Anyone for Cricket?
Our drive to Galle took several hours but we made stops at the Turtle Sanctuary at Bentota and Hikkaduwa along the way. Amazed by the beauty of the island we arrived in Galle and settled into our lovely colonial style hotel with incredible Indian Ocean views.
Galle is wonderful, a nod to Portuguese occupation and British colonialism a fine display of architecture, culture and atmosphere and a wonderful cricket ground. If you ever wondered how seriously the Sri Lankans take their cricket then this is the first stop on tour!
The after effects of the Tsunami on December 26 2004 are still very evident with deserted houses with no family left to claim the land and markers in restaurants attesting to the height the water reached. It’s a stark reminder of the power of the sea so a quiet moment at the Peraliya Buddha Statue puts things into perspective.
We started our journey to Kandy on day 3 crossing acres of tea plantations on wide open roads, such beauty that was Ceylon and still imparts great days of their British Heritage. This all changed when we crossed back into Colombo and started on of the most hair-raising hair pin bend experiences of a life time. A slow crawl, very safety unconscious drivers clearly not wanting to live diced with opportunity to overtake at every bend. A five-hour journey not for the fainthearted was wiped away on our arrival in Lake Victoria. Our retreat was an elegant lodge, with open air bathrooms, open air lounge and views that were truly breath-taking. Our lovely housekeepers warned us about the monkeys but we quickly settled into a wonderful meal, some wine and took in the atmosphere of this gorgeous location whilst keeping a watchful eye out for rogue monkeys!
The cricket ground in Kandy is a grand affair but we were waiting for our return to Colombo for the ODI’s our driver had cleverly sourced tickets for. The Temple of the Tooth is the crowning glory of Kandy, but its lakeside location and elegant villas are sublime. Take a stroll around the lake if time permits on your tour.
The drive back to Colombo was full of pit stops, tea plantations, tea tasting, curry tasting and souvenir stops at one of the many bazaar like shops scattered along the roadside; the transition between the country and the town did not happen in this sprawling urbanization. A few hours later we arrived in Negumbo for a week of sand, sea and cricket. No one mentioned the beach traders who became slightly hostile when you didn't buy anything from them but the acres of golden sand, lush tropical plantations and beach side bars made this all worthwhile. Whilst souvenir shops and eager restaurateurs abound this is a great location to see this part of the island. For us it was the cricket ground in Colombo, nothing prepares you for the onslaught of enthusiasm, cheap beer and hotdogs and wild noisy atmosphere!
We decided on a private cookery course for the day, where we became versed with a tuk tuk ride to the market to buy our ingredients and a road side stop for tuna before preparing endless cloves of garlic, crushing spices and enjoying a lazy lunch which we made ourselves, chilling on a small terrace with a local beer or two.
Go to Sri Lanka for the atmosphere, the wonderful people, breath taking scenery, naughty monkeys and the best reason ever to restock your spice cupboard.