Round the World Journal
by Matt Donath
Dec 30. Tough day! We train back to Columbo to get the results of Sybil's biopsy, only to find the results are inconclusive. My poor wife has to have another needle jabbed into her breast. Next, we misplace our passports. After a worried call back to Hikkaduwa and much thrashing about in our bags, we eventually discover them mixed in some clothing. Then, Mr. Ajith Premaratne at the Tourist Office confidently sends us on a wild goose chase when we ask for directions to an Internet access shop.
Sybil tries to pamper us out of a bad day by booking first class tickets to Kandy. Turns out that first class is actually worse than second class as the car is hotter and receives more jostling on the end of the train. We spend much of the journey standing in front of an open door, catching the breeze and admiring the magnificent scenery. Sri Lanka is almost as lush as Bali, but less cultivated and with grander panoramas.
Our train runs late, so we arrive in Kandy at night in the rain. That same master of misinformation, Mr. Premaratne told us we could stay at his family's guesthouse. He showed us pictures of this place, gave us directions and quoted a price. His directions turn out to be wrong, and when, after 90 minutes of hiking up and down unlit hills in the rain, we eventually find the place -- it's deserted.
OK, time for plan B. Our Spanish friend Bito recommended a place. We give the address to a tuk-tuk driver, but he can't find it, nor can any of the many people he asks (they all give an opinion though). Our driver becomes upset because we wisely negotiated the fare ahead of time. Since it is now rather late, we give up and take a room at the appropriately named "Get In Rest Hotel" (not bad). Despite the fact that we overpay the driver a bit, out of sympathy, he continues to hang around trying to get some money out of either the hotel guys or us. Fine, we're in for what's left of the night.
Dec 31. A day to run errands and check out the town. We're still looking at alternative places to stay as well. The Pink House on Saranakera Road and The Old Empire Hotel near the tourist office are the cheapest acceptable options. However, Sybil finally finds the homestay we searched for last night (how did everyone miss it?) and wants to go up-market. We'll decide in the morning.
We have a long talk as firecrackers explode in welcoming in the New Year. Sybil is a bit tired of traveling right now. I'm much more maniacally, masochistically dedicated to Travel, but I understand her point. I think we need an "easy" country next, perhaps New Zealand or Australia. Previously, I was planning on Laos, but I think we may both need a break.
Jan 1. We've recently seen world class botanic gardens in Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, but the gardens outside of Kandy may be the best of the bunch. It's a delightful mix of well-tended cultivation and laissez-faire wild growth. A groundskeeper proudly shows us a huge scorpion his rake disturbed. While passing under a gigantic Venezuelan tree, we look up to see hundreds of flying foxes hanging upside down by their feet. Since it's a holiday, many locals are here for the day. Everyone seems to be in festive spirits -- playing games of catch or tag, riding bikes, picnicking, banging drums, clapping, singing and dancing,
Jan 2. We're staying at the fou-fou homestay. A good place to spend a rainy day stretching a tight muscle, cleaning clothing and bodies, tea drinking, and contemplating a kite soaring through painted cloudy blue skies. There's a bewitching aura to these lush jungle mountains. A monitor lizard pokes through the same rubbish a mongoose pair went through an hour earlier. Monkeys climb through the trees. Bats swoop down on insects. Birds sing mournful tunes while a lush, flowery fragrance perfumes the mountain air.
I drink a syrupy King Stout and contemplate this best of all possible islands. The Great Teardrop has it all – jungles, mountains, beach, arable land, and perfect climate. Everything a tourist could possible want is here. Yet, firecrackers explode when the rain isn’t falling. Genuinely friendly faces greet us throughout the day, yet our change rarely comes back correct the first time. A tourist could sometimes think the war in the north is very far off, but the violence pops up from time to time. Kandy’s famous Temple of the Tooth was bombed last year. An oil refinery near Columbo was bombed as well. Kidnappings are common in Columbo and parts of the capitol look like a war zone, with machine gun nests and barbed wire across major downtown streets.
Life could be very easy here, but it is often difficult. Many years are needed to properly contemplate this overly colonized, war plagued, richly squalid country. A pervading feeling of tropical languor, tinged with quiet disappointment can be sensed during the day. Dangerous anger and fear sometime haunt the night. These things can be felt but not fully understood by this short-time visitor.
Jan 3. A relentless rain showers the verdant Kandy hills. At first I expected this tropical deluge to end after a few hours, as it almost always does in Singapore, but no respite comes. Under clear blue skies at the botanic gardens a few days back, I related to Sybil that during my first trip to London, I dragged my sleepy body out to Kew Gardens the first perfect day I had. It rained the rest of the week – history repeats. A traveler must always make hay while the sun shines.
Jan 4. We tread the exact reverse of our trip into Kandy. We train back to Colombo (Sybil sees a panther in the jungle) to pick up biopsy results. Once again the test is inconclusive. We meet with the doctor and he assures us that the lump is benign. However, he recommends that we get it out anyway. He says it can be performed outpatient. Tempting, but we’ll wait for Singapore and another doctor’s opinion.
With only a few days left on our visa, Sybil wants to head back to Hikkaduwa. We catch a 3:30 train and rebook our old room at the Trust Inn.
Jan 5-7. Body surfing becomes our raison d'être. We master the fine art of skipping our bodies on top of rapidly shooting waves. We eat spicy vegetable curries, rotties, and banana poppers. Lizards, birds and flowers are not unnoticed. Sunsets and stars do not pass unappreciated.
My ears are having difficulty draining the sea water, so we have to visit the Waulagoda Clinic. Dr. Manjula Punchihewa (071-756757) sticks a gigantic water syringe in my ear and blasts out a fair bit of earwax. The treatment is effective but I'm dizzy for the rest of the day.
Jan 8. Sybil gives an earful to the guy at the railway ticket counter after her tries to shortchange her for the second time. Then she queries some other tourists and they discover that they were shortchanged as well. So, she waits at his window and warns every tourist who steps up that the cashier is dishonest.
I've seen a lot of crazy acts on trains before, but we see one today that ranks with the oddest. First, you need a bit of background. Sri Lankan train rides are among the most jostling that I've ever experienced. Train derailments are not at all uncommon. The cars bounce and weave down the tracks with so much motion that just making your way down the aisle can often be challenging. Now add a bunch of vendors, beggars and passengers all moving through the cars. Top off the picture with some overhanging ceiling fans and some stray trash on the floors. OK, got it? Into this scene comes a goofy guy who announces his presence with piercing whistles. Then he proceeds to perform a series of acrobatic tricks -- including flips and walking on his hands -- down the narrow train aisle! I'm certain everyone on the speeding train feared for a flying kick in the face as this joker tumbled by.
In the evening, we visit with our German friend Harold at the home of his sister's family. We have a drink at the venerable Galle Face Hotel and enjoy the company. However, Harold unnerves me a bit by repeatedly comparing Sybil and me to the couple in the movie "Love Story". Definitely not what I want to hear when my wife has a lump in her breast.
Jan 9-10. We fly back to Singapore. We weren't certain that our friend Henning had seen our email message detailing our return itinerary. We weren't even sure that he'd returned from his homecoming holiday in Germany. Fortunately, when we knock on his door we discover our guardian angel at home and in good spirits.
Henning mysteriously gets us out the door early the next morning. He takes us to the Tiffin Room of the famous Raffles Hotel where several of our friends (Stella, Justin, Michael, Jonathon, and Sheila) surprise Sybil on her birthday! What a great guy!