Westminister Abbey is an awkward name seen on each and every map of Sri Lanka. So I did a Google search when I was schooling few years (15 years) back to find out that this was an ancient place in SL called Govinda Hela. So I had done my reading and planned to go there someday but never thought I would do this on that particular day.

It was an extraordinary cool morning to Wellawaya. We waked up before the Sun and left the Little Rose Inn, the night stay of us at Wellawaya. We moved heading Diyaluma, as the first travel location of the day. The fall was rather young because it might rain at Bandarawela area, those days. Because Poonagalla Oya the stream Foamed Diyaluma, was originated from Bandarawela area.

Since we have been to Knuckles from Deenston, Meemure side and Riverston Illukkumbura side, this time we decided to explore knuckles from another side which is ‘Bambarella’ and hike ‘Knuckles’ mountain in knuckles range. And visit several uncommon waterfalls in the same area. It was a rainy season and we heard all those waterfalls are in full flow these days when we inquired from the people living in that area.

Since I got my appointment at General Hospital Chilaw, I was planning to visit this place and finally the day arrived (almost after 1 year). I left towards Hettipola and beyond to meet one of my friends. We packed up our stuff and decided to go in his Maruti rather than the bike because it was drizzling. The mountain can be seen to the Chilaw-Kurunegala main road Between Hettipola & Medagama junction

This rock is not a place to mock around and it’s not an easy hike at all, it’s also believed to be a holy place protected by the local god (ගලේ බණ්ඩාර දෙවියන්ගේ ගබඩාව). There have been many incidents where the god have punished travellers & locals who was wondering about with a bad intent (stung by wasp, elephant attacks, lost in the jungle, etc)

Early morning on the 30th December we started heading south on the E01. It was my first time on E01 and I couldn’t have asked for anything better! Cutting across paddy fields, rubber plots and forest patches, E01 was virtually emerging from a sea of mist. Even though the scenary was heavenly, capturing it on camera at 100kmph was not easy. The dirty windshield did not help the cause either.

Almost one week after the peacock hill adventure, it was time for another hike. Mount Kabaragala was an unknown mountain for me until one week back when I first saw it while I was on top of Monaragala. I had no idea about the geography and how to conquer it. Only few google images, survey departments map information and few photographs which I have taken few days back, were there for my aid. Kabaragala is unique in the sense it’s the tallest mountain peak of Dolosbage range and it has an almost flat terrain on top of it which makes you feel that you are walking in heaven.

Walpolamulla is the most remote village exists in the Reversturn area and now it has been almost abandoned due to the threat of wild elephants. But still there are families coming there to cultivate the fields they owned yet there is one person lives there. Also there is a tracking trail which we think that is quite famous but we were not aware of it before.

It has been almost a year since visiting Mannar and I was tempting to go there again, especially in the middle of the migration season. I have called Mr. Laurance, the owner of Four Tees Guest Inn, many times since the season begun, but couldn’t go there due to some concerns. This time I was very determined to go there and ask my friends to join me from about month a go.

Our journey started from around 4.30 p.m in and we proceeded directly to our destination Kalupana around 10.30p.m. Following day early morning we came to Kalupahana Junction and took a left turn towards the Bamabarakanda(Between 172 -173 km ). After proceeding about 4.5 km we had the 1st sight of the Bambarakanda fall at a distance.

Last week end I had opportunity to spend two days in tiny jungle hamlet in foot of the Knuckles Mountain Range. Here is that memorable story. We leave Kandy at 11.00 a.m. in the morning and reached our destination after four hour journey and our crew was 08.

How picturesque can a temple be? Without any special decorations, without twinkling multi-colored lights or spot lights which can be seen from miles away…? How many temples can be compared to the scenic beauty or the uniqueness of “Kothdoowa Raja Maha Viharaya”?