Garrison Cemetery - Beauty Between Life and Death

The Garrison Cemetery

Hey everyone! It's good to be back after 1 week off. I promised myself I wouldn't miss a post even if I had nothing to write about - and then promptly went and missed one! I know you'll forgive me though. I was chillaxing at home during mid-term break. Don't ask me why schools give a week off 3 weeks before their exams; nobody told me why.

Anyhoo, I didn't actually go anywhere recently (my budgeting break is a delayed reaction) but I've got 2 trips coming up in December. In the meantime, let me tell you about a 1-day trip I took some time ago to a very specific place in Kandy, my home town. Don't worry, I'll lay down the tracks from Colombo itself - I know not everyone lives (and loves) in Kandy.

The Garrison Cemetery via Google Maps

I started off on the 7 am intercity train to Kandy from Colombo Fort station in Pettah. The 2nd class tickets are LKR 280 (that's what I booked) and 3rd class is LKR 190. Word of warning: tickets sell like hot cakes, especially on weekends so book yours as soon as they open the dates. These days, train tickets open for booking 30 days prior to the date. 

The train usually takes 2 and 1/2 hours to get to Kandy. That's on a good day. On a horrible day, you'll have engine problems, the signals won't be on or another train'll be stuck and you will get into Kandy around 11 am or 12 noon - if you're lucky. I was lucky to get in around 9.45 am that day. I brought my own breakfast but there are canteens at Fort station if you want to grab something. The train doesn't stop anywhere after Gampaha so I recommend you take breakfast with you.

Kandy is notorious for not having anything to do, especially for the young crowd. It's true there's not much in the way of "entertainment" but for those who love walking, sight-seeing and cultural osmosis, Kandy is the mother lode. 

I walked from Kandy station to the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic) but I wasn't going there. You can take a tuk/three-wheeler, but they are ridiculously expensive in Kandy. Kandy tuk tuks are yet to embrace meters although there is an irregular and unreliable PickMe service now in operation. An average three-wheeler will charge you anywhere from LKR 150 to 300 to cart you across the town, which is not even 2 km as the crow flies. Please walk; it'll be healthier for your purse and your gut.

The Garrison Cemetery is located on top of a steep hill immediately behind the Dalada Maligawa. It remained obscure for a long time until HRH Prince Charles visited it in 2013 and put it on the map. It's a small plot of land, beautifully maintained by an old man and his young protegee. It has over 50 graves however, including one of an admiral who fought in the battle of Waterloo. The young caretaker speaks excellent English and will happily give you a tour and comprehensive info on each and every grave - even if don't want to hear it. Their work is astounding; from what he said, I got the picture that although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission pays them to work there, his is a labour of genuine love.

It's a peaceful spot and the traffic of the town only penetrates so far. The history of the place is unbelievable - over half the graves are for those felled by malaria under the age of 40. There is a small chapel right outside the gate which has been turned into a mini-museum to record the evolution of the Garrison Cemetery over the years. It's worth seeing if you catch it open.

BFFs: tortoises and monitor lizards

It took me about 2 hours to see everything properly, and then I came downhill and took a leisurely stroll around the lake. It was heartening to see wildlife return to the banks of the Kandy lake; I remember a time when authorities rounded up the pelicans because they were "making a mess."

Lunch was at Pizza Hut back then but now that the food court World Spice has opened on top of KCC (Kandy City Centre) you should have no problems grabbing a bite. And can I recommend the Oreo Banana milkshake at Natural Coffee? It's next to Pizza Hut on Temple Street, in front of Queen's Hotel.3 words: To. Die. For.

Getting back, you can catch a Kandy-Colombo bus or take the 3.00 pm intercity train to Fort. Again, it's better to book tickets to ensure you have a seat. I of course, stayed on at home but you can get to Colombo by 5.30 pm, just in time to catch the sunset.

(Approx.) Time Taken:  1 day

(Approx.) Total Cost  :  LKR 1200

Satisfaction              :  4/5

*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2016.

My Budgeting Break: Ella (2)

Nine Arches Bridge, Demodera. Photo Credits: Hiru Piumwardena

In the interests of keeping it real, lemme tell you that my first thought on seeing the water at Ravana Falls was, “yuck.” Shampoo sachets, soap wrappers, shopping bags and plastic bottles littered the once pristine falls. The waterfall itself was still beautiful, but now it was choked with people who were enthusiastically soaping themselves and bathing full Sri Lankan-style. The water was murky and polluted, filled with the grime of hundreds of visitors’ bodies.

Human contribution to the banks of Ravana Falls. Photo credits: Hiru Piumwardena

Ravana Falls. Photo Credits: Hiru Piumwardena

Fortunately for us, the Ravana Ella has a calm pool and a rather slippery, rocky (but safe) pool further up where there weren't any people. We aimed for the latter. While I stayed on the rocks and took pictures, the others quickly changed clothes and jumped in. Since we were higher up than the hordes washing below, the water was clean. Still, it’s not a good idea to stay in it too long.

There is a restaurant on the opposite side of the road called Ravana Ella Restaurant. They serve a killer chicken fried rice. Lunch was fried rice, chicken curry and Elephant House cream soda. Excuse the lack of pictures - we were too hungry to think of taking any. The bunch of us polished off several kilos of rice and the bill still only came to about LKR 150 each, which is a fantastic price.

That's Me! Photo Credits: Hiru Piumwardena

We took a bus once again, this time to the start of the trail to the Demodera Nine Arches Bridge. I’d lost all sense of direction by this time; I know it was LKR 40 distance. We got down where the bus conductor told us. There was a tourist board sign welcoming tourists to the bridge so we kept walking down a minor road that turned into a dirt track, that turned into scrub land, that turned into full-on mountain and finally intersected with the rail track. We came to the Demodera Nine Arches bridge just in time to see a train go by.

Sausages roasting on an open fire...

The rest of our hike went by fast enough. We hiked to Ella station, and caught the 7pm train to Ohiya station, about 2 hours down South. There, we stayed the night at Angel Inn, a hiker’s rest on the Welimada road just 5 minutes from the Ohiya railway station. After dinner and a quick barbecue, we crashed.

Photo credits: Hiru Piumwardena

Next morning, we hopped aboard the Badulla-Colombo Fort train that arrived in Ohiya around 8.20am. After much wrangling, all of us managed to get seats. We were lucky; many people stood the entire journey. The ticket prices were the same as before. If you’re taking the train back, make sure you book seats.

We arrived in Pettah around 4.30pm, tired and sore but with hearts and souls full of beautiful scenery and the magnificent views of our country. Here’s to another hike soon: Hip hip hooray!


(Approx.) Time Taken: 2 nights, 2 days
{Approx.) Total Cost : LKR 4000 per person
Satisfaction : 4/5
*All pictures are subject to copyright © Asuka Randeniye 2016. Photo Credits: Lahiru Piumwardena

My Budgeting Break: Ella :D

Graffiti art near Nine Arches Bridge  

I know, I know. I said I was on a break. To be fair, I did pay for this trip before I announced that I was taking a break. So it doesn’t count, right?

Here’s what happened: a bunch of friends invited me on a 2-day/1 night hike. The trip was organized by a girl in the group. All told, it cost each of us only LKR 4000 total. Read on to find out the miraculous way we managed on that pittance.

We left Colombo for Ella by the night mail train from Pettah railway station at 8.00 PM. We booked 3^rd class tickets which are LKR 400 each (ticket is valid all the way to Badulla). There are 1^st and 2^nd class berths too but they get booked faster than you can say “hot potato.” There is only one 3^rd class car which can be booked – the rest are open seating so each man for himself – so make sure that you book nice and early.

I've drawn, as near as I can, the railway route from Pettah to Ella via Rambukkana, Peradeniya, Walapane, Haputale, Badulla and Ohiya

 On the way to Ella station, I discovered the magical game of ‘Mafia.’ I had not played this game before. Yeah, yeah, I lived under a rock. But now I see the light. It’s a crazy-ass game which has several Mafia (wo)men invading a village at night and attempting to kill the innocent villagers, the doctor and the policeman and... etc. etc. Too long to describe but you can find out how to play it here.

We played into the wee hours of the night. My friends know that I usually hug the pillow by 10.30. I was up till about 12 or more, which is quite an achievement for me.

The lights went out around 1 AM the next day (we are still in the train folks!) and we were lulled to sleep by the gentle sway of the train as it wound its way through the beautiful (unfortunately, now dark) hill country. As we went up, the air got cooler and by 5 AM, all of us were bundled up in jackets and scarves. A couple of (brave? idiotic?) boys decided to face Ella and its mist in board shorts and tank tops.

We got off at Ella station around 6 AM. Our aim was to hike to the summit of Ella Rock, climb down by way of the Ravana Caves and have a quick dip at Ravana falls. Remember your Sri Lankan history? This is where the Demon King Ravana is supposed to have held the beautiful Sita captive after he kidnapped her from Rama.

All the places we covered that first day: Ella station, Ella Rock, Ravana Falls and the Demodera Nine Arches Bridge

Walking back to Kithal Ella st.

It was only after we got down that we realized we should’ve gotten down one station before at Kithal Ella. This meant that we had to hike back a bit the way we came along the railway track. 

Waiting for rotti at Garden View Restaurant

We made a friend during breakfast

We stopped on the way for breakfast at a rail side තේ කඩේ (tea shop) called Garden View Restaurant. We stuffed our tummies with carbs in the form of tea buns, bread, කිඹුලා (kimbula) buns and rotti. Omg that rotti! It was piping hot and somebody magically produced seeni sambol. Yum times 1000. Even after all 18 of us ate, the bill only came up to LKR 1600+.

We started the hike proper around 9 AM through a cart road leading away from Kithal Ella station. Word of warning: start your hike earlier or the sun will blast you. We were inexperienced hikers with various levels of fitness so it took us till 10 AM to get to the top of Ella Rock. It sounds like a short time but let me assure you, we burned all the carbs we ate. By the time I got to the top, I was calling on all the gods from the Romans to the Mayans for strength. I am not as fit as I thought.

Mind you, the view was FABULOUS. Everywhere we looked there was a beautiful vista to see. We spent about an hour at the top, simply admiring the view. Let’s not forget the fantastic cup of tea we had – I understand why the British were so desperate to plant the stuff on our hills. Of course, everyone also had to take selfies in every damn pose they could think of so it took a while.

View from Ella Rock summit

More views

Coming down we took a slightly easier route and had thambili (king coconut) to revive us. I tell you, Red Bull can’t touch what Mother Nature gave us. We got lost – several times – and even went down somebody’s back garden (yes, people live here). We found a tarred road in the end and followed it down to the main road, emerging somewhere between Ella and Ravana Falls, tired but happy to see motorized transport again.

We bussed it to Ravana Falls (LKR 20 each) and were shocked to see the hordes of people who were bathing and swimming in it. The water was cool though and I was sorely tempted to jump in myself, something I had promised myself I wouldn’t do. 

(To be continued...)

See you guys next week!

#Budgetingto A Budget No. 1

I'm gonna keep these short and sweet coz I know you guys would much rather read about me budgeting to somewhere hidden, mysterious or exotic (or all of the above). Basically, I'm just gonna tell you the single most useful thing I do to save money. Like, all the time.

I walk.

Yup, that's the big reveal. Sounds simple right? Wrong. I'm not talking about the walking that happens around Independence Square every morning and evening for exercise - unless of course someone is paying them for it and I'm the only one who didn't get that memo.

No, I'm talking about walking from A to B. Why don't we walk that 500m or 1km to the nearest Keells? Why do we hop on a tuk for every little outing? 

I don't wanna preach. But if you guys wanna know my #1 saving tip for Saver October that's it. I walk. Everywhere. I walked to uni every morning for 2-3 years straight. I walk to work every morning. No, my clothes never get messed up. Why? I always leave 10 min early so I have time to freshen up before my day starts. 

Granted, I didn't always walk like this. At first, I did it because it's a great way to get some exercise. I still do it for that reason. But in the process. I realized that every time I walk, I'm saving a Rs. 50 here, or a Rs 100 there that I would have otherwise spent on a tuk-tuk. If I really can't walk, I bus it. Now, Sri Lankan buses are in a class of their own and it's not for the light-hearted. But if you can brave the sweat, the heat, the humidity and the groping, then it saves you several zeroes at the end of the ride.

If you are taking a tuk though, I recommend you install PickMe on your smartphone or call a taxi service that offers tuk tuks at a discount rate. These tuk tuks charge less than the average meter taxi per km and they start at LKR 32 per km. 

So that's my Saver October tip for the day. Look out for an account of a long-planned, highly-anticipated budget hike next week! (I know, I know, I was on break. But what do you do when something like this comes and yells in your ear?)