Sri Lanka 2023-Back in Lucky's Country

[RB]

Beautiful waters as we leave the wharf after the boat ride back


The drive back to Jaffna was back over the same wildly undulating road over the water- road building & maintenance must be a nightmare.
We followed up with a tour around the area and a visit to Point Pedro the northernmost point of Sri Lanka, Akkarai Beach, Niiavarai Bottomless Well, Maruthanamadam Anjaneyar Kovil and Keerimalai Sacred Water Springs. Casuarina Beach eluded us when google maps sent us on a search for a bridge that became a car ferry with an unusable schedule.

Maruthanamadam Anjaneya Kovil-Hindu God & monkey companion of Lord Raman- 72 foot high


Part of Naguleswaram Temple


Keerimalai Holy Waters


On the road to Point Pedro





Nilavarai Well




Hand made for the temple goers


A roadside seller-good weather for sales

 

[albatross710]

Thanks for posting this TR. Certainly contrasts to the south.

We travelled with Lucky previously.

I can sense that Chicken and Rice might still be a diet staple.

 

[RB]

Thanks for posting this TR. Certainly contrasts to the south.

We travelled with Lucky previously.

I can sense that Chicken and Rice might still be a diet staple.

Yes still very much a separate "country". Despite all the years Lucky has been a driver, this was only his 2nd trip to Jaffna and the other trip was under strict supervision during the war & plenty of permits were needed & it was strictly 2 nights in and then straight back home. The chicken & rice makes a good alternative to the excellent fresh curries

 

[Major]

The chicken curries I had in the South were some of the best I have had anywhere in the World. Particularly in Galle.

 

[RB]

More Jaffna
Nallur Kandasamy Kovil Temple was left until the morning we were leaving - much cooler then and the crowds hadn’t built up by the time we got there. Again it was tops off for the males. Nallur Kandaswamy temple - Wikipedia








Jaffna to Nilaveli
Fairly good roads most of the way despite opting for scenic routes rather than the main highway. We did encounter a marked bicycle lane (very short), something Lucky hadn’t encountered before.



More water controls


The first designated/marked bike lane Lucky had seen

 

[RB]

We stopped at Elephant Pass a very strategic area for the country. There is a War Memorial and moving tribute there dedicated to Hasalaka Gamini - a brave soldier who sacrificed himself to save his regiment in one of the terrible battles with the LTTE rebels over Elephant Pass. Many more milatary bases dot the roads and we saw plenty of rice crops, water buffalo goats, and a salt mine. Our last short-cut took us across a particularly rough track but we made it through the rugged dirt road unscathed thanks to some skilled driving by Lucky. We had a very late lunch at an Army canteen- bit of cooking practice for recruits apparently!

Elephant Pass - Wikipedia










A regular flow of Sri Lankan visitors while we were at the memorial

 

[RB]

More from our drive to Nilaveli
Teak trees forming an avenue



Monument of Victory




Highway being used to dry rice-crows enjoying the opportunity








Our lunch spot


Salt production-iodine is added in sri Lanka Stable Iodine Nutrition During Two Decades of Continuous Universal Salt Iodisation in Sri Lanka - PMC

 

[RB]

Bella Nilaveli Beach
We had a great 3 night stay at this small family run guest house. Set back about 100 metres from a long expanse of beach, it was a quiet relaxing stay. Not a lot of interaction with other guests ( mainly French) but extremely friendly staff. Our room was very comfortable, the food was excellent (as with most spots we were on a bed & breakfast deal), the super pool was a couple of steps from the room, plenty of shade, a nice breeze & the locals were all smiles. We enjoyed a couple of walks along the beach and had a drink at neighbouring resorts & just let the world go by. Two spits of rain were the first we had seen of the trip.
While we were here Lucky had down time and we had negotiated a deal that suited both parties. A few of our hotels provided driver accommodation and at other spots Lucky just went & found a room-that was all in our deal and he has a pretty extensive network of places he knows.

Easy to remember our room name


2nd bedroom-also had air con




Main bedroom-we didn't use the mozzie nets during the trip


An excellent pool


Good outside facilities for our use

 

[RB]

Open showers were pretty common through various classes of stay during our trip


Some of the other rooms


Yoga classes available


Part of the hotel veggie garden


Sometimes you were expected to share the facilities


No shoes allowed in the kitchen area but some people seemed confused as to where to park theirs

 

[RB]

Bella Food- not fine dining but all freshly cooked and the prices were very fair. The bread here was always sliced very thickly & great. The tea was excellent-it was Sri Lanka I guess! Like most places a 10% service charge added.

Pasta calamari


An early breakfast before they understood we wouldn't have dahl with our breakfast- they provided something different each day


Mrs RB tried the bruschetta eggplant

Simple chicken sandwich


Grilled fish



Chicken fried rice


Devilled chicken


Beers were smaller cans (we had BYO beers in the room fridge with no worries).

 

[RB]

Around Nilaveli Beach -plenty of time in the pool, napping and wandering around the vicinity of the hotel

Path to the beach


North


South


Our turn-off reminder sign


Next door bar

 

[RB]

A few hundred metres back from the beach










Mrs RB was keen for a break from beer

 

[OZDUCK]

I am impressed by how clean everything, including the streets, seems in your photos so far.

 

[RB]

I am impressed by how clean everything, including the streets, seems in your photos so far.

Yes , pretty spotless everywhere. Marked contrast between Sri Lanka & parts of their neighbour India re garbage & traffic behaviour!

 

[RB]

Nilaveli to Kalkudah
This was a pretty short day on the road. We stopped at Tricomalee to visit the Koneswaram Temple- a Hindu religious pilgramage centre, located a Fort Frederick.Fort Fredrick - Wikipedia
Heaps of souvenir stalls line the path alongside shops selling various offerings & it was a pleasant orderly crowd. The wooden baby cot offerings were certainly something we hadn’t seen before - the ornaments are hung from a tree by hopeful couples. The temple is located on the edge of a cliff so there are awesome views out to sea and back towards the city. Certainly a little odd to see spotted deer hanging around the area as well.
Further along the drive there are extensive areas of fish drying right beside the road. Plenty more rice being grown with the assistance of old water channels that were apparently engineered by the Dutch.







Lovers Leap








Baby cot offerings-praying for fertility




Another collection of smashed coconuts

 

[RB]

Some of the offerings being sold

Tricomalee


This was about the maximum sized load we saw-very neatly packed






More water chanelling

 

[RB]

The Calm Resort Kalkudah
We had a 2 night stay here that was basically more chill-out time. A very big complex centred around a big pool and a short lazy walk directly to the ocean. This was our first encounter with bulk foreign tourists where Russians on package resort holidays seemed to make up the majority. A real mix of people but very few seemed to want to make eye contact and most were prioritising the buffet lines and snagging a pool lounge - we could have been any where!
We had 1 night in a suite, a massive room with a spa and sauna that went unused but the room was very comfortable. Our other “garden room” was also very clean and the shaded patio was very close to the pool. Buffet breakfast was included and our night meals (pizza, pork chops and calamari) were all fine. Senior staff were on the ball but there were a lot of trainees (apparently a bit of a trend in Sri Lankan hospitality). All staff were very outgoing but the resort that is relatively new certainly needs more maintenance than it is currently receiving.

Passionfruit welcome drink along with chilled hand towel


Garden Collection room










Spa in upgrade room


Sauna in centre back & a bank of cupboards on left


Poolside burger


Calamari dish

 

[RB]

So a couple of days doing nothing in a nice spot. Very hot and glary


Beach view from upgrade room










Headquarters for lifesavers








Watch your safety

 

[RB]

Kalkudah to Gal Oya
An excursion that took us over a variety of roads and great scenery! Great tar surface to start & plenty of “day to day living” to see from the road. We gradually worked towards some hillsides and also through sections of waterways. Lots of rice and sugarcane growing along with tumeric being dried on the road. Quite a few villages and always a sight to see the schoolkids getting out of school at 1.30pm (7.30am start) with their pristine white uniforms.. Mrs Google led us up the path of a narrow, rough dirt track in the middle of nowhere (much more suited to the rare motorbike we passed) but we eventually emerged from an agonizingly slow 17km goat track much to the relief of Lucky’s van.

Wood delivery man-very neat













Tumeric drying


A good section of the 17km track!

 

[Ade]

There are still guys delivering fish on their motorbikes & they play their own distinct music to let the locals know they are on their way.

This - very common in SL and India. I just returned after 2 weeks in MAA and BLR (a bit of work and pleasure) and my parents are regulars with one of such vegetable vendor who plays a very distinct music. Mum can recognise that music even if she is at the back of the top floor.