Tour of Sri Lanka – Sigirya, Anuradhapura, Colombo & Negombo

Julia, my new travel buddy, and I continued our sodden tour across Sri Lanka’s ‘cultural triangle’ with a visit to the 1st Century BC rock caves at Dambulla and then Sigirya, an expected highlight of the trip. We witnessed the floods from our bus and then via a tuktuk that was on its last legs. Or maybe that should be last wheels… Whatever, it let the rain in, wouldn’t change gear unless the driver used two hands (!) and had a manual windscreen wiper. Surprisingly it made the journey intact and we took advantage of a break in the rain to climb the 1500+ steps to the summit of Sigirya rock. Unfortunately it started to rain again as we approached the first steps; the rain water cascading down the steps in a waterfall. Let’s get wet again then… It wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be, and the rain clouds cleared when we were at the top, Continue reading →

Tour of Sri Lanka – Dalhousie (Adam’s Peak) & Kandy

I have a confession to make. There I was, complaining about the poor internet speeds in Sri Lanka, when it becomes apparent that I had actually picked up a virus on my memory card whilst in India and transported it on to unsuspecting Sri Lankan computers! Sorry about that.

On my travels I had been persuaded by other travellers to take the 7km hike up Adam’s Peak, one of the foremost pilgrimage sites for Buddha fans in Asia. The sunrise looked amazing from the video footage that I saw, making the tiring 5500+ step climb a worthwhile experience. Continue reading →

Tour of Sri Lanka – Kalutara and Galle

After the challenging tour of South India I landed in Sri Lanka to find, with some relief, that it is positively different to India. They actually bother to collect rubbish on a regular basis, which is always nice, plus there is a genuine warmth and laid-back attitude in the locals. The driving is quite bad, but nothing compared to India’s roads. They actually stop at pedestrian crossings! Sometimes. I was met at the airport by Tumee, a friend from Travbuddy.com, who took me to his recommended first destination of Kalutara. Although he is biased, as it’s his hometown! It’s a pleasant, but slightly dull seaside resort with a notable landmark of the Gangatilaka Vihara buddist temple. And that’s it. Continue reading →

Tour of South India – Kochi and Tiruchirapalli

Kerala backwater cruise

After another tiring overnight bus journey (but at least I had a bed on my own this time!), I made it to Kochi in Kerala.  Kerala is modestly refered to as ‘God’s own country’ by the locals. Parts of the state have beautiful tropical beaches and mangrove-lined backwaters, but Kochi itself is a laid back fishing town, with picturesque old colonial architecture and a stunning view from the jetty of the massive Chinese fishing nets used by local fishermen. And of industrial silos and cranes from the nearby port. But it’s still a worthy addition to the tour schedule. It has a distinctly un-Indian vibe; for example, it has a huge Christmas tree and it’s the first place that I’ve visited in which no-one complains when they have to give me change. Continue reading →

Tour of South India – Hampi and Bangalore

“You don’t have a girlfriend?!” Not again. This is starting to irk me. “Ha ha this must be some kind of joke!” No, it’s not. “Do you not like girls?” Yes, I do. “But you are handsome.” So I keep hearing. “Ha ha. Why no girlfriend?” Ha Ha back. Okay, I’m tired of this now. Unfortunately I was a captive audience for the taxi driver taking me to the overnight bus travelling inland from Goa to Hampi.

I had a terrible sense of foreboding about this trip. Sure, I had booked what was called a ‘bed’, but this is India, so I was worried that there would be three of us stretched across two beds or some other hassle. The other passengers were a mix of tourists and locals, including a party of fourteen Koreans, one of whom had taken the bed next to mine. Continue reading →