Geo: 7.28446, 80.6375I had a taste of what the Perahera would be like from the Poson festival in Beliatta, Trinco Perahera and from seeing the Kandy dancers however, I definitely wasn't expecting there to be around 200 elephants, and thousands of dancers it truly was a memorable night.I arrived in the afternoon by (four) buses from Tangalle and made my way to the YMCA, I had arranged my accommodation beforehand as everything gets booked up for this ten day event really early. I can't believe leaving the bus station and the streets are all full, on the perahera route you can't even see the pavements anymore as they are filled with people sitting waiting on the event to start in the evening, there are few spaces to be had. So it was a quick check in, ... read more

Geo: 6.61611, 80.7171I joined Linda, Patrick and David who I met in Another World Guest House in Arugambay and travel led by local bus to Ella for a couple of days with them before everyone heads off their own directions. The journey starts with a tuktuk to the bus stand, then two buses which takes us around 5 hours, both David and Patrick's faces are a picture because they've not used to the local transport before and it's a tight squeeze with them both being well over 6ft tall. Their surf boards are piled in and they grab the back seat… at one stop I can hear David talking to someone, it turns out that Patrick (6ft7) is standing outside but he is level with the bus windows so they are having a conversation, no-one can ... read more

Geo: 7.70483, 81.6771This was my first experience of couch surfing on a social level, although I booked into my accommodation I then met up with Pushpa on the beach, who delighted me with meeting his family first of all before taking me round to his friends house for dinner then to the beach for beers with them all! I was invited into his home and introduced to his mother, sister and cousins and his mum makes me tea while we all sit in the hall. Although they do have a couch available if I need it, I'm already booked into hotel and he needs to leave tomorrow anyway for work so I thank him but opt to stay where I am. After tea we walk round to one of his friends houses and I meet a ... read more

Geo: 7.28446, 80.6375I got a local bus from Colombo direct to Kandy and met up with Reza who's staying in the YMBA (Young Men's Buddhist Assoc.), I just ask on arrival and I'm pointed in the right direction. We manage a cheap deal on a room although we have to convince the staff we're not ‘a couple' as we are ‘not married' before they let us share a room… it's just cheaper. We head up to watch sunset at the viewpoint above the YMBA, going past the YMMA (Muslim) next door to the top of the hill, the view looks over the whole town and takes in the lake, the Temple of the Tooth, the Buddha on the opposite hill and much, much more, it really is a beautiful place. We meet a young American girl ... read more

Geo: 6.024, 80.7911On the bus on the way into Tangalle I found it really strange the amount of gravestones between the road and the sea. There's a sign high up on a post on the side of the road on my way in which has waves on it, and a line through the middle stating ‘water level' and underneath the date 26.12.04. It took me a minute to realise that it was referring to the water level of the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, but when it struck me I burst into tears, I somehow didn't associate here with the tsunami. The water level mark is the height of the bus and we're not at sea level on this part of the island, it's very hard to take in. It also means that I'm about to ... read more