Taxi Tour in Sri Lanka
16th August 2010
Early in the morning Aaron and I got a taxi to Mumbai airport, international departures, in order to fly to Sri Lanka. Only to discover that since we had a connection in Chennai we actually needed to be at domestic departures. Fortunately we had allowed plenty of time and were able to get another taxi there without difficulty. At Chennai we didn't have long to change planes. Luckily there were several passangers in this situation so we were provided with a separate bus from our first plane. We did however still have to queue through all the frustrating multiple hand luggage checks. Men and women are separated and I waited nervously with a few other women for our husbands. We were reassured the flight wouldn't take off without them and sure enough everyone made the next flight. After half a movie and a decent airline lunch we arrived in Colombo airport about two in the afternoon. Aaron had researched on the internet an interesting volunteer opportunity in Sri Lanka with the World Wide Organisation of Organic Farming. We had contacted the coordinator in Sri Lanka, Chaminda, and planned to spend most of the next four weeks (the length of a tourist visa) working on an organic farm.
When we walked out of the airport Aaron clutched in his hands a print out of the directions to get to the Deversana Development Centre (DDC) where we would meet Chaminda and begin the volunteer work. To get to the DDC in Yakala we first needed to get to the capital city, Colombo, about 30km south of the airport, then get a bus to the city Kurungala, then another to the villiage Yakala. We asked at the tourist information desk how to get to Colombo and were told that we would need to take two buses. It sounded like it was going to be a long journey. As we continued out of the airport we were approached by a man who organised prepaid taxis. We considered getting a taxi to Colombo, but seeing as we would then be travelling back north again he suggested we take a taxis to a village where we could intercept the bus from Colombo to Kurungala. The taxis seemed very inexpensive and since we didn't know the bus schedule or how full it would be by the time it reached that village we enquired how much it would be to get a taxi all the way to Kurungala, about 70km away. It was only 4,000 Sri Lankan Rs (about $40), so we chose this convenient option and were introduced to our friendly taxi driver, Alwis.
The road was lined with lush green farms and coconut trees
waved in the breeze high above us. The area generally looked a lot cleaner than our experience of India and Aaron and I both had a positive feeling about Sri Lanka. Aaron asked the Alwis about what mobile phone network he recommended and so a short way into the journey he stopped at a village for us to purchase a new SIM card. A little further on he announced that we were on the main road between Colombo and Kurungala. It wasn't what most people in the US or UK would think of as a main road connecting two major cities. There were no markings on the road, it was just wide enough for one lane of traffic in each direction and no pavement. However we didn't end up in any traffic jams, so it seemed to be big enough to support the flow of vehicles.
After a while the driver asked if we had coconuts in our country and on hearing that we didn't he pulled over to the side of the road and purchased us one each. The girl at the stall deftly sliced off the top of two coconuts, placed one
straw in each and handed them to us. The milk tasted cool and sweet and we sucked on our straws gratefully. Sri Lanka has a particular type of coconut specific to their country with a bold orange colour to it. Aaron finished his quickly, but I found something about the taste a little to sharp and couldn't quite finish it. However towards the end of our stay in Sri Lanka I had another coconut which I lapped up fast, so I guess I acquired a taste for it while we were there.
A little further into our journey we stopped to taste some cashew nuts and purchased a small packet of deliciously flavoured nuts. The driver also kindly provided a running commentary about the places we passed by. As we went by a field where they were making hay he asked if we would like to stop and learn about how they do this. We politely declined as we were headed to a farm and assumed we would probably get a lot more time to learn about Sri Lankan farming over the next four weeks, when we were not so jet-lagged.
The next stop we made was at a stall by the road selling
some unusual looking fruit. The outside of the fruit is bright red with spikes all over it, however the spikes are very soft. The skin is tough to pierce and inside the fruit is opaque white and has the texture of jelly with a hard stone in the middle. It tastes very sweet and succulent, and is one of the best fruit I have ever tried. As we drove on our guide pointed out a beautiful lake, a huge statue of Buddha on top of a hill and other such areas of interest. He stopped to put a vine leaf on a shine to pray for safe travel and he also took us for Sri Lankan tea at a cafe.
When we got to Kurungala we tried to describe where the DDC was. The driver took Chaminda's number and gave him a call. It was further than Kurungala, but he said he could take us for a little extra money. Once we finally got to the DDC we thanked him and gave him a good tip for the increased distance and the surprise bonus of a guided tour he gave us. He was very appreciative and exchanged phone numbers with us. The DDC appeared to be quite quiet and the people friendly. We were given a brief tour immediately. I was warming to this country already and have a great feeling about the next four weeks.
Early in the morning Aaron and I got a taxi to Mumbai airport, international departures, in order to fly to Sri Lanka. Only to discover that since we had a connection in Chennai we actually needed to be at domestic departures. Fortunately we had allowed plenty of time and were able to get another taxi there without difficulty. At Chennai we didn't have long to change planes. Luckily there were several passangers in this situation so we were provided with a separate bus from our first plane. We did however still have to queue through all the frustrating multiple hand luggage checks. Men and women are separated and I waited nervously with a few other women for our husbands. We were reassured the flight wouldn't take off without them and sure enough everyone made the next flight. After half a movie and a decent airline lunch we arrived in Colombo airport about two in the afternoon. Aaron had researched on the internet an interesting volunteer opportunity in Sri Lanka with the World Wide Organisation of Organic Farming. We had contacted the coordinator in Sri Lanka, Chaminda, and planned to spend most of the next four weeks (the length of a tourist visa) working on an organic farm.
When we walked out of the airport Aaron clutched in his hands a print out of the directions to get to the Deversana Development Centre (DDC) where we would meet Chaminda and begin the volunteer work. To get to the DDC in Yakala we first needed to get to the capital city, Colombo, about 30km south of the airport, then get a bus to the city Kurungala, then another to the villiage Yakala. We asked at the tourist information desk how to get to Colombo and were told that we would need to take two buses. It sounded like it was going to be a long journey. As we continued out of the airport we were approached by a man who organised prepaid taxis. We considered getting a taxi to Colombo, but seeing as we would then be travelling back north again he suggested we take a taxis to a village where we could intercept the bus from Colombo to Kurungala. The taxis seemed very inexpensive and since we didn't know the bus schedule or how full it would be by the time it reached that village we enquired how much it would be to get a taxi all the way to Kurungala, about 70km away. It was only 4,000 Sri Lankan Rs (about $40), so we chose this convenient option and were introduced to our friendly taxi driver, Alwis.
The road was lined with lush green farms and coconut trees
waved in the breeze high above us. The area generally looked a lot cleaner than our experience of India and Aaron and I both had a positive feeling about Sri Lanka. Aaron asked the Alwis about what mobile phone network he recommended and so a short way into the journey he stopped at a village for us to purchase a new SIM card. A little further on he announced that we were on the main road between Colombo and Kurungala. It wasn't what most people in the US or UK would think of as a main road connecting two major cities. There were no markings on the road, it was just wide enough for one lane of traffic in each direction and no pavement. However we didn't end up in any traffic jams, so it seemed to be big enough to support the flow of vehicles.After a while the driver asked if we had coconuts in our country and on hearing that we didn't he pulled over to the side of the road and purchased us one each. The girl at the stall deftly sliced off the top of two coconuts, placed one
straw in each and handed them to us. The milk tasted cool and sweet and we sucked on our straws gratefully. Sri Lanka has a particular type of coconut specific to their country with a bold orange colour to it. Aaron finished his quickly, but I found something about the taste a little to sharp and couldn't quite finish it. However towards the end of our stay in Sri Lanka I had another coconut which I lapped up fast, so I guess I acquired a taste for it while we were there.A little further into our journey we stopped to taste some cashew nuts and purchased a small packet of deliciously flavoured nuts. The driver also kindly provided a running commentary about the places we passed by. As we went by a field where they were making hay he asked if we would like to stop and learn about how they do this. We politely declined as we were headed to a farm and assumed we would probably get a lot more time to learn about Sri Lankan farming over the next four weeks, when we were not so jet-lagged.
The next stop we made was at a stall by the road selling
some unusual looking fruit. The outside of the fruit is bright red with spikes all over it, however the spikes are very soft. The skin is tough to pierce and inside the fruit is opaque white and has the texture of jelly with a hard stone in the middle. It tastes very sweet and succulent, and is one of the best fruit I have ever tried. As we drove on our guide pointed out a beautiful lake, a huge statue of Buddha on top of a hill and other such areas of interest. He stopped to put a vine leaf on a shine to pray for safe travel and he also took us for Sri Lankan tea at a cafe.When we got to Kurungala we tried to describe where the DDC was. The driver took Chaminda's number and gave him a call. It was further than Kurungala, but he said he could take us for a little extra money. Once we finally got to the DDC we thanked him and gave him a good tip for the increased distance and the surprise bonus of a guided tour he gave us. He was very appreciative and exchanged phone numbers with us. The DDC appeared to be quite quiet and the people friendly. We were given a brief tour immediately. I was warming to this country already and have a great feeling about the next four weeks.
Comments