Travel

Sithulpawwa

Kataragama is considered to be a sacred place of worship by Buddhists, Hindus and the Vedda people of Sri Lanka. The Kataragama Temple, a shrine dedicated to the God Kataragama, is also visited by pilgrims from South India.  Many of the pilgrims who visit Katharagama also visit Kirivehera, Sella Kataragama, and Vedihiti Kanda. Yet, there is an ancient Buddhist monastery that many visitors miss due to its remote location. Thus, during our last visit to Kataragama, we made it a point visit Sithulpawwa.

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Sembuwaththa Lake

View On the way to the Lake

Panoramic View from where we stopped for breakfast

Growing up as an only child, I was always looking forward to the New Year holidays in April and the Christmas holidays in December. Why? Well, on top of being the only child, I am also the youngest in my generation; my youngest cousin is roughly 15 years older than me! It is only during the New Year and Christmas holidays that all my cousins take leave from work to rendezvous at our ancestral home in Kandy. Weren’t they the best of times! The days flew by while playing cricket, board games, goofing around and sharing stories. However, the most anticipated event was the family trip! What you have to understand is that this was a much simpler time, computers ran on MS-DOS and social media was not even invented, so going on a trip or travelling was somewhat of a luxury and not so mainstream.

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Frenzied in Göteborg

Göteborg; or Gothenburg in English, is the second largest city in Sweden with a population of over a million people inhabiting the metropolitan area. Rough 470 km away from the capital Stockholm, Gothenburg is located on the West Coast of Sweden bordering the Northern Sea. King Gustavus Adolphus founded Gothenburg as a heavily fortified Dutch trading colony in 1621.

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The streets of Gothenburg

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A gastronomical adventure in Sweden!

As kids we never really had an opportunity to experience foreign food, especially food that originates from Europe. I still remember the time when going to Pizza Hut was somewhat of a luxury reserved for special occasions like my parent’s wedding anniversary and the ONE time I won a prize at the school prize giving. Nowadays, we have many foreign franchises established in Sri Lanka; home cooks have easy access to a variety of scrumptious recipes from across the world. But, in my experience, to experience the real authenticity of food you must have the ingredients and spices from where the recipe originates.

Cinnamon Bun and Coffee sweetened with honey

Cinnamon Bun and Coffee sweetened with honey

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Misty mountains of Badulla

Situated in the lower central hills of Sri Lanka, Badulla is the capital city of the Uva Province and the District of Badulla. The scenic route to Badulla is via a ten hour long train ride with “Podi Manike” or “Udarata Manike”. If you’re someone who is travelling for pleasure and wants to soak in the beauty of the hill country, then the train ride is definitely for you! Think the view from Kadugannawa to Peradeniya is amazing? Well then, you‘re in for a treat! The view keeps getting better and better as the engine slowly tugs the ensuing carriages up into the cold misty mountains passing the famous Demodera Station.

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Ascending to Kandy

Whilst growing up, travelling meant packing my softball cricket gear and bicycle into Thaththi’s van on the first Saturday of school vacation and heading off to Kandy. We never really went anywhere else. Come to think of it, maybe that’s why I enjoy travelling so much! Anyway, we’d leave as early as possible to avoid the traffic and to make sure that we will be at the famous “Jinadasa’s” for breakfast because Ammi just loves to eat freshly made piping hot Hoppers from the restaurant. Many years have passed, but, to this day we indulge in this ritualistic meal each time we travel along this route.

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Bridge Hopping in Kandy

Kandy, the Hill Capital of Sri Lanka, a busy and compact city situated in the midst of the hills in the Kandy plateau is a booming tourist destination.  Kandy is home to many historically and culturally significant locations, but today, we look at some of the lesser known, easily overlooked architecturally significant constructions that dot the greater Kandy area.

The City of Kandy is surrounded by hills. It also happens to be encircled by the Mahaveli River on three sides. Thus, if you’re on one of the main roads that lead to Kandy, you must cross the Mahaweli River at Peradeniya, Katugasthota or Tennekumbura. Don’t believe me? Take a look at an old motor map, or Google maps! The Peradeniya, Katugasthota and Tennekumbura bridges are quite popular, but did you know that there are three Suspension bridges that span the Mahaveli River as well?

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Artistry of Ahungalla

They say that the world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page. But we generally tend to overlook the fact that the country we live in is chapter one of the book. The first chapter of a book can either get you hooked, or regret ever reading the book in the first place. The book of the world is no different! Fortunately for us, our motherland, our first chapter, Sri Lanka, is a country like no other. This tiny island paradise is home to a variety of astonishing sights, rich history and amazing cultural heritage. Go ahead, read a few more pages from chapter one! Trust me; the chapter on Sri Lanka is much larger than you think…

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The Kalutara Temple

On my quest to cover the coastal region of our beautiful island home, we’ve covered most of the south from Hikkaduwa to Dondra Head in Matara, as well as a few locations on the east; namely Paasikudah and ArugamBay. This travel entry is on a spontaneous trip to Ahungalla.

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Sunny, Sandy and Sizzling Pasikudah

Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Abundant with natural resources and beauty, our island has all it takes to be called the “Paradise Island”. From long sandy beaches to breathtaking mountain landscapes and everything in between; she is a nation with a diverse population and a proud heritage. Sadly, our home was plagued by a thirty year civil war. Beautiful locations in the island were unreachable, whilst many resources were made unusable and precious human lives were destroyed. But that’s all in the past! Since the end of the war, we’ve seen considerable growth in the travel and tourism industry fed by both local and foreign travelers eager to experience Sri Lanka in all her glory!

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Sri Lanka, the pearl of the Indian Ocean is known for her beautiful sandy beaches! Travelers from all corners of the world visit our country to experience the 3 S’s – Sun, Sand, and Surf! Luckily we have enough and more beaches around the country to accommodate the large volumes of travelers who are drawn to the beach. What is fascinating about the beaches around the island is the fact that each beach has a unique “selling point”. Some beaches are by definition tourist hot spots that emphasize on fun and entertainment! The beauty of the beach is complimented by the activities that go along with them. Snorkeling, Scuba diving, traditional surfing, and kite surfing are gaining popularity with each passing day.

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Giants of the Deep Blue Sea

As with all our trips down south, we were up early in the morning and heading down the E1 highway to Galle. But unlike many of our trips down south, this time we were traveling as a pack. Together with my cousins and cousins in law, we were speeding long the highway in the wee hours of the morning with the hope of reaching the Galle Navy Base by 6:00 AM.

The Galle Navy base is situated in the vicinity of the commercial Galle Harbour. One of the most active ports in Sri Lanka, the Galle harbour is a natural harbour that has been recognized by the International yacht societies as one of the world’s best attractions for yachting. Galle harbour has been Sri Lanka’s most important harbour until the artificial harbour was built at Colombo in 1873. Along with the construction of the Galle Fort, the harbour was one of the major ports in the Indian Ocean for over 200 years.

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