Thursday, 24 December 2009. Christmas Eve
An early morning start for me as I had tonnes to do. After house-cleaning, I caught a bus to the National Science Centre for the Da Vinci Exhibition. Spent close to two hours there then went to the office for a while before heading back home to pack.
Left home at 4.15 pm and reached KL Sentral about half an hour later. Was told at the KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) that my flight which was originally scheduled to depart at 8 pm would only depart at 2340 due to bird strike (a bird entered the engine!). Spent time at Le Meridien Hotel before returning to check in after evening prayers.
The flight was full of dark passengers and it turned out that the flight would make a stopover at Male, Maldives, first before continuing on to my destination. My seatmate was a strange fellow who kept making funny noises, usually just as I was about to doze off. Sheesh.
We transited at Male Airport for an hour and had new passengers joining in the flight.
Friday, 25 December 2009. Christmas Day
Landed at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo, at 3.45 am. I stumbled on to the immigration and it turned out to be a painfully slow process (it didn’t help that another plane landed just before ours did). It took me 25 minutes before I was through the immigration.
I had earlier planned to catch some shut-eye while waiting for Andrea at the departure area as I reckoned there wouldn’t be much space at the arrival area; however, that would mean exiting the arrival area and going to the departure and as I wasn’t sure if I could re-enter the arrival area without problems, I decided to wait for her at the arrival area instead. It was almost time for morning prayers so I performed ablution and then prayed behind some counter.
Andrea came through at about 7.40 am and after converting money (USD1 = LKR 111.52 and LKR100 = MYR3.00; in KL, every LKR100 cost me RM3.50 so take note if you plan to go to Sri Lanka), we walked out to find the shuttle bus. Pretty soon, one pulled up and before long, it was already jam-packed with passengers and their suitcases and duty-free purchases (for some reason, the duty-free area sells a lot of electrical items and appliances. I remember wondering who would want to buy a fridge or a TV here. Well, turned out the locals do). We rode the bus to the bus stand and changed for an A/C bus/min-van to Colombo city central bus stand.
At the city bus stand, we navigated our way through the crowds of people before finding the bus that could bring us to a village near the Ancient City of Sigiriya. The fare was dirt cheap at LKR158 each. It was a painful 4.5-hour journey through rural Sri Lanka with the driver honking every few metres (oh boy, do people over there love to honk their horn!). Somehow, I still managed to doze off on and off. Some passengers stood all the way and were still standing when we left.
It started raining some time after Kurunegala and all the way until we alighted at Inamaluwa. From there, we took a three-wheeler or tuk tuk or bajaj (yes, just like they call it in Jakarta) to Sigiriya and looked for a guest house. There were not many to begin with and most were full so finally we agreed to spend the night at Flower Inn. A late lunch, prepared by the hostess, was had there. And the weather was cccooolllddd.
We also asked the hostess if she knew anyone we could hire as driver and she contacted her distant relative to help out. I thought the price he quoted was exorbitant but we didn’t have much choice.
Saturday, 26 December 2009. The Rock
We left at 7.10 am and went to Sigiriya Rock after purchasing entrance ticket (the ticket to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura cost USD50; it would cost you USD25 for each site if you don’t obtain a round ticket). We spent more than an hour climbing part-way up to the famous Sigiriya frescoes (featuring around 20 bare-breasted damsels floating on clouds). Upon descending from the frescoes, I walked to the Lion’s Paws, which formed the entrance to the summit. As the steps were slippery and wet from the rain the day before, I didn’t climb up.
We then drove on to the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, which was Sri Lanka’s second ancient capital. First, we went to the museum which displays artefacts from and information about life in the ancient city. Next we went to the ruins of the Royal Palace and Audience Hall then to the Quadrangle, which was the religious heart of the city, before visiting Gal Vihara where there are four huge statues of Buddha (we saw only three from where we were) sitting, standing and reclining. You need to take off your shoes before entering the compound and not being eager to do so, we just viewed the statues from outside the perimeter.
After that, we drove to Habarana to check out a room at Acme Transit Hotel which our driver, Lal, had reserved earlier (we had initially planned to spend the night at Anuradhapura but according to him, there were hardly any available room within our budget left, what with it being a long weekend). The room looked good so we agreed to spend the night there.
After a buffet lunch at the hotel restaurant, we drove to the Sacred City of Anuradhapura. We barely just arrived when the rain started. Anyway, we went to Jetavena dagoba, Twin Ponds, Abayagiriya dagoba, Moonstone, Guard House, Lankarama, passed by Thuparama Vetadage, then on to Ruwanweii Seya dagoba, Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo Tree temple) and the Brazen Palace.
After all that was seen, we headed back to Habarana. We reached our hotel after 6 pm.
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Woke at 3 sth and couldn’t sleep after that. Left at 7.35 am for the Golden Temple of Dambulla, also another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paid USD10 each for entrance to the rock temple and climbed hundreds of stairs to get there. Only to be told, after stamping my ticket no less, that I would need to remove my scarf before I could enter. The sign said no hats or shoes allowed so I argued but the guard still insisted that I remove my scarf (same goes for those wearing hat or skullcap or yarmulke or turban, you need to remove your headgear before you could enter). I argued that I’d been to other Buddhist temples in South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar and none asked me to remove my scarf. The guard remained unmoved. So I stalked off. It really irked me to be told that in order to respect someone else’s religion, I have to compromise mine and especially so after climbing those hundreds of steps and paying the admission fee. Strewth. Seething, I returned back to the car.
We left Dambulla and drove on to Matale passing villages and paddy fields. The majority of Sri Lankans are still poor but at least they have houses. Most prefer to walk barefooted for reasons that escaped me. After an hour or so, we stopped at a spice and herbal farm. We left empty-handed as we thought the prices were ridiculously high – and later, much later, we found that we were right.
We left Matale and drove on to Katugastota near the Sacred City of Kandy (because Lal told us there were no affordable rooms left in Kandy) and checked into The Fair Haven at Elephant Bath Junction. The room cost us LKR2500 (!) before 10% tax (oh yes, you have to pay 10% service tax on accommodation and meals). Lal then agreed (reluctantly, I sensed) to take us to Kandy where he left us near the prison and within walking distance of the bus and train stations. Really, I wished we hadn’t paid him what we did.
We walked into the dirty and dusty part of Kandy and went to the train station. After queuing for more than 20 minutes, the counter finally opened and we bought tickets back to Colombo for Tuesday early morning as tickets for other service times were already sold out.
We then headed out and walked to the lake, stopping at Devon Restaurant for a well-deserved lunch. While waiting for our food, we noted that the Devon group also has a rest house and a hotel and we decided to check out the rest house after lunch. The room was basic but it cost only LKR1650 inclusive of tax – and it faced the lake too!
It started raining (again) as we stepped out of Devon Rest. A bajaj driver saw us and offered to bring us to view some rest houses and because riding in a bajaj offered escape from the increasingly heavy rain, we hopped on. He took us to a few but we decided to stick to Devon Rest. He also informed that he was registered with the city’s tourism board or something like that and can act as both driver and guide. Hearing this, we asked him if he could bring us to Nuwara Eliya aka Little England the next day. He offered to bring us on his bajaj reasoning it would cost us USD40 compared to USD50 if we took the car. When we pointed out he would earn more if he used the car, he said there was no point for us to waste money on a car when a bajaj would do the job equally well. Compare this to Lal who wanted to charge us first USD100 then USD60 for bringing us to Nuwara Eliya and back to Kandy.
He also agreed to drop and pick us up at our guesthouse the next morning.
Monday, 28 December 2009. Little England
Woke at midnight and laid awake for more than an hour before sleep reclaimed me. Received text from Audrey – up until then I thought I couldn’t receive or send any text message or receive any calls, well Andrea still couldn’t – to inform that Arsenal won over the Villains at the Emirates. Yeay! My fabulous Captain came off the bench to score twice too ;’) but got injured again ;’( and Diaby scored late on for the Gunners’ third goal. Thanks dear!
Tried to sleep again after morning showers and prayers. Checked out at 7.30 and waited for the bajaj driver to come. He came at 7.40, citing an accident along the way. Had some buns bought from a bakery on the way as breakfast.
We drove up to near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s Little England. Hill Country is simply wonderful. I loved the mountains, the valleys, the waterfalls, the cool climate... we went to Blue Field tea factory and spent time there learning the various processes of producing tea and then to Glenloch tea factory.
We left around noon and headed back to Kandy for lunch before going to the Ayurvedic massage clinic next door. Had our Ayurvedic massage after bargaining hard (USD50 for both of us)... my first Ayurvedic massage and I felt like a piece of dough kneaded to make roti – so much oil was applied and smothered all over! And I’d never felt so exposed and so embarrassed in all my life before. We also had shirodhara where you lay on your back and oil is poured onto your head slowly. An unusual experience, I must say.
We returned to Kandy and checked in at Devon Rest. Ventured out briefly in the evening to buy buns for the next morning before returning to the rest house. Dinner was had at the rest house’s restaurant.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Woke at 4.10 am. Left at 5.25 and waited for 10 minutes for the bajaj driver. He didn’t show up so we walked all the way to the train station. Train left on time (!) at 6.10 am. It was a scenic hill country route and we passed valleys and misty mountains along the way. Fantastic view.
We reached Colombo Fort station at 8.40 am. Bought tickets for another train to our hotel at Mount Lavinia. Mount Lavinia is about 10 miles south of Colombo and has a number of hotels and resorts. Train fare was dirt cheap at LKR15 (less than USD0.15) only. Checked in at Berjaya Mount Royal Hotel.
Left at 1230 and took a bajaj to the train station. As it was another 45 minutes before our train into the city, we went to the grand Mount Lavinia Hotel next to the train station. It was a beautiful, gorgeous building alright.
Train was late by 30 minutes. From the Colombo Fort train station, we walked to Pettah bazaar. It was disappointing – dirty and dusty so we left almost immediately. We went up to Cargills, a supermarket in one of the colonial buildings. It was another disappointment as I’d thought it was a departmental store but it turned out to be like an abandoned warehouse instead.
We then walked to Laksala where we bought some tea and then to the World Trade Centre (there were security checkpoints) where I bought a purplish pink star ruby.
The train back to Mount Lavinia was delayed by more than an hour (!!) and when it finally ran, we discovered it was actually an express train – which meant it didn’t stop at Mount Lavinia. We got down at Muratowa and took a bus back to Mount Lavinia (again, the fare was dirt cheap at LKR15 each). Wow, train, bus, bajaj all in one day and we were ready to call it a day.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Woke up for morning prayers and took a walk along the beach. Was disappointed to see litter on the beach. And the sand was brown too. I didn’t linger long and walked up to the main road instead. Back to the hotel by 7 am.
We left at 8 and took a train to Galle in the south. The Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications are another of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a train to Muratowa then changed for an express train. Alas, the express train was full so we had to stand – all the way to Galle (about 2.5 hours!). Trains going south don’t have seat numbers and the absence of seat numbers mean the seats can’t be reserved.
There was a carnival at one of the entrances to the fort so we had to go the longer route to enter the fort. I love old buildings and ruins and Galle Fort was charming. We had lunch at Mama’s Roof Top Café and decided to take the 1430 train back instead of the last one at 1545 as we feared the train would be full. Well, the train came but no one got off so yes, you guessed it, we stood for another 2.5 hours all the way back to Muratowa. The train back to Mount Lavinia was the best we had taken so far – spacious and clean.
Thursday, 31 December 2009. New Year’s Eve
Woke at 0115 local time to watch Arsenal travel to Pompey. No Cesc but Dudú and Nasri scored in the first half, Rambo added a third before Pompey pulled one back and Song scored the last one.
Woke up much later at almost 10 and lazed in. Had lunch at a nearby beachfront restaurant. Tried to rest after that but the New Year preparation was loud and noisy so didn’t get much rest. Left the hotel at 5.25 pm after showering and took a bajaj to the train station. Took the 1758 train to Colombo Fort and waited for the 2020 train to a station near the airport.
However, I got down at the wrong station and when I realised my error, I ran back for the train. It was pulling out of the station, I ran after it and suddenly I fell down. I didn’t realise it at first but my injuries were quite bad. Anyway, the train stopped, I managed to get back in (and everyone was staring at me, yikes). I was trying to convince everyone I was okay and it was only when I looked down when I realised that my trousers was torn and there were blood splashes on them. Eeeks. I took out some wet wipes and wiped some blood off.
I got off at the right station minutes later (I noted there was no station name) and a chap walked me to the main road nearby (he didn’t help carry my luggage though). He helped me find a bajaj and the bajaj driver helped me get on and off the bajaj. At the airport, he notified some airport staff about my injury and she called for some paramedic to help. They came about 10 minutes later and that was when I realised the extent of my injuries and wounds. Great, that’s some nice souvenirs from Sri Lanka that will stay on for some time. Silly me.
I limped around the airport, changed trousers (good thing I packed a second pair; I thought of bringing only one at first) and performed prayers at some corner (it hurt to bend my knees but I did it somehow). Checked in my bag after 11 pm and went in. Didn’t really check the duty-free area as I wanted to get online and check my emails instead.
The flight was already almost full when I boarded and I remembered that the flight was en route back to KL from Male. I managed to get the middle seats all to myself and tried to rest. Not easy as the wounds were starting to hurt.
Friday, 1 January 2010. New Year’s Day
We landed at 7.45 am. I missed the transit train by a minute so had to wait another 29 minutes for the next one. Only reached home at almost ten.
Went out again after 2 pm to meet up Andrea (her flight back to Manila was after midnight). We had a late lunch at Pavilion and dinner at KLCC. We took the LRT back to KL Sentral and she took the coach to LCCT while I boarded the Rapid bus home.
And that was my year-end holidays. Hope yours was as good but not as painful!
~~~~~~~~
Captain Cesc came off the bench for less than half an hour but he managed to score two goals to inspire a masterclass win (Diaby added a third in stoppage time) over the Villains. He backed his gaffer’s decision to risk him (oh, my hero) and again reiterated that his future is at Arsenal and not at either Real or Barcelona. Get well soon my hero. For more pictures, go here.
Arsenal then travelled to Pompey just before the year-end. Another fantastic performance albeit without the injured Captain (hopefully he will return soon). For more pictures, go here.
And late last night, Arsenal came back from behind to score a win over the Hammers, thanks to late goals from Rambo and Dudú. For more pictures, go here. We will now travel to Stoke. Amazing, just a mere few weeks ago, we were written off but after that Anfield rant, we seemed to have hauled ourselves up again. And I’m not complaining. Alhamdulillah.
An early morning start for me as I had tonnes to do. After house-cleaning, I caught a bus to the National Science Centre for the Da Vinci Exhibition. Spent close to two hours there then went to the office for a while before heading back home to pack.
Left home at 4.15 pm and reached KL Sentral about half an hour later. Was told at the KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) that my flight which was originally scheduled to depart at 8 pm would only depart at 2340 due to bird strike (a bird entered the engine!). Spent time at Le Meridien Hotel before returning to check in after evening prayers.
The flight was full of dark passengers and it turned out that the flight would make a stopover at Male, Maldives, first before continuing on to my destination. My seatmate was a strange fellow who kept making funny noises, usually just as I was about to doze off. Sheesh.
We transited at Male Airport for an hour and had new passengers joining in the flight.
Friday, 25 December 2009. Christmas Day
Landed at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo, at 3.45 am. I stumbled on to the immigration and it turned out to be a painfully slow process (it didn’t help that another plane landed just before ours did). It took me 25 minutes before I was through the immigration.
I had earlier planned to catch some shut-eye while waiting for Andrea at the departure area as I reckoned there wouldn’t be much space at the arrival area; however, that would mean exiting the arrival area and going to the departure and as I wasn’t sure if I could re-enter the arrival area without problems, I decided to wait for her at the arrival area instead. It was almost time for morning prayers so I performed ablution and then prayed behind some counter.
Andrea came through at about 7.40 am and after converting money (USD1 = LKR 111.52 and LKR100 = MYR3.00; in KL, every LKR100 cost me RM3.50 so take note if you plan to go to Sri Lanka), we walked out to find the shuttle bus. Pretty soon, one pulled up and before long, it was already jam-packed with passengers and their suitcases and duty-free purchases (for some reason, the duty-free area sells a lot of electrical items and appliances. I remember wondering who would want to buy a fridge or a TV here. Well, turned out the locals do). We rode the bus to the bus stand and changed for an A/C bus/min-van to Colombo city central bus stand.
At the city bus stand, we navigated our way through the crowds of people before finding the bus that could bring us to a village near the Ancient City of Sigiriya. The fare was dirt cheap at LKR158 each. It was a painful 4.5-hour journey through rural Sri Lanka with the driver honking every few metres (oh boy, do people over there love to honk their horn!). Somehow, I still managed to doze off on and off. Some passengers stood all the way and were still standing when we left.
It started raining some time after Kurunegala and all the way until we alighted at Inamaluwa. From there, we took a three-wheeler or tuk tuk or bajaj (yes, just like they call it in Jakarta) to Sigiriya and looked for a guest house. There were not many to begin with and most were full so finally we agreed to spend the night at Flower Inn. A late lunch, prepared by the hostess, was had there. And the weather was cccooolllddd.
We also asked the hostess if she knew anyone we could hire as driver and she contacted her distant relative to help out. I thought the price he quoted was exorbitant but we didn’t have much choice.
Saturday, 26 December 2009. The Rock
We left at 7.10 am and went to Sigiriya Rock after purchasing entrance ticket (the ticket to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura cost USD50; it would cost you USD25 for each site if you don’t obtain a round ticket). We spent more than an hour climbing part-way up to the famous Sigiriya frescoes (featuring around 20 bare-breasted damsels floating on clouds). Upon descending from the frescoes, I walked to the Lion’s Paws, which formed the entrance to the summit. As the steps were slippery and wet from the rain the day before, I didn’t climb up.
We then drove on to the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, which was Sri Lanka’s second ancient capital. First, we went to the museum which displays artefacts from and information about life in the ancient city. Next we went to the ruins of the Royal Palace and Audience Hall then to the Quadrangle, which was the religious heart of the city, before visiting Gal Vihara where there are four huge statues of Buddha (we saw only three from where we were) sitting, standing and reclining. You need to take off your shoes before entering the compound and not being eager to do so, we just viewed the statues from outside the perimeter.
After that, we drove to Habarana to check out a room at Acme Transit Hotel which our driver, Lal, had reserved earlier (we had initially planned to spend the night at Anuradhapura but according to him, there were hardly any available room within our budget left, what with it being a long weekend). The room looked good so we agreed to spend the night there.
After a buffet lunch at the hotel restaurant, we drove to the Sacred City of Anuradhapura. We barely just arrived when the rain started. Anyway, we went to Jetavena dagoba, Twin Ponds, Abayagiriya dagoba, Moonstone, Guard House, Lankarama, passed by Thuparama Vetadage, then on to Ruwanweii Seya dagoba, Sri Maha Bodhi (Sacred Bo Tree temple) and the Brazen Palace.
After all that was seen, we headed back to Habarana. We reached our hotel after 6 pm.
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Woke at 3 sth and couldn’t sleep after that. Left at 7.35 am for the Golden Temple of Dambulla, also another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Paid USD10 each for entrance to the rock temple and climbed hundreds of stairs to get there. Only to be told, after stamping my ticket no less, that I would need to remove my scarf before I could enter. The sign said no hats or shoes allowed so I argued but the guard still insisted that I remove my scarf (same goes for those wearing hat or skullcap or yarmulke or turban, you need to remove your headgear before you could enter). I argued that I’d been to other Buddhist temples in South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar and none asked me to remove my scarf. The guard remained unmoved. So I stalked off. It really irked me to be told that in order to respect someone else’s religion, I have to compromise mine and especially so after climbing those hundreds of steps and paying the admission fee. Strewth. Seething, I returned back to the car.
We left Dambulla and drove on to Matale passing villages and paddy fields. The majority of Sri Lankans are still poor but at least they have houses. Most prefer to walk barefooted for reasons that escaped me. After an hour or so, we stopped at a spice and herbal farm. We left empty-handed as we thought the prices were ridiculously high – and later, much later, we found that we were right.
We left Matale and drove on to Katugastota near the Sacred City of Kandy (because Lal told us there were no affordable rooms left in Kandy) and checked into The Fair Haven at Elephant Bath Junction. The room cost us LKR2500 (!) before 10% tax (oh yes, you have to pay 10% service tax on accommodation and meals). Lal then agreed (reluctantly, I sensed) to take us to Kandy where he left us near the prison and within walking distance of the bus and train stations. Really, I wished we hadn’t paid him what we did.
We walked into the dirty and dusty part of Kandy and went to the train station. After queuing for more than 20 minutes, the counter finally opened and we bought tickets back to Colombo for Tuesday early morning as tickets for other service times were already sold out.
We then headed out and walked to the lake, stopping at Devon Restaurant for a well-deserved lunch. While waiting for our food, we noted that the Devon group also has a rest house and a hotel and we decided to check out the rest house after lunch. The room was basic but it cost only LKR1650 inclusive of tax – and it faced the lake too!
It started raining (again) as we stepped out of Devon Rest. A bajaj driver saw us and offered to bring us to view some rest houses and because riding in a bajaj offered escape from the increasingly heavy rain, we hopped on. He took us to a few but we decided to stick to Devon Rest. He also informed that he was registered with the city’s tourism board or something like that and can act as both driver and guide. Hearing this, we asked him if he could bring us to Nuwara Eliya aka Little England the next day. He offered to bring us on his bajaj reasoning it would cost us USD40 compared to USD50 if we took the car. When we pointed out he would earn more if he used the car, he said there was no point for us to waste money on a car when a bajaj would do the job equally well. Compare this to Lal who wanted to charge us first USD100 then USD60 for bringing us to Nuwara Eliya and back to Kandy.
He also agreed to drop and pick us up at our guesthouse the next morning.
Monday, 28 December 2009. Little England
Woke at midnight and laid awake for more than an hour before sleep reclaimed me. Received text from Audrey – up until then I thought I couldn’t receive or send any text message or receive any calls, well Andrea still couldn’t – to inform that Arsenal won over the Villains at the Emirates. Yeay! My fabulous Captain came off the bench to score twice too ;’) but got injured again ;’( and Diaby scored late on for the Gunners’ third goal. Thanks dear!
Tried to sleep again after morning showers and prayers. Checked out at 7.30 and waited for the bajaj driver to come. He came at 7.40, citing an accident along the way. Had some buns bought from a bakery on the way as breakfast.
We drove up to near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka’s Little England. Hill Country is simply wonderful. I loved the mountains, the valleys, the waterfalls, the cool climate... we went to Blue Field tea factory and spent time there learning the various processes of producing tea and then to Glenloch tea factory.
We left around noon and headed back to Kandy for lunch before going to the Ayurvedic massage clinic next door. Had our Ayurvedic massage after bargaining hard (USD50 for both of us)... my first Ayurvedic massage and I felt like a piece of dough kneaded to make roti – so much oil was applied and smothered all over! And I’d never felt so exposed and so embarrassed in all my life before. We also had shirodhara where you lay on your back and oil is poured onto your head slowly. An unusual experience, I must say.
We returned to Kandy and checked in at Devon Rest. Ventured out briefly in the evening to buy buns for the next morning before returning to the rest house. Dinner was had at the rest house’s restaurant.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Woke at 4.10 am. Left at 5.25 and waited for 10 minutes for the bajaj driver. He didn’t show up so we walked all the way to the train station. Train left on time (!) at 6.10 am. It was a scenic hill country route and we passed valleys and misty mountains along the way. Fantastic view.
We reached Colombo Fort station at 8.40 am. Bought tickets for another train to our hotel at Mount Lavinia. Mount Lavinia is about 10 miles south of Colombo and has a number of hotels and resorts. Train fare was dirt cheap at LKR15 (less than USD0.15) only. Checked in at Berjaya Mount Royal Hotel.
Left at 1230 and took a bajaj to the train station. As it was another 45 minutes before our train into the city, we went to the grand Mount Lavinia Hotel next to the train station. It was a beautiful, gorgeous building alright.
Train was late by 30 minutes. From the Colombo Fort train station, we walked to Pettah bazaar. It was disappointing – dirty and dusty so we left almost immediately. We went up to Cargills, a supermarket in one of the colonial buildings. It was another disappointment as I’d thought it was a departmental store but it turned out to be like an abandoned warehouse instead.
We then walked to Laksala where we bought some tea and then to the World Trade Centre (there were security checkpoints) where I bought a purplish pink star ruby.
The train back to Mount Lavinia was delayed by more than an hour (!!) and when it finally ran, we discovered it was actually an express train – which meant it didn’t stop at Mount Lavinia. We got down at Muratowa and took a bus back to Mount Lavinia (again, the fare was dirt cheap at LKR15 each). Wow, train, bus, bajaj all in one day and we were ready to call it a day.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Woke up for morning prayers and took a walk along the beach. Was disappointed to see litter on the beach. And the sand was brown too. I didn’t linger long and walked up to the main road instead. Back to the hotel by 7 am.
We left at 8 and took a train to Galle in the south. The Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications are another of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a train to Muratowa then changed for an express train. Alas, the express train was full so we had to stand – all the way to Galle (about 2.5 hours!). Trains going south don’t have seat numbers and the absence of seat numbers mean the seats can’t be reserved.
There was a carnival at one of the entrances to the fort so we had to go the longer route to enter the fort. I love old buildings and ruins and Galle Fort was charming. We had lunch at Mama’s Roof Top Café and decided to take the 1430 train back instead of the last one at 1545 as we feared the train would be full. Well, the train came but no one got off so yes, you guessed it, we stood for another 2.5 hours all the way back to Muratowa. The train back to Mount Lavinia was the best we had taken so far – spacious and clean.
Thursday, 31 December 2009. New Year’s Eve
Woke at 0115 local time to watch Arsenal travel to Pompey. No Cesc but Dudú and Nasri scored in the first half, Rambo added a third before Pompey pulled one back and Song scored the last one.
Woke up much later at almost 10 and lazed in. Had lunch at a nearby beachfront restaurant. Tried to rest after that but the New Year preparation was loud and noisy so didn’t get much rest. Left the hotel at 5.25 pm after showering and took a bajaj to the train station. Took the 1758 train to Colombo Fort and waited for the 2020 train to a station near the airport.
However, I got down at the wrong station and when I realised my error, I ran back for the train. It was pulling out of the station, I ran after it and suddenly I fell down. I didn’t realise it at first but my injuries were quite bad. Anyway, the train stopped, I managed to get back in (and everyone was staring at me, yikes). I was trying to convince everyone I was okay and it was only when I looked down when I realised that my trousers was torn and there were blood splashes on them. Eeeks. I took out some wet wipes and wiped some blood off.
I got off at the right station minutes later (I noted there was no station name) and a chap walked me to the main road nearby (he didn’t help carry my luggage though). He helped me find a bajaj and the bajaj driver helped me get on and off the bajaj. At the airport, he notified some airport staff about my injury and she called for some paramedic to help. They came about 10 minutes later and that was when I realised the extent of my injuries and wounds. Great, that’s some nice souvenirs from Sri Lanka that will stay on for some time. Silly me.
I limped around the airport, changed trousers (good thing I packed a second pair; I thought of bringing only one at first) and performed prayers at some corner (it hurt to bend my knees but I did it somehow). Checked in my bag after 11 pm and went in. Didn’t really check the duty-free area as I wanted to get online and check my emails instead.
The flight was already almost full when I boarded and I remembered that the flight was en route back to KL from Male. I managed to get the middle seats all to myself and tried to rest. Not easy as the wounds were starting to hurt.
Friday, 1 January 2010. New Year’s Day
We landed at 7.45 am. I missed the transit train by a minute so had to wait another 29 minutes for the next one. Only reached home at almost ten.
Went out again after 2 pm to meet up Andrea (her flight back to Manila was after midnight). We had a late lunch at Pavilion and dinner at KLCC. We took the LRT back to KL Sentral and she took the coach to LCCT while I boarded the Rapid bus home.
And that was my year-end holidays. Hope yours was as good but not as painful!
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Captain Cesc came off the bench for less than half an hour but he managed to score two goals to inspire a masterclass win (Diaby added a third in stoppage time) over the Villains. He backed his gaffer’s decision to risk him (oh, my hero) and again reiterated that his future is at Arsenal and not at either Real or Barcelona. Get well soon my hero. For more pictures, go here.
Arsenal then travelled to Pompey just before the year-end. Another fantastic performance albeit without the injured Captain (hopefully he will return soon). For more pictures, go here.
And late last night, Arsenal came back from behind to score a win over the Hammers, thanks to late goals from Rambo and Dudú. For more pictures, go here. We will now travel to Stoke. Amazing, just a mere few weeks ago, we were written off but after that Anfield rant, we seemed to have hauled ourselves up again. And I’m not complaining. Alhamdulillah.
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