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Published: October 15th 2011
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Sigirya put me firmly back on the tourist trail….I certainly wasn't the only white person in the Village here. Hello everyone!
Welcome to another installment of my ramblings.
This one won’t be an epic because as before, the pictures tell all the story and I fear I will simply be repeating myself. Sri Lanka continues to be a fantastic to visit, it continues to throw up the most colorful surprises and the people continue to be wonderful.
So….After leaving Tringo. I headed inland for one of my treats of Sri Lanka, Sigiriya.
For those that don’t know:
Sigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for its ancient paintings (frescos) which are reminiscent of the Ajanta Caves of India. It is one of the eight World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. It is also declared by UNESCO as the 8th Wonder of the World.
And twas very interesting too. A treat because it cost $30 to get in, but for me, wot wiv being interested in such things, was worth every cent.
But, by far the highlight of the
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Sigirya rock, you can see why King Kassapa saw its potential as a housing plot. last week or so, in fact the highlight of my entire month in Sri Lanka was my three day visit to the town of Nuwara Eliya, high up in the hills.
I had been looking forward to this ever since I was planning Sri Lanka back in Thailand. Nuwara Eliya has been nicknamed “Little England” due to the climate and the significant British Colonial Influence.
Its hard to explain, but after six months on the road in unfamiliar places, you yearn for familiarity, you yearn not to be sweating constantly, you yearn to able to sleep without the buzz of fans or the chatter of air conditioning. You yearn to see houses made of stone, proper houses, you yearn for fireplaces, you yearn for bar heaters and Victorian floor tiles. You yearn for walks in the park and not being in jungle, you yearn not to be bitten by mosquitoes.
Oh and Nuwara Eliya delivered. I found myself transported not only to another century, but also to another country. My vocabulary changed, the words “delightful” and “agreeable” featured heavily, and at one point I even used the word “spiffing” (no, I really did). Gin and Tonics became
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Sadly I didn’t see any crocodiles despite splashing around. order of the day and I even bought a copy of an English Newspaper. To read on the lawn.
I was in heaven, I have missed so many things, but wasn’t even aware that I was missing them. Truth is, I have missed England.
If I was going to do it at all, I was going to do it properly, so I booked myself in to a suitably expensive and aged Hotel, none of your newly built stuff, no, only circa 1800's would do. A place built when people traveled with a minimum of three trunks, carried by porters.
And the highlight of the highlight was a drink or five at the Hill Club. Founded in 1876 by the British, the Hill Club was, and still is to a degree, a old school gentlemen’s club. Until fairly recently Sri Lankans were not allowed to join, and until very recently women were not allowed through the gates.
Now, this sort of thing goes against everything that I stand for and believe in, but there is a very small part of me that hankers for such places. Wing backed leather chairs, cigar smoke, the gentle tinkling of crystal
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I am not sure who this chap was, although I am sure he was important. . I think he looks like a character from Planet of the Apes. Do you? Answers on a telegram. tumblers complimented by the gentle hubbub of esteemed people with double chins and cravats talking about esteemed things.
For a short period of time my friends Bryn and Steve and I had a dream of opening such a club in Bristol, we even got as far as debating who would be invited to join, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Paxman, David Attenborough, honorary member, etc. I recently bought an air freshener that promised my car would smell of a “Circa 1960’s Rolls Royce”. And it did, for a while.
Ok, now I really am rambling, but be assured I loved the colonial theme park of Nuwara Eliya and I loved being cold.
So, future plans. Well, in the short term at least, I am going to stay as high up as possible in Sri Lanka, to escape the heat, but on the 21st I find myself on a flight to Tanzania via Ethiopia.
Now, I have made plans for Africa, but I am not going to tell you what they are until the next post. Why? Because I can…..
Toodle pip and all me loves
John
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