Oldies On Tour

Thoroughly enjoyed breakfast again, they cater for all nationality’s so if you fancy curry for breakfast you can have it!  We have a variation of the English one, we had pancakes as well today, no wonder we don’t bother with lunch.

Back to the sun beds plug in my iPod, Geoff read his book, we swam in the pool, and thoroughly enjoyed the morning. We went to the room for coffee, then I went back down to the pool, leaving Geoff to do the log! He he…

Geoff came down eventually, we had some cocktails by the pool, watching the sunset, then back to the room, wash change and out to the Italian restaurant, the food was fantastic! good job we got there early as there were no spare tables later.

Little India

My opinion on this Island, having travelled a big area now is, it has not been westernized yet! So you will not see the fancy shops in many places, there are a few, most towns and villages look dirty and very poor especially around Little India, which I found a fascinating place although Joe (our driver) said we

Tea plantation

would be harassed if we tried walking around there. The traffic is mayhem, with the tut tuts, motor bikes, buses and cars all jostling for their place, the buses are filled so full they cannot shut the doors! The motorbikes carry the whole family, and the trains are packed as well.

The island has some beautiful scenery, especially around the tea plantation area, I have thoroughly enjoyed our stay here, and although the trips we did have been very long at times, that is because we chose to stay in Colombo.  Our Hotel has been brilliant, very comfortable, certainly not a plastic Hotel, with wood carvings and original floor boards everywhere.

0730 hrs start again and straight into the “dodge-em”, bleep, bleep, bleeping crazy traffic with crazy,  suicidal drivers, especially on two wheels.  One strange thing we see are whole families on 1 motorbike with the parents wearing crash hats but up to two children on board without crash hats!

Anyway I digress.  Our first stop around 0930 hrs, was for coffee and

The Coffee Stop, Hotel Foyer

toilets this was a hotel over looking the river where they filmed the “Bridge Over The River Kwai”  and where the cast stayed; Princess Elizabeth (before she became Queen) with

The River From The  Hotel

Prince Philip also stayed here.  Nice views but crap coffee and tea, it was the water we think, tainted!!!  After a quick wander round the grounds we were off again.

About 15 minutes of driving we stopped again

The Plaque Where The Film Set Was

and were taken along a well trodden path, down a precarious hill to where the actual bridge was constructed for the film “bridge Over the River Kwai”, this bridge together with the filming that took place on it started construction in 1956, completed 1 year later but only took 3 minutes to destroy; I suspect these days they would use a model.  Walking towards this site we passed a few “local’s” homes, poor people, and one of the women

The Film Bridge in “Bridge Over The River Kwai”

latched onto us and gave us all the lowdown

The Real Bridge Over The River Kwai

on the bridge, where the various scenes were performed and down to how they mocked up a real train with dummies and just before the Big Bang, with the train going over

The Beach Where Sir Alec (Col. Nicholson) Guinness does the Business

the top, how the actual driver of this train escaped, just in time!  In today’s world I think “health and safety” would have something to say about that!!!!!

A fascinating insight into this film that was

The Foundation Holes For The “Film”. bridge over The River Kwai”

released in 1957 and won many oscars: I must get the DVD and re-watch it.

Next stop lunch at a mediocre hotel but with front a seat view of the Ramboda Waterfalls.  We elected to go with the buffet along with many other tourists, but though it was cheap, the catering was for the masses but the food was tasteless, our first

The Ramboda Falls

poor lunch.  Joe was also pushing and wanted to get on but and we couldn’t understand why, we did find out why later in the day though!!!

Our next stint of driving took us right up into the higher mountains, at around 2000 meters, Joe was explaining how high we were but after we said we had been up Mont Blanc and the Andes , both around 4,000 meters, he said

The Swedish Built Dam

“well 2,000 meters is high in Sri Lanka” we have been told!!!!!  Still the views were bordering on spectacular and some of the back lanes he took us along, twisting around the mountain sides, apparently built by the British around the turn of the century, and the surfaces showed it, were like the roller coaster at Ferrari world; well nearly!!!! He showed us the Dam built by the Swedish, several more temples, and passing through several towns and villages, we arrived into

The Tea Factory

the tea growing areas.

Our next stop was the “Blue Field Tea Gardens” factory, tea shop and restaurant.  We had a private guided tour of the factory by a very personable Sri Lankan  young lady, it was

Women Tea Pluckers at Work

most informative and we were surprised how simple the process is from the tea bush to the finished tea.  The other amazing fact is that each tea bush gets “plucked” every week and a bush can go on producing for over 50 years.  Whilst  there I

A Tea Bush

Tea Bags Awaiting Transportation to the Factory

enquired about the tea pluckers, how much were they paid, 800 Sri Lankan Rupees a day, about £4.00 for 20 kg of leaves said our guide; there is also a bonus paid for every kg they pick above the 20

Tea Pluckers Weighing in Their Day’s Pickings

kg, but we suspect it will take all day (0800 hrs to 1630 hrs) to get to their target, after all the tea producers have been doing this for 100

Tea Pluckers Going Home After Work

years or more and know what’s possible!!!!!

After all the tea leaves have been brought back to the factory each evening, they are immediately laid out in very long but shallow trays where the first process starts, drying.

Freshly Picked Tea leaves in drying Trays.

These trays each hold 2,000 kg of leaves and when they are removed for the next crushing process 12 hrs later, their weight is half, 1,000 kg.

After the tour we were invited to sample a complimentary cuppa, I went for green tea, Christine went for BOP, Broken Orange Pekoe, or as we commonly refer to it as English Breakfast Tea!  One thing that did surprise us was the difference between Green Tea and Normal tea, firstly they are the same leaves and go through the first same two processes, but then the

Our Factory Tour Guide

normal/black tea sits on a slab and ferments whilst the leaves allocated for green tea, go into an area for a natural drying process.  Once the black tea has completed its fermentation process, about 2 hrs, it is transferred to a drying oven, the heat for which is by a fire box burning wood; this helps with the flavour.

All the tea produced here is bulk packed into cwt sacks and sent to the tea auctions in Colombo.

Tea Bushes Everywhere

We now started our journey to the town known as “Little England” and drove past hill after hill, row after row of tea plants,

Tea plantation

God, don’t we drink a lot of tea in the world,  but as we drove through the streets of Little England, it certainly didn’t look like little England to us, we could have been in any Sri Lankan town/village.  There were several old colonial buildings that Joe took us past, including an old Hotel called St Andrews but I pointed out, St Andrews is in Scotland, not England, no response!!!   Joe Drove us all around including the golf club founded in the late 1800’s, then dropped us off at

The New Posh Hotel

this posh new 5 star hotel, just opened by the Sri Lankan President.  He said he would pick us up in abut half an hour, so in we went, toilets first then sat in the lounge area waiting for service, nothing happened even though I went to reception for the Wi Fi code.  So after clearing e mails we had, we walked out to wait for Joe.

Christine’s New Friend

The car arrived about 5 minutes later and we were away.  Where are we going now we asked, back to the Galle Face Hotel Madam, oh good, and how long will that take we asked. Joe answered and after a pause whilst we caught our breath we asked again:  5 hours Madam came the answer for a second time, we were gob smacked, ouch!!!

Had we known how un interesting Little England was we would have asked to go back to the Hotel after visiting the Tea factory.  So if anyone reading this blog, don’t go to Little. England, here in Sri Lanka.

The reason our hearts dropped was that we would have to endure five hours of suicidal driving, overtaking against oncoming traffic, cutting in or being cut up by other drivers, whether they be in a car, truck, Tuk Tuk or Motorbike, or missing pedestrians who just walk across the roads dressed in dark colours; they are all lunatics and Joe seems to have a transformation after dark, and just joins in and if that is not all, we have the constant beep beep beeping of ALL road users.

We were so pleased when we drove into the front drive of the Galle Face Hotel at 2215 hrs, nearly 15 hrs after we left.  We are not sorry today is our last long day out and about.

Today was a repeat of our rest days, we do not feel the need to go out of the Hotel, as we have everything we need here, comfort, flunkies, and everything you could wish for.

My back is playing up again today, so we had a gently swim, a quick sunbathe, you cannot sit out for long, you would get burnt to a cinder, so we read our books, and sat under the shade of the umbrellas listening to the sound of the waves. Geoff continues to try and keep up with the log!  I like this alternate day thing, have nothing to write about.

Corridors have water with lights in either side very tranquil

We explored the Health spa, it is lovely down there! the only trouble is the men have to use a different sauna! steam and jacuzzi, where is the fun in that! So we have not bothered.

After the pre drinks, we went downstairs for dinner, we were

Water candles and petals everywhere

going to try the Italian over the road, but changed our minds, perhaps tomorrow.

Breakfast at a reasonable time, 0700 hrs this morning,  then into the waiting car for 0730 hrs, Joe behind the wheel and away we went, straight into the bedlam of the morning Colombo traffic, though it never seems to quieten down.   Bleep, Bleep Bleep from everyone and I have noticed Joe, our Driver, bleeping at times for no reason, just habit I presume!

Our “course” to Galle was along the coast road  stopping at various places along the way with an ETA around 1400 hrs.

Outside the Biscuit Factory

Our first stop, a picture moment, was the Maliban Biscuit Factory, this was the company my Father did a lot of work with,  including much of the planning for this current, new in 1961, factory but unfortunately he didn’t live to see the completed factory.  Unfortunately due to heavy traffic and not being able to park, I could only get a poor shot of the front of the office block, the factory behind it was not seen.

Our next stop was the Turtle Hatchery where we got to learn about turtles and hold them.

The Entrance

This place not only hatches the eggs and keeps

The Five Species of Sea Turtles

the babies until they are 5 years old before releasing them into the sea, they also take in

Brave Lady!

turtles that have been caught up in Fisherman’s nets Etc.  We saw several that had lost their flippers, naturally they would have died back in the sea, but here, they can live their life out.

Bigger and BRAVER

They also had turtles born disfigured and with no eyes, again

An. Albino Turtle, Very Unusual

they wouldn’t survive in the ocean.  We also

looked at a rare “Albino” turtle.

After this quite remarkable place and a quick

A Blind Turtle being Cared For

visit to the obligatory gift shop, we were off in the car again.

Our next port of call was the inland lagoon, Lake Ratgama, with 64 Islands in it.  We got into our private open topped boat and set off through the Mangroves and into the

Our Boat Driver

spectacular tidal lagoon.  The boat driver first took us through a tunnel cut in the Mangroves, it looked like a big black hole until our eyes adjusted and it gave us a very close-up look at

The Traps for Catching Prawns

their root systems which involves turning salty sea water into pure water, very clever!

We passed the traps used for catching prawns, they shine a bright light at night, the prawns swim into the traps, can’t get out and bingo, someone’s lunch next day.  We also passed a number of fish farms, the driver wanted to stop but we said no.

Next came the temple but we told him we were templed out so apart from

Temple in the Middle of the Lake

a photograph, we could move on.

Next he took us to another island and here insisted we get out, and I have to say we were glad as this old boy demonstrated how they took the branch from the Cinnamon tree,

Stripping out the Cinnamon

shaved off the outside green bark, that went as compost, then gently skinned the remaining wood from the branch which became the

cinnamon.

Boating through the Mangroves

He then wrapped these thin slivers of wood into a length and dried them, not in the sunlight, but in the pitch of his hut roof for 5 days after which it is brown and ready for grating and use; fascinating.  His next demonstration was how he weaves the coconut leaves into matting and he explained that when two layers thick, it will keep the house dry. Last but not least, he took the hair from

Fisherman on Lake

the dried coconut, weaved it, doubled it and hey presto, rope.  We all tried to pull it apart but no, it was too strong.

Back into the boat passing several birds and fishermen we made our way back but didn’t stop, we went onto the mouth

A Kingfisher Along the Way

of this lagoon, I am sure he wanted us to know and see this was a salt water lake!  This trip lasted a hour and half and we really enjoyed it and it was good to get back onto the water.  As we approached our jetty, who was there to meet us, why Joe of

Joe awaits our return

course!  Joe looks after us like a mother hen, I am sure he is thinking of the big tip he hopes to get at the end!!!

On the move again, lunch is fast approaching and Joe said he will take us to a good fish restaurant on the beach, but first we have to drive through areas where the major Tsumani hit, Boxing Day 2004.

The Train Boxing Day 2004

The  devastation caused, as we saw on the

The Railway Line, Boxing Day 2004

news at the time, is highlighted by seeing it  as it is un inhabitable

A Monument Over the Mass Grave

The figure officially quoted was 43,000 dead but our “local” driver thinks the true number is about double.  There is also a mass grave

with  5,000 un

Tsunami Damage

identifiable bodies in,  and a memorial that has been built on the

The Japanese Monument

spot.   Additionally the Japanese have also built a Statue to commemorate this tragedy, but the Japanese did it a a good omen to stop any re occurrence of any future Tsunamis.

Tsunami Damage

This was a sad part of our journey but it did bring home the devastation people suffered and it also brings home how lucky we are to be living in Europe.

Lunch next and after leaving the main area of the Tsunami we arrived at this Fish Restaurant recommended by Joe. Well the

Entrance to Fish Restaurant

entrance certainly didn’t give a good impression but once we ad walked through, we were happy.  The fish on display in the tanks and in the chill cabinets looked very good and we were happy! We got table, after a swop, next to the beach ant then ordered. A prawn and Avocado starter for Christine, rock

Seafood Platter

Oysters for me then a mixed Seafood platter to share, with Chips!!!  All very nice and we were full.  The most spectacular thing here was the size of the jumbo Prawns, they were the size of a Lobster,

A Jumbo Prawn

quite remarkable but the one e hd was a little tasteless. In this case, big was not better!!!

The Seafood Restaurant

Lunch over and off to Galle.  Galle historically was very important and on the peninsula the Portuguese built the original fort in 1588. But the  Dutch modified it extensively from 1649 onwards.  The walls

The Ramparts Today

are extremely thick, so thick that they were the only man built building not Damaged by the Tsunami.  There is not that much to see in the old fort, people live there, there is a Hotel and the usual

Galle Cricket Ground

tourist shops.  Apart from a walk along the ramparts, and looking at the Cricket pitch where test matches are played there is not a lot to see so Joe drove us through quickly, pointing some things out as we went.

A View Of Galle HarbourJoe just drove us around so we could get a feel of the place.

The Refurbished Dutch Church in Fort Galle

Next it was time for the beach, a swim, one hour of Sunbathing and a cuppa.  Joe dropped us at a beach where we enjoyed swimming in the

The Beach We Swam Off

Indian Ocean, but

One of the Entrances to Galle Fort

by now the sun was not at its brightest so after swimming, we dressed and enjoyed “Tea for Two”

Joe waited in the car, enjoying a siesta, until we were ready.  This time Joe Took us on the fairly new “Highway” a

It’s Been A Long Day!

Chineese constructed duel carriageway built to European Motorway standards though the maximum speed limit was 100 kph (60 mph) due to so many accidents!  The 116 Km took us one hour ten minutes, the 26 Km’s took us nearly an hour, again mad driving, hooting and in the dark, oh well, rest day tomorrow!

When booking up our trips, I decided to have a day off in between, and so glad we did, as we are usually shattered after our days out.

We had a leisurely breakfast, in fact we were the last ones in the restaurant having arrived down quite late! The breakfasts are good here, with plenty of choices, with eggs and bacon cooked to however you want them, fresh fruit, and choices of breads and pastries. Not sure I want to see the scales when we get back to Jane’s.

The hotel is the only one (I think!) that is on the beach in this area, all the others you have to walk across a very big road, over a park area, before you get to the beach, but sadly you are not allowed to swim in any of them, as there is a very strong under current, the

The library with NO books!

nearest safe beach is over an hour away, we can paddle though!

Prince Philips 1935 standard nine

We enjoyed sometime by the pool, before and after lunch, went and explored a bit more of the Hotel, it is huge.  We took the lift to the second floor, where we found another big lounge, with an area which is being renovated, it is going to be a museum, not sure what is going to be in there, although we did find Prince Phillips first car, which apparently he bought in 1940, costing a mere £12. The car was a secondhand 1935 standard nine, it was then sold on and

Renovations to the Museum

restored, and given to the Hotel to showcase.

In the evening we could not be bothered to dress up, so we dined outside, by candle light, with the waves crashing below us, it was very romantic, it is such a lovely setting here.

I managed to manipulate the days to do the log, where I get the easy days, and Geoff gets the trips to do, mind you he does like history!

When the Hotel is eventually finished at the end of this year, they are hoping it will be the ‘Raffles’ of Sri Lanka, so we are pleased we came here now, because we doubt we could afford it later!

The YouTube ID of Insert video URL or ID here is invalid. We were told that Kandy is a “must Visit” place when holidaying in Sri Lanka, so today is the day.

The fascination of Kandy is its history ancient and modern as well as the Temple of the tooth, where “Buddha’s” tooth, this holy relic of the Sri

Anyone Want Bananas?

Lanka’s Buddhist faith is kept; we are told and it is believed to rest in a golden urn that only leaves the temple for a holy parade in August.  This parade of Buddha’s tooth takes one week and is accompanied by 80

Somewhere in here is the Tooth?

elephants.  I remember as a child my Father recounting this spectacle as he was here and witnessed this parade in the mid 1950’s.

The potted history lesson of Sri Lanka, has been traced back circa 30,000 years, though before 1815 was a split island, with the kingdom based in the central mountains with Kandy as the capital and the coastal regions first colonised by the Portuguese 1505 – 1638 then the Dutch 1638 – 1802 and finally the British 1802 – 1948: though in 1815 the British attacked and defeated the Kingdom of Kandy and United the Country as Ceylon.  The king (1780  – 1832) “Sri Vikrama Rajasinha” fled and was exiled in

Last King of Sri Lanka

India.  This was the end of a kingdom stretching back to 6th Century BC!!!!!

We had arranged to meet Joseph at 0630 after collecting our Breakfast boxes from reception, he was waiting with doors open and spot on time; we were off.  Even though it was early Saturday morning, the traffic was heavy as we weaved our way across Colombo, which incidentally seemed to go on forever.  The distance going the quickest route (see map) is 133 km’s and should take around 2.5 hrs but we we went across country and there were townships all along the way until we reached the start of the mountainous region: Tuk Tuks and traffic all

Yesterday’s Result, Other bus on the other side of the road!

along the way.  Eventually we arrived at the Elephant place, where Christine could satisfy her desire to ride one,  not the orphanage as originally planned as the write ups weren’t very good and we were warned off as it is a “rip-off-place”

Joe our Driver and Car

It was here where we opened our breakfast boxes and immediately

Who is in Charge?

disappointed with the contents.  Breakfasts at the Galle Face Hotel are superb and you are spoilt for choice so we were looking forward to our boxed ones, ahhhhh!  Still we ate most but kept the fruit back ’till later.  It was now Christine’s big moment, her elephant was waiting and she climbed on board for her half

Christine Riding an Elephant

hour ride, down to the stream where she was relieved “Nelly” didn’t shower her, then off along a well trodden path into the jungle:  Why was I not up there with here you ask, well I have done it many times before and besides I was operating the Video Camera so we have a record for posterity.

Nb.  This video will appear at a later date,  once we have learned how to load one onto our web site!!!!!!

After dismounting the elephant, Christine set about feeding him with

Anyone Want Bananas?

Bananas and pineapples, all of which were swallowed hole, much to Christine’s surprise, don’t know why, after all they do have big mouths!!!

A Jack Fruit Tree

Back in the car and on our way again until we arrived at “New Regent” a spice and herbal garden.  As of we got out of the car we were accosted by one of the guides and taken all around, stopping at all the various herbs and plants that supposedly will cure anything and everything.  All the old favourites were here but so many more, we were amazed.  We sniffed “this” and massaged “that” He also demonstrated a number of things including the construction and cooking arrangements of a local’s, with limited means, kitchen.  I don’t suppose these have changed down the centuries!

On our way again and we were getting agitated, we had not had a coffee or tea break so upon arrival into Kandy, we stopped at the Queens Hotel,

Queens Hotel

again another Colonial one and a sister to the Galle Face, though I need to say immediately not in the same league; it is very tired, still the coffee and tea were ok though the slice of cake we had was just dry sponge.  This hotel started

Queens Hotel Bar

life about 160 years ago as the Governor’s Residence with Army Barracks attached before being converted around the turn of the Century.

It was now time to walk across the road and

The Temple of the Tooth, Entrance to the Complex

enter the Temple of the Tooth.  Security was tight as was dress code.  I had to don long trousers and Christine had to cover her arms.  Before this was a temple, it was the royal residence, vacated by the last Monarch 1815. Next, naturally had to pay an entrance fee and leave our shoes behind, oh I so hate being in bare feet!  We wandered all through this spectacular temple whilst nearly tripping over

The Temple Gardens

all the worshipers.  We looked long and hard where the tooth was but saw nothing!  This tooth relic was brought here from India in 371 AD; though I don’t suppose anyone has seen it, I wonder if it is a top or bottom or a front or back tooth!!!!!

The Main Alter Inside

The other interesting feature about this Buddhist Temple is the religious

Hindu Temple in Buddha’s Temple Groundsp

An Anglican Church in the Temple’s Grounds

tolerance, on this site apart from the Buddha temple there is also a Hindu Temple and an Anglican Church.

Right time for a late lunch, for this

The Temple and Lake From the Lookout Point

Jo drove us up to a lookout and restaurant over looking the lake alongside the temple.  Here we enjoyed a sort of Curry/Chinese mixture, all I can say it was very tasty and filling with a splendid view into the green mountains beyond and the lake below and as a diversion, watched a monkey tight walk along an electricity high wire.

Buddha o.n top of a mountain

Back in the car and we started to return, though we returned the

The route to Kandy

alternative way which was certainly prettier, less congested and more importantly we came across a procession preparing for tomorrow,

Man Hooked and Hanging

another holy day!  We must say this was a

Man Hooked a and Sitting

procession like no other, not because it was long or colourful, not because it stopped the traffic but because of the pain some of the participants must have been enduring.  Young men were attached by cords hanging from a pole stretched over the front of small trucks with the cord ends attached to hooks that were hooked into these men’s backs and legs.  In fact one fellow was hooked in a sitting position and the remarkable thing about this was that everyone suspended with hooks through their skin were

Cotton Tree!!!

smiling!!!!!!  Naturally we stopped, watched and videoed the whole thing.

Hardly believing what we had witnessed, we drove on our way again and soon we watched a fleeting sunset then it was dark.  Now up ’till Jo had driven well, sidately, considerately and at times was just plain slow, but now it was dark, hold on boys, he was as bad as the lunatic we had when

On the back of a Tuk Tuk, On These Roads, Quite Right

we had when we first arrived.  Weaving in and out of the traffic, no consideration for Motor Bikes or Tuk Tuk’s, they must have been second class citizens, and things were not made easier with Pedestrians crossing the roads in dark clothes.  Neither of us knew how we eventually arrived back to our hotel without having hit someone or something!

Anyway, back 13 hours after we had left having had a good day but exhausted and upon entering our room we found a plateful of fruit, peeled and cut, also some candy waiting for us.  Perhaps they heard our moaning about the breakfast boxes!!!!!