Where is Rune?

I left Dalhousie soon after returning from Adam’s Peak, even though it was very difficult to walk. I had other plans than to rest. I catched a bus to Colombo (via Hatton), and this time I stayed at the Colombo YMCA for 695 Rs, the cheapest place so far. And it shows. The hostel is founded in 1882, and it looks like it hasn’t been renovated since then. Especially the common bathrooms were not nice, to say the least. But I didn’t care about that, all I wanted was a cheap place for the night near the railway station. The Colombo YMCA is very centrally located, so I found it to be a good deal. The only bad thing to say is that my room was located on the 3rd floor, and those flight of stairs was a real killer to my extremely weak legs.

Next morning at 05:45 (Sunday 7 March), I took a 1st class train to Vavuniya (Rs 700). Even in 1st class there’s no aircon, but you get a reserved seat. Which was rather pointless this time though, since the train was far from full anyway. The train ride took six hours.

Vavuniya is the gateway to Jaffna, my next planned destination. I wanted to check out the centre of Jaffna while it still had the scars of the war, and generally get a feeling of the city.

Train to Vavuniya.

It’s around 5km and 5200 steps to the top of Adam’s Peak, and the elevation gain is 1000m, from 1200m to 2200m. On top of the peak, there is an unremarkable temple. The place is a pilgrimage centre, although I was not there as a pilgrim, just as a tourist/traveler.

I went to sleep early so I could get up early for the climb. I wanted to get to the summit before sunrise, so I started the climb at 02:00. I brought my camera, GPS, a water bottle, and some warm clothes (sweater and a borrowed jacket).

On the crowded way up, I met a local pilgrim who asked the standard question “where are you from”, and to my surprise he started to speak in Norwegian after I replied! He said he had been living in Norway for 3 years as a cleaner, and was happy to be back in Sri Lanka.

The ascend was in fact quite easy, and I reached the top too early, around 05:30. Sunrise was not until 06:19 (according to my GPS). So I had to sit around on the cold and windy top (at the open-air temple), waiting for the sunrise to happen. It was very crowded too, just a few other tourists. And when sunrise finally happened, it was cloudy… Bummer!

I was about to start on the descend when the guards closed the temple gates, and started some kind of praying ceremony. It was interesting enough, but felt like ages in the cold and wind, and I’m not sure if it was worth it… At 07:15, I could finally exit, and began the climb downwards.

Now the hard part began. The descend was easy in the beginning, but after a while, my knees started to become very weak. Around halfway down, my legs felt almost totally useless, and I had to concentrate for every step I took, as not to collapse. It felt as my legs were almost paralysed, and unable to control. I have never experienced something close to this before. I was totally exhausted when I finally reached the Green House 4 hours and 15 minutes later. Still, I managed to take a shower and pack my stuff before catching a bus away… On the positive side, my new sandals did a good job and felt comfortable during the climb. Many pilgrims walked bare-feet.

I’m still limping as I write this.

GPS track log.

The start of the trail.

The end of the trail.

Walking down again.

Adam’s Peak can be seen in the background.

Man carrying gas container to one of the many rest stops.

After four pleasant days in Kandy, I decided to continue my Sri Lankan journey. I wanted to climb Adam’s Peak. Therefore, I needed to travel to Dalhousie, which is the main gateway to Adam’s Peak. There was no direct bus to Dalhousie. I had to change bus in Hatton, and also in Maskeliya. The trip took around five hours through nice scenery. Lots of tea plantations. This was on Friday (5 March).

I found a nice, little guesthouse in Dalhousie, it’s called Green House, and I was charged 800 Rs for the room (no attached bathroom though). I also had a tasty evening meal consisting of different vegetable curries, prepared by the guesthouse staff. I went to sleep early and didn’t bother to look around Dalhousie. It’s basically just a bus stop with some food stalls etc., plus a couple of places to stay.

The bus from Kandy to Hatton.

These two children sat in front of me.

Green House, Dalhousie.

GPS track log.

Kandy itself is pleasant. There’s many old, crumbling buildings, and being situated at 500 meters altitude helps a lot too (I don’t even use the fan at night). This is in the middle of the the so-called “hill country”, and there is beautiful scenery surrounding the city. There’s a small lake here too, the Kandy Lake.

I started the Tuesday by walking around Kandy Lake, which forms the centre of the city. And apart from generally wandering aimlessly around the city, I also visited the British Garrison Cemetery, and a Hindu temple (I don’t know the name).

Yesterday was mostly spent at the huge Peradeniya Botanic Gardens, just a few km west of Kandy. There were countless numbers of bats populating parts of the gardens. The entrance ticket was quite overpriced at Rs 600.

Apart from a visit to an internet cafe, today I’m just strolling around, sitting down in cafes, and taking pictures.

I can drink the tap water (untreated) here, too. No diarrhoea so far. Sri Lanka seems to have a good quality, drinkable tap water. Thumbs up for that!

Click to enlarge the pictures:

Kandy Lake.

I often grab something to eat at the bakeries.

Flowering tree, Peradeniya Botanic Gardens.

Kandy downtown.

This man is selling banana flowers (among other things).

They are still using typewriters at this Law office.

This building houses several Law offices.

Guards at a checkpoint.

Two bare-feet girls checking their cell phone.

A man gives money to a beggar.

Sometimes it’s possible to live like a king for a small sum of money. Expeditor Inn, where I’m staying at here in Kandy, is such a nice guesthouse and great value for money, so I thought I would post some pictures of the place. I have a new, spotless room at 3rd floor with attached bathroom, and with hot water. For this, I pay Rs 1200, or around 10 USD. There’s a nice veranda too. Even my mother would have no second thought about staying here.

The room, with my two bags on the bed.

The bathroom.

The common veranda.

The view from the veranda.