saving face while hiking up pidurangala rock

If you haven't heard of Pidurangala Rock, that's because it is overshadowed by 'the other rock' that is Sigiriya, which is probably the site that draws the most tourists in Sri Lanka. Think of Sigiriya as Cambodia's Angkor Wat Complex and Pidurangala as Prasat Preah Vihear. If you wonder what Prasat Preah Vihear is, you get the drift.

Pidurangala (left) and Sigiriya (right) viewed from Dambulla.

What led Ail and me to this little-known place is the massive entrance fee Sigiriya Rock charges foreign visitors. While the ticket for Sigiriya is about 30USD, you can climb Pidurangala for just 500LKR or approximately 4USD.

The fee is actually for the cave temple, which is worthy of a few minutes' visit, located close to the entrance. The cave is merely a small hollowed-out space under the rock outcrop which is hidden by a relatively new structure built to preserve the historical treasure within. It houses a huge reclining buddha and a few other smaller statues. The paintings on the ceiling are impressive with their still vivid colors and details despite being thousands of years old.

Colorful and detailed painting in the cave.

An old man let us in the cave and gave us the place's history. Once we were done admiring the cave, he showed us the path to the top of Pidurangala. The trail, which is essentially hundreds of uneven steps, starts just to the right of the cave. The old man removed a dilapidated sign saying 'No Entry' and told us to follow him. I told him that we wanted to go by ourselves. He picked up a stick and said that the trail is dangerous because of snakes. Thanks or no thanks to Tripadvisor, I already had an idea about this old man even before we went to Sri Lanka so I insisted that we will be fine even on our own.

It didn't take much effort to convince the old man to let us be. But that may be because a couple arrived, the only other visitors the whole time we were there.

We climbed at a leisurely pace. There were no other signs so we simply followed the steps. Near the start of the trail, there are other steps and smaller trails which made it a little confusing. We followed the most obvious path but it suddenly disappeared among the tall grasses and bush. Remembering the warning of our host (a solo tourist has gotten lost in the forest), we turned back thinking that we might have missed the right way. Just a few steps later, the old man came. He was guiding the couple. He must be laughing at us! We didn't want to get defeated so when he asked where we were going, we just smiled at him and continued going back.

The other path we took led us to a little shrine. We spent some time there, convincing ourselves that the original path we were following was right. When we were already sure that we won't overtake the old man, we went back and realized that the path didn't get lost in the bush but only took a turn. A couple of steps from where I stood and I would have realized it earlier.

The path was then straight forward and it took us about 45 minutes to reach the landing where another huge reclining buddha could be found. This buddha had been badly damaged before and now is incompletely renovated. There is also an exposed rock on the ground with old inscriptions.

After the buddha, the path meandered among the forest and we had to walk over some huge boulders. Thanks to the dirt on the ground, we could see the footsteps left by the group ahead of us assuring that we weren't lost yet.

You're not lost. This is the right way.

The most difficult and scariest part of the climb was the last section where we had to scramble over several boulders. Okay, it wasn't THAT difficult but with the huge rock (the one that is ever present in pictures) above your head which seems like it would roll over at any moment, that's pretty scary. And what adds to the paranoia is the belief my grandmother held onto that people are more prone to fatal accidents when it's nearing their birthday. It was Ail's birthday the next day.

But we've made it that far and it was stupid to go back so we climbed over the boulders. I went first and when I was right under the huge rock, I had the choice to go right and climb a few other boulders or go left and squeeze myself under the huge rock to get onto a ledge. I opted for the easier one and went right. Ail was close behind.

And then we were trapped. We were facing a wall about 1.5m high and there were no more boulders to climb over. We could see the old man and the couple from where we stood and we knew he was looking at us. To lessen the humiliation, we pretended we were having a good time and laughed louder than we normally do. Thankfully they were already about to leave and they made their way down via the ledge. I only had two choices...

We spent quite some time at the top peacefully, sharing only the place with a dog. The place is wide and unlike Sigiriya, it is bare of any structures. It was mid-afternoon when we went to Pidurangala Rock and thanks to the thick growth of trees, we didn't have to worry about hiking under too much heat of the sun. And when we reached the top, the sun was low enough we didn't mind the lack of shade from vegetation. (There was only a small patch of grass and some cacti.) And the bareness meant that we had a 360 view of the landscape. We could also see people going up and down Sigiriya, almost all of them missing on Pidurangala.

sri lanka tourist visa (and how we almost missed our flight)

For anyone who plans to go to Sri Lanka and who may need a tourist visa, securing one is extremely easy. Sri Lanka requires everyone to apply for an electronic visa (which is called ETA or Electornic Travel Authorization) before arriving in the country. And it can be done in three simple steps.

1. Go to http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/ This site is also full of information regarding ETA.

2. Fill-out the application form.

3. Pay the 30USD fee and send.

Easy right? And the best thing is that your visa can be approved on the same day the you applied. I got mine in less than three hours while my friend got hers in just an hour.

And while we got our visa without going through any trouble, we almost missed our flight to Colombo.

Here's the thing. If you're like me who doesn't print travel documents (flight itinerary, accommodation bookings, etc.) for reasons that may include the following:

a) You don't have a printer.

b) You could use your office's printer but you're just too lazy.

c) You think it's such a waste of ink and precious paper when you can show them a copy from your smartphone.

then you might be in for some hassle.

Our flight to Colombo from Kuala Lumpur with AirAsia was in the mid-morning. Since there aren’t any flights from Manila to KL past midnight, we opted to take the early evening flight and spend a night at Tune Hotel, which is a real value-for-money. We took our time the next morning, knowing that KLIA2 is just a few hundred steps away. Thinking that checking in would be fast, we only went to the airport about an hour before our scheduled flight.

The airport was a bit packed and there are queues in all the counters. We searched for the shortest line and luckily, the queue was moving fairly fast.

When it was our turn, the check-in staff asked us if we have the visa. Ail came prepared and had all her documents printed. I, on the other hand, took out my phone and showed her the e-mail confirmation of my approved visa bearing my name, passport number and ETA number. She asked if I have a printed copy and told her that I don’t. To my surprise and utter disappointment, she said that I need to have those details in paper before I could check-in for my flight. She then asked her colleague and confirmed that it was actually a requirement. She told me to go to the lounge and have my e-visa printed.

The lounge they were talking about was located at the shopping area. I spent a couple of minutes looking for it and getting confused and feeling really anxious because we only had a few minutes left before check-in closed. When I finally found it, I got confused again because in my mind I thought I was going to some sort of an internet café but all I could see was a front desk and two girls who looked like receptionists. Was I in the wrong place?

I told them what I wanted and thankfully, I was in the right place. I forwarded them the e-mail and my fingers were trembling as I tapped my phone. I had the printed copy of my e-visa in no time and it was probably the most expensive printing service I had ever paid. For a piece of paper with a few words printed in black, I paid 3 MYR (approximately 35 pesos). But hey, that paper was also worth my our whole trip.

I hurriedly ran back to the counters. I may already have the paper but we were still in danger of running out of time. I found Ail who was already next-in-line. I know she wouldn't leave without me but she would also never forgive me if we missed the flight. We got to check-in a few minutes before the counter closed. We were so worried we would miss the flight that even if we knew we had more than enough time, we still ran to get to our assigned boarding gate.

While waiting to get boarded, I realized all the running that we did wasn't necessary. And that we were still lucky. We were already seated inside the plane for some time when the last passenger arrived who, based on listening to his conversation with the flight attendant, I was sure made the same mistake of not printing his e-visa and arriving at the airport just in the nick of time. He was just a bit unlucky because he had to leave some of his stuff because he wasn't allowed to check-in his baggage anymore.

So, remember to print your e-visa when going to Sri Lanka.

Note: The FAQ section of the ETA website says that the "ETA is not a pre-condition to board a flight/vessel to Sri Lanka." I found out about it only now. 

moved in hatton: an old man and a three-legged dog

People travel for a lot of different reasons. For some, seeing beautiful landscapes or architectural wonders is the priority. For others, it is the chance to immerse with different cultures or taste mouth-watering cuisines. Some others go for adventure and exhilarating experiences. Some will still give you another reason but as I see it, everything would boil down to one thing. People travel to experience something good and create beautiful memories.

But travel isn't all about seeing the good things. There are times when we are faced with situations which aren't exactly bad but we'd prefer not to witness. But it could turn out that these things would eventually move us and be part of the memories we wouldn't easily forget.

This happened to me when I was on my way to Ella and waiting for the train at the Hatton Station. Since the train wouldn't arrive until 30 minutes later, I made myself busy looking at the comings and goings of the passengers. And then an old man caught my attention. With only a threadbare shirt and a piece of cloth wrapped around his waist that dropped halfway to his knees, he stood out amongst the crowd. Hatton, being above 1270masl is chilly. Add to that the fact that it had been raining the whole day. Sitting on a bench, I watched him from across the railways as he walked on the platform followed by a white dog. He stopped in front of a trash bin, opened it and started scavenging.

Seeing what he was doing made me feel uncomfortable. Of course it wasn't the first time that I saw something like that. I know from watching TV documentaries that there are a lot of people who survive on scavenged food. Still, it's hard to be used to and indifferent to this. Especially when it happens right in front of you. But this isn't what I am writing about, so..

Finally, he pulled out a white plastic bag, opened it and took something out of the bag. Just as I was about to look away, assuming that what I was thinking was what he would do, he placed a paper on the ground and put the food on it. He was scavenging for the dog! He probably knew that the dog must be so hungry because he kept looking for more food while the dog was feasting on his find. Watching as the dog was enjoying his meal, I also noticed that the dog was missing half of a leg. I could only assume that the dog had an accident on the train tracks and it was also the old man who took care of him.

I may never know their whole story but while I only felt pity for the old man at first, he gained my respect with a seemingly simple act. For someone who has almost nothing, he had the heart to be generous to a dog. And while life hasn’t been very good to him, he had kindness to give to a helpless creature.

haputale

Haputale is a small town in the southeastern part of Sri Lanka's Hill Country. It can be easily accessed by train, with the train station close to the center of town. It can be said that the place is a little overlook, with very few visitors while we were there. Our main reason in going to Haputale is to see the famed Lipton's Seat, but we get to see a bit more.

Lipton's Seat

Early morning scene.

The main reason why people go to Haputale is to visit Lipton's Seat. Said to be the favorite spot of Sir Thomas Lipton to view his tea plantation, the place is named after the man behind that tea you're drinking. Perched on top of a hill, the viewpoint offers a breathtaking view of the landscape. In the early morning, the gentle touch of the sun as the mist settles in makes the scenery more sublime.

There is tea anywhere you look.

To get there, it is convenient to hire a tuk-tuk. From the center of town, it is a 17-km hair-raising trip along a narrow road winding through tea plantations, occasionally going through very steep slopes on one side and a scary drop on the other. But the views along the way of seemingly endless verdant pattern covering the hills and slopes certainly makes the trip worth-taking.

Another option is to take the bus to Dambatenne Tea Factory and walk for about two to three hours. The earliest bus leaves the town at 7 AM. Since we wanted to be there in the early morning, we opted to hire a tuk-tuk. And besides, the fair is fixed at 1500 LKR roundtrip which is pretty reasonable considering that it also includes a stop at the tea factory.

Dambatenne Tea Factory

Founded more than a century ago, Dambatenne Tea Factory one of the most famous factories to accept visitors. The factory is established by Sir Thomas Lipton himself in 1890. Today, the factory is still standing, functioning and employing about 1500 tea pickers.

The tour which costs 250 LKR per person is quite informative, especially for someone like me who has no idea about how tea is made. All of the stages from cutting, drying, fermenting, several stages of refining, and heating were explained to us while workers were hard at work. This factory produces only black tea of varying quality. They also make white tea in small amount but undergoes a different process and is really expensive.

They don't allow taking photos inside the building so here's a photo of their nice garden.

Adisham Monastery

Standing like a rarity in Haputale with its European design, Adisham or St. Benedict's Monastery was built by an English planter in 1931. The monastery is open to visitors only on weekends, Poya Days and school holidays except on Christmas and Good Friday. (Thankfully, we were there on a Sunday.) However, only a small part of the building is shown to visitors. Instead a video shows its interior and talks more about its history and the person who built it. You would need to remove your shoes before entering the building.

Photography is prohibited inside the building. Our tuk-tuk driver is a good friend of one of the staff facilitating visitors so we were given permission to take photos of the interior. But being me, I didn't take advantage of it.

It is easy to enjoy the tranquility that this place offers. Aside from the views of the mountains, they have well-mainted garden of roses and other flowers whose varying colors are truly beautiful. The entrance fee of about a dollar goes mostly to the care of this pretty garden.

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St. Andrew's Chapel

We took a leisurely walk to this tiny chapel to check if there was a mass. But the place was deserted, and the doors were locked.

More interesting than the chapel building are the tombs surrounding it. Reading the inscriptions, we found only English-sounding names. The tombs were old - some were already crumbling - giving the
church an eerie feel.

a story of kindness from sri lanka

Let's just say that our introduction with Sri Lanka didn't turn out quite well. Taking the wrong exit at the airport, a shuttle we couldn't find, an excessively inflated fare for a short tuk-tuk ride, and an old mini-bus that is filled to the brim - all of these reduced our enthusiasm for the country.

At the Katunayake Bus Terminal, we were waiting for the bus to Kandy which was already half an hour late. When it finally came another half an hour later, it was already packed. And we weren't the only ones waiting for its arrival. People started boarding while we were still arguing if we should hop in or not. We're no strangers to riding crammed buses (or MRTs) but with our backpacks, it would be a difficult three- to four-hour ride. We agreed on hiring a car instead, which would cost at least 6000 LKR if we could convince the two Korean girls to join us. Just as we were about to approach them, the first girl entered the bus, squeezed herself among the crowd and the other quickly followed. Our only hope was lost, leaving us with no other choice.

At the airport. Taking the wrong exit.

Several minutes later, the bus was still parked, the driver nowhere in sight. We spent the idle time strategizing, trying to secure a comfortable space in the bus. But it was futile because once the driver came back, we had to make room (from nothing) for other passengers. The man sitting close to us must have realized our 'difficult' position and offered his seat. Another man from behind also gave up his seat for us, seeing that we couldn't decide who between us would take the first seat. We never expected that but we were so grateful because along the way, the bus picked more passengers up and we could only wonder how it was possible.

One thing that we noticed while we were in the bus was a custom which I haven't seen anywhere else before. When one woman entered the bus, she gave all the stuff she was carrying to a person who was sitting. Well, they must be traveling together. In another case, one guy took the bag held by the person sitting next to me and thanked him before leaving the bus. Well, they must be friends. Another guy entered the bus and gave his backpack to my seatmate. I thought they couldn't be friends because they didn't greet or smiled to each other. Later on, we concluded that what we observed was their tradition. If you get a seat in the bus, you ought to help those who would be standing because you are in a comfortable position. This not only amazed me, but it also gave me a feeling of relief because they are a bunch who are willing to help someone they don't know. And somehow, it changed my initial impression of Sri Lanka.

But that is not the only story I wanted to share. I have another one.

It hadn't been halfway in the trip when I felt sick inside me. I fought it and then came a point when I knew I couldn't stand it any longer. I asked the woman standing close to me if she could tell the driver to stop at the closest gasoline station. She walked to the front of the bus. But minutes later, she hadn't returned and the bus didn't stop. My friend, who was a few seats behind me noticed there was something wrong and realized soon enough what it was. Nope, she didn't go to the driver (because he probably didn't speak English) but it was the guy next to here who volunteered to do so. (It's the same guy who gave his seat to us.) When the bus finally stopped, I rush out of it, threw my backpack to the ground and ran. I was in such a hurry I didn't even get to thank him.

I rushed towards a small eatery where two elderly women were chatting. I interrupted them (a bit disrespectful but it was an emergency) and asked for what I needed, not even considering that they may not speak English or whatever unfavorable response. Luckily, one of them spoke English and a few minutes later I was feeling a little better. I looked at her and she had this little smile and at the same time a concerned look. She was worried that I was not yet fully okay so she invited us to their eatery. She was hesitant to give me medicines, saying that it might not act favorably. So she just gave me something hot to drink instead. When we were ready to leave, she and her sister offered to find a tuk-tuk we could hire to get to Kandy (just in case I wasn't fully okay). They made several calls but thought that the price they get quoted with are too much. In the end, the woman who spoke English just helped us flag down a bus. I may have forgotten her name, but I will never forget the kindness she, and all the others, extended to us.

climbing adam's peak off-season: dogs and the dark

When I learned about Adam's Peak, the 5000+ steps to get there and the mesmerizing sunrise, I knew I had to go. I needed to convince my friend Ail to join me first because it involved walking at 2am in the dark and since it was the low season, there wouldn't be plenty of tourists and the idea somehow terrified me. But I am never good at persuading people.

A few months later, I was alone in a train from Haputale to Hatton. I did convince Ail but her flight out of Sri Lanka got cancelled and she had to leave a day early. Her least desired destination had to be sacrificed. And as the train languidly made its way through villages and tea plantations, I was still wondering if I'd be able to gather some courage and start the climb in the wee hours of the morning and witness the sunrise.

For most backpackers, it is the magnificent sunrise that lure them to this mountain. But for most of Sri Lankans, Adam's Peak is a mountain sacred to them. Called locally as Sri Pada which means 'sacred foot,' it is said that a footprint could be found at its peak and Buddhists believes that it is Buddha's. For Hindus, the footprint is said to belong to Shiva and for the Christians and Muslims, it is Adam's.

View of tea plantations from a train going to Hatton.

As I stepped out of the train station, a tuk-tuk driver approached me and offered a ride to Dalhoussie, the village where the climb to the peak starts. Not having someone to share the cost of hiring a tuk-tuk, I told him I would be taking the bus. Unsurprisingly, he didn't insist (one 'no' is enough for most of them) and just pointed the way to the bus station. An old, tired-looking man who must have heard our short conversation walked beside me and asked me the usual questions a traveler gets. This man whose kindness was bordering creepy ended up paying for my bus fare.

During the low season, very few buses run directly to Dalhoussie so I had to take the bus to Maskeliya first. The bus conductors were quite helpful directing me to the right bus. From the map, it seemed like it is a short journey but it took me almost three hours because of all the stops and the very winding road.

It was already getting dark when we reached Dalhoussie, The bus stopped in front of a guesthouse, a guy hopped in and asked me if I would want to stay there. The place looked cozy. Thinking that the rooms would be expensive, I told him I prefer to stay close to the start of the climb. It was raining when we reached the bus stop. I was walking with a man who was supposed to take me to a guesthouse when suddenly an SUV stopped, its window opened and a woman who's probably younger than me offered a place to stay. Rather than getting drenched, I went with her. And besides, never have I ridden an SUV to get to a guesthouse. It was always and old sedan, which I had to pay for.

That's the perk of travelling in the low season; cheap rooms, and extra service. But in my case, the perks end there. The rain won't seem to stop. There were no other guests, so I had no chance of tagging along with others who plan to climb the peak. Achinika, the girl in the SUV, asked me if I wanted to have a guide. I didn't need a guide to show me the way beacause I was pretty sure there's no way of getting lost. I needed one to dismiss my irrational fear of those who might be lurking in the dark. But I didn't have enough money for that.

I went to sleep hopeful. Despite not seeing a single star in the sky, cicadas were singing and frogs were croaking. They said that if you hear those, it wouldn't rain anymore. I woke up in an envelope of silence a few hours later. At least it wasn't raining. When I went out of my room, it was dark. What else should I expect? I walked a bit slowly, hoping that someone is close behind and he'd catch up. When I passed by another guesthouse and heard a sound of a closing door, I stopped and waited. But no one came out. So I walked. And then I heard something again. But they were just dogs.

I continued walking until I saw the bridge which I had to cross. I turned right and kept walking until I reached the first of the more than 5000 steps to Adam's peak. In order to divert my thoughts away from bad scenarios, I decided to just count each step and maybe brag about knowing the exact number of those steps. But 20 or so steps later, I got lost. I didn't lose track of the count. I actually followed another path and ended up in a muddy construction site. A normal person wouldn't make this mistake. I was having a bad start.

Near the start, several houses stand along the steps and a few scattered lamps illuminate the path. But only after a couple of hundreds of meters, there was already none. A lot of stalls, which serve the thousands of pilgrims, line the path to the peak. The pilgrimage season is during the poya days which run from December to May. During the busiest time of the season, thousands of people climb the peak in the same day making the ascent a very slow one. The path is also well lit, having a lot of electric lamps running along the whole length of it. I was there in June when all stalls were closed, not a single soul, and none of the lamps weren't lit. I turned my headlamp off just to see how dark it was. I couldn't see a thing.

A stupa along the way to Adam's Peak.

As I kept walking, a huge shadow crossed the path about five meters ahead of me. I was stunned. And then two much smaller shadows of the same shape appeared, following the bigger one. They were walking on fours and seem to have little tails so I thought maybe they were pigs. But why were they roaming the neighborhood in the middle of the night? Aren't they supposed to be enclosed in pens? Maybe in Sri Lanka, they just let their pigs wandering around? I didn't know but my feet chose to move forward so I did.

Occasionally I would turn off my light and look up ahead to see if there were any other lights from people who were climbing. But there wasn't. When I finally saw one, I walked faster. The light got bigger and brighter and I discovered that it was from a shrine with a huge reclining Buddha. There was also a smaller shrine for a Hindu god but I couldn't identify him/her. I prayed to both of them, asked them to keep me safe and away from anything bad. Mostly I prayed to Buddha because I didn't know how to address the Hindu god. It was only 2:20 AM but I was already weary. It wasn't physical, though. I was tired from the battle that was taking place inside me.

I'm guessing that all people who choose to do this kind of thing are not the kind of people who are afraid of the dark and supernatural beings. And I am the exception. Because I still believed that there'd be at least one other person who would be there. But what if I was wrong? What if the things that I choose to not believe in but still I am afraid of are real? What if I don't get to go home anymore? I thought of going back. I still wasn't that far. But I knew I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I choose to be a coward again and back out. And besides, how will I be able to tell Ail about the great sunrise that she missed?

Our companions.

I was reluctant to leave the solace that the shrine provided me but I had to step back into the dark. I didn't face my fear. I buried it and pretended to myself that that fear doesn't exist so I'd be able to push on. I hadn't gone far when I sensed there was something behind me. What else would I do but look back? And then I saw this pair of tiny glowing light that was fast approaching. But instead of getting scared to death, I was glad to see that it was the dog from the shrine that was following me. I tried to get the dog to go with me before leaving but I wasn't good at persuading not just people, but also dogs.. At least I wasn't alone anymore.

With the dog walking with me, I felt a bit better. Sometimes, he would walk a bit faster but after realizing that I was getting left behind, he'd stop and wait for me. When he got too busy sniffing, I'd wait for him until he was through with his business.

Near this house is where I finally met other people.

When we reached another illuminated shrine, the dog refused to follow. It started to rain and the shrine had no roof. I could see another light not far ahead and I wanted to see if it was better to stay there. He was whimpering, probably telling me that moving on wasn't a good idea. But I didn't want to get soaked and besides, the dog couldn't argue with me. I thanked the dog and left. A few steps later, he was already beside me.

The light was coming from a house. But it was closed and there was no one around. There was a shed in front of it and the dog and I sat there for a while. I wanted to look at the time but too scared that it may already be close to three in the morning. (If you've seen the film that gave me this fear, you know what I mean.) Strong winds suddenly blew. The dog sat closer to me. But that was because I took out some biscuits and not because he was sharing my fear.

Part of the 5000+ steps.

We were just done eating when I heard something again. I looked and saw some lights, and they were moving. Moments later, four other people came along with two dogs. I felt very much relieved. The fear has finally died, at least for that day. I found out later that they were staying at the guesthouse which was offered to me when I was in the bus. I should have gone with the guy!

We reached the peak at a quarter before six. It felt  like I was in heaven. Not because of some profound reason, but because we were shrouded with thick clouds. In the movies, I would have been rewarded with the perfect sunrise, with all the things that I went through. But I was in a real situation, and that's the reality off-season travel. I got drenched. I felt so afraid. And I didn't get what I wanted, the reason why I was there. But hey, I got another story to tell. And those steps are no joke.