The journey started with a common occurrence on my trip thus far: flight delay. By five hours. So, after commiserating with a British photographer named John who was living on the beaches of Sri Lanka, we took our free dinner vouchers and headed through security. And after the unwelcome, but ultimately unavoidable wait, we boarded our flight just after midnight. An uneventful flight preceded a three A.M. touchdown, where we boarded a Colombo-bound bus in hopes of catching very early morning buses to our respective destinations; John to the beaches in the south, and me to the city of Kandy in the central jungles. On board the bus, we met the only other non-Sri Lankan, a German fellow named Lucas who had also just arrived. At Colombo, John headed south and Lucas joined me on a bus to Kandy.
We arrived in Kandy at around seven thirty in the morning and made for the hostel I had pre-booked. With only five days in the country, I figured I might as well pre-arrange accommodation. Lucas joined in hopes of finding some internet and meeting with a friend, which he accomplished at the hostel and we, too, parted ways. After a long nap, and a stroll around the outskirts of Kandy, I called it a day and vowed to start afresh the next. While puttering around the hostel, I overheard some fellow travelers discussing the one attraction I was hoping to see in Sri Lanka: Sigiriya. I introduced myself and inquired as to their plans, and they informed me they were going the next day via bus and would I care to join? Yes, I most certainly would!
So, Bryan, an Aussie, and Tiina, a Finnish nurse, and I set off the next morning to the bus station to catch the seven thirty bus to Sigiriya. On the three hour ride, we passed some beautiful lush jungle scenery, while being at the mercy of a rather daring bus driver. At mid-morning we arrived at our destination, a centuries old city and former capital of the Sri Lankan empire. Sigiriya was the capital during the short lived coup by the king's half-brother in the early part of the last millennium and is marked by a large rock outcropping about a hundred meters high, from which it derives its name: Sigiriya, or Lion's Rock. We strolled around the grounds and started up the rock, which, despite the heat was a pleasantly brief trip. At the summit, we were greeted with an amazing 360-degree view of the heart of Sri Lanka. In the distance, to the north and west were rolling hills and to the north-east was a large lake, all intertwined with bright green jungle as far as the eye could see. What a stunning sight. While there, we were swarmed by a class of English students looking to practice their skills. One by one, all fifteen or so of them shook our hands and asked us questions, until they had exhausted their repertoire and, admittedly, our patience. It was great to chat with them, but we could only answer, "Where is your country?" so many times. They were some great lads though. The walk down was serene, but as the sun bore down at midday, we decided to make our way back to Kandy. Once back, courtesy of a much-welcomed and luckily timed $2 air-conditioned bus, we grabbed some grub at a local "Eating House" that was just off the main road in Kandy. And it was fantastic! Chicken Biriyani with some side dishes of potatoes and eggplant, and the perfect amount of spice. And, all for a little over $2. The rest of the evening we spent playing a new card game Bryan taught us called Yamish, learning Aussie words like sunnies, mozzies, and Macca's, and chatting with a pleasant young Kiwi couple en route to Vancouver B.C.
The next day Bryan headed off and Tiina and I decided to check out Adam's Peak, a landmark much recommended by fellow travelers. Since we didn't need to catch the bus until evening, and I hadn't seen much of Kandy, we spent the morning and early afternoon walking the streets and circling the lake in town before heading to the bus station. On the three hour ride to Hatton, the largest town before the hike, we saw the Sri Lankan countryside transform from lush green jungles, to pine trees and tea plantations. Another bus to Delhousie, the jumping off point for the hike, and we were at the base of a mountain. It was well after sundown and the only indication of the looming peak was a string of lights twisting into the night's sky. Now, the common itinerary for the hike is to grab a room, and start the hike at two in the morning, just in time to catch sunrise. But, Tiina and I fancied ourselves rather intrepid, and decided we could hike early and get a good spot for sunrise. We left at eleven thirty and were up by one thirty in the morning. We checked out the footprint along with two monks studying in Colombo, one from Burma and one from Thailand, who were on the same bus as us into town. Then we wandered about the summit's small temple amidst the locals catching some shut-eye in their rather cozy looking sleeping bags before heading for the sunrise spot: a row of benches facing the eastern sky. Others, including the lovely ladies at our hostel in Kandy, told us it would be cold, but, we thought, come on, this is Sri Lanka! So, we packed only a light sweater, and what a life saver it turned out to be at the summit. It was cold, and the steady breeze whipping about the summit made the cold night drag on. But, night eventually passed as we watched lightning dance across the southeastern horizon and awaited the eagerly anticipated sunrise.
As sunrise approached, it quickly became evident that clouds would obstruct the direct sun. But, even still, the horizon was illuminated a deep red and the as the sun rose, the light revealed cascading waterfalls of low-lying clouds sweeping through the valleys below. It was a truly powerful sight to see all of nature's glory from atop a tiny peak. Which is another revelation that morning brought: we were on a pretty steep peak. The night before, as we were hiking, we had no idea what the peak looked like during the day. I assumed it was a large hill that was just a bit steep. Not so. In fact, it was more like a tower, and in the daylight I was able to properly appreciate the hike we had made the night before straight up into the sky. As we headed back, I happened to run into Lucas, the German gentleman from the Colombo-Kandy bus ride and we chatted on the long, sunny walk back down to Delhousie. It was great to see him again, and eventually we parted, for the last time, in Delhousie. Tiina and I caught the bus back to Hatton and then had the fortune of catching the train to Kandy, which provided some better views of the Sri Lankan countryside, though I can't say I saw many of them. After the nighttime hike I was properly exhausted, and the bumpy train ride put me right to sleep. We returned to the hostel in Kandy, and I crashed for the rest of the day, save dinner and packing for the next day's journey back to Colombo and onward to India.
The next morning, I grabbed a tuk-tuk down to the bus station and hopped on the bus to Negombo, a city near the Colombo airport. After yet another bumpy bus ride, in which my seat mate was a little too close for comfort, I hopped off the bus and into the airport not quite ready to leave this wonderful country. But, India and its promised adventures beckoned, and I willfully obliged!
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