Escapades in Sri Lanka

Driven and motivated to a commitment of fulfilling one of many ambitions and paranoia (I presume) drove her to commit the following crime. Not to society nor humankind but to herself, her own body, physique and mental status. Angelica De Silva bearing staff number C12407 or Angie to our cabin crew is considered to be a fitness fanatic. Her passion to complete fitness goals are in abundance and one of it was to run a marathon which was on her “bucket list” of sorts. In my opinion brave, rash; but obviously Awesome.   Randomly, she chose the Colombo marathon known as the “LSR (Lanka Sportreizen/  http://srilankamarathon.org ) Colombo marathon,” the national event recognized worldwide as the Sri Lankan leg of the global marathon events. A staggering 8500 runners including more than 300 foreigners from 46 countries representing all continents were at this 17th Edition of the series which was held on the 08th of October 2017. The route from the Ministry of Sports at ...

The numbers….. sixteen three wheelers called the “TUK TUK,” around 35 participants from seven countries, eight destinations, eleven days on an adventure to travel 1600 kilometers by driving on roads less traveled, and I had the pleasure of being an entrant along with my friends cum colleagues Lakshi and Chervon in a customized “TUK TUK” to portray our National and Sri Lankan Airline’s identity to the world. The idea generated by a movement called the “Large Minority,” partnered by the tourist board of Sri Lanka, Connaissance de Ceylan and SriLankan Airlines, the project was to showcase Sri Lanka in its own natural habitat and splendor. Not only by mingling with the local folk of normal life and lore, but also by travelling in one of its unique mode of transportation called the “Tuk Tuk.”  Aptly named “Lanka Challenge,” the planned route was from Tamarind Tree hotel Minuwangoda and on to Kalpitiya, Giant’s tank in Mannar; Jaffna via Pooneryn; Trincomalee through Para...

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...