With a 5 day holiday on the calendar we had planned a long trip across manner etc. but with rains and floods we gave up the idea and headed south without any particular plan. And somehow the 5 days disappeared!

Life along the way…

Did anyone say the young men don’t enjoy කුබුරු වැඩ….!!

Learning early…and having fun

Process of paduru making

If you take the back roads rather than the coastal road, the environment is quite different. We were rather surprised to find such a lot of lovely wawes. When we passed Lenabatuwa wawe (between Akkurassa and Kamburupitiya) it was too late for photos but it seems a very very lovely place. There is a little guest house just on the side of the wawe which looked like a potential base. There was a board for the Lenabatuwa Bio Diversity Park and someone told us that walking in the forest is quite interesting. It certainly looked lovely.

Some other wawes were:

Dandeniya Wawe ( near Ratmale, it is possible to approach from Dikwalle)	Uyan wawe
Uyan wawe, very close to Umangala Viharaya. We did not have time to go looking for the waterfall that is supposed to be close by.	There were some very obvious leaks in from under the tank bund, but the villagers seemed to be quite used to living with them!

Umangala Ovagiri Viharaya, Gangodagama. Closest town is Hakmana, which can be approached from the coast via Dikwalle.

Board showing the way

Signs that we have arrived at a Viharaya – Helmets and slippers off!

But a small warning:

But all those steps lead somewhere…

Three tiny Budu Ge with some unusual paintings, and right at the top, in addition to the view, a little Dagaba and pond and some dramatic Arayaliya trees.

A depiction of the 5 places that the Buddha has placed his foot print in Sri Lanka. I could only recognise Kalpitiya ( Makkama) and of course, Sri Pada. I have heard that Abeyagiriya is built over a Print, but can’t see a Dagaba in the painting so not sure. Does anyone have any ideas where the other 3 are?

One little Budu Ge was impossible to photograph, if you moved back to get it in the frame you fell down the crazily steep steps!! But two that I managed:

One little Budu Ge was impossible to photograph

The dramatic line of really old Araliya trees, three little village kids who ran up with us went direct to the trees and sat dangling their legs over the side!

The dramatic line of really old Araliya trees

For two nights were stayed just outside Yala Park but did not go in after seeing the perahara of vehicles that were going in and out.

It’s not a eco retreat, just a lovely මැටි පැල්පත ( near Yoda wawe)

just a lovely මැටි පැල්පත

But we also had our own little මැටි පැල්පත… Thanks to Back of Beyond, Yala!No words to describe it, especially on a brilliant poya night.

So if we didn’t go into the park, what did we do?

Once again explored the Yala beach, not so many shells as last time ( Trip Report: One week Deep South: Yala and around) but still beautiful.

Once again explored the Yala beach

Yala beach

Went looking for the Andagalwella Modara (cross the road at Yala Handiya and proceed towards Bundala):

Expanse of rock not sand. You can spend hours watching sea life in the rock pools below

The waves obviously come high on to the rocks

Squatters!!

Stunningly patterned fish. Attacking a crab??

Joys of growing up by the sea…!

Village boys waiting for the wave

Daily bath is nothing but a long water game!

Visited the Nimalawa Aranya and Thalaguru Vehera on the Yala road

Well camaflaged kutiya

Sakman maluwa edged with recycled bottles. Apparently it also helps to minimize creepy crawlies invading the maluwa and inadvently getting stepped on

Did a trip into “town”. Explored around Yatala

Yatala Dagoba

For the final day, we headed towards Embilipitiya thinking we can catch at least part of the opening match of the World Cup. Nothing doing, everyone but us had tickets so we went to where no tickets were needed:

Ramba Vehera ( on Nona Gama – Embilipitiya main road, just before Embilipitiya). Huge site, maintained like a tree covered park. Only a fraction has been excavated so far.

Dancing elephants: The playful look as in Isurumuniya and Ranmasu Uyana

Past, present and future: A student monk reading out loud pacing up and down the ancient viharaya

Urusitano Wawe and Sorowa
A big thank you to Priyanjan (Photo) for highlighting the place. A mind spinning combination of technology and artistry. It’s the first time I have seen the entire system of the ancient wawes so clearly. The biso kotuwa ( photo 1), the canal that would have been under the earth bund but is now visible (photo 2), the mouth of the canal (sluice?) where the water comes out of the wave and taken to the fields through canals (Photo 3). The old system has not been touched. The wawe (photo 4) is once again functioning the bund is as always where the main road runs, and the canal (photo 5) runs parallel to the ancient one. Lovely area to walk down.

For the fold history of the name see this article

Photo 1: The biso kotuwa	Photo 2: The canal that would have been under the earth bund but is now visible
Photo 3: where the water comes out of the wave and taken to the fields through canals	Photo 4: The wawe is once again functioning
Photo 5: The canal

There were lots of other ‘adventures and attractions’ but this is becoming a long trip report! So –The End.