So in the morning of the 28th we got up early and went for a quick shopping trip to the market in Kandy. And finally: We tool a train! We where lucky that just some days before, the trains where able to run again. So we had a typically full train experience to Rambukkana to visit the Millenium Elephant Foundation. For 2.000 Rs we could scrub an elephant laying in the river and in return we got to sit on his back and he showered us with his trunk. So normally I don´t support touristy thins with animals, but it seemed "OK" and was a nice experience. This time we took the slow train for the rest of the way to Colombo. We where lucky and nearly no one was in "our" wagon.
We arrived at our last stop and last couchsurfer Shehan in the late afternoon. We had a fun night at a local food court and later with drinks at home.
Last day but still so many things to buy. So we went at a market and supermarket and back to Shehan`s and to the airport.
And suddenly that was it. 15 days in Sri Lanka.
I enjoyed it a lot even if we did so much! I got to know amazing people, saw great nature, new animals and I was eating and tasting and eating all the good food!
I hope to be able to go back one day! I can recommend the light version of India to everyone.
Sri Lanka has a lot to offer!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Saturday, June 4, 2016
27.05.16 Blue Haven in Kandy
Right now Luisa is drawing some henna on my left hand and we had a beer at the pool of the Blue Haven. It might not be the best guest house but they have a small pool and are located in the hills over Kandy, far away from all the crazy city traffic and with a nice view.
So we arrived late - as usual - in Trincomalee at the 23nd. We just went to the cheapest place we could find online, which was a more or less fucked up hostel with dorm beds and tents, a very lovely old cooking lady, helpful staff and a lot of European backpackers. We had some beers and met a bunch of nice people. We slept in the tent right at the beach. I just had a really good sleep in the colder tent with fresh air and waking up to the sound of the weaves. I loved it. But Luisa couldn´t sleep at all.
The next morning I made Kaiserschmarn to show the old lady in the kitchen some of my traditional food (yes, it´s Austrian - yes, you don´t eat if for breakfast, but my experiences while travelling showed me it is one of the easiest dishes to do in foreign countries and people love it). After breakfast we went to the Uppuveli beach and I booked 2 dives with a nice Spanish girl - Barbara. The first dive was with 6 people and we saw a giant moray, which was pretty impressive. As 3 had another course and 2 didn´t want to go down again, it was just me and the dive master at the second dive. I enjoyed it a lot to be under water again. And we had a really challenging dive with two little caves.
Meanwhile Luisa was finding us another place to stay, closer at the main beach and in a room, so she could sleep again. We had dinner with Barbara and went to bed, as we all have been exhausted. The next morning Luisa and I went to the Pigeon Island to snorkel. We saw amazing fishes and Luisa even found 5 of the sharks in the bay in front of the island. I wasn´t that lucky but saw another time a sea turtle.
As the heat was hitting us hard again at midday and we already have been tired from the trip we decided to give us a little treat at a Spa. We found a really nice place, sadly they didn´t really know how to do a pedicure. I liked the relaxing hours anyway.
Sadly our time at the beach in this holiday was over that day. We left Trinco in the evening of the 25th to Dambulla.
Barbara recommended us the really nice and really cheap Blue Sky guest house. We called to make a reservation and the guy even organized us a Tuk Tuk to get us from the bus stop.
The next morning we made our way with the local bus to Sigiriya - the Lions Rock. We just arrived on the top of the 200 meter Rock right before the midday heat. It was beautiful and impressive and in the end easier to climb as we thought. But the entrance fee - fucking unbelievable 30 Dollar! They really tool the Dollar price and counted it back to Rupees: 4.260 Rs!
Even when our nice guy from the Blue Sky told us, without a Tuk Tuk we will never do both in a day, we took the local bus again to Polonnaruwa. There we did something illegal which saved us some money and we just made it till dawn to see all the impressive ruins of the place. I enjoyed it a lot, as it reminded me a bit of Ankor Wat and some places in India. Exhausted we arrived late at our place and told the guy a bit proud we made the two. But had to admit, that we couldn´t do the third - the Dambulla cave temple. So we stayed another night and went today in the morning to the Golden Temple. The old paintings and Buddha figures in the stone have been nice and impressive. The walk up not so nice after all the walking we just did the day before. We left with a bus again to Kandy. The ride took much longer than expected and so we arrived around 2pm in Kandy. Throwing our bags in the room and up to the botanical garden. After we took the express Tuk Tuk to the traditional dance in the town hall and rushed to the holly tooth temple for the evening ceremony. Indian fast food and a beer at the pool, but that part you know already. Over and out.
So we arrived late - as usual - in Trincomalee at the 23nd. We just went to the cheapest place we could find online, which was a more or less fucked up hostel with dorm beds and tents, a very lovely old cooking lady, helpful staff and a lot of European backpackers. We had some beers and met a bunch of nice people. We slept in the tent right at the beach. I just had a really good sleep in the colder tent with fresh air and waking up to the sound of the weaves. I loved it. But Luisa couldn´t sleep at all.
The next morning I made Kaiserschmarn to show the old lady in the kitchen some of my traditional food (yes, it´s Austrian - yes, you don´t eat if for breakfast, but my experiences while travelling showed me it is one of the easiest dishes to do in foreign countries and people love it). After breakfast we went to the Uppuveli beach and I booked 2 dives with a nice Spanish girl - Barbara. The first dive was with 6 people and we saw a giant moray, which was pretty impressive. As 3 had another course and 2 didn´t want to go down again, it was just me and the dive master at the second dive. I enjoyed it a lot to be under water again. And we had a really challenging dive with two little caves.
Meanwhile Luisa was finding us another place to stay, closer at the main beach and in a room, so she could sleep again. We had dinner with Barbara and went to bed, as we all have been exhausted. The next morning Luisa and I went to the Pigeon Island to snorkel. We saw amazing fishes and Luisa even found 5 of the sharks in the bay in front of the island. I wasn´t that lucky but saw another time a sea turtle.
As the heat was hitting us hard again at midday and we already have been tired from the trip we decided to give us a little treat at a Spa. We found a really nice place, sadly they didn´t really know how to do a pedicure. I liked the relaxing hours anyway.
Sadly our time at the beach in this holiday was over that day. We left Trinco in the evening of the 25th to Dambulla.
Barbara recommended us the really nice and really cheap Blue Sky guest house. We called to make a reservation and the guy even organized us a Tuk Tuk to get us from the bus stop.
The next morning we made our way with the local bus to Sigiriya - the Lions Rock. We just arrived on the top of the 200 meter Rock right before the midday heat. It was beautiful and impressive and in the end easier to climb as we thought. But the entrance fee - fucking unbelievable 30 Dollar! They really tool the Dollar price and counted it back to Rupees: 4.260 Rs!
Even when our nice guy from the Blue Sky told us, without a Tuk Tuk we will never do both in a day, we took the local bus again to Polonnaruwa. There we did something illegal which saved us some money and we just made it till dawn to see all the impressive ruins of the place. I enjoyed it a lot, as it reminded me a bit of Ankor Wat and some places in India. Exhausted we arrived late at our place and told the guy a bit proud we made the two. But had to admit, that we couldn´t do the third - the Dambulla cave temple. So we stayed another night and went today in the morning to the Golden Temple. The old paintings and Buddha figures in the stone have been nice and impressive. The walk up not so nice after all the walking we just did the day before. We left with a bus again to Kandy. The ride took much longer than expected and so we arrived around 2pm in Kandy. Throwing our bags in the room and up to the botanical garden. After we took the express Tuk Tuk to the traditional dance in the town hall and rushed to the holly tooth temple for the evening ceremony. Indian fast food and a beer at the pool, but that part you know already. Over and out.
Friday, June 3, 2016
23.05.16 In a bus to Trincomalee
Not as early as planned but still in the morning of the 20th we left Vivek´s home and took another time 3 buses to arrive around 7pm at the beach in Arugam Bay. We found the easy but lovely Etnico for 2.500 Rs a night. People looked confused as we run screaming in the huge weaves of the ocean, as it was already dark. But after leaving the cold Nuwara Eliya in Jeans and all our jackets on, we found ourselves sweating in buses all day, as the degree went higher with every kilometer we drove to the east.
The next day we did a lot: laying at the beach, fighting huge weaves, eating, drinking cool drinks, doing nothing, enjoying life and especially enjoying to be finally in the heat again. Luisa even made the afford to get a sunburn. As well we did a bit shopping in the small surf shops around.
In the morning of the 22nd I went to a Yoga class and we left again with a bus to Batticaloa. We tool a Tuk Tuk over the Dutch Fort and the lighthouse from 1913 to the Riviera Resort. So far our priciest stay with 3.000 Rupees but for that we could enjoy a huge pool in the evening and in the morning again. The resort was huge and located at the lagoon side. We as well walked to the beach side where, for the first time, we could find some fisherman and local people enjoying the beach. Sadly it was very polluted.
After the check-out at 11am we left to Paseekuhda, where we spend half day sitting at a huge resort, drinking iced coffee we could barely afford. Then we took a bus to arrive in the evening in Trincomalee.
The next day we did a lot: laying at the beach, fighting huge weaves, eating, drinking cool drinks, doing nothing, enjoying life and especially enjoying to be finally in the heat again. Luisa even made the afford to get a sunburn. As well we did a bit shopping in the small surf shops around.
In the morning of the 22nd I went to a Yoga class and we left again with a bus to Batticaloa. We tool a Tuk Tuk over the Dutch Fort and the lighthouse from 1913 to the Riviera Resort. So far our priciest stay with 3.000 Rupees but for that we could enjoy a huge pool in the evening and in the morning again. The resort was huge and located at the lagoon side. We as well walked to the beach side where, for the first time, we could find some fisherman and local people enjoying the beach. Sadly it was very polluted.
After the check-out at 11am we left to Paseekuhda, where we spend half day sitting at a huge resort, drinking iced coffee we could barely afford. Then we took a bus to arrive in the evening in Trincomalee.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
19.05.16 In Vivek´s house
So as we arrived in Ella we asked for the train and the next one was at 7pm. We where happy to have some hours to have lunch, go shopping and have a beer before finishing our travel for that day. Just as we set down for the beer, some one told us, that they canceled the train cause the heavy rain caused some problems on the way.
Kindness was leaving us as we thought about our options. People said we need to take 3 different buses again. But worse: it was already 6pm and we might not make it today. I texted Vivek, our next host and we decided to give it a try. It just took us 2 buses in the end and we arrived at 22:30pm in Nuwara Eliya and Vivek got us from the station. He cooked for us and we talked till 2am.
The next morning it was raining. I can´t even tell anymore if it was again or still.
So we just went to town to buy some food and see the market. As it was raining again in the afternoon we decided to give ourselfs a little treat for the weather and coldness and went to a Spa next door. After 1,5 hours we came home freezing as hell as the covered us in a super cold room with still wet towels and we where full with oil. But our clothes had still been at the laundry service.
After we could finally shower Vivek took us to the bar of his Hotel. We had a blast being the only guests there and came home very late after a late-night chees and egg Roti.
After a little breakfast and ignoring the hangover Luisa and I left to the Muckwood Tea Estate. We even got some hours without rain. It was a beautiful drive there and a even better view at the museum. The evening we spend with Vivek again.
Kindness was leaving us as we thought about our options. People said we need to take 3 different buses again. But worse: it was already 6pm and we might not make it today. I texted Vivek, our next host and we decided to give it a try. It just took us 2 buses in the end and we arrived at 22:30pm in Nuwara Eliya and Vivek got us from the station. He cooked for us and we talked till 2am.
The next morning it was raining. I can´t even tell anymore if it was again or still.
So we just went to town to buy some food and see the market. As it was raining again in the afternoon we decided to give ourselfs a little treat for the weather and coldness and went to a Spa next door. After 1,5 hours we came home freezing as hell as the covered us in a super cold room with still wet towels and we where full with oil. But our clothes had still been at the laundry service.
After we could finally shower Vivek took us to the bar of his Hotel. We had a blast being the only guests there and came home very late after a late-night chees and egg Roti.
After a little breakfast and ignoring the hangover Luisa and I left to the Muckwood Tea Estate. We even got some hours without rain. It was a beautiful drive there and a even better view at the museum. The evening we spend with Vivek again.
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