Kategorie: Sri Lanka

Going to Sri Lanka was not on my bucket list but reading some articles and blog posts about the country I looked forward to my adventure.

My arrival in Colombo was late in the evening and so I had to stay overnight in a hostel nearby. The hostel was nothing special and even if the stuff was friendly it is not worth talking more about it.

Next morning I headed to Fort Main Station in Colombo and take a train to Matare. From Matara to Tangalle by Tuk Tuk. That was the plan so far.

How to describe the atmosphere in Sri Lanka? I would say like it is how I imagine India to be. It’s loud, chaotic, dirty but also colorful, ordered in its own chaos, friendly people and curious eyes watching you everywhere.

The climate in Sri Lanka is very special and rare, as you have eighter on the west side or on the east side perfect weather conditions. From September to March is the best time to visit the west side and from April to September is the best time to visit the east side. Best time means you won’t have a lot of rain.

As I’m not a fan of rain but it was April I decided to stay somewhere in the middle between west and east, and as I wanted to stay near the sea, I choose south as the area to stay. When you go south from Colombo you will hear the name Galle and Matara as cities that are more well known. As I prefer places that are not that well know, I thought Tangalle might be a good choice and has options to all sides. Tangalle is around 45 min drive to east from Matara.

Out of Borneo I did a research to find a place to stay and was a bit surprised that all I found on Google Maps was very pricey and doesn’t look like places that I like. Many Hotels, Resorts or more luxury looking Accommodations. I end up with Ravenalla Homestay. The Homestay was located on a very small road next to the main road. The road ended at near the Homestay, so I expected the place to be very quiet. As far as Google Maps was informative, it looked like that the Homestay was directly located at a nice beach. The Pictures on Google Maps looked promising so I wanted to check it out.

I arranged with the owner that I will pass by his place while I’m on the way to my accommodation. Just I case I had booked a place nearby. From experience I had learned that it is always a good idea, to book something close by for one to three days and then check out the area to find a place to stay longer.

The train ride was nice as you could see a lot from the country and the train follows the coastline. In the train, I found the typical company from other backpackers. A group of four Australians that visit Sri Lanka for 3 weeks, a young British woman who had sold everything, left flat and home behind and had no idea where she will be in a 6-month future and a young man which I accidentally add to the young lady as the boyfriend. Later we figured out that they were not related to each other. A bit surprising for me was the high interest from the men around me. As I was the one from the foreigner group which had the longest trip, I could feel the curious looking eyes on me more and more. As the last other tourists left the train, a group of 4 men sitting next to me started talking with me. I figured out that one of them was the officer from the train. Another one was station chief from Matare. They started to ask me a lot of questions and obviously were very surprised that I travel alone as women. They was fascinated from my blue eyes and looked at me like they never have seen blue eyes in the real life ever before. The officer of the train then ask me if he can get my telephone number and that was the point where it was a bit too much for me. Luckie, it was not far to Matara anymore and I felt released when I could get out of the train. I didn’t feel like in danger but I was a bit confused by such a lot of attention.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Out of the Train, I took a Tuk Tuk into the direction to Tangalle. The driver was easy and nice and I felt safe even if I have to say that traffic in Sri Lanka is totally crazy. As we were close to Tangalle there was a man on a motorbike that whistles into our direction and then started to follow us. Quickly I figured out that this was the owner of the Ravenala Homestay. I wanted to check the condition of the Homestay and as we arrived there I directly fall in love with the place. It was such a sweet little home and same as I had expected, the street was quiet and far away from the normal tourist hassle.

The owner told me that we can try to arrange that I directly can stay at his place instead of waiting two days, as he knows the owner of my already booked accommodation. I had to pay a low fee but in the end, all worked out good.

From the first day I felt like being a part of the Ravenalla Homestay family, as the owner and his family was so nice to me and the homestay was in the heard of a little Village where only local people lives. Supun, the owner of the homestay joined me to walk down to the beach. The beach is around 20m to the left of the homestay. You had to walk down some stairs and then find yourself on one of the most beautiful beaches that I ever have seen. I was so impressed that I was not able to talk anymore. Just standing there, watching around as I saw an eagle in the air. I looked over to Supun and he also pointed his finger into the direction of the eagle. In this moment the eagle starts to rush down from the sky and touch into the water. As he came back up into view we could see the fish he could in his claws. It was like a movie scene and not only me was impressed. Supun and I smiled and from that moment on it was clear that we will have a very nice time during my stay.

The Homestay was very simple. My room had a king size bed, A/C, a separate bathroom, a little terrace. To the opposite of my room was another room that was identical. The two terraces were separated by a little wall. A little kitchen was next to my room on the right-hand side. The kitchen was equipped with a fridge, stove with oven, a kitchen sink, and some cupboards. It was simple but functional. I looked forward to having the possibility to cook myself again. Supun showed me a little plate that he fixed into the coconut tree next to my terrace. Each day a family of squirrels came by and looked for food in the plate. Everywhere around the house, it was possible to watch a bunch of animals. The lived as close as you can describe them as a wild neighborhood. A couple of peacocks lived two doors next to my Homestay and every morning I could watch the male one doing his dance on the roof of the house next to mine.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

A few days later Supun offers me to visit a temple nearby. The temple was called the rock temple as it was built into a mountain. On our way to the temple, we passed by a special tree. Special was the tree as a holy flower grows on it. As far as I had understood the flower is the Buddhist flower. I don’t know the real name and just can describe the color as dark pink apricot color. The middle of the flower looked a little bit like a mouth with waving tentacles that want to make you believe that this flower is harmless. The flower was not dangerous at all but if I had to make a dangerous flower to look harmless, then this flower would match my imagination.

• 

• 

Next what was special on this tree was that it was the home of countless flying dogs. Flying dogs are way bigger then bat’s and make much more noise. They have their most active time in the early evening, what makes them hang around in the time when we pass by. With their wings, they flutter air around themselves, what looks alike somehow breathing. Their eyes are big and round like buttons, but you are not sure if they look at you in specific cause there are so many up in the tree.

After watching the flying dogs for a while we walk back to the street where a man sold fresh fish. Behind his stand, there was a big varan in the grass. The varan knows the days when the fisherman is around, and the fisherman knows the varan also. When the fisherman cut the fish and had some leftovers, he throws it for the varan. So the varan is happy, cause he gets food, and the customers from the fisherman are happy, cause they can join this attraction. Me the varan makes speechless. Like a living dinosaur he lays in the grass and you just can imagine how strong and probably also fast he is when he really wants to move.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our next stop was a local market, and here the cliche how you imagine an oriental marked look like becomes a perfect match. Homegrown Tobacco, Betelnuts, Hemp strings, Herbs, Herbs, Herbs, and a lot of people. I was to overwhelmed as to take the chance and buy some vegetables but I knew that I will have more than this possibility to see and visit a marked like this.

So we headed to the Rock Temple. The Rock Temple is a temple that is builded into a mountain. On 4 different levels of the mountain caves was builded into the stone. Inside the caves very old wall paintings explain the story and life of Buddha to you. Sleeping Buddha figures in huge dimensions lies in the caves and each cave displays a specific part of Buddha’s story. This gets visible by the sourounding figures that you find in the cave as well and it finds its glorious peak in a group of people that lokked like an army to me. This group might have been so old, that the figures was protected behind a wall of glass.

Each room had its own table to lay down flowers as gift. Walking from level to level and from room to room reminds me somehow like a walk of pain and release when you finally reach the top. The last level of the temple opens two ways to reach it. The modern stairway or the old one. I choose the old one, wholes is the wall that obviously was super old. On the top a monk speaks some holy words and a white and a yellow band was wrapped around my arm. Even if I’m not religious, directly I felt saint. At the back side of the temple a Plattform made from natural stone block opens the view wide into the country. An amazing view which makes you speak less for at least 30 min let you quickly forget all the stairs you had to climb to come here.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After the Rock Temple, we visited another temple. This temple had a very huge and tall Buddha figure. I guess the figure was approximately 100m high. In the top of the figure, you could watch through an eye of Buddha. Many people waited in a long cue to catch this holy look. Me in person I didn’t see anything but I was great to see all the people and to feel the magic everywhere around. Also, the figures and stories that were told in the surrounding buildings were impressive. Definitely worth a look.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Somehow I had the luck that each time when I visited a new country that I become a witness of a cultural happening. This should stay the same here in Sri Lanka. The Poe Days was upcomming. Poe days is a regular ceremony each full moon. But this one was a special one as it was the date of Buddhas birth. So this celebration would run on five days in a row.

First thing I learned about Poeday is a day where you should share with the poor. That is the reason why in each village the people get together and organize a booth at the street where they offer free drinks or food to all people that pass by. While you drive along the road you see everywhere people standing in a queue. The longest queue you see in at the booth that offers ice cream. I experienced a kind of rice pudding, fresh cut watermelon, drinks…and other nice stuff. All the time you stop, people chat, smile or great. It’s a very nice atmosphere.

Then the city becomes decorated. Artistically designed lamps or scenes from Buddhas live are placed around. After Sunset the city turned into a magical place cause all houses and shops decorated their front sides with lanterns and other enlightening things. Each temple shines and glows in the evening, really wonderful.

During the day in each village, a parade is happening. In the parade, you see ornate created paper trees, glorious candy dancers, and funny big figures. What I did not understand is why the parades are happening directly on a street where still cars are driving. As the cars were more in a traffic jam, that could drive fluently, the smell becomes somehow very intense. I felt sorry for all the talented participants of the parade but I really enjoyed to watch it.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Overall I would say, Sri Lanka was a very surprising Country. People are unbelivable nice, food is very good and everywhere you run into somthing magic. If you think about to go there – do it..its definitv worth it.