Hakkiduwa Beach, Sri Lanka

Negombo beach

Being an island, Sri Lanka is blessed with many beautiful beaches. Many are deserted, and you can have the whole place to yourself and perhaps imagine you're Robinson Crusoe.

Many travellers first acquaintance with the beach here is in Negombo because this town is the nearest to the airport. However, the beaches here are overrun with a kind of seaweed.

Hakkiduwa in the south-west has better beaches.

The crows of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka must have the largest crow population in the world. In many countries they are regarded as pests. In Singapore we used to have the same problem but the crow population is kept under control by culling (shooting) them. Cruel maybe but it's the only way.

In Sri Lanka I couldn't spot smaller birds like the house sparrow. Not surprising since the crows have muscled them out. Even at the airport I saw crows roaming the skies. I don't understand why the airport authorities don't see them as a potential danger to aircraft. Crows also compete with dogs for food scraps.

And when I walked under trees I was nearly bombed by their shit.

Surprisingly, Sri Lankan remain unflappable.

Three guys from Slovenia told me in their country crows can be taught to talk like parrots!

I hope Sri Lanka will do something to curb the crow population. It would be nice to see other bird species as well.

Ella Part 3, Sri Lanka

Ella school.

An old-fashioned school bell.

This is not what you think but the school canteen.

A classroom and office.

Morning assembly

Having been an educationist all my life, I never miss the opportunity to visit a local school.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled on this school in the little village of Ella while out on a stroll in a country lane.

I caused quite a stir among the students who were having their morning assembly. After the assembly the students would have a meal prepared by the villagers and paid for by the government.

As you can see from the photos, the school is very modest. Despite this I am sure Sri Lankan teachers work very hard to educate the younger generations.

ELLA ( PART 2), SRI LANKA

Ella's lush forest.

Ella Gap

Ella Gap

Without doubt the chief attraction of the little village of Ella is Ella Gap which you can figure out from the photos what it is all about.

Going down from Ella to the plains below in a bus, a passing thought occurred to me: what if the bus were to plunge down the mountains. This prospect is horrendous to even contemplate but the manic way in which Sri Lankan bus drivers drive, it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

ELLA GUESTHOUSE, SRI LANKA

Security checkpoint in Ella.

The man himself. Lonely Planet, the travel guide, sings his praises.

Buddhist shrine in Ella.

Ha, the guesthouse, Beauty Mount Tourist Inn, that I almost set on fire!

Guesthouse restaurant.

One of the joys of backpacking as opposed to being shepherded around in packaged tours is the countless opportunities to mingle with the locals and get to know their culture and lives.

Lonely Planet, the travel guide, heaps praises on him. He waylaid me the moment I got off the bus in Ella.

"Are you looking for a room? I have guesthouse. Very cheap. Only 500 rupees," he said.

"Where"? I said.

"Up there. Very nice. Very quiet," he beamed.

I looked up to where he pointed. Perched on a small hill was his guesthouse, Beauty Mount Tourist Inn. Rather grandiose name I thought.

From the guesthouse I got a panaromic view of the lush forest that envelops the village and the distant mountains. But it entailed a strenuous walk up a steep flight of slippery steps.

The owner is in his 70s, and he proudly reveals that he meditates an hour a day.

"I can only do it for 5 minutes before my mind starts wandering," I said sheepishly.

"Must be quiet place. No noise," he said.

Ella, Sri Lanka

A walk in a country lane.

Buddhist novice monk in the Buddhist shrine in Ella.

Visiting an Ella school, I caused quite a stir.

The lone ranger outside a small shop in Ella.

Ella's sleepy railway station

In Ella I almost burned down my guesthouse! I'll tell you more in future posts.

The village of Ella lies on the "edge" of the Hill Country. Judging from the number of guesthouses and hotels, it must be quite popular but when I was there I was the only foreigner.

While Nuwara Elliya is bustling, Ella is peaceful and quiet.

The chief attractions of Ella are the treks, the lush greenery and the fabulous views of Ella Gap.

A few restaurants and shops, a school, a quaint railway station, a buddhist shrine are the other "attractions".

(With the end of the conflict in SL, tourism will benefit. Go now before the hordes descend on SL. The media is already extolling the virtues of SL so that's the trigger for the coming influx of tourist arrivals in SL,)

Nuwara Elliya, Sri Lanka

Indian restaurant in town.

Beggar appraising the day's haul.

The spicy fillings pack a knock-out punch.

Without doubt, the best thing about Nuwara Elliya is the cool temperate climate, and the rustic atmosphere outside town to which I could easily reach in a mere 15 minutes. Wandering aimlessly was a real delight in the crisp cool weather.

For those who live to eat, Nuwara Elliya will not disappoint. It has a number of nice restaurants, where the waiters are rather chatty, and Indian coffee shops.

However, I was disappointed to see quite a number of beggars in Nuwara Elliya. They grabbed my legs, imploring me to donate some of my rupees. They looked like "professional" beggars to me.

Honestly the nicer hotels and guesthouses are outside town but that entails a good 20- minute walk to town. Nuwara Elliya is not a pedestrian-friendly place. However, I noticed new sidewalks being built.

Staying right in town means easy access to the restaurants and transport services.The bus station is right in town.

ST ANDREW HOTEL, NUWARA ELLIYA, SRI LANKA

Notice the fireplace in the lounge?

Entrance to St Andrew Hotel

Idyllic atmosphere.

Hotel has a beautiful and well-kept garden.

Flowers grow in abundance in the temperate climate.

One of the most beautiful hotels in Sri Lanka in my view is St Andrew Hotel, appropriately situated in the Hill Country or Little England on account of the temperate climate.

The colonial ambience is very much in evidence. Stepping inside the grounds and the interior of the hotel I could imagine what it was like in the colonial days.

In winter it can be very cold. The fireplace in your room is not for show but can be pressed into service to add some much needed warmth.

What cheered me was the presence of other bird life.The ubiquitous pesky crow is markedly absent in this part of Sri Lanka.

It's a 15 min walk from the town of Nuwara Elliya to the hotel which is on the outskirts.

NUWARA ELIYA, SRI LANKA

Crispy bread being delivered to the shops.

Hey, help me to carry and you get a free loaf.

As any traveller would tell you, food can make or break your trip.

If you like spicy and curried food, Sri Lankan food will have you frothing at the mouth. But if not, you are going to have a problem. In my two weeks tramping around the country I didn't see a single McDonald or KFC or even a local version.

Fortunately, bread in all sorts of variations is widely available, even in villages. Perhaps, this is a legacy from colonial days.

So there were days when I couldn't stand another day of spicy and curried food, bread came to the rescue. Plus the odd cake which Sri Lankan also love.

Kandy to Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Tea estates in the Hill Country.

Train chugs through tea estates.

Tea plants within touching distance.

On the way to Nuwara Eliya

One of the highlights of my trip to Sri Lanka was the train ride to Nuwara Eliya, dubbed Little England by the locals for its temperate climate.

The train snaked its way through numerous picturesque tea estates. Leaning from the doorway I could almost touch the tea plants. It was a memorable train ride.

Buddha Tooth Temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Students making their way to the temple.

Devotees in the temple.

Devotees on pilgrimage.

Buddha Tooth Temple in Kandy

Though the town of Kandy is unimpressive, my disappointment was more than made up by the star attaction of Kandy - the magnificent Buddha Tooth Temple.

Being there on a weekend was unwise as I had to contend with the thousands of Buddhist Sri Lankans on pilgrimage. The temple is considered sacred so I had to trod about in my bare feet.

Many devotees came clutching flowers and money as donation to the temple. Though packed to the brim, everyone was well-behaved as this is a holy site.

Unlike the Botanic Gardens and Elephant Park which are some distance from Kandy, the Buddha Tooth Temple is right in the town itself by Kandy Lake.

Bandaranaike Airport to Kandy

Fort Railway Station: an inside look.

Villages like this line the railway track.

Fort Railway Station: this area is the transport hub for trains and buses.

From Bandaranaike Airport I took a bus to Colombo railway station at Colombo Fort. There was no problem getting a train ticket to Kandy (only 2nd class available).

Being the only Chinese for miles around, naturally I attracted curious looks. Most asked, "Japan? China?"

But there were others with an ulterior motive. One man proved over friendly as though I had known him all my life. My suspicion was proven correct when he came on board just as my train was about to depart and shoved a piece of crumpled A4 which had a written appeal for donations. He claimed he was a mute.

Then there was this 80- year-old man.

"I came to see my priest but he not in. He help me a lot, " he said.

I waited for the coin to drop.

"I got no money to eat," he continued.

I gave him some bread which he wolfed down hungrily.

Suddenly a well-dressed man approached me and said, "Kandy train, you wait over there."

How did he know I was going to Kandy? Obviously word had spread. I had been chatting with Sri Lankans in the station's cafe and on the platforms. He claimed to own a guesthouse in Kandy, and urged me to stay there.

With such a cast of characters there was never a dull moment.

Train and bus travel in Sri Lanka

A quaint village railway station.

You'll never go hungry on the bus or train.

A break in my 6-hour bus journey in southern Sri Lanka.

Travelling by bus and train in Sri Lanka I discovered was hot and uncomfortable as rightly pointed out by travel guides. Buses everywhere were packed to the rafters, and their drivers are constantly under the illusion they are F1 drivers!

Despite the discomfort on buses and trains there was never a dull moment.

A procession of sellers of all sorts of strange foods and drinks trooped on board. You can never accuse the Sri Lankans of subjecting you to a famine of sorts, that's for sure.

There were others who made an outright appeal for donations. A woman with a sleeping child in her arms launched into a sad tale. An old man with a crutch recounted a similar tale. Perhaps, a son killed in the war against the Tamil tigers? Or a family wiped out in the tsunami?

Then you have the entertainers. A young man sang lustily for a good 15 minutes accompanied by his trusty tambourine.

All were rewarded a few rupees here and there.

Yes, give me the train and bus anytime. Rough travelling but I've always been under the illusion I'm tough.

Of course you can travel in an air-conditioned car or van but you'll miss all the fun.

Sri Lanka trains

One of the many tunnels in the hill country.

A train ride in the hill country is an unforgetable experience.

Lovers of old steam- engine trains will swoon over this beauty.

A steam -engine train in Sri Lanka

I love riding in trains. There's something romantic about travelling in a train as it whizzes past little huts in the countryside, monkeys lazying in tress, farmers bent over their fields and people hurrying home.

In Sri Lanka the steam-engine trains may be old but their engines are still powerful enough to haul their carriages up into the hill country.

It was slow travel and hot in the carriage but the unfolding lush greenery in the country took my breath away. It was exciting leaning out of the train with the trees almost within touching distance.

The bus may be faster but give me the train anytime.