http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Sri Lanka en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 13:07:17 +0000 Mon, 20 May 2013 13:07:17 +0000 Bien le bonjourC39est sur le balcon de notre chambre avec la vue illustre la premire photo que j39cris ces lignes. Mais avant d39arrive jusqu39ici laissezmoi vous parler de notre arrive au Sri Lanka et du triangle culturel..Le vol de Londres jusqu39au Sri Lanka dura environ 10 heures ce qui toutefois paru beaucoup moins long car compltement puiss mon p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Negombo/blog-786346.html Yesterday was a really quiet day we left Yala National Park and headed off for an overnight stop in Tangalle. We arrived at our hotel somewhere around lunchtime and were free to relax for the rest of the day this for me meant a swim in the pool followed by far too many beers and cocktails in the bar The hotel was located next to the beach but the sea was really rough. It39s definitely a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Colombo/blog-786125.html This morning was an early start a little blurry eyed I made my way to reception with my escort in the dark. We soon set off to the entrance of Yala National Park it took around 30 minutes by the time our guide had bought the tickets. I really really wanted to see a leopard I39d be made up if I did but the closest we came was some footprints in the sand unfortunately. We did see plenty of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Yala-NP/blog-785796.html We woke up to a very British feeling day a little on the chilly side and looking like it may rain. We set off towards Yala with a planned stop at the Elephant Orphanage on the way. As we left the higher ground of Nuwara Eliya and started to drop down through the winding mountain roads we could really feel the temperature getting warmer and needed the aircon again After a couple of hours on the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Yala/blog-785682.html We had a bit of a lie in this morning and a relatively quiet day which actually was quite welcome... We hit the road at 830 to head to Nuwara Eliya and stopped off at a couple of places on the way. Firstly a suspension bridge on the way out of Kandy. There are some fantastic views from the bridge and it39s a good photo opportunity. There are only 6 people allowed on the bridge at any one http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Nuwara-Eliya/blog-785492.html Today we went to Kandy the second largest city in Sri Lanka. First thing this morning we went to The Temple of The Tooth considered to be one of the most important Buddhist temples and is home to the tooth relic. The relic is kept in a room which is only opened 3 times daily for puja a ceremony where the relic is paraded around the temple accompanied by traditional drumming. once the golden http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Kandy/blog-785407.html This morning we set off to go on a 2 12 hour trek through a 39typical Sri Lankan village39 this really wasn39t what I39d imagined... For starters we set off in a canoe we had a little boat guy and a guide rowing so that was alright. I can assure you I didn39t look remotely elegant getting in or out of this thing We went over to a farm where they grow chillis pepper tomatoes and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Dambulla/blog-785281.html We had another early start and headed off to the medieval ruins at Polonnaruwa the ancient capital of Ceylon. The site itself is massive and there are ruins spread out across a large area. We started off in the museum where there is a scale model of the site to give you an idea just how vast it is. There are quite a few artefacts to view from coins to medical equipment to religious statues. Po http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Polonnaruwa-/blog-785279.html Today was an early start and off we went to Sigiriya Lion Rock. I39d read a bit about this landmark before we went but hadn39t realised quite how big it actually is. It seems to pop up out of nowhere as it39s surrounded by trees and we couldn39t see it until we were pretty much there and it39s immense. Sigiriya is a medieval site and once housed the palace of King Kassapa th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Sigiriya/blog-784874.html After what seems like a silly amount of time we finally made it to the first hotel I say hotel but I39ve got a little cottage type thing to myself which is pretty cool it39s been a massively long journey.The transfer from the airport was somewhere around 5 hours but between the bits where I nodded off looking special with my gob open I39ve seen quite a lot of the country archi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/North-Central-Province/Anuradhapura/Habarana/blog-784563.html For years our visits to Sri Lanka were always an iffy proposition due to the civil war which plagued this country for the last several decades. The beautiful island is now enjoying relative peace and prosperity.Our first port of call was Trincomalee. Everywhere you travel in Sri Lanka you see remnants of the colonial times. The British Dutch and Portuguese have left their marks with religion the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Colombo/blog-781836.html Colombo is Sri Lankas largest city and former capitol before the government moved its administrative offices down the road to a new site. Most government bureaus remain in Colombo including the army and navy and foreign consulates. Our tour in modern buses begins at the Kelaniya Buddhist Temple where we see a variety of Buddhas including a large reclining one and wonderfully decorated wall http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Colombo/blog-780867.html On arrival in Marissa we were hit by the coastal heat 30 degree plus and no breeze. Our guest house Palm Villa was straight onto the beachh and sea. We were shown to our rooms and straight away Evie and abs had their swimming costumes on ready for the sea. Where we were based was made up of a coastline about a mile long with guest houseshotels and bars along a palm tree strip. The sea was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Southern-Province/Weligama/blog-780795.html Phuket Thailand is also a developing area working hard to attract tourists. Our bus drive for an hour takes us the length of Phuket Island across a new bridge replacing a very ornate one and on to a rustic pier to board a narrow simplistic covered wooden motorized craft with movable benches. Our goal is to visit the monoliths just off shore rising from the ocean in Phang Nga Bay similar to t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Eastern-Province/Trincomalee/blog-780683.html Arrived Friday in Ella by train the journey was fantastic. The scenery from the train was something else. We worked our way high into tree tea plantations where we saw workers busily toilingin the sun. The workers earn a pittance with the women getting 450 rupees a day and the men 600 rupees. So in effect 2.25 for women and 3.00 for men so think on everybodyToday Wew climbed little Adams http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Sabaragamuwa-Province/Adam-s-Peak/blog-779862.html We left Dambulla on Wednesday morning and drove over 3 hours to Kandy which is high in the hills. We are staying at a guest house called Serendip. It over looks the Mahaweli river that is dammed by the Victoria Dam. Yet again the beauty of Sri Lanka never fails and the views from high in the hills are amazing Sri Lanka is a very green lush place. We are planning a trip into Kandy to see the te http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Kandy/blog-779539.html On the 3 of April we went to Sigiriya and we climbed up the tallest and spectacular rock.It had 1300 steps the top roc views from the top of the rock were amazing and there were lots of school children. They swerve from the institute of English and wanted to talk to us. Evie abigail and Sarah had their photographs with them. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Sigiriya/blog-779440.html Here just a few pictures of the golden temple dambulla. wifi not great. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Dambulla/blog-779263.html The fool of April arrived early on 31 march we arrived at Thilanka resort and spa only to be told that we had no reservation. Aaaaarrrrggghhh.Grandad to the rescue Not all was lost as grandad sorted it out and before long we had been given our 2 rooms at the resort and to cap it all upgraded for the rest of the stay in their 5 star Green Paradise hotel. ResultSo in Thilanka we sat around the p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Central-Province/Dambulla/blog-779087.html Just had breakfast eggseggs and more eggs. Scrambledfried omelette. Abigail had apricot jam on her omelette not my cup of tea. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Sri-Lanka/Western-Province/Negombo/blog-778776.html