Escapades in Sri Lanka

Fifteen kilometers from the bustling city of Kandy, the village of Moragolla lies along a winding, ascending road that leads to Galaha via Ampitiya and Thalathuoya, offering a scenic journey through Sri Lanka’s countryside. In the spirit of adventure and discovery, my wife, two sons, daughter, and I ventured to this tranquil village, staying in a charming, well-equipped cottage far removed from the rush of daily life. The transition was remarkable—slowly shifting from the chaos of city life to the serene, untouched beauty of the mountains. The change was not only in the landscape but also in the relaxed, yet vibrant attitudes of the locals, making it a truly refreshing experience. On our second day, feeling refreshed from the peaceful start, we decided to hike up to "Muthukeliya Wewa," a serene lake nestled in the mountains. This region, once known for its pristine, manicured tea estates, has now evolved into a landscape of thriving farms and expansive, wild green f...

“Nomophobia” ……..And breakfast in Kuwait   Picture a world sans YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, emails, video games, Dropbox, Yahoo, Google, SMS, or a camera at your fingertips.   Sacrilegious in the present context. The universe would presumably be a gloomy spectre. Un-contactable, with absolutely no one to probably chatter, share your memories or just simply be in digital dialogue. The mere thought of being lonely is a distressing concept to many and an unthinkable situation in the modern world of constant information overloading and transmission.   Eighty percent of the world population owns a mobile phone and more than 60 percent of the population claims to suffer from 'nomophobia' - the fear of being without a mobile phone. Some 54 percent of people worry about being 'out of mobile phone contact’ and 17 percent of women suffer from 'nomophobia' than men. A quarter of a people even consult their phones during a dinner date and most tend to take it ev...

    “Dedicated to the families and beautiful friendly people of Aranayake and its environs….our thoughts are with you”   Immaterial of one’s origins, December is a month for families to be nestled whilst sharing the joys of holidays and the festivities, and what better way to indulge than to go hiking whilst enjoying the seasonal spirit with an adventurous bunch of family members to the elusive but omnipresent Bible rock (Bathalegala ) in the district of Kegalle.   On the morning after Christmas, we drove to Mawanella and turned right to Aranayake. A few kilometres before Aranayake is the turnoff to the Batalegala temple and thereon another two plus kilometres on a narrow winding and an ascending road took us closer to the foothills of this near vertical mountain. There ends the motor-able road.   A friendly villager voluntarily offered us his immaculately clean garden to park our vehicles. The gentlemen also offer us tea, water and biscuits ...

One never encounters its true beauty.   In retrospect, it is known to be the misty village on the slopes of Piduruthalagala and therefore, seclusion from the regular traveller.   The trip, limited to two guys, in an ancient SUV on a bright August morning. The sun was blissfully shinning, blessing us to enjoy the journey despite the forecast of constant misty rains at our destination. Setting towards Kandy before sunrise, diverting from Peradeniya to Galaha, Rikillagaskada and turning right towards Nuwara Eliya was an absolutely pleasurable drive. To one’s left far away were the Knuckles Mountains and then the forests of the Loolecondera tea estate with the Piduruthalagala mountain range to the right. A four-hour drive with breakfast at a thosai kade (eatery) in Galaha and another one and a half hour drive to the village of Mandaramnuwara were filled with exhilaration coupled with adventurous mindsets. Our route to Nuwara Eliya was known to be used by bullock cart...

"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”- George Bernard Shaw Inspired by the above quotation, the longing in me to submerge myself into a book written by the author was ridiculously arousing and enigmatic. Influenced by people who lead their lives in a ‘lighter vein’ and burden themselves with quality when exists a purpose, the above saying engulfs my thoughts. Hence, my desire to claw on to a book written by George Bernard Shaw was desired and wanting. With the desire in motion, the body says to indulge. Trying to find a book authored by Shaw in a country that lacks the resources to cater to a romanticizing idiot requires the essence of an innovator. The looming threat of a fuel strike and the monsoonal weather pattern did present a danger to the idea of venturing out but was considered a minor factor by an individual bearing a hunger to read. The thought of using the good old human-powered bicycle did strike a chord in the positive direction. Th...