Chapter 18 - 2103 Ed Visit to the North of Sri Lanka

In 2013, I visited Hanoi in Vietnam as the guest of Tony and Vicky Nguyen who were interested in starting a building company in Melbourne to cater for Vietnamese migrants who had the funds to build houses in the suburbs of Melbourne for a week. As I was half way to Sri Lanka, I decided to spend a week visiting the North of the country that had just experienced a 30 year civil war.

I was picked at the airport by my driver and spent a night in Negombo.

After breakfast, I took a walk along the beach to stretch my legs and was ready for the journey north.

We drove via Putalam and the driver said we could visit the Wilpathu Sanctuary as it had been cleared of land mines. I had not visited this before so readily agreed. A stop for lunch before going to the sanctuary was recommended.

OUR LUNCH STOP WITH A BEER

We then drove to the Wilpathu Sanctuary and had to hire a jeep and driver to take us through the jungle. 

 After waiting patiently for same time a leopard came to drive at the water hole.







LEOPARD AT WATER HOLE.

I filmed the attached video of the leopard at the water hole. Fantastic to be privileged to film a wild animal.







After this the driver arranged for me to stop the night at a hotel near the Sanctuary. As it was still early afternoon, I took a walk around the grounds, had a swim in a warm pool and had a few beers with a nice rice and curry dinner.

After breakfast we started our journey to Jaffna.

As the driver had been engaged to drive the Swedish peacekeepers during the negotiations between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Government, he was very familiar with the places where the fighting took place and he was happy to impart his knowledge to me, which I gladly accepted. We were stopped at a military check point where I had to show my passport and explain as why  I wanted to visit Jaffna. The driver was of great help and we continued on our way.

Our next stop was Killinochi where some war relics were in place.

TOWN WATER TANK DESTROYED BY LTTE

The next stop was Elephant Pass where some battles took place.

WARNING OF LAND MINES (RED NOTICE)

WAR MEMORIAL

WAR MEMORIAL SEEN FROM THE ROAD

ARMOURED BULLDOZER










After this it was on to Jaffna City and the hotel that I was booked into. A rest and a Jaffna rice and curry lunch.

After lunch the driver took me to see the Dutch Fort in Jaffna that was in the process of being restored.

After walking around inside the Fort and looking at the restoration work that had already been done and others that had started but were not finished, I walked outside and took more photographs of the surrounds.

We next went to the Jaffna Cemetery hoping to find the graves of ancestors who had died in Jaffna and were buried there, but unfortunately, could not find any old graves. I have since discovered that I should have gone to the Pettah Cemetery in Jaffna (assuming it still exists).

We next went to Point Pedro that was the northern most point in Sri Lanka.

THE ROAD TO POINT PEDRO

FISHING FOR SPRAT AT LOW TIDE

DRYING SPRAT

POINT PEDRO SIGN INDICATING THE NORTHERN MOST POINT IN SRI LANKA

My short stay in Jaffna was worth the effort and next day after breakfast we headed to Kandy.

Again the driver surprised me when he, Sir would you like to see where the last battle of the civil war took place and without hesitation said, yes please do. This was going out of our way, but he assured me that this was no problem.

ROAD RECONSTRUCTION WORK

NEW BUILDINGS

WAR DAMAGED BUILDING

WAR EQUIPMENT ON DISPLAY

WAR MEMORIAL

WAR DAMAGE RESTORATION IN PROGRESS 

THE LAGOON THAT PEOPLE WALKED ACROSS DURING THE FINAL BATTLE

THE CAUSEWAY TO MULLAITIVU

THE AREA WHERE MOST CIVILIANS SHELTERED UNTIL THE FINAL BATTLE

WHERE THE TAMIL LANGUAGE PRECEDES SINHALESE

After this the driver said we had time to got to Trincomalee. This was not on my itinerary, but I thought, why not. So we proceeded to Trincomalee (I had not realised the distance and it was late afternoon when we got there) after a stop at a cafe that catered for the Army Base in Nallu, for a quick bite and drink.

Then it was on the road again.

JUNGLE COUNTRY THAT THE ARMIES ENCOUNTERED

After a long drive, Trincomalee.





COMMONWEALTH WAR CEMETERY IN TRINCOMALEE

WELL MAINTAINED WAR GRAVES OF SECOND WORLD WAR

ROADS IN BAD CONDITIONS UNDER REPAIR

ENTRANCE TO TRINCOMALEE FORT FREDRICK

THE SRI LANKAN ARMY BASE IN THE FORT

THE NEW SRI LANKAN NAVY BASE IN TRINCOMALEE

After a quick lunch and a beer at the hotel of the drivers friend, we took off for Kandy in the late afternoon. Again we had to stop for a feed of curd and kithul honey.

ROAD SIDE CURD AND KITHUL HONEY SELLERS








We finally arrived at the hotel in Kandy about 8.00 o'clock that evening. I booked in and making sure that the driver was catered for had dinner and piled into bed.

The next morning, before breakfast I walked around the gardens of the hotel and realised it was on a mountain way above Kandy. The views were fantastic.

The hotel had been built on tea estate land and belonged to Hayleys Limited, the company that I still had shares in. As I had a spare day and we were in Kandy, I asked the driver whether we could go to Matale where my Great-Grand-Father is buried, hoping to find his grave in the church cemetery.

Unfortunately, the priest was not there and without guidance was like to find a needle in a haystack.

CHRIST CHURCH MATALE

CHURCH CEMETERY

Then it was off to Colombo for a nights rest before catching my flight to Melbourne, Australia.

An hectic week, but worth the effort and my thanks to my driver who did a splendid job, over and above what was required of him.

Shown below are the roads that I travelled during my short stay.