05 to 07 May 2012 – Festival of Vesak
As we travelled from Yala to Ahungala,
one could see the entire country engulfed in a festive spirit. ‘Thrice Blessed’
anniversary of the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha – ‘Poya’ is
celebrated all over the country with great passion. May 6 to 10 saw Sri Lanka rejoicing the 250th year anniversary of Buddha. Visak is essentially
a festival of illumination. The city centers are decorated with colorful flags
which brighten the day and lanterns which illuminate at night – with a strong
belief that ‘The light of knowledge dispels darkness of ignorance’. ‘Poya’
though a religious festival takes on a carnival atmosphere, with people coming on the streets dancing and making merry
They also set up food counters on these
days distributing sweets, aerated drinks, ice cream, noodles and variety of
food - free to the public. The event is termed ‘Dansala’ meaning free offering
of food and drinks. In the hotel they had organized a special entertainment
program for “Vesak Poya’. Fire dance in the pool, mermaid display and live band
entertained us into the wee hours.
We were very fortunate to have
witnessed and participated in the festival.
Figure 1 - A boy distributing soft drinks
Figure 2 - Dancers
wearing Hanuman – Monkey God costume
Figure 3 - Road side
decoration
Figure 4 - Decoration in
the city - Galle
Figure 5 - A decorated
elephant
Figure 6 - Another
decoration
Figure 7 - Traditional
dancers at the hotel
Figure 8 - Lighted
lanterns at the city center - Colombo
Figure 9 - Buddha lit up
for the occasion - Colombo
Figure 10 - A round about
decorated with lighted lotus - Colombo
Figure 11 - A lotus in
the entrance of 'Taj Samudra' – Colombo
Figure 12 - ' Taj
Samudra’ itself lit up for the occasion - Colombo
05 to 07 May 2012 – Stay in hotel
‘Heritance Ahungala’
The drive from Yala to Ahungala is
along the coast line and the sea keeps you company all along. The entire belt
is full of beach resorts, hotels and home stays, maximizing sun and sand
tourism. Our next stop was at ‘Heritance Ahungala’. Built on an excellent
location the hotel offers all the very best a tourist desires. A stretch of
absolutely clean beach faces the property, inviting the residents to go on long
walks or catch a dip in the sea. The hotel has a very nice pool which is quite
popular with the residents.
Travel Advisory - Gorging
Another very interesting feature of any
holiday or travel is ‘Gorging’. I do
not know what exactly happens with the human body and mind when on a holiday –
may be they also go on a holiday and allow unabated gluttony. Take my own case
– I am overweight and diabetic – I control my diet very carefully and monitor
my sugar levels and weight on a continuous basis. Normally my diet is what you
may term ‘frugal’. I maintain my sugar levels under control by eating less and
eating right. Limited quantity of South Indian breakfast or eggs, lunch made up
of either rice or chapattis and finally lots of salad, soup and no carb at
dinner. I complement this diet with golf three times a week and four Km walk
every day.
Figure 13 -Effect of
Gluttony post breakfast
All the determination and control comes
to a full stop during holidays. The sight of the different types of food
displayed on the table sends confusing signals to the brain, making it slowdown
and eventually shutdown. A new nexus between the eye, hand and mouth is formed
hastily and the tucking in commences. Fruits look very attractive and catches
one’s immediate attention – a plate full of assorted fruits is the first to go
in. Thereafter the gaze falls on the table with variety of bakery items,
butter, cheese and jam. Equally inviting are the cold cuts, sausages and bacon
– how can any breakfast be complete without a helping of baked beans and hash
browns. Just then, in spite of a dead and decayed brain, one suddenly remembers
the core of any breakfast ‘eggs to order’ – once this trivial matter is
attended to - one can then proceed to one’s table and sit down peacefully and
concentrate on the fare for the first time. Whilst you are busy enjoying the
limited breakfast one hears praises from your own table or the adjoining one –
extolling the virtues of ‘Banana Cake’, Appam and stew or a rare type of cheese
– not to be out done, one is left with no option but to take these jabbering seriously
and revisit the table. Jai and Navin are vegetarians – one thing good about non
vegetarians is their ability to taste vegetarian food without much ado - one
might as well taste a little bit of grass and greens - no harm done.
May be, we feel it is our right to wolf
down whatever is there on the table, just because we have paid for it. The
dinners at ‘Heritance Ahungala’ were simply excellent and the gluttony that
followed was sheer greed and ravenousness.
To overcome a very powerful feeling of
guilt, I had to visit the beach and the pool very often.
Travel Advisory - Companions
There are many aspects to an enjoyable
holiday- the place one visits, finances, the weather and more importantly the
company. During honeymoon the most important criteria is take your spouse and
there can be no argument about it. As marriage stabilizes and children come
along, we take them with us and the holiday takes on a different meaning. A
time comes when the children take flight and establish their own nest in
faraway places. With passage of time they beget their own off springs and we go
on holidays with our children and their children – this outing is a very
private affair.
Juxtaposed
In between all this, are the holidays with friends, which are generally very
enjoyable – provided one selects the right people. We have been very lucky to
have likeminded friends and our holidays have been memorable. All of us had a
whale of a time in China, Greece, Hampi, Conoor, Chikkamagaluru etc. This time
too it was most enjoyable with my soul mate Kats and Naveen.
Reasons
for travelling with a soul mate or mates are very elemental. At sharp 7PM, the
minds should meet. It’s time for all likeminded and able bodied people to
exchange subtle glances and congregate near the source to partake elixir –firm
orders having already been placed with ‘room service’ for soda and ice. The
entire process of opening the urn, pouring the right measure and adding S and I
should be executed with utmost precision and without attracting undue attention
from the fair sex. While you are busy doing the honors, with your back facing
the girls and your hands executing the task as deftly as a surgeon – the mate
should engage the girls with an exciting narrative, ensuring their gaze never
falls on the healing and uplifting tonic. This intricate military operation can
be achieved only by soul mates with decades of experience and practice in this
direction. Recharging is almost an art form. This delicate maneuver fails if
either of the mates were to withdraw, quoting – blasphemous words such as ‘time
for dinner’, it’s enough for me’ etc. It is prudent and far sighted on part of
the mates to hold early morning conclaves and decide in advance the POA (Plan
of Action) – weather to G and T or give PLD (Pre Lunch Drinks) a go by,
congregation place and time for sun downers, milimeterage, recharging frequency,
glass down time etc.In this context,Kats is a wonderful soul mate - on a serious note Jai and Naveen are extremely accommodative.
Figure 14 - On way to
Ahungala
Figure 15 - Sea Temple
Figure 16 - Close up
Figure 17 – Coastline
Figure 18 - The road runs
parallel to the coast – shades of blue sea
Figure 19 - Dutch city of
Galle from a distance. The city was very badly affected during the Tsunami
Figure 20 - Galle fort
Figure 21 - The first
person I met at the hotel lobby
Figure 22 - Our room in
'Heritance Ahungala'
Figure 23 - Posing
Figure 24 - View from the
room
Figure 25 - A flautist
brings in the day with his melody
Figure 26 – Sri Lankan
bride celebrating her wedding at the hotel
Figure 27 - Digesting the
meals
Figure 28 - View of our
room
Figure 29 - Simply
fascinating - Sun, shade, sand, sea, sky and finally the swimming pool.
Figure 30 - Another view
Figure 31 - Sun sets in
Ahungala
Figure 32 - Rugged
coastline
08 to 09 May 2012 – Colombo
We spent
two days in Colombo and finally bid goodbye to Diminda and Sri Lanka, after
having holidayed for 14 days – city to a hill station and then to a wild life
sanctuary and finally to good old sea was a heady mixture. Every one of us had
a relaxing and memorable stay in Sri Lanka – thoroughly enjoyed the beauty the
country offers. Sri Lankan hospitality was singularly responsible for making
our trip a success and in the end Mr Duminda clinched the deal.
Figure 33 - Warm welcome
at Taj Samudra
Figure 34 - An impressive
flower decoration
Figure 35 - An unusual
entrance to a bar
Figure 36 - A well
appointed room
Figure 37 - View from the
room
Figure 38 - City centre
Colombo
Figure 39 - Good
breakfast and out
Figure 40 - A view of the
hotel
Figure 41 - Good bye
Figure 42 - Final good bye to elephant country
Figure 43 - Big thanks
and 'Ayubowan' Mr Duminda
