Escapades in Sri Lanka

  “The Man” lives amongst the lush green mountains, with an abundance of vegetation as food and in a quaint little house that appeals to any traveller, such as Nimal, who cherishes the simplicities of life. Nimal loves the man’s little hut, for it caters to the minimalistic person who enjoys the tranquil and peaceful life, away from any noisy town or city. It became Nimal’s duty to visit “the Man” on his many long journeys to his plantation from his hometown, and “the Man” never fails to offer Nimal a sweetmeat and a nice cup of hot tea in a spotlessly clean cup. The beverage and chatter are great mood boosters at an elevation that carries a chill and a mist in the air. Nimal cherishes these moments every time he visits “the Man”. “The Man” was never short for any food or dry rations and is extremely generous in welcoming the people from the village with that cup of warm tea and sometimes a tasty biscuit or fruit. He takes pride in talking to them about anything and everything wh...

  One student said...  “My final paper, My last day in uniform. I couldn’t even bid a heartfelt goodbye to my closest friend from grade one. The police uncle rudely asked us to “ GO AWAY, ” like we were a bunch of criminals. Outside, I was strong, but inside I was crying. 13 years of bliss just disappeared.”   360,000 students sat for their A/L exams this year, thus ending their school life spanning more than a decade.  All these students ended their happiest period of their life in a subdued state. Initially, their final school term was abruptly cut short. Eventually when the examinations were held, they were in centers guarded like prisons, not as scheduled, but in October and November with many uncertainties. Until the last day, they were not sure if it would end as planned. When it was ultimately held, a haphazard curfew was in place. Many did not know how they were to reach the examination, with scarce transport facilities. Many of these students are to ...

Every establishment needs good employees. All individuals require a committed confidante. Every household needs a watch-person and every family needs a guardian. They could be your parents, grandparents, a relative or just any other person that one might be comfortable to be taken care by…. In short, a Caretaker. In a different context and in relation to the industry of hospitality, he or she is akin to a custodian for a specified period. This custodian, in this narration, transforms into all the above as a caretaker at this place that one might be inclined to call, a peaceful holiday bungalow in the hills of Sri Lanka. His name is Janaka. Janaka, a prematurely retired Special forces guy from the Sri Lankan Army, has taken it upon himself to enhance his army training, quite boldly, towards the hospitality industry by undertaking a holiday home in the hills of his hometown named Moragolla, in the district of Kandy, at a place called the “ATT’s Eagles nest.” His Missi...

The sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight part is the least of any passenger’s worries. It is an excess of other setbacks that tends to be troublesome. The nightmare is everything else. Ticket prices that keep changing, visa requirements, fees for excess check-in bags, frequent delays, long queues, indignities of security and border controls, inadequate staffing at gates, and the constant scuffles at airports.  Yes, he might be the king, but certainly not at the aircraft door.  Thereby, arrives the Service aspect as the value addition.   What is service. Service is nursing. People come with problems and service personnel need to listen, understand, attend, and care. Fulfilling these basic requirements would create happy moments. In short, reassuring that the consumer receives what is expected. Service entails an element of engagement. Through research, pundits believe that “one off” customer service will cease to exist and shall be all about consumer engagement; the art...

16th of March 2019, designed by a group called “Art of Travel,” my son and I embarked on a venture to conquer the sixth highest mountain of Sri Lanka as a part of a quest to fulfil our objective of achieving the task of climbing the ten highest mountains of this beautiful island that we so cherish to call home. Peaking at an elevation of 2212 meters “Great western” has nothing significantly or remotely related to any western film but situated amidst the tea plantations in Talawakelle named the Great-western tea estate rather perplexingly. One must take a left turn at the Talawakelle town to a point that has only a walking path to the GW railway station at the foothills of this mammoth massif. The access from the town consists of a 14 kilometres drive plus 1.5 kilometres walk to the station and is the last place to fill up on your non-elaborate essentials for the hike. A two-kilometre walk along the railway track took us to a methodically paved Kovil stairway on to our l...

“Cycling is a blissful diversion; one would realize its pleasures only through indulgence and not otherwise.”   The big fellow was a muscle builder not ridden for 12 years. Two more purchased their push-bikes the day before, and a few found rusting two-wheelers from some sort of refuge.   As confusing as it may sound, the four ladies and the five guys were gearing for a never before accomplished adventure in their lives. The bikers, from ages of 17 to 50 years, capitalized on an opportunity to cycle from Nuwara Eliya to Gampola on machines they were not too comfortable with. A new venture for this team.   At three in the morning on the 7th of August, expressing enthusiasm, the bikers left Colombo in a minibus to Nuwara Eliya whilst the bicycles were dispatched carefully stacked onto a lorry. On the way, breakfast heavy and yummy was at Pussellawa rest house and the presumable riders reached Nuwara Eliya at nine thirty. The weather chilly at 12 degrees Celsius, breez...