Diary from Sri Lanka

Thursday, March 7.

Flight to Dubai with two hours of delay.

Friday 8 March

Landed over midnight due to the delay. I To bed at three o'clock in the morning. Niels Kristian will leave at eight o'clock in the morning so I am alone in the apartment.

I started going for a walk along the beach. Later I went to Dubai Mall where I had lunch.

Saturday 9 March

1. Breakfast at a restaurant by the beach.

2. Taxi to the museum located in the old town. Worth seeing again.

3. Lunch at an Indian restaurant (same as last??) Too much chilli. Received eating utensils While the locals eat with their fingers.

Sunday 10 March

Early up and flown to Colombo Sri Lanka. I was supposed to be picked up at the airport, but there was no one to receive me. Found a taxi and drove to the hotel in Negombo. The Rest of the team had already arrived and was about to receive instructions from our guide.

It had been late, so I found a place to eat before going to bed.

Monday 11 March

We were on sightseeing all day.

1. The Fish market in Negombo is located south of the city. You're fishing with an outrigger canoe. Small fish are dried in the sun. Larger fish are sold on the market.

2. Manufacture of palm wine. The Juice of the flower is tapped into a bottle. It contains natural yeast, so it completely roars itself. The Wine can be distilled into a product called Arak.

3. Hindu temple that was right by the road.

4. After Lunch, we visited Wilpattu National Park. We saw birds, big lizards, Sambal Deer, crocodile, elephant as well as a leopard!!!!!!!!

Tuesday 12 March

Sightseeing in Anuradhapura throughout the day

1. The Temple of the Holy Bodhya tree, which is a 2200-year-old fig tree. We had to wander a long way on just toes (Ouch) before we came to the temple

2. Lowamahapaya or Bracen Palace was a 9-storey building covered with bronze roofs. The building was housing for monks. Now there is only the foundation left.

3. Ruvanvalisaya Dagoba is a large white dome shaped building. A Dagoba or stupa is originally built to house a relic. The huge space inside is not used..

4. Drinking water supply and reservoirs. Today, the water is green and disgusting, but in ancient times it has been the only water supply. Abhayagiri Dagoba. Near this dagoba there was a monastery with its own hospital. Only the foundations are left.

In the evening, we drove out to a vantage point that we had to climb. The mountain is called Mihintale. We could choose whether we would go all the way or drive by car halfway. I chose the last one. From where our walk started it was on just toes (again ouch). Instead of climbing up to the mountain peak, we went to a big Dagoba that was just opposite where we had a splendid view of the mountain top and beyond to the city.

Wednesday 13 March.

Driven from Nuwarawewa to Giritale.

1. The standing Buddha in Aukana. Just toes again.

2. Rock the cave temple in Dambulla. They have a very large collection of mainly seated Buddha statues. Here there is tiled floor and it is easier to walk on with just toes.

3. Spice Garden Restaurant. Here we ate lunch. You even grow the crops you serve in the restaurant. That is Sri Lanka's response to the Green Wave.

4. Before we came to Giritale, we saw a heard of elephants while driving on the road. It was the outskirts of Minneriya National Park which we are going to visit tomorrow.

5. The hotel in Giritale shows a sweeping view over a big lake.

Thursday 14 March

We visited the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa. The museum was the first we saw but there was a ban on photography.

1. Royal Palace of King Maha Parakrambahu

2. A Stupa pyramid: Satmahal Prasadaya

3. The Galpota incription Stone.

4. Vatadage Stupa house

5. Gal Vihara: Buddha statues carved out in a mountain wall.

6. Lotus Pond

One of the many monkies that live in the ruins stole an ice cream from a woman in my group. It aroused a certain stir.

Late afternoon we visited Minneriya National Park. Here there were lots of elephants and a few birds. Among others there were a painted stork.

Friday 15 March

1. We were rising early to climb Sigiriya (Lions Rock) before it became too hot. On the way up we passed the Deraniyagala cave that has been inhabited before the actual castle on the top was built. Later we passed the Pidurangala Rock Temple which is now only a foundation. At the top there was a nice view to all directions. We went another way down where we passed the Asana Rock Cave.

2. We had lunch in yet another Spice Garden. Here we could eat with knife and fork. After the meal, we had a guided tour of their garden, which was a small park with trees.

3. We visited a wood carving workshop and shop where we also had a guided tour around.

Saturday 16 March

1. We started early in the morning with a visit to the botanical garden in Kandu. We had a few hours at our disposal and I walked alone around the garden. It was nice quiet and peaceful. Over the large lawn, a large bunch of fruit bats hovered. Towards the end of time I visited the greenhouse with orchids.

2. In the middle of the day, we were free to discover the city on our own. I first went to the market that was close to the railway station. After lunch, I went for a walk in the garden around the Temple of the Tooth.

3. At five o'clock, we were ready to go to the theater. We had seats on the first row so we could see the performance of the Kandu dancers at close range. The drums made a deafening noise while playing and dancing. The third act was in the open air in the yard behind the theater. Here they walked on glowing coal and swallowed fire. I took a video film of both the indoor and the outdoor performance.

4. After the performance we visited the Temple of the Tooth. There was an incredible number of visitors here, so we could not do anything other than let us float with the human stream.

Sunday 17 March.

Drove from Kandu to Dalhousie, a small mountain village near Adams Peak.

1. Visited the Tea Factory Geragama Estate where we had a tour at the factory and a lecture on tea fabrication.

2. This point was unforeseen. We were trapped behind a large processional parade and were delayed several hours before reaching Dalhousie.

3. We stayed at Punsisi Rest Guest House. It was a narrow building with three floors. On the third floor was the restaurant where we had dinner. There was a good view of the city from here. When we had to check in on our rooms came the surprise of the day. There were 372 steps up a sloping mountain side before we reached the house where we were going to sleep.

4. The climb of Adams Peak (2243 m) was voluntary. Half of the group volunteered but I did not. The mountain climbers started at eleven o'clock in the evening, and they came home the next morning at nine. I went to bed and had a good long night's sleep.

Monday 18 March.

We left Dalhousie at noon. The tired mountain climbers came home and had breakfast and a few hours of sleep before we left. I had plenty of time to look at the city.

Lunch at a Tea Castle.

We reached Nuwara Eliya late afternoon. The rest of the day was free to look at the city that is characterized by English architecture. It reminded me of the city of Shimla in North India.

Tuesday 19 March.

Drove to a station where most of the group switched to trains. We bought lunch to eat on the train. We had room on third class without seat reservation. There was overcrowded and our guide had to fight to be able to get seats for us. It was a mixed pleasure but the view of the mountains was great. We ended up in Bandarawela where we also stayed overnight.

Wednesday 20 March.

1. Colossi of Buduruquala. Giant statues of Budda carved into the rock wall. You could avoid the bare feet if you did not go too close.

2. Ravanna Ella Waterfall. 82 ft. high

3. Elephant Orphanage in Udawalawe National Park. The feeding of the elephants is an attraction for the tourists.

4. Lunch.

5. We checked into the Athgira River camp where we had an hour rest before we drove out on----

6. Safari deive in Udawalawe National Park. We saw lots of elephants and water buffaloes, a single crocodile, a single varan and more birds.

Thursday 21 March.

We drove south off towards the coast and then to the west along with this.

1. In the fishing village of Tangalle we visited a project to support the women who were widowed after the great tsunami in 2004. It hit the coast right here. The women have been trained in making lace that can be sold from the shop and workshop where the lace is made.

2. Check in at Calamander Unawatuna Beach Resort. It is a beach hotel where we were to stay for two nights.

3. Excursion to the ancient fortress town of Galle. The fortress itself was built by the Portuguese in 1588.

4. On the way to Galle in the Tille fishing village of Koggala we saw and photographed the stylte fishermen.

In Galle we saw:

1. The Dutch Reformed Church. After the Portuguese, the Dutch have made their mark on the city.

2. The Anglican Church, which testifies that the British have also been here. Ceylon was a British colony.

3. We ended with a walk on the fortress ramparts.

Friday 22 March

Rose up 4:30 to go for a Whale watching trip. We saw many dolphins and some blue whales.

The rest of the day we had free. I started going to bed and sleep.

Saturday 23 March.

1. Drove from Unawatuna to Colombo.

2. City tour in Colombo showing the most important buildings.

3. Visit to the Dutch Reformed Church.

4. The rest of the day free. I spent time buying gifts.

5. . In the evening we had farewell dinner.

Sunday 24 March

1. Took farewell to the others in the group after breakfast. My plane goes first last night so I have plenty of time.

2. Visit to the National Museum which lasted the rest of the morning.

3. Last purchases of gifts.

4. I was picked up at 11 o'clock in the evening and driven to the airport.

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