The following morning we checked out of our hotel as we were driving to Trincomalee to spend a couple of days relaxing on the coast. Before leaving the Habarana area we stopped off at a wood carving workshop.Large logs were stored outside waiting to be carved into masks, furniture, Buddha's or possibly elephants.
Inside the open fronted workshop there was a display with examples of the types of wood that is used and our guide explained which were good for different uses including wood from Jackfruit, Ebony, Mara and Coconut trees
and the amazing 'rainbow' wood, the shavings of which change colour when combined with other substances such as lemon juice or just boiling water
The resulting dye can then be used to paint masks and other decorative crafts
We watched one of the craftsmen carve an intricate elephant themed wall hanging
Of course there was a salesroom full of wonderful pieces, it took a lot of choosing and some bargaining before HT found the 'perfect' elephant to take back home with him
On our drive to Trinco we passed many stalls by the side of the road selling 'curd'. Made from buffalo's milk this is a traditional type of creamy yogurt served in clay pots
We checked into our next hotel, the lovely Trinco Blue and spent the afternoon doing not very much other than enjoy the beautiful weather and sea views
That evening Asoka took us on a brief tour of Trincomalee, starting with Ford Frederick. The fortress is still occupied by the Sri Lankan Military but we could wander around parts of the old garrison, including this cemetery containing graves dating back to the 1800s
They did not seem to be very well preserved
Further up the hill and on a rocky outcrop is the Kandasamy Kovil, a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, one of the three gods responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. Shiva's role is to destroy the universe in order to re-create it. When represented as a man his face, and sometimes his body, is painted blue-I've yet to find out why.
Below- the phallic statue represents the power and masculinity of Shiva
As is usual with Hindu temples the outside is heavily decorated with colourful statues and images of gods and religious icons
With the main temple at the centre many smaller shrines are dotted around. We ducked to pass through a small stone doorway carved through a wall of rock
On the other side was a cliff top path and a frangipani tree draped with small wooden boxes, like cradles, tied on with pieces of sari, prayers left by women pleading to the gods for a baby
Every niche within the rock contained another shrine
In one area there were more 'prayer offerings', coins wrapped in cloth were tied to lianas hanging down the rock
Below the sheer cliffs we saw lots of small fishing boats, it was by now early evening and the local fishermen were setting off for their night's work
Each boat came close to the cliff face and stopped for a few minutes so the fishermen could pray to the gods in the temple above them.
This daily ritual includes the symbolic washing of the boat before it's journey
lighting incense
and praying, presumably for a safe and productive night fishing
Walking back to the car we were blessed with another beautiful Sri Lankan sunset
The following day, our last full day together, we decided to do nothing except relax and sometimes swim in the beautiful pool
I tried to blend into my surroundings in my towel-matching bikini!
Thoroughly rested I took a gentle stroll along the beach late in the afternoon and came across a river which led on to a village. The fishermen were starting to get their boats out for the night
The river mouth became a narrow channel and they had to cut the engines to walk their boats through the shallow water with a rocky outcrop on the seaward side
Then clearing the shallows they were off to work for the night
Our evening was a lot lazier. We managed to walk a short distance to a beach bar for supper. Some of the tables were suspended by rope from the ceiling, which was fun initially but made eating quite tricky, particularly when your son keeps pulling the table away just as you are trying to reach the plate!
The following day we said goodbye to beautiful Trincomalee and commenced the journey back home, HT back to the UK, Papa T and I to Singapore. Our flight from tiny China Bay Airport was really exciting, it was in a little Cessna Caravan plane
With only room for 8 passengers, a pilot and co pilot. The co pilot had to squeeze in to present the brief safety talk
On our way back to Colombo we had great views of the countryside below us
Not long after taking off we flew over Habarana and we could just spot Sigirya Rock sticking out prominently
Just over an hour later we landed at Colombo airport, our very relaxed pilot was happy for HT to briefly have a seat in the cockpit
it was only once the pilot walked back to the airport did we notice he was bare foot, we wondered if he had flown the plane like that!
Asoka, who had driven back to Colombo whilst we stayed in Trinco, met us again at the airport and greeted us like long lost friends. He gave us a brief tour of the city, first pointing out Colombo's General Hospital. I wondered if this was the area where my niece who founded https://slv.global spends quite a bit of time when she works in Sri Lanka organising mental health placements for psychology students and graduates from around the world.
The very imposing Colombo Town Hall
One of the entrances to Virharamahadevi Park
and the new and yet to be completed; Lotus Tower. Due to be completed by the end of this year the tower is set, at 350m, to be the tallest in S.E. Asia
That evening we said goodbye to HT who caught the overnight flight back to the UK. Papa T and I had one night in a hotel overlooking Beira Lake before we too headed back home
This was our second trip to SriLanka and we left hoping to return and see other parts of this beautiful and varied country
