Where is Rune?

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.

On Monday, I took the “express” train from Galle to Kandy. No 1st class is available on this route, so I bought a 2nd class ticket for Rs 320. I was lucky to get a seat. Many passengers had to stand. The reason to choose 1st class is to get a seat reservation.

The train left Galle at 14:50 (only 20 minutes delayed), and arrived in Kandy at 21:00, after a dusty ride. The windows are open, so all the dust blows inside. Since it was dark, I missed the scenery between Colombo and Kandy, which is supposed to be great. I got a glimpse of it in the moonlight, though.

Upon arrival in Kandy, I took a 3-wheeler for Rs 100 to Saranankara Road (a street with several guesthouses), and checked out a few places before finally being offered a nice room for an acceptable price (Rs 1200) at a place called Expeditor Inn.

GPS track log of ride from Galle to Kandy.

Inside the train.

This train is more crowded than mine.

I spent two days hanging around Unawatuna beach and surrounding village, staying at Village Inn, a modest place with well-worn rooms, but with an OK veranda at the second floor. I paid Rs 800 for the room. It’s a peaceful place set a bit back from the beach. From the veranda, I could see monkeys climbing the trees.

I must say I prefer Unawatuna beach to Hikkaduwa beach. Unawatuna is just nicer, and without the noisy highway running close.

House in Unawatuna village.

In Unawatuna, the waves can get big too.

Overlooking Unawatuna from the hilltop.

On Wednesday I catched a bus on the street just outside my guesthouse in Narigama/Hikkaduwa, to Galle, and the trip took only half an hour. I paid Rs 20.

Galle Fort (the fort walls and bastions and the old town inside) is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is easy to see why. It is like wandering in a living museum, and it’s a very pleasant place to be. The old colonial buildings lining the narrow streets are still in normal use, and the traffic is very light. I am staying in Weltevreden hotel, which is a 250-year-old house converted to a small hotel, or more correctly, homestay, since the owners live here too. It’s a cozy and economical place (Rs 1000 per night).

There seems to be a sizeable muslim population here. For example, there is a big mosque, and there is an Arabic college (est. 1892), etc. I also met a friendly, apparently knowledgeable old muezzin (he said he was 82 years old), who bought me a tea while telling his stories, including a pilgrimage to Mecca. Among other things, he claimed to be able to recite all verses of the Koran, and to speak X number of languages. Afterwards he went home on his three-wheeled bicycle.

On the practical side, I noticed the other day that the locals in Galle drink the water straight from the tap, without boiling it first. This led me to do the same, of course. The tap water tastes surprisingly OK too.

After posting this, I will catch a Bajaj to Unawatuna beach, just east of here.

Below a selection of pictures (click to enlarge).

The old town inside Galle Fort.

School girls.

A mosque, a lighthouse, and the fort walls.

The old town inside Galle Fort.

Weltevreden hotel, where I stay.

The new town outside the fort.

Fishing boats.

Sunset with the walls in the foreground.

I rented a bicycle yesterday for Rs 100, and rode around in the countryside here, near Hikkaduwa. Not much traffic away from the main Galle Road. Many rice fields and small villages, just like in Java, Indonesia. My GPS showed 25 km in total for the trip.

The waves are a bit too big for swimming here.

I will soon catch a bus to Galle, a town 30 minutes south of here.

My rented bicycle.

Bajajs lining up in the street.

Hikkaduwa beach. This is the southernmost part and has less tourists.

My bicycle trail as per the GPS track log.