Dutch and then English shenanigans is writ large in this place, so there is quite a bit to explore, but at 7.30 it's already warm so we don't dawdle. By 9am we are at Aqua Forno, an Italian cafe/bakery for iced coffee and ciabatta caprese - second breakfast. It's pleasant, service slow as ever, and pricy - $25 - the food here is western and so are the prices!

Chris heads home for early siesta today, while I check out 'Barefoot', a fabric and gift shop that is much loved. It's pretty good, if pricy - I buy a sarong, soap, tea and spices. 

The famous Galle sunset ...

At 4.30 we walk north to check out a restaurant, go to ATM, buy booze, and get a train ticket for Colombo. There are no banks and wine shops inside the Fort, so it's to the station area for everything, and back into the dirty, noisy real world! We finally find a bank, buy some arrack, and find out that we cannot reserve seats on the Colombo train. However, Imal's looks good and we will walk back up here for dinner. Home to pick up drinks (does it seem that we are drinking and sleeping our way around Sri Lanka? Yep!), then back to Flag Rock for sunset. It's even more crowded than yesterday, but we find a good seat, and the breeze is lovely. It's a picturesque and pleasant place to be, but so unreal and tourist-focused. In a few years, we think, it will be like Hoi An old town, a theme park. Back up to Imal's Family Restaurant for dinner, and we have a simple seafood curry with coconut roti, then curd and treacle. It's delicious and inexpensive and we love it, and leave a good tip.

25 July Colombo
It's Thursday and we are on our way again. Bizarrely, all the trains after early morning are unreserved, so we must take our chances, and arrive at the station much too early. But our train arrives on time, we are well positioned on the platform, and jump on quickly in time to grab 2nd class seats on the right side of the train for the coastal journey. The tracks seem almost in the ocean at times, they are so close, and it is poignant because this coast was destroyed by the 2004 tsunami, including a packed passenger train just like this one - another unimaginable disaster for S.L. It's an easy 2 hour train ride, than tuk to the guest house in Cinnamon Gardens, 'De Saram House by Geoffrey Bawa'. Our last stop! And it is so good to be here. 

Our lovely pavilion

The house was designed by pre-eminent architect Geoffrey Bawa for a famous family of musicians, and now available as boutique accommodation (the family still use it a couple of months each year). Here is house-master Anthony, who rules with an iron fist in a velvet glove: 'You are early!' he says (1.30 for 2pm check-in).'Yes, the train arrived, so we came, and are happy to wait for 30 minutes.' 'You don't want to go and have lunch?' 'No, happy to wait.' ...... 'Oh, ok, you can come to your room'.

We love the room - it is the smallest (and cheapest) but is elevated above the two courtyards, with many windows to catch the breeze, and a lovely sitting pavilion just below. And the house itself is quite spectacular in an understated way, with slightly shabby elegance. This afternoon we siesta as ever, with a brief foray to the supermarket across the road for juice and snacks which we have for lunch. And I find curd! In a clay pot! Having seen this by so many rural roadsides, I can't resist, and buy coconut treacle to go with it.

Anthony tells us of a restaurant where we will get egg hoppers, which I have been looking for since we arrived in Sri Lanka but haven't managed to try. Upali's is a large Sri Lankan Family restaurant in this ritzy neighbourhood that is dotted with Japanese, Italian, Chinese and other international offerings. Online reviews rave about the crab curry, but it takes 30 minutes to prepare, so we order egg hoppers to start. But the curry arrives first! It is enormous! and we are well into it before the hoppers arrive. <sigh> We will take the hoppers home to eat tomorrow. The curry which would feed six is heavily spiced, Jaffna-style, and while nice does lack subtlety. But we keep ourselves entertained for an hour cracking our way through three large crabs.

And home. Some drinks in the pavilion, then up to our room where we open all the windows ... but Anthony: 'Madam! Close the windows! Or you will be eaten by mosquitos!' But we haven't seen even one mozzie ...

Spectacular Gangaramaya Temple

26 July Colombo
Next to last day! We would like to visit the Geoffrey Bawa House, so I call to find out about access, only to find that 10am tour is booked out, nothing until 2pm. We don't want to be out then so ... change of plan. We walk to Gangaramaya Temple and the nearby meditation pavilion designed by G.B. On the way we check out De Soysa Circus - a hugely busy traffic roundabout surrounded by historic buildings. The traffic wins! The temple, presided over by 'one of the most powerful Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka', is a glorious treasure chest, and is really very lovely. The political cloutt of Buddhists here does inspire a rethink of what we in the west understand Buddhism to be ... this temple is reminiscent (on a much smaller scale) of the Vatican. There are boys playing pipe and drums, and golden Buddhas everywhere, trails of white-garbed school children offer flowers, it feels like an ancient palace. Then just around the corner, the Seema Malakaya meditation pavilion, designed by Geoffrey Bawa and funded by the temple. Rows of golden Buddhas contrast against the high-rise city background, and it's calm and lovely, although the day is now so hot it's hard to relax. Chris is wanting siesta, so we head back for egg hopper lunch.

Seema Malakaya - Buddhist shrine and meditation pavilion

Later, we don't fancy any of the local international restaurants, so we plan to have a drink at the rooftop bar at the Jetwing a few doors away, then come back to our lovely pavilion for snacks, so I grab some egg rolls and pastries from the supermarket. At the rooftop, we sit by the infinity pool. The menu does not have any Sri Lankan food, but they do have Lion lager, so we watch swimmers while the sun sets. Back home, Anthony finds it hilarious that we are having beer and snacks for dinner - they are used to guests eating out for every meal I guess. The curd in the fridge probably raises his eyebrows too!

Rooftop drinks

27 July Colombo
Today we have the challenge of entertaining ourselves through the hot afternoon before heading to the airport at 7pm (our flight is after midnight). We siesta in the morning, eat curd and bananas for morning tea, then at midday leave our bags and walk to the Victoria Park - lovely with lots of shade - then to Paradise Park shop, where I get to browse homewares in air-conditioned comfort while Chris waits ... It's a bit disappointing, more mass-produced and less crafty than I expected. The placemats I like are too expensive ($60 for a set of 6), so I content myself with some smaller items. Then walk down through the park to the Commons Café for lunch - a final seafood kotthu, which is pretty good and filling. So why did we spoil it by buying an expensive and overly sweet brownie? Buying more time in the aircon, and divesting my excess LKR! 

Some amazing statuary at the National Museum

Now - a museum visit. It is really a fabulous collection in a fabulous building, though the displays and labelling could do with a refresh. Unfortunately there's no aircon, so it's quite hot and stuffy, especially upstairs. We rush through the last rooms, it is not the cool refuge I imagined. 

So ... back to the park and chill out under a glorious tree ... then walk home in the cooler late afternoon to retrieve our bags an hour early. Anthony looks askance ... 'I couldn't walk any more!' says Chris.

Glorious tree in Victoria Park

So to the airport. Uber arrives in 7 minutes, and it only takes 40 minutes, so we have 2 hours to wait until check-in. At least it is air conditioned. Find out we can't spend our LKR on duty-free, so scrounge around the available shops and buy some condiments, spices, tea and an overpriced dress to use up the leftover cash. Wish I had spent more at Barefoot! The overnight flight home is just as efficient and comfortable as previously, and we arrive in good time, driving home very weary as the sun is setting. A fitting end.

Sri Lanka 3 - Trincomalee to Sigiriya to Kandy

14 July Trincomalee
It is forecast to be 34C in Trincomalee today, so it's good that we are starting early. The 6.35 train is in Vavuniya at 9.15, and by 9.30 we are on a rackety, old and very crowded red bus to Trinco. (The govt-operated 'red bus' is generally to be avoided, older and more crowded than the slightly less shabby private 'semi luxury' buses. Aircon 'luxury' buses are virtually non-existent). It is hot and squishy and we console ourselves with milk hoppers from our breakfast pack. Luckily it is a quick trip and we are in Trincomalee at 12pm, and heading for Trinco Beach by DSK, a small waterfront hotel.  The ocean looks gorgeous as we sip our welcome juice. It IS hot, but less humid than up North so doesn't feel oppressive. Still, it is now siesta time, so we cool the room down with the aircon, and enjoy our sea view. After polishing off the last breakfast pastries, I am dying for a juice, so walk along the small beachside lane. At the end is the Hospital and a few local shops, and not a tourist in sight. A small juice bar gives me fresh mango and watermelon juice for $1 - yum! 

Dutch Bay, Sunday afternoon

End of siesta at 5pm we go down for a swim. Dutch Bay is busy - it's Sunday arvo and there is a big family entertainment event in the park at the end of the beach. So quite a bit of rubbish about, but the water is clear and balmy. We check out fishermen dragging in a meagre catch, and then the concert, but blaring announcements extolling the major sponsor send us packing back home for a shower and a beer. The room faces East, so no sunset, but it's a nice spot to sit for a drink and watch the fishing boats heading back out.

We go for a walk to find dinner, and it is lucky that we find Aachi Surayotru Family Restaurant. We have a seafood biryani, fragrant with cinnamon and cloves, and mixed veg salad that is the nicest we have had.

Crazy Kali Kovil

15 July Trinco
Walk to bakery for breakfast pastries, then into town to get bus info. Near the bus station is the crazy Kali Kovil (Hindu Temple) with its eye-watering decorations. On the way to Fort Frederick, and Kandaswamy Kovil, the temple on the point, we checkout the waterfront shops that mainly seem to be selling dried seafood and fresh coconuts. But before we reach the point Chris fades, and we turn around, stopping at the Maritime Museum on the way home. It's old, dusty and unkempt (as seems usual) and we are asked for a donation - seems there are no government funds for museums here. 

Waterfront shop

Time for a swim, the beach is much quieter on a Monday morning, and the water calm and balmy. We try out the hotel restaurant for lunch, and it's good - only one page of Sri Lankan dishes on the menu, but they clearly know what they are doing. Then siesta until swim time again at 5.30. We take a beer to the beach - dammit this is what a Sri Lanka holiday is! We decide to eat again at the guesthouse, as it's such a gorgeous spot to sit, and are very happy with the crab curry for only $8.

Dutch Bay Monday morning

16.7 Sigiriya
I wake early and can't resist one last swim. Then make milky coffee to have with the last of our snacks for first breakfast. Dammit! A crow has stolen the snacks as soon as I left them on the balcony table. So, it's just coffee, then check out and head to the bus station. Grab some hoppers and bananas for breakfast. And find out that the Colombo bus is cancelled, but we can take a Kandy bus ... ok then ... We find seats, and it's a bargain 3 hour ride to the Sigiriya turn off ($2 each, a bit better than the super luxury bus!). A vendor bag of sliced mango complements our breakfast nicely. It's 10 minutes by tuk tuk from the turn off to our our lovely guest house (Liyon Rest), a spacious bungalow with terrace, set in a garden, with a very friendly welcome from Lakmal. Siesta time! 

Brick reclining Buddha

In the afternoon we arrange a tuk tuk to Pidurangula Rock, the sister to Lion Rock. I'll give it a go as practice for the Lion Rock climb tomorrow (Chris is my cheer squad haha). Well - it's a pretty steep and rough old track! I make it up as far as the enormous reclining Buddha - the original brick is exposed as plaster has eroded away. It is a beautiful spot, and I'm happy to turn around here. I am reminded on the way down that sometimes downhill is harder than up ... Chris is happy to see me back a bit early but our driver has disappeared ... hang on, thought we were paying him to wait? Finally we get home for drinks on our terrace, then dinner cooked by Lakmal's mum: Fried rice, dal and curry gravy - it's tasty but not exciting.

The Lion entrance at the Rock

17 July Sigiriya
So today I wake up with a shocking cold! Damn, thought I had avoided it. But of course I must still attempt the climb. It's US$35 each to enter (over $50), will we get our money's worth? Chris will wait for me in the very lovely gardens below the rock. I set off, head exploding and nose streaming, and soon realise that the summit will not be manageable. I do get as far as the Lion Entrance, about half way up, and just before it gets really steep. It is a lovely elevated terrace with amazing views - and a fierce wind. Just imagine how windy at the summit?! I turn back and spend some time wandering around ruins in the lower reaches, sublime spaces with no tourists in sight. Meeting Chris back in the Water Garden, we explore the Japanese designed museum, donated in 2009 and interesting if under-maintained. The displays are pretty basic but informative about the local history. And then - back in our expensive tuk tuk for siesta. 

The serene lower reaches of the Rock

I have decided against Polonnaruwa this afternoon - it's a 2.5 hour return trip, Chris is not interested and I have little energy due to this bug, so we decide to relax and have lunch at the Jetwing Vil Uyana, which is nearby and has a good reputation. Lakmal gives us a lift as no tuk tuks are available, and we are suddenly in glam tourist land. Sadly, the dishes (octopus salad, and fish curry) are not very exciting, though perfectly tasty. Chris has a glass of French wine. For $60 it's our most expensive meal, and a big treat!

Evening walk to the local lake for a drink. But the sunset is blah, and my camera is glitching badly, so we head home for a minimal dinner of mango vodka and murruku (spicy chick pea snacks).

18 July Dambulla – Kandy
Yet another climb planned this morning - 350+ steps to Dambulla Cave Temples. Fortunately I'm feeling much better and Chris (reluctantly) agrees to join me. Lakmal has organised his cousin/bvrother to tuk tuk us to Dambulla and mind our bags. It's fairly cool early in the day, and a pretty easy climb, with accompanying monkeys. The temples are really spectacular, huge painted caves lined with Buddha statues, and beautifully lit. I try to gather some pics with my handicapped camera. It's quite crowded, and the driver is waiting, so we don't dawdle, and it is an easy hike down on the Golden Temple side. (The Golden Temple on the other hand is a kitsch monument housing a Buddhist Museum - we skip it).

Spectacular Cave Temple at Dambulla

Our driver takes us to the bus station, and the Kandy bus is right there! Another old red rattler, so it's a bumpy ride, but we are in Kandy by 1pm and it's an easy tuk tuk ride to Freedom Lodge, just uphill from the lake. Wow! It's a spectacular old house in a lovely garden, and the room is huge with sitting area and balcony with a gorgeous view over the valley.

We venture into town, to try and find a camera store, as my camera is still misbehaving. We find it, in a flash modern shopping centre, but they cannot help. And so to shopping - juice, water, beer, vodka, snacks. Cargills Food City next door does the trick (and the doorman shows us a sneaky short cut to the liquor store). And home again home again jiggety jig. For a late lunch we try 'No Name' restaurant just up the hill. It's a small local cafe style place, and takes an hour to be served (we are behind a Dutch family who have a large order, and there is only one cook/server), but the food (kottu) is delicious when it does arrive.

Our lovely room in Kandy

Finally siesta, then drinks on the balcony, before we head a few minutes up the hill to the 'renowned' Sharon Inn buffet. Up five flights of stairs (what is this place? Chris huffs) we take our seats on the terrace at 7.30, then wait ... and wait ... among a dozen or so other western tourists, mostly young. Over the space of a couple of hours we are served a dozen dishes, mostly quite bland and similar. It's quite disappointing for anyone looking for spice and flavour! We manage to escape just as the host brings out his guitar for a singalong, and we hear the strains of Hey Jude as we descent the five flights back to the street. 

Botanic Garden

19 July Kandy
After a decent guest house breakfast we hail a tuk tuk to take us to the Botanic Garden, 20 minutes out of town. It's a lovely mild day - the weather is much cooler here - and a lovely spot for a two hour ramble.

Then it's back to town - this time to get Chris's phone looked at as the SIM has suddenly stopped working - catastrophe! After a bit of faffing at a Mobitel store it is fixed. Food City next door has a self-serve food court, and we share a decent biryani for lunch. Then back for siesta.

Temple of the Tooth Relic

In the afternoon Chris has football plans, and I have temple plans, so we part ways. I'm feeling lot better, so walk around the lake, buy a ticket for the dance performance at the Cultural Centre, then spend an hour exploring Dalada Maligawa, the famous 'Temple of the Tooth Relic'. The tooth of the Buddha has travelled in ancient times to this place, and it is the most revered Buddhist icon. But we cannot see the actual relic, only its receptacle.  The complex is large and interesting, with one museum dedicated to the myriad gifts donated - another treasure trove.

Cultural dance at Kandy

I am able to reserve a good seat at the dance, and my camera is miraculously working better, if not perfectly, so I am happy. Similar to Indian performances we saw in Rajasthan it is part dance, part circus, with acrobatics and fire-eating, and what it lacks in elegance it makes up for in energy. Out before dark, and back around the lovely lake in time for sunset drink with Chris.

Back up the hill to No Name for another kottu, and again it is good. Last night in the Freedom Lodge, and feel a bit sad to say goodbye. The host has lived in this house all his life, and one really does feel like a house guest.

Sri Lanka 2 - foodie interlude

We have a favourite Sri Lankan restaurant in Melbourne, and Sam has bought us the O Tama Carey LANKA FOOD cook book, so we are not strangers to eating, or preparing our own, Sri Lankan food. We do tend to stick to a few tried and true favourites, and I was looking forward to expanding my experience, and learning more about how dishes are combined. It’s not a restaurant-oriented culture so some of the best food is home-cooked: our guesthouse in Anuradhapura had a wonderful cook. More touristy places have more restaurants, but they tend to have quite westernised menus. You can always find a little neighbourhood Sri Lankan joint if you look around though.

* a disclaimer – I am absolutely terrible at remembering to photograph food! Not a good instagrammer …

The best crab curry - Galle

KOTTU is something I never ate in Australia, it is a noodle-like dish made from chopped roti bread with vegetables, spices, meat, cheese, egg … It's a comfort food reminiscent of pad thai, and available everywhere. We ended up eating a lot of it – mainly because if you don’t want a rice-based meal, this is the most accessible alternative. It varies quite a lot in texture and flavour, from rich and creamy, to dry and spicy, to oily and salty … No photos sorry!

Family size crab curry! Colombo

CURRY For the most part, we found if we ordered a curry, it came as a small spicy dish of meat or fish with rice and multiple accompaniments. Inevitably a coconut sambol (spicy condiment) and a creamy coconut lentil dahl, and a range of vegetables – a tamarind based sweet/sour dish such as eggplant or mango, mild and coconutty starchy veg such as potato or pumpkin, and a green veg dish with mustard seed such as beans, okra or cabbage. Curry may be accomanied by roti instead of, or as well as, rice.

But on a few occasions we found the ‘curry’ came as a sizeable plate (sometimes large enough to share with a large group) and any additions had to be ordered separately. Problematic when only two of you eating … 

Coconut roti and stuffed string hoppers in Sigiriya

Hoppers and coconut pancakes in Sigiriya

BREAKFAST I was very keen to try Sri Lankan breakfast, but some of our accommodations followed the path of least resistance and provided western breakfast with maybe one Sri Lankan dish. The best breakfasts included:

• Hoppers – bowl shaped crepe with spongy bottom, may be eaten with curry, or sandwiched with sweet coconut cream (milk hopper). Egg hopper has an egg cooked in the base of it, and is apparently a popular breakfast food, though we didn’t easily find it …
• String hoppers – like a fine fresh noodle shaped into a small disc and served with curry sauce or dal. Or shaped into a roll and stuffed.
• Idli – steamed rice/coconut cake, also served with curry sauce or dal.
• Coconut pancakes – one of my favourites, a soft turmeric yellow crepe rolled and filled with a sweet cinnamony coconut mixture.
• Milk rice – squares of a cocnut milk rice pudding, unsweetened and served with a spicy sambol, or sweetened coconut cream.
• Always – lots of fresh fruit – bananas, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, mango.
• Very good tea (to be expected) and nice coffee too, usually drunk black and sweet.

Kandy food court biryani, with accompaniments

SNACKS Lots of bakeries selling hoppers (in the morning) and a range of bread rolls (egg rolls are popular) and pastries. Rolled up or folded filled roti, crumbed and fried or baked, are popular. The filling is usually veg – a mild potato-based curry similar to a samosa, or fish – mashed up spicy fish. Did not see much meat. We ate more of these than I would have preferred, as they are so convenient, but pretty stodgy …

Murruku – there are stalls with fresh murruku, but we mostly bought ours in packets from the supermarket. It’s a spiced chick pea dough extruded into small lengths and deep fried. It may then be mixed with nuts, spices and fried curry leaves. Like what you find in a bhuja mix, and delicious with a mango vodka or a Lion beer!

Home cooking in Jaffna

OTHER - The ubiquitous Southern Indian favourite of dosai is quite popular in Sri Lanka too, often in specialised restaurants.

Apart from curry, rice based dishes such as fried rice and biryani are ubiquitous. The biryani is flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom – very spicy!

A FEW FAVOURITES

• We had three crab curries, it is a Sri Lanka staple, and they were all terrific but different. So prepare to get messy …
• Milk hoppers and coconut pancakes for breakfast with fresh mango and banana.
• The astonishing amount of curry leaves in almost everything. Before cooking with them they are fried, so more edible than if added fresh to a sauce.
• The best curries had a thoughtful and interesting range of accompaniments.

Sri Lanka 1 - Negombo to Anuradhapura to Jaffna

Planned itinerary ...

In July 2024 we travelled to Sri Lanka for the first time. Beautiful landscapes, kind people, yummy food and sad, complex history. 
A gallery of images is here
Read on for more ...

Here is our route 

7 July Negombo
It's an easy getaway from Sydney, but, as usual, lots of hanging around. We buy duty-free vodka, and board just before 4pm. The Sri Lanka Airlines flight is a pleasant surprise - good seating, service, food and entertainment. It's 11.30 pm Colombo time (4am Sydney time) by the time we disembark, and past midnight by the time we have our bags. Book a taxi to Icebear Guesthouse in Negombo, but our room is not such a pleasant surprise - shabby and cluttered, a bit musty and dusty - not what we expected for over $100/night.

Negombo guest house

8 July Negombo
The next morning we open the windows to see the very lovely garden and the sea beyond, and the room looks a lot nicer. However, the air conditioner leaks and is noisy, the sink plug is stuck in the basin, the windows are ill-fitting and difficult to operate and the mini-bar fridge is missing ... Feels like this place that, because of proximity to the airport, is the first port for many visitors, takes advantage and overcharges for everything: the shabby room ($105), the bland breakfast ($15), the airport pickup ($50). But it has its compensations. 

Girl on Negombo Beach

The view over the garden is lovely, we finally get our fridge to chill drinks, we can hear the ocean, the verandah is a lovely place to sit, and so is the restaurant (pity about the food) ... I say to Chris: "I will always choose quirky over bland".

Negombo itself is shabby and somewhat run down, and surprisingly dotted with Christian icons. We don’t walk too far as it’s warm and muggy – monsoon season here. This also means the sea is rough and murky and not swimmable just now. However, lunch in a local cafe - prawn curry and seafood kottu is delicious and inexpensive ('kottu' is like a noodle dish made from shredded roti with vegetables, spices and meat/cheese/egg). 

Christian icons in the street

9 July Anuradhapura
Things get a little crazy on our last morning: one of the dodgy windows falls off its hinges and smashes the glass table below - it's very heavy and the screws are much too small. We report the accident and head over to breakfast, which takes an hour to arrive (the cook called in sick but they don't tell us). Meanwhile the departure of the expensive ‘super-luxury’ bus we have booked to go to Anuradhapura keeps changing. Day 2 and we are beginning to understand the chaos that is Sri Lanka!

The office where we pay for our bus trip is a trip in itself - portly middle-aged gentleman clad only in a towel busies himself with morning observances (much smoky incense) at his range of shrines, both Hindu and Christian, in a rather ramshackle living room. He takes our 9200 LKR ($46) - no, we don't need tickets. Or a receipt. When we tell him we are from Australia he says - 'Ah, my brother is in Melbourne' and proceeds to phone him, then hands the phone to me for a conversation - it's pretty awkward ... and I'm quite pleased when the bus arrives! In the end, the ride is comfortable and air-conditioned and we have the best seats just behind the driver.

Maha Vihayara puja

After the 3 hour bus, it's a short, hot walk to the Sacred City Tourist Resort, which is a green eyrie perched on top of a building in the heart of New Town. It's actually a tiny guest house with around four rooms and a shared terrace - no sign of a pool or cocktail bar! We head straight to our room
and siesta in the aircon for a few hours. Did I mention that Chris is still recovering from a cold?

In the evening, a tuk tuk tour to the famous Bodhi Tree (oldest tree in the world?) and nearby Maha Vihayara temple and stupa in time for the evening ceremony (puja). It's a stunning sight with all the pilgrims in white, monks in saffron, setting sun and crescent moon with the glowing white stupa. Our driver Manoj is a fount of wisdom on all things Buddhist, in fact a passionate proselytiser for all things Buddhist in general and Sinhalese in particular. We pass by the railway station on the way back, to buy a ticket to Jaffna, but no good! Train staff are on indefinite strike and no trains are running. Sri Lanka chaos strikes again (no pun intended!). We are dropped at the Hotel Shalini for dinner, as it has a good reputation, but it is almost deserted! They can give us dinner - we order fish and chicken, and it arrives with a huge array of accompaniments - veg and condiments. It's far too much, but I do my best - when we get home I roll straight into bed.

Stupa and monkey in the Sacred City

10 July Anuradhapura
We have breakfast at the guest house, and it's fabulous! A real Sri Lankan breakfast with string hoppers and coconut pancakes, not the westernised version that we get in some other stays. Immediately order lunch and dinner. Then it is time for morning tour of the Sacred City. Chris decides to stay behind rather than risk the heat, so it's just me and Manoj.He is an entertaining and energetic guide, though his proselytising does wear a little thin. 'Buddhism in Sri Lanka is the purest, the monuments are the biggest, the oldest, the most important, Sinhalese Buddhists are the most devout, Tamils are invaders who have been gloriously defeated' etc etc ...I try to draw him in to conversations where I attempt to broaden the perspective ... he just smiles, showing his glorious white teeth. The weather is quite mild in the morning, the enormous park is shady and intermittently breezy. I eventually succumb to the heat in the late morning and wrap myself in wet sarong I packed for that purpose. But the tour is almost over. The Sacred City is an astounding collection of really ancient monuments and ruins (BCE 4th to CE 4th) as well as restored temples and stupas that are visited by an astonishing number of pilgrims and local worshippers. It is ancient history and living history all at once.

Manoj, passionate Buddhist, tuk tuk guide

Lunch at the guest house is wonderful, with a carefully curated set of dishes. We share one meal so as not to eat too much, and it's plenty. In the afternoon we go out to try to book a bus, and find an ATM. ATMs all have queues and for some reason do not want to work for me! We finally have success, just enough to pay our hotel bill - it is a cash economy here. We visit a couple of local travel agents, but actually booking a bus is too hard (it's a chaotic system!). First agent says go wait at the Old Bus Station. Nex
t one says go wait at the New Bus Stand. Bizarre how difficult it is to work this out!

In the evening, a brief walk by the local 'tank' (Kumbichchan Kulama), then back for more delicious home cooking, Nadeeka really is a gifted cook! It has been a wonderful visit, thanks to the welcoming atmosphere, helpful information, and delicious food of our hosts.

Bollywood-style bus

11 July Jaffna
We decide to Uber to Vavuniya, where there a many more buses, then bus to Jaffna. It's easy to order an Uber, but what arrives is a run down Corolla with malfunctioning door handles and seat belt. The driver seems nice so we persevere, and Chris sits up front where the seat belt and door are working. It's a quick and straightforward 1 hour drive and the driver helps us to find the right bus station and the right bus. Phew! It's a nutty bus, with elaborate tasselled curtains, an animated lit up shrine to Shiva, Ganesha et al, and a screen blaring out soft porn Bollywood-style music videos. We are suddenly transported to Hindu-land! Is the bus A/C? Chris asks the conductor. He nods - yes. But actually – no. However, it's not too bad with all the windows open, and we are in Jaffna in under 3 hours.

Our homestay, Nallur Residence, is in the posh part of town. Haran, our host, is out, but we are shown to our spacious room with plenty of windows overlooking the garden. Lovely. After a cuppa we head out to 'Rio', a famous ice-cream parlour. It's hot, and if we ever felt like an ice cream it is now, but it is not as great as good gelato. Seems that Sri Lankans love colourful and sweet - everyone around us is eating large and garish sundaes. Now to siesta ….

In the evening we check out a couple of the local restaurants (all veg, no alcohol). Nallur Bhavan has a rep but looks like a brightly lit cafeteria so we opt for the Lavin dosa house. The special dosa (like a cheesy supreme) and the plain aloo dosa are quick, good
and decently priced.

12 July Jaffna

Belinda at the Jaffna Public library

Breakfast is a lovely spread of milk hoppers, fresh mango and papaya, and string hoppers with a variety of  curries and sambol. We can't eat half of it and ask if we can save some for lunch, and end up keeping milk hoppers (hoppers sandwiched with sweet coconut cream) and mango. For our host Haran, nothing is too much trouble, and we discuss what we will do, eat etc. We plan to explore around town in the mornings and siesta in the afternoon, and won't plan any lengthy excursions to islands etc. But on our first morning, chaotic SL is back. After a brief walk along the waterfront by the Fort (not worth paying to enter says Haran, you can see all you need from outside), we try to see the famous Public Library, which was destroyed along with priceless ancient documents by the Sinhalese Army in 1981, but it is closed for a visit from the Prime Minister. And the much-vaunted new Cultural Centre next door seems permanently closed. So we head to the Market area. I worry that it will be super crowded, but it is not. So after a brief wander through the small food market and adjacent shops, we manage to do our chores: pharmacy, liquor shop and ATM, then head back for lunch, which is leftover breakfast.

After a long siesta we head back to the Library, and it is open! But, like so much here, is sadly shabby and run down. The never-opened Cultural Centre is next door (Indian Governemnt donated the building, but nothing for maintenance), and the whole area seems rife with unfinished buildings, including a ridiculous, palatial new Council building. It is so necessary to rebuild this poor, war-torn city, but expensive white-elephant buildings sit unfinished while they don't have the resources for adequate rubbish collection. Head for dinner to the recommended JAC (Jaffna Authentic Cuisine). Unfortunately the curries here are disappointing - the prawn curry and veg curry seem to have identical spicy sauce, and no accompaniments -  not what we had hoped from the famous Jaffna seafood.

Old Nallur residence

13 July Jaffna
Our last day, and it’s mercifully overcast so we go for a walking tour of the Nallur neighbourhood. It's obviously a well-to-do area with many large houses and gardens similar to that where we are staying. But for each one that is inhabited and well-maintained, there are at least two overgrown and in disrepair. The great exodus during war time is not reversed, and renewal has a long way to go. We check out the Archaeological Museum, which is terribly musty, dusty and sad. Then North to a couple of relics of the old Jaffna Kingdom, dating possibly to the 13th C (there is debate).The Cankili Thoppu Archway (thought to have been a palace entrance) has been unfortunately restored and looks like a reconstruction. But the Mantiri Manai (Minister's House) is quite derelict and has some charm in spite of extensive graffiti. Chris is now very grumpy so we head home for siesta!

It seems to be working well, being out for a few hours in the morning and evening, and home for the heat of the day. The room is cool and peaceful and we nap and read and google until 5pm then prepare for the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil visit. It's just a 2 minute walk and there are many worshippers milling around doing 'little puja' in the lead up to the main event at 6pm. Chris has a football match that he MUST listen to, and is not allowed in, so he waits outside while I follow the enigmatic ceremony inside. At the main shrine, musicians are playing a pipe and drum to a recorded backing track, and there is much gesturing with oil lamps. Finally, Krishna is brought out of the shrine area and put on a wooden chariot, where he is wheeled to a smaller shrine. That shrine closes, but another opens, where Krishna is being 'rocked to sleep'. The rocking finishes, and devotees who have been traipsing from shrine to shrine, queue back at the main shrine to receive ashes, then rice and oil as they leave the temple. It's a picturesque ritual but as mysterious as those from any religion to the uninitiated. Some of the shrines are stunningly beautiful. bit no photos allowed! I leave, find Chris, and do a couple of snaps of the outside of the temple as we make our way home for a cold beer.

Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil

Tonight we are having a home-cooked meal to make up for our unsatisfying experience yesterday. We have requested fish, prawns, veg and salad, and hope for a Sri Lankan interpretation of each. But their interpretation is quite literal - steamed veg and a plain green salad, . Luckily there is lemon and lime and salt and pepper for seasoning. The trevally grilled in banana leaf, and the prawns, fried with caramelised onions are very tasty though. So kind!

Tomorrow we will take the early train back to Vavuniya (yes, trains are running again!) and Haran will deliver pastries to the station for our breakfast. Exceptional!