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SRI
LANKA
Colombo
In 1803, Robert Percival claimed of
Colombo:
“There is no part of the world where so many different languages
are spoken, or which contains such a mixture of nations, manners,
and religions.” Well, for those who like the capital and revel in
the mix of influences, food, activities and religions, there is
a certain satisfaction in
believing yourself one of the few who can see through the surface
to the core? If only people would venture out of this tourist cocoon
they might just discover a little something to love about Colombo!
Starting at the northern tip and working down, we begin in the Fort.
Previously it was the centre of Dutch and Portuguese domination
and you can still view examples of colonial architecture. However,
these days it is the banking and commercial centre of Colombo, with
many areas subject to strict security measures. Sri Lanka’s own
twin towers stand in this area flanked by the five-star Hilton,
Ceylon Continental and Galadari hotels.
An early 20 th century English writer commented on
Nuwara Eliya: “When he looks out of his window in the early morning
and sees the whole world glistening under hoar-frost and the garden
brimming with geraniums, pansies, sweet peas and every English flower,
he wonders if he is really in the tropics at all.
There’s
no need to wonder. It is the tropics and it’s for real.
Sri Lanka is well-known for hot sunny days and beautiful stretches
of palm-fringed beaches. So how can there exist a place that has
grey, cold, drizzly days and chilly nights with a mean temperature
of 57F? Where there is a need for wood fires and extra blankets
at bedtime to stave off the cold? Where there is a golf course,
English-style pubs, trout fishing - and not even a palm tree in
sight?
But Sri Lanka is, as the early 20 th -century writer
Bella Woolf says, “an amazing little island” because of its surprising
contrasts. So it is that within reasonably easy reach of the capital
you will find a temperate climate, and the environment that goes
with it. Situated at 1,896m, Nuwara Eliya , cushioned by Lake Gregory
and surrounded by wooded mountains, is Sri Lanka’s most elevated
town. It lies at the foot of Pidurutalagala , the island’s highest
mountain, among a variety of trees and shrubs suited only to this
wild and rugged terrain.
Kandy
“Kandy
is with many visitors first favourite among the beautiful places
Ceylon can show.” This early 20 th century guidebook
assessment of the country’s hill capital still holds good, although
modernity and overcrowding has somewhat tarnished its charm. Fortunately
it still has enough attractions of the cultural kind, such as temples,
museums and the world-renowned Esala Perahera, to make it a remarkable
destination.
Located in the foothills of the central highlands around the banks
of a picturesque lake, steeped in history, and possessing a salubrious
climate, Kandy is Sri Lanka’s renowned second city. In many ways,
however, Kandy is more important than the true capital, for although
Colombo may be the hub of commerce and communication, it is Kandy
that has always been the centre of Sri Lanka’s rich culture and
the symbol of the nation’s complex identity.
Kandy is known to most Sri Lankans as Maha Nuwara , “The Great City.”
And great it is. The sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha is housed
here in its own temple, and is paraded around the city in one of
Asia’s most celebrated festivals, the Kandy Perahera , held during
July-August. The monasteries of Sri Lanka’s two leading Buddhist
sects have long been established in the city. Traditions of Sinhalese
music and dance, such as Kandyan dancing, are kept alive in Kandy,
as are many arts and crafts. Little wonder, then, that Kandy was
designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
Sigiriya - It
is probably the most singular geological formation in Sri Lanka,
and encompasses one of the more remarkable archaeological sites.
It has a dramatic history that has all the elements of a classic
drama, with a central character straight from Shakespeare’s pen.
It is simply an awesome tourist experience that should not be missed.
For maximum enjoyment, however, make your ascent of the rock at
dawn. Sigiriya is located 22km north-east of Dambulla in
the North Central Province. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1982, it towers more than 200m over the surrounding plains and
has been visited by tourists for over 1,000 years – indeed it
is considered one of the world’s oldest tourist sites . Though
the rock has weathered, its former opulence and greatness as a magnificent
palace can still be seen in the form of beautiful paintings, ancient
graffiti and symmetrical gardens.
Polonnaruwa
was Sri Lanka’s medieval capital between the 11 th
and 13 th centuries. Enclosed within three concentric
walls, the city contained royal palaces, bathing ponds, monasteries
and sacred architecture such as dagobas and image houses. Its grandeur
was largely the creation of three kings, Vijayabahu, Parakramabahu
and Nissanka Malla, although the last-mentioned emptied the coffers
in doing so.
There is a Sinhalese folktale about the two most venomous snakes
in Sri Lanka, the cobra (naya ) and the Russell’s viper
( tic-polonga ). The two snakes meet at a time of drought,
and the tic-polonga asks the naya where he can quench his thirst.
As it happens, the naya had recently come across some water in which
a child was playing. While the naya had taken a drink the child
had accidentally hit the snake, but the creature, being even-tempered,
had refrained from biting. Knowing that the tic-polonga was of a
touchy disposition, the naya tells its fellow reptile that it does
indeed know of a place to drink, but will only reveal the location
if the tic-polonga promises not to bite the child. The tic-polonga
agrees but bites the child anyway, so the naya kills the recalcitrant
snake in combat. Thus have they always been enemies
Galle
is a South Asia’s port cities in Sri Lanka
– pronounced “Gaul” - is remarkable due to its extensive maritime
history, international trading links and threefold colonial domination,
which led to a diverse and shifting ethnic composition. Unusually,
one of the colonial powers – the Dutch - left a valuable legacy
in the form of the best-preserved sea fort in South Asia, whose
substantial ramparts and bastions largely protect it from the type
of modernization and homogenization that has blighted most urban
areas of the region.
More unusual still is that during the past decade a small army of
privileged Europeans has recognized the fort’s attributes and ambience
(and appreciated the bargain price of property) by purchasing and
renovating many of the neglected 300-year-old architecturally-important
Dutch residences. While these self-described “fabulous nobodies”
have contributed to the preservation of Galle’s heritage, the irony
that the fort has once again become an enclave for acquisitive outsiders
is pervasive.
Galle’s location at the south
western tip of Sri Lanka, with only the Antarctic more than 5,000
miles beyond, ensured the prominence of the port during the early
history of navigation. Not surprisingly, it became the natural focal
point at the southernmost part of the Silk Routes that connected
Asia with the Mediterranean. Galle also provided a relatively equidistant
location for Arab and Chinese ships to converge and trade, thus
avoiding much longer voyages. It had a fine natural harbour protected
to the southeast by an elevated headland and to the northwest by
a flat peninsular, although there were submerged rocks and lack
of protection from the southwest monsoon.
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