Bye to India’s Teardrop, on the Way to India
Aluthgama, a little further north up the coast…
SL was nicknamed “India’s Teardrop” by some because of the location in relation to India and the shape of the country – how it physically looks on the earth. I like it – as a ‘happy teardrop’.
I took another *steamy, packed-full* train as transportation. This time, I sat on my backpack, which I put on the floor in the aisle. People all over me, me all over people, including an older man standing in front of me at a 90* angle, who was scratching his crotch frequently. And, the heat – I think I lost three pounds in sweat! Still, it was fun somehow. And I’m bummed because I heard that the other routes on the trains around Sri Lanka are even more visually stunning, so I would love to travel there again, on the trains, and see the scenery in the hills, amongst tea plantations, etc.
Despite it being fun, I was still happy to see the station sign😊
aluthgama station
When I got to town, I walked around to find a pharmacy to buy more cough drops for my fourth onslaught of cold/sickness on my trip (anti-malaria pills side effect). It took a little while, but I found some, and I also went to a really nice grocery store😄 It was a chain called Food City. I LOVE LOOKING AROUND GROCERY STORES I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
legit grocery store:)
The (crazy) drug dealer tuktuk driver who drove me to the hotel stopped so we could watch a cycling race, going through tiny Aluthgama😃🚴🏾
bike race
don’t stop!
amongst the motorbikes
It was another lovelyyyyyy beach… Not safe to swim, but the sand, sun, and warm water on your toes is plenty wonderful enough!
beauuuutiful
sunshiney day – feet in grass
small island w/helipad
pano
mini island
beach
ahhhhhh
traveler’s feet flipflop tan
This is something I saw in Sri Lanka and haven’t seen anywhere else – all of the small shops use discarded school papers to make bags… So smart!!
homemade bag
french homework🇫🇷
The gas station attendants must’ve stayed up late. When cars drive by you only 10 feet away and you don’t wake up, you know you’re tired (all three of them!).
wake up!
My last train ride in Sri Lanka😢 At the station, I saw something too wonderful to pass up without taking a picture.
(retirement goals). I can’t knock it.
And TRAIN GOATS!
be careful, train goats! there are trains coming
This was at the Mount Lavinia station – the view is unbelievable. Notice on the train, there are people by the door but they aren’t falling out of the door, like many trains that I saw.
a not-so-full train, and the view!
Then it was time to leave out of Colombo Airport… good-bye, Sri Lanka! It was a fun and interesting seven days😍 I’m glad that I got to visit, even though I wasn’t seeing Tibet. I figure, it might be cool to see more of Sri Lanka (inland) in the future, and also I’m looking forward to a time in the future when I do travel to Tibet.
Next up: A Passage to India
In “Passage to India”, a poem from Leaves of Grass, Whitman illustrates his amazement by the opening of the Suez Canal (in 1869), which he recognized as not only a way to move goods between continents more quickly, but also as a gateway to travel to Asia and exploring in the world. And this, exploring the world, he linked with spirituality and connecting with God. Below – excerpts from the poem that inspire me…
Galle, Sri Lanka
I’ve never seen any town like it.
After I left Mirissa, I decided to work my way back up the coast towards Colombo, stopping at a few cities along the way. The first town I stopped in, for three days, was Galle. There is new city Galle, which is the modern day, ‘typical’ Sri Lankan city, and there is also Galle Fort, where I stayed. Galle Fort, or “Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as:
Founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, before the arrival of the British. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.
Galle from above:
Galle Fort
Very old roots from Portuguese and Dutch Colonialism, and it still looks very much the same way today, thanks to on-going preservation. Absolutely adorable town, not to mention the amazing views of the Indian Ocean wrapping around 3/4 of the Fort, beaches, tropical weather with ocean breeze, island flora and fauna… Oh my! By far my favorite Sri Lanka😍 I read that Galle is similar in uniqueness to Cartagena because of the fortifications and the Colonial architecture still present. I may visit Cartagena at the end of my trip.
Anyway, here’s what I saw…
lighthouse
hotel rooftop – Flagrock Bastion
restaurant
train station
pano from roof
street
Dutch Reformed Church
shopping arcade
building in Galle
beach on end of fort
hello kitty
early morning blue
steet in Galle
view from hotel roof
all saints church
inside all saints church
main gate
pano from hotel roof
cool tree
clock tower by main gate
statue guards
hi, kingfisher:)
street brick
view from rooftop restaurant
The white building on the right in the photo above is the Fort Meeran Jumma Masjid (mosque). Another reason I liked Galle and Sri Lanka was because of all the different types of people and religions – Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. As I was waiting for my food to come, the speakers on the mosque blasted the afternoon call to prayer (ya, it was LOUD):
As you can see, there is a wall, or ramparts, wrapping around the whole of the fort. My hotel was on the southern point, located next to Flagrock Bastion, which was initially used as a signaling station to warn approaching ships of the rocks in the bay (now, a few local daredevil people jump off of it into the sea below😳). Rampart View Hotel is separated from the ramparts by a street, and it had an amazing view from the roof, and THE BEST BREAKFAST I’VE HAD ON MY TRIP!
this is my hotel – ramparts on the left, just in front of the ocean waves
sri lankan breakfast at hotel – flagrock bastion in background
The owners were super nice, and the ladies who brought breakfast were so happy that I liked the food. They had two options for the meal – you could chooose Western breakfast or Sri Lankan. The other people staying at the hotel all ordered the Western. On the second day, when I told the owners I wanted the Sri Lankan breakfast again, they looked so happy – it was like they knew that I knew how delicious it was, and they were just happy for me😊😊
day 2 free breakfast = best breakfast I’ve had on my trip!
In the picture above – on the top right, the noodles are called string hoppers, the thin pancake-looking things are hoppers, coconut curry, with a poached egg inside (soooooooooooooo good), the bottom right bowl is coconut sambol (this is one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten), and the rest: watermelon juice, fruit and coffee.
and this is the view while eating breakfast…
I’ve gotten used to having a mosquito net to use over my bed when I’m asleep at night:
essential.
My favorite building on Galle Fort was the Dutch Reformed Church. It’s still used every Sunday for one Protestant church service (how cool would that be to be a Protestant and visit Galle and be able to go to a service here!?). There are a lot of dead people in and outside the church😳.
Dutch Reformed Church
inside Dutch Church
wall hangings
dead person under floor
cemetery beside church
yellow plumeria
Just outside Galle Fort main gate:
field day for girls at cricket stadium
And my leg wound FINALLY healed! It looks like it will leave quite the scar, but I’m just so grateful it’s better😃 (thank you again Madan and Dr. Rajendra☺️).
29 days later, healed!
This photo is here so that I’m not ending on a disgusting picture of a leg:
lighthouse
Next up: More beautiful SL and INDIA
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