Travel: Sri Lanka - Part 1 - Colombo, Kandy (Adam's Peak)

Travel: Sri Lanka – Part 1 – Colombo, Kandy (Adam’s Peak)

June 24, 2015

72 Photos - Sri Lanka - Photography - www.hark1karan.com

Sri Lanka! Visit Sri Lanka with no expectations as they’ll all be exceeded. The moment you land you’ll realise the overwhelming vastness of the rich green terrain. The abundance of pure fertile land and the kindness of the people is what makes this island so special.

On landing you are greeted by organised chaos and freedom. Those of you who have travelled to parts of the world with less controlling systems will be familiar with this feeling. It’s hot and with that distinct South Asian smell in the air. The 80min car journey to the hostel gives you a chance to take it all before you settle in to your new life for the next 12 days.

Unlike the other countries in South Asia, Sri Lanka is mostly green, less populated, clean and a lot less full on. Despite the rush hour traffic in the capital Colombo, it still seems relatively organised. Road signs are in both Tamil and Singhalese, the two main languages spoken on the island. Additionally being a post-colonial country means many Sri Lankans speak English.

Colombo was simply a stopover for a night, however we had enough time to briefly take it in. A tuk-tuk ride to the main train station in the rain was fun. Finding out the train to Kandy was fully booked wasn’t as much fun. This meant we’d have to take the taxi instead. The two hour journey would have cost just £1.60. It is highly recommended to make the journey by train as it takes you through the green hills of central Sri Lanka (Slightly better than the road journey).

To make the most of our only evening in the capital we headed towards some bars and restaurants. A recommendation from our hostel proved to be rather disappointing as they sent to the touristiest area of Colombo. The type of place you’d get in London or New York, overpriced drinks, with tacky décor and snobs (snobby travellers). Referring back to a map from the hostel we somehow flagged down a scooter and ended up at a rather elegant Sri Lankan restaurant called Upali’s, an authentic spot serving traditional food with a variety of punters. This was to be our first taste of fiery Sri Lankan cuisine, great for both vegi’s and meat-eaters. You’ll soon release if you ask for a fruit juice, you’ll be getting a freshly made one. Fresh fruit is available in abundance on this tropical island. On the whole the meal cost roughly £6 per head including starters, main and drinks. You’ll be leaving here with a smile. Definitely one to visit if you’re in Colombo.

Next morning we set off for Kandy after a lie-in. With the sun blazing all three of us squeezed into a tiny four-seater along with our luggage. A smooth journey through the green luscious hills led us to the old colonial town of Kandy. At the heart of the town is a lake Bogambara, with a variety of architecture, cuisine and religions. After settling into our hostel we headed down to The Garden Café by Bogambara Lake for a spot of lunch. Strictly one for the locals this one. Serving everyday Sri Lankan food. A variety of rice dishes with curries and fruit milkshakes. Don’t feel shy to eat with your hands as it is common to see many people doing this (that goes for rice as well).

Promptly after our filling lunch we made our way to the nearby Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth). This sacred Buddhist temple houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. The temple is a place to experience how Sri Lankans worship. Furthermore you’re able to take in the history and culture, and take a moment for yourself to sit in silence. If memory serves correct, it is £5 for tourists to visit and make sure you have something to cover your legs. Check out the photos below.

The former capital city is relatively easy to explore and get around. Always ask the fare to get around before flagging down scooters (tuk-tuks), as a tourist you’ll need haggle the price down. There is a real mixture of cultures in Kandy. The coming together of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians is clear to see both in architecture and food around the city. One of the better places to buy souvenirs, especially batik printed clothes (in Kandy City Centre). Save your money for wood carvings until you reach the coast.

One of the best eateries in Kandy has to be the Muslim Hotel. During the day time head upstairs to try traditional Sri Lankan food alongside Muslim influenced Sri Lankan food. We recommend trying Kottu for both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Once again you will be stuffed for around £6 with starters, mains and drinks.

We headed back to rest as two of us had decided to climb the spiritual heights of Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak). Standing at 2,243 meters it was to be a challenge to reach the top and see Buddha’s footprint. It is renowned as a spiritual site around the world amongst Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. We set off at 10pm in order to reach the start point for around midnight, in order to reach the peak for 4/5am to see the sunrise. However it was never going to be that easy in reality.

The late-night drive took us through pitch-black wilderness and along narrow cliff edges. Slowly but surely we edged closer to the start point after narrowly making our way past fifty-seater buses on cliff edges. We halted to a stand-still 6 kilometres from the start point. This was due to it being peak season and a Saturday (our first tip is to avoid doing the climb on Saturday unless you intended trek for 12 hours). We had two choices from this point, we either turned back or we walk 6km to the start point in pitch black darkness. At this point our driver done us a favour and sneaked us ahead by another 3km. Leaving us 3km for the started point. We opted to take it by foot from here. Our driver said he’d see us in 8/9 hours. We set off into the distance without a sole insight. After 10min of walking we saw a bus crammed full of pilgrims pass. We realised there was a bus service taking people to start, only problem was there was no space and we had to flag one down. Eventually after three passing by, one stopped and pulled us in. Grabbing on to whatever or whoever we could, our bus rollercoaster-ed its way to the start. Finally at the point we prepared ourselves for the spiritual journey that lay ahead.

We began the 5200 step ascent at a steady and gentle pace. It was now 2:45am and we were surrounded by all walks of Sri Lankan life making the same journey. You can see the peak and path lit up in the dark-ness. We had around 3-4 hours to get to the top in time for sunrise. The ease of the first half allowed us to take in the atmosphere and humility of what we were doing. Walking up you see humans of all ages and abilities. People walking up with friends and family. Many walking barefoot. What became clear is that there is no-way to cheat or buy your way to the top. Every single person is equal. There is only one way up and down. Faith in yourself or a higher being (whatever you believe) will lead to the top. This belief gives you confidence through-out the climb, even as the steps become steeper and shorter in distance. Two hours in you begin to fully respect the journey and appreciate what is taking place.

As we took on the second half after a short water break, a strong sense of focus took over us. We start to feel it in our legs. The closer you get to the top, it only gets busier and more cramped. I have never been surround by so many patient humans at one time. We were within the final 15% of the climb when it virtually came to a standstill. Moving one step every 5min. All the pilgrims standing shoulder to shoulder on the banks of this epic hill-side. We had quickly approached the 4 hours mark now. Nothing was moving and it was extremely crowded. We’d come across a handful of tourists during the climb, of whom a French and Spanish couple told us they’d been climbing for 7 hours before they decided to head back as nothing was moving. It was dawning on us that at some point a choice would have to be made about continuing. Before that we had to stop and take in the breath-taking sunrise over the peaceful green landscape beneath us. A perfect sunrise it must be said. Clear blue skies and shades of yellow gleaning in the distance. Four and a half hours our legs were beginning to tire as we stood still amongst the sea of people ten deep. We waited a further 20min before making the tough decision to head down and promise each other to return and complete it (not on a Saturday though). Content with the experience and challenge we accepted our fate and slowly made our way down.

Daylight provided a completely different visual experience on way down. We didn’t realise the steepness and distance that had been covered. The descent seemed never ending as the temperature began to rise. Continuing through the aches we eventually made it to back to our driver around 9:45am.

Having had time to reflect on the experience (despite not reaching the top), it was clear how humble and grateful you feel about everything around you. If anything you feel a greater sense of motivation and purpose to your life (unfortunately this is not the same for everyone. It all depends where you are in your life and how you see the world). We often forget how similar we are despite our respective differences. Life is simple, let go of your ego.

Waking up after a two hour car journey, we hit the sack after a shower. Following a deep sleeping session it was time to go for a walk around the lake during sunset and then on to dinner. Watching the sun dance off the water is a contrast to the sunset we had witnessed in the early hours. Both equally beautiful in their own right. The perfect way to end our stay in Kandy before a spot of dinner.