Sri Lanka is entirely new to me. I once pictured it as something similar or maybe tamer than Nepal, but as our plane flew over its land and I saw all that expanse of greens, I knew it would be quite different from what I had in mind. Indeed, Sri Lanka has its fare share of temples, both Muslim and Buddhist, some of which are listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. But it also has a unique culture, in terms of food, architecture and practices. But most of all, what it has, up its sleeves, are its unspoiled natural environment. Here wild elephants still graze the plains, its long beaches are almost always deserted and its tea-laden hills and mountains, pristine and blanketed by constant mists.

The old train chugged onwards, slowly climbing upwards and upwards into the mountains. Fine mist swirled and enveloped us, making the trees surrounding the rail tracks seem like ethereal ghosts, its limbs and leaves almost lost in the whiteness of everything. We passed through a dark tunnel cut into the earth, compressing our view. And as we emerged from the darkness, a vista of the plains below opened right before our unglassed windows, clouds gently flowing like the sea over ridges of the mountains, a white stupa barely able to peek through the cottony blanket.

TAKING THE BUS TOWARDS ELLA TOWN

Knowing that we’re in for a ten-hour train ride going back to Fort Colombo, we started our day quite early. Packing our bags from the Ella Jungle Resort, we navigated the make-shift cable car up, then piled into the 4x4 truck that would bring us back to civilization.

“Where the heck are we heading?!” I asked C as we rumbled through a dense jungle at the back of a 4x4 truck. After what seemed like a very long time of twisting and turning along a dirt path, the driver pausing once to chop a hanging branch blocking our path, the monster of a vehicle finally came to a stop. On a ravine, what looks like a makeshift cable car waited for us and our backpacks. We obediently boarded and were soon creaking and careening down to the plains below.

INTO THE JUNGLE OF ELLA

Apparently, we were heading to our home for three days in Ella, a mountain town at the Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It wasn’t easy getting there from the east coast of the country. It took us a total of three correct bus transfers, one incorrect drop-off (which added another trishaw ride), the better part of the morning, and a lot of patience to get from Arugam Bay to Monoragala (LKR249.00), then to Welawaya (LKR49.00), and finally to Ella in Badulla (LKR69.00).

And we weren’t about finished just yet.

More than an hour later and we were no closer to the gleaming white stupa we saw at the far end of the beach. The heat was intoxicating as we trudged across the sizzling golden sand of Arugam bay. Above, a rare sun ring glowed, on our left, bushes and trees, and on our right, the might of the Bay of Bengal, its waves several feet high, booming as it meets the carved sandy shoreline of the beach. Our feet were starting to get confused, do we go ahead or turn back.

For days, we stayed in Arugam Bay, a coastal town east of Sri Lanka. We wanted to sea the ocean. And indeed, we saw it. In its full might.

The waves tore the beach to pieces; pushing it, sculpting it to a near-forty five-degree slope. We stood at the edge of the mini-precipice, gawking and wondering if its possible to actually swim here. Instead, we sat down, the sea lapping our feet every time another batch of waves comes in, snatching our bottles of Lion Beer overhead whenever a particularly huge one slams into the shore, and simply enjoyed the setting sun without ever dipping down the raging sea.

GREEN TRISHAWS AT THE MAIN ROAD OF ARUGAM BAY

It was the surfing season for Arugam Bay, a stretch of sea east of Sri Lanka. We found our way to this surfer haven after almost half a day of changing local transports southbound from Kalkudah to its main town by trishaw (LKR250.00), then a bus to Batticaloa (LKR44.00), and another bus ride to Kalmunai (LKR59.00), a bus to Pottuvil, where Arugam Bay is located (LKR93.00), and finally a trishaw (LKR200.00) to our lodging, Seahorse Inn. Surprisingly, even with Sri Lanka’s outdated transports, everything is well organized and getting from one place to another was a breeze. We were, nonetheless, totally bushed as we arrived at Arugam Bay.

The beach stretched for kilometers on both sides. I can hardly see where its southern end stops but its northern counterpart seemed achievable to walk to. We headed that way. The whole stretch is deserted, every granule of its golden sand and every double waves from the Bay of Bengal that slam its shore were all ours. Well, except for a few stray dogs, lazily lounging around the soft dunes and huge crows perched on a lone fishing boat. We walked, a seemingly endless walk, enjoying the eastern breeze of Kalkudah Beach, pausing every now and then to jump into the mini sandy gorges formed by the waves throughout the beach.

A WILD ELEPHANT ROAD ENCOUNTER IN SIGIRIYA

We departed from Sigiriya early that morning after exhausting ourselves across the Sri Lanka cultural triangle. We passed by a rampant elephant on the road before we bade our farewell to our car and driver from JNW Lanka Tours. Getting from one place to another by car in Sri Lanka was indeed convenient, but everything comes to an end. We were now on our own and at the mercy of Sri Lanka’s antiquated public transportation system.

Crumbling angled brick walls, terraced several feet high from each other, surrounded me as I stepped on one of its edges. I gazed down, admiring the remains of this ancient Sinhalese fortress with its now muddy pools, dusty stairways and ruined terraces. To be honest, it really wouldn’t stand out from all the temples I’ve visited around Asia, especially those in Siem Reap, except this one is built on top of a massive natural rock, 660 feet high from the ground and with no natural stairs to climb on to.

THE CAVE TEMPLE OF DAMBULLA

We’ve been eyeing Sri Lanka’s so-called cultural triangle ever since we obtained our tickets to this country. We knew we’d just have to pass by the area during the middle of our Beach Hop Asia 2016 tour. Sri Lanka is the longest country we’d be staying in for our two-month trip around Asia.

Sri Lanka hasn’t surprised us yet. From the air, minutes before we landed on Colombo’s tarmac, we saw a land carpeted in greens. I have never seen anything like it. Colombo, however, doesn’t live up to that promise. To be fair, it is a city. But a city that also didn’t live up to my expectations. I was half expecting it to resemble the jumble of life that is Kathmandu, but it was just too modern. Well, not modern enough to be your typical gleaming metropolis, but not that backwards to be a culture-rich place like Kathmandu. It does have its moments, from its cute trishaws, marvelously hand-painted trucks, to its unique red and white architectural facades. Early the next day, after our Colombo day tour, we pushed for the town of Dambulla, where Sigiriya is, hoping to finally find that magic.

LOVELY ARCHITECTURE IN COLOMBO

The original plan was to take a local train from Colombo to Sigiriya. Which really wasn’t possible, lol. What’s possible is to take an almost six-hour train ride from the Colombo Fort to the Palugaswewa train station, then take a local transport, like a bus, if there’s one, or a trishaw, all the way to Sigiriya. Lucky for us, we have our own rented car via JNW Lanka Tours. But our driver was having none of it.

The Indian Ocean slammed the banks of Colombo’s Galle Face Beach with unrelenting abandon, the wind carrying it with brute force, spraying us with a fine salty mist. Standing on the elevated brick promenade, we watched the frothing waters, the locals seemingly oblivious to its never ending wrath, walking along the edge of the concrete shoreline as if it was a sunny Sunday morning at the park.

ONE OF THE NUMEROUS CLOCK TOWERS IN COLOMBO

It was our first time in Sri Lanka. And after being picked up at the airport by our tour car from JNW Lanka Tours and driving for almost an hour through its highways, zigging and zagging into the city, dodging numerous trishaws (tuktuks) along the way, we finally arrived in Colombo, the country’s capital city.

One of the first things I noticed about Sri Lanka were the proliferation of clock towers on its rotundas. It seems that every town has its own one. Lo and behold, even the hotel we’re staying at in Colombo is named after it, its interiors replete with all sorts of things that go tick tock. I’m not sure where this obsession is coming from, but it is quite interesting, to say the least.

FUNKY WALL WITH SRI LANKAN CULTURAL ICONOGRAPHIES AT THE LOBBY

GAMES AND BOOK EXCHANGE NOOK, VERY HOSTEL-LIKE

The Clock Inn Colombo was our lodging of choice in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital city. Situated along the city’s main artery, Galle Road, it is set on an unassuming white building a block away from the Indian Ocean. From the lobby, we could see a part of the sea, but unfortunately, we were too pressed for time to make even a single visit along its coast.

SNAZZY MACS AT THE COMPUTER STATION

Even though Clock Inn Colombo is tagged as a budget hotel, you’d never really think it to be so once you enter its second floor lobby. The receiving area is spacious, tastefully decorated and very clean. It does have that chic hostel feel without the mess. The local guy manning the front desk was also quite helpful, checking us in and leading us to our room at the third floor.

FUNKY STAIRWELL LEADING TO THE ROOMS UPSTAIRS

The hotel is a combination of dorm and private rooms. They have a total of seven dormitories with four to six beds each and an unknown number of private rooms. We were lodged on one of the latter.

OUR PRIVATE ROOM

WITH EN SUITE TOILET AND BATH, TOWELS AND TOILETRIES ALL PROVIDED FOR

Our room is a bit tight on space—kinda reminding me of Red Planet Makati—typical of budget hotels. That’s not to say that it isn’t comfortable, the queen-size bed dominating the area. Amazingly, it manages to even fit in a work table, complete with a funky chair, and a cable television cabinet. It is air-conditioned and has an en suite toilet and bath.

THE SPACIOUS LOUNGE AND DINING AREA

For its price [CHECK RATES & AVAILABILITY], it’s a good enough deal, especially since breakfast is complimentary. The in-house kitchen and general lounge area is located on the second floor of the building, right at the back of the lobby. Generally, a staff cooks whatever is available for breakfast for you, just request it from him nicely.

PART OF OUR TYPICAL BREAKFAST AT CLOCK INN COLOMBO

I’m not sure if there is a limit to what you can eat though, since we stuffed ourselves full with omelets, hotdogs, instant noodles and breads every morning. If those aren’t your thing, you’re free to cook whatever you want on their kitchen too, there are nearby grocery shops for your culinary needs.

STORE SELLING ALL SORTS OF NUTS & CRISPS NEAR CLOCK INN COLOMBO, DELICOUS STUFF!

While we thought about cooking something up ourselves for our dinner after our Colombo city tour, we were simply too exhausted to do so. Luckily, Clock Inn Colombo is near to several local eateries and even a KFC. So we simply strolled along the quiet sidewalks of Galle and acquainted ourselves to local Sri Lankan dishes.

A DISH OF KOTU, ACQUANTING OURSELVES WITH SRI LANKAN FOOD AT THE NEARBY EATERIES

We stayed for two nights at the Clock Inn Colombo, first during our first day in Sri Lanka, and the second time, during our last day after exploring the country. We enjoyed our stay on both times.
~ OUR GRATITUDE TO CLOCK INN COLOMBO FOR ACCOMMODATING US DURING OUR TIME IN COLOMBO. VIEWS & OPINIONS, ALL MINE.

 

Clock Inn Colombo
Address: No. 457 Galle Road, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Contact Number: +94 112-500-588
Email: info@clockinn.lk
GPS Coordinates Map: 6.897307, 79.854361

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